This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
Three ingredients, fifteen minute recipe: This mixed berry compote uses three simple ingredients - mixed berries, lemon zest, and a pinch of kosher salt. No additional artificial sugars: A lot of compote recipes tend to add sugar, but I’ve found that you don’t really need more sugar since the berries are naturally sweet! If you want to add sweetness, I’ve provided recipe notes to add a bit of sugar, honey or monkfruit granulesSuper versatile: I love adding this to pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, and making parfait with it. Oh, did I mention my favorite: French toast with berry compote? Yum.
📋 Ingredients and notes
You’ll need a pound of mixed berries of your choice, along with lemon zest and some kosher salt. Sugar or sweeteners optional!
Notes and Variations
Fresh vs. frozen berries: This recipe works with both fresh and frozen berries with one difference in how you use the lemon. In the summer, when berries are fresh, I love using them to make compote. In this case, I usually add lemon juice from one lemon along with the zest in order to add a bit of water. However, frozen berries tend to release a ton of moisture while cooking down, so you don’t need additional liquid. Adding sweetness: I’ve honestly found that the natural taste of the berries (I used raspberries, strawberries and blueberries) tends to be sweet enough for my taste. So, this recipe doesn’t call for additional sweeteners as written. However, if you desire, you can add some sugar, honey or monkfruit granules to your taste!Optional garnishes: I love garnishing my berry compote with a few sprigs of mint, and adding some more lemon zest once I’m done cooking it down. But these are optional.
📖 Step-by-step instructions
If using frozen berries: Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and reduce over medium heat
Seriously, this is such an easy recipe.
Add frozen berries, a pinch of salt, and lemon zest to a medium-sized sauce pan. Cook this down over medium heat, making sure to stir occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom.
You’ll notice it’ll release a lot of moisture first, and then eventually come to a rapid boil once there’s enough moisture in the saucepan. Continue to cook, stirring constantly when it starts boiling so it’ll reduce in volume and start to thicken. This whole process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes for your mixed berry compote to be ready!
If using fresh berries: Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and reduce over medium heat
Wash and remove the stems of the fruits as needed. I also like slicing my strawberries in halves just to ensure somewhat even sizes. Then, add the berries along with juice from one lemon (roughly 2 to 3 tablespoons) along with a pinch of salt and lemon zest to a medium-sized sauce pan. Use the back of a wooden spatula or a masher to mash down the fruits so they start releasing some of their juices as well. Cook this on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it is at a rapid boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly when it starts boiling so it’ll reduce in volume and start to thicken. This whole process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.
🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
When stored in airtight refrigerated container, this mixed berry compote stays fresh for up to a week. If you want to preserve it for longer, I suggest pouring it into ice cube molds as described above, in which case it’ll stay fresh for up to a month. If you want to preserve it longer, I suggest freezing the berries instead, so then you can make compote whenever you want! This is what we do when we get an excess of amazing berries here in the Pacific Northwest in the summer. If you liked this, check out some of my other recipes for your sweet tooth: If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
Note: This recipe was originally published on February 2, 2020. It was updated on February 22, 2021 to include more process tips and tricks.
