Looking for an easy apple recipe? This simple apple compote is a great option! Make a big batch to top all your favorite breakfast foods and desserts.
If you want to make a delicious apple cinnamon compote in minutes, check out this recipe. This post has all the tips and tricks to make easy apple compote from simple ingredients.
Like a sophisticated alternative to apple sauce, apple compote is a great way to use up a large quantity of apples when the apple orchards are at peak ripeness. It tastes amazing over vanilla ice cream, overnight oats, French toast, or on on top of pancakes.
This spiced apple compote even tastes great with some of your favorite savory dishes (Think: pork chops!)
This recipe is so easy and versatile, you’re sure to come back to it every fall! You also might like these baked apples
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with simple ingredients
- Comes together in just a couple of minutes
- Uses fresh fruit
- Versatile and adaptable
You also might like these recipes for raspberry compote, blueberry compote and strawberry compote.
For more apple recipes check out these recipes for gluten-free apple muffins, gluten-free apple crisp and gluten-free apple pie. Check out this full post on how to make fruit compote!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all of the ingredients needed to make this simple apple compote.
- Apples: I like to use a mix of Granny Smith apples (for tartness) and Honeycrisp apples (for sweet flavor). But feel free to use whatever you have on hand for this fruit compote. Gala, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or a variety of apples would all be great choices!
- Lemon: Lemon adds a bit of acidity to brighten up the flavor of the compote.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness to this homemade apple compote. Feel free to add as much or as little as you like. Or skip it altogether!
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg and warmth and spice to the compote, giving it that classic apple pie taste.
How to Make Apple Compote
- Add the apple, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are fork tender– about 15 minutes. If the mixture begins to scorch on the bottom, turn the heat to low and add a few tablespoons of water. We don’t want to burn the apples!
- When the apples are your desired doneness, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover compote in an airtight container (such as a Mason jar) in the fridge for up to 7 days.
What to Serve with Apple Compote
Apple compote can be served as a fruit topping or filling for so many different dishes! Here are a few ideas:
- Yogurt parfait
- Pancakes
- Toast
- French toast
- German pancakes
- Waffles
- Crepes
- Over ice cream
- Raspberry cake filling
- In raspberry cake batter
- In raspberry muffins
- Raspberry crisp
We also love this apple compote over oat waffles, buckwheat waffles, buckwheat crepes and even pork tenderloin medallions. You also might like this recipe for baked apples.
These apple pie cookies also look amazing!
FAQ
Compote is made from fresh fruit that is cooked over the stove and sweetened with honey, white sugar, or brown sugar.
Apple sauce and apple compote are made with the same ingredients: apples, sweetener, and spices. However, apple sauce is typically pureed, while apple compote is made of apple chunks.
Compote usually has bigger fruit chunks than jam. Unlike jam, it doesn’t contain any pectin and sometimes includes spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Variations: Feel free to add vanilla bean, lemon juice, orange juice, or lemon zest to this easy recipe, if you’d like!
- Type of apples: This versatile apple compote can be made with any apple varieties, including Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala apples, etc.
- Sweetener: You can omit the sweetener if you want a healthier apple mixture to use in a light dessert or breakfast. You can also sweeten your apple compote with honey or maple syrup.
More Fruit Compote Recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try this apple compote, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Simple Apple Compote
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced apple peeled and cores removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice the juice of half a lemon
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2-3 tablespoons water if needed
Instructions
- Add the apple, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are fork tender– about 15 minutes. If the mixture begins to scorch on the bottom, turn the heat to low and add a few tablespoons of water. We don’t want to burn the apples!
- When the apples are your desired doneness, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
Notes
- Variations: Feel free to add vanilla bean, lemon juice, orange juice, or lemon zest to this easy recipe, if you’d like!
- Type of apples: This versatile apple compote can be made with any apple varieties, including Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala apples, etc.
- Sweetener: You can omit the sweetener if you want a healthier apple mixture to use in a light dessert or breakfast. You can also sweeten your apple compote with honey or maple syrup.
This recipe is fantastic and so easy to make. We put it on top of French toast.
Could I can this? How long to process in a water bath? Or will it not work?
Thank you so much
I haven’t tried this myself so I can’t say for sure!
We used apples from our tree to make this and it was absolutely delicious. My family was eating it by the spoonful. I doubled the recipe and we used it to top pancakes. We will definitely be making this throughout the fall. Yum!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment.
Erin, I don’t know why I know you either by using other recipes of yours or TV show. I have to go back thru recipes I’ve printed to find out but I know I trust you. We are having a friend over tomorrow for her gluten free breakfast and I’m making pancakes with this apple compote topping. I’ll let you know how it goes. Wish I could post a pic
This apple compote would be delicious on pancakes! I hope you enjoyed it!
As a semi retired Chef I always love to watch and see all the new stuff coming out. My middle name is SantaClaus and I spend most of my time working on my Santa business but when I come across something worth talking about I do. This is a very simple recipe but very good. Almost exactly what my Great-Great Grandmother served in her hotel in Minnesota. I served it with Smoked Duck, roasted potatoes, mashed carrot & rutabaga. Great meal, great apple compote.