Made with frozen or fresh blueberries, this easy, homemade Blueberry Compote is perfect for topping waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, or pound cake. The quick sauce is a versatile New England favorite to enjoy with breakfasts and desserts all year long.
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This is a wonderful sauce to have in your repertoire! Blueberry Compote is a delightfully sweet accompaniment to all kinds of dishes. And it cooks up in only ten minutes.
For breakfast, spoon Blueberry Compote over buttermilk pancakes, grilled muffins, or lemon crêpes. Blueberry fruit compote also plays quite nicely with desserts; as a topping for vanilla ice cream, spooned over cake, or layered with whipped cream in a mason jar dessert.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What it is: A simple homemade blueberry sauce that captures the best of New England's summer berry-picking season.
- You'll love this part: It's incredibly quick to make and is a wonderful way to enjoy that fresh blueberry flavor on everything from pancakes to ice cream, all year long.
- How it's made: Simmer fresh or frozen berries with sugar and lemon juice until the sauce is thick.
Jump to:
What is a compote?
A compote is a type of fruit sauce with a chunky texture, either from whole berries or large pieces of fruit. The fruit is simmered with sugar, spices, and other flavorings until it thickens into a sauce. Compotes can be made with one fruit or a blend of fruits. A coulis is similar to a compote, except that it's puréed and/or strained to have a smooth texture.
My Blueberry Compote is very simple, made with blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Traditional compotes are simmered for a long time over low heat to develop the flavors. My recipe, however, is a quick compote that can be prepared in less than 15 minutes, and it still has softened berries in a sweet, thick sauce.
So sweet!
Find even more fruit recipes:
Like coffee cakes, muffins, and fruit salads.
Why you'll love this recipe
Not only is this a versatile blueberry lemon compote, it's so easy to make either ahead of time or right before you need it. Just throw everything into a pan and in fifteen minutes or so, the compote is finished.
This recipe is a wonderful way to put freshly-picked summer blueberries to use, but you can also make Blueberry Compote with frozen blueberries or blueberries from the grocery store.
A tasty way to enjoy New England blueberries!
In the summertime in Vermont and nowadays in Massachusetts, blueberry picking is one of my favorite things to do! Orchards across all six New England states boast rows of brimming blueberry shrubs, ready for picking from July through August.
When heading out to pick (or pick up) your blueberries bring home as much as you can—that way you'll have them on hand for so many luscious recipes like this one! They're easy to freeze for dishes down the road, long after warm summer breezes have given way to Stick Season and gray skies.
Wild blueberries—those tiny, flavor-packed beauties also known as low-bush blueberries can also be used in this recipe. They the pride, joy, and state fruit of Maine.
🔪 How to make Blueberry Compote
Ingredients:
- Blueberries: This recipe is a perfect way to preserve the flavor of fresh summer blueberries. You can also make this compote with frozen blueberries.
- Sugar: A little granulated sugar gives this blueberry sauce a luscious sweetness.
- Lemon juice: A dash of lemon juice balances the sweetness with a hint of acidity, and also enhances the blueberry flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Blueberries and vanilla are sublime together. Use a good quality brand such as Nielsen-Massey.
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- Put everything in the pan: Stir together the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the berries for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Let it cool: Pull the pan from the heat and add vanilla. Let the compote cool for about five minutes. Serve it warm, or let it cool to room temperature first.
What to eat with Blueberry Compote
This blueberry topping is a lovely choice for bowls of ice cream—like vanilla or salted caramel. Serve shortcakes or slices of pound cake with fresh blueberry compote and whipped cream. And cheesecake... holy smokes, cheesecake! Spoon a generous amount of Blueberry Compote over slices of New York cheesecake for a real treat.
How about breakfast? I love making this berry compote for pancakes, hot waffles, or to spoon over grilled muffins. Try it with cinnamon-dusted French toast, too.
As a recipe ingredient, I fold this blueberry sauce Toasted Marshmallow Blueberry Milkshakes and to create a Cinnamon Blueberry Icebox Cake. Another casual dessert to try is Blueberries and Cream Rustic Mille Feuille with layers of crisp pastry, whipped cream, and compote.
Blueberry Compote with fresh blueberries is sooo good spooned over hot County Fair Fried Dough!
Tips:
- To store Blueberry Compote, let it cool to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to a mason jar or other container and cover tightly.
FAQs
When sealed in a tightly covered container and refrigerated, blueberry compote is good for up to two weeks.
Yes—because this is a sweetened fruit sauce, blueberry compote must be refrigerated. If left out at room temperature, it will very quickly become moldy.
Enjoy Blueberry Sauce on pancakes, waffles, crêpes, and French toast. For dessert, spoon blueberry compote over cream puffs, fresh fruit, or over slices of cake. It's wonderful for any dish where you want a burst of rich, sweet blueberry flavor!
Yes! Let the sauce cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag with the air pressed out, or a container leaving just a little head space for the compote to expand. Freeze blueberry compote for up to three months.
Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, then stir the compote and serve.
Jam and compote have many elements in common—they're both made with whole berries or chunky pieces of fruit and are simmered with sugar. Jams have a thicker texture, sometimes with the help of added pectin, to make them spreadable. While compote is a thickened fruit sauce, it's looser than jam, which makes it perfect for spooning over desserts and breakfast dishes.
The Blueberry Compote recipe is below! And here are more recipes with blueberries that you'll really like:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Compote
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Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium pan stir together the blueberries, sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cook the mixture at a low simmer for about 5 minutes, continuing to stir often, until it has thickened.
- Use the back of your spoon to smush some of the berries (do this carefully—don't get splashed) to help thicken the sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the compote to cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve the compote while it's still warm, or let it cool to room temperature. You can also serve it chilled.
- When the compote has cooled, transfer it to a mason jar or other container, and cover. Store the sauce in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Makes 2 cups of blueberry compote.
Notes
- To store Blueberry Compote, let it cool to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to a mason jar or other container and cover tightly.
- Blueberry Compote can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen for up to three months.
Nutrition
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