Peach Compote

This homemade Peach Compote recipe is so easy to throw together and a delicious way to enjoy fresh juicy summer peaches. Made in one pot in 15 minutes and can be used in so many different aways – ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, and more!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make peach compote
• Tips and tricks
• Picking and prepping peaches
• What is compote?
• Serving suggestions
• Recipe variations
• Storage and reheating
• FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

A few simple ingredients are needed to make this easy peach compote recipe, check them out below with full quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Peaches: I prefer to use fresh peaches for this recipe, but below you'll find tips for if you want to use frozen or canned. You can alternatively use white peaches as well. This is also a great way to use up peaches that are getting a little too smushy - fresh farmers market peaches are one of my favorite things about summer, but I sometimes buy more than I can eat so this is a great way to use them up.
• Sugar: I prefer a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar. You get the sweetness of white sugar with the deeper molasses sweetness. You could use entirely granulated sugar if you prefer to.
• Cinnamon: A little hint of cinnamon pairs really nicely with the peaches and brown sugar, and gives it a warm cozy feel that juxtaposes beautifully with the summery fruit.
• Lemon juice: Always fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff. This brings acidity that helps balance and give a little brightness.
• Water: Just a little water is used to make the peach compote nice and saucy.

How to make peach compote

Compote is really so quick and simple to make at home - this one in particular is scrumptious with the peach juices creating a silky sauce that is so good.

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1. Prep the peaches. Slice the peaches into 1-inch chunks.

2. Put everything in the pot. Combine the peaches, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, water, lemon juice, and salt in a small saucepan.

3. Cook. Bring the mixture up to a simmer on medium-high heat, then once it's simmering reduce to medium-low heat for a steady simmer for about 10-15 minutes stirring constantly.

4. Finish with lemon juice. Once the compote is your desired thickness, add the lemon juice and stir to combine.

Tips and tricks

This is quite a simple recipe but the below tips will help make sure you crush it.

• Stir frequently – it's best to stir this about once a minute so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot or gets scorched.
• Use gentle heat – low and slow gently thickens and brings out the flavor. If you heat it too aggressively the fruit won't break down properly and the sauce will thicken too quick.
• If you want large chunks of fruit in your compote simply cook it for less time - about 8-10 minutes.
• If you want the peach compote to really break down, try using a potato masher to smush the peaches into smaller pieces.
• I left the skins on the peaches because for the most part they break down anyway. But if you want to you can peel them.

Picking and prepping peaches

• Type of peach: try to find the freestone variety if you can, this means that you'll be able to remove the peach pit easier. On the flip-side, clingstone peaches will literally cling to their pit, making them harder to cut, so try to avoid these.
• Picking a good peach: when looking to pick ripe juicy peaches, you want them to be slightly firm with a little give (similar to an avocado). Too firm and they're under-ripe. You should also avoid ones with any soft spots.
• Removing the put: push your knife into the peach until it hits the pit, then run it around the entire circumference. Twist the peach off it's pit, then pluck the pit off the other side.
  • Once you have the pit out you can easily slice peaches into wedges.

What is compote?

Simply speaking, fruit compote is a mixture of fruit and liquid slowly cooked to create a sauce. In a compote, the fruit keeps its texture and/or shape, whereas with a jam or jelly the fruit is crushed or strained, respectively. Read more about it here.

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Serving suggestions

Peach compote is a perfect accompaniment to so many foods from breakfast through dessert. Below are some of my favorite ways to eat it / pairings.

• Serve on top of:
  • A scoop of vanilla ice cream (my absolute favorite - the hot compote with the cold ice cream is amazing).
  • Greek yogurt
  • Oatmeal
  • Cheesecake
  • Pound cake
  • Toast with butter
• Use in place of syrup for:
  • Pancakes
  • Waffles
  • French toast
• Swirl into:
  • Overnight oats
  • Rice pudding
  • Chia pudding

Recipe variations

While I love the way this recipe is as-is, there are a few different roads you could go down when making peach compote to mix up the flavor combinations! Below are some ideas of add-ins:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Ground ginger or grated fresh ginger
• Cardamom
• Star anise
• Basil
• Mint
• Vanilla extract
• Bourbon
• Instead of using water in this recipe you could use orange juice.

Storage and reheating

Tips below to store and reheat this fresh peach compote.

• Storage: Let it cool to room temperature and store either the fridge for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for a few months. I like storing in a cute mason jar, but any airtight container will work.
• Reheating: From the fridge, reheat in the microwave in 1-minute increments until your desired temp. From frozen, warm on low heat on the stovetop. Alternatively, you don't even have to warm it up! Put the chilled peaches on toast with some butter. yum.

FAQs

📖 Recipe