Name: Mixed Berry Compote Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces strawberries, cleaned and hulled; 1 dry pint blueberries; 1 dry pint blackberries; 4 ounces Sugar; 1 squeeze lemon juice; 1 each lemon, zested

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Mixed Berry Compote is made with summer ripe berries like strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries with lemon zest. Perfect for pancakes, waffles, ice cream and much more!

close-up horizontal shot of glass bowl of mixed berry compote with bowls of fresh berries

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My husband and I like to go on hikes and explore a lot. Well one time, when we were dating (a long time ago) we went hiking about an hour away from the city to a natural bridge. At this natural bridge, there is a huge pool of water that a small stream feeds into. And what feeds this little stream are little waterfalls, by which happens to grow a ton of blackberry bushes.

We may or may not have hoped over a roped off area and gathered some super ripe and delicious blackberries that were growing (they would go to waste otherwise, so why not???) Y’all, these berries were the peak of what blackberries ought to taste like! They were incredible.

Summer is in full swing here and do you know what that means??? Berries galore! Man, oh man do I love when berries are in season; they are the sweetest and juiciest this time of year. I try to not buy them at any other time just because they are truly magnificent during summer.

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With summer now here, I have to share with you my knowledge on how to make this amazing berry compote recipe!

Compote Meaning

Compote is a French name for a chilled fruit dish that has been cooked over a period of time in sugar syrup.

The beauty of making a compote is that you can make it from fresh, frozen, or even dried fruit. Though, with dried fruit, I would add water or some kind of complimentary juice to the cooking so that the fruit reconstitutes.

What is the Difference Between Compote, Chutney, and Coulis

As I discussed just above, compote is a chilled fruit dish made with sugar syrup. While chutneys and coulis are also made from fruit, they are very different.

Coulis is a fruit sauce that has been blended and strained so it’s a silky smooth sauce.

Chutney is a fruit or vegetable sauce that originates from India and involves vinegar and spices. Very different from a compote.

How to Make Berry Compote

overhead shot of fresh berries on white backdrop

Now berries are quite sweet between May through August, however, by adding sugar to these berries you are encouraging a bit more of the sugars and juices to leach out of these beauties a bit more.

The addition of lemon juice (just a small squeeze) and lemon zest add enough brightness to the berries to give the sauce a light taste and feel. You can probably literally hear the song of summer singing once you eat this sauce.

overhead shot of cut up berries with lemon zest and sugar in stainless steel pan on white backdrop

Making this mixed berry compote is so super simple! Place the washed berries in a sauce pot with the sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and boil until the berries become soft. You’ll be left with a sauce with a gorgeous magenta color!

How to Cook Berry Compote with Frozen Berries

If you are in the middle of winter and are dead set on using frozen berries to make a berry compote, you can still use this same method but add either just a bit of water or even apple juice to help get the sauce going. I would strongly recommend using a more neutral flavor juice so that the taste of the berries shine.

How Do You Thicken A Berry Compote

Truthfully, summer berry compote runs a bit on the thin side when it’s warm. If you want a sauce with a bit more body to it, allow the sauce to reduce until the juices are quite thick.

If, however, you want much more sauce with just a bit of body, I love using a slurry to thicken it.

A slurry is equal parts of water to cornstarch. Mix it into the sauce while stirring to avoid clumps.

How Long Does Berry Compote Last

If you even have any after leftover from breakfast or dessert, store the berry compote in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for no longer than seven days. But you’ll be pouring this sauce all over everything that you won’t need to throw any out!

vertical shot of glass bowl of mixed berry compote with bowls of fresh berries in the background

What is Compote Used For

You can enjoy this on just about anything you can imagine: pancakes, waffles, crepes, angel food cake, pound cake, cheesecake, ice cream French toast… the list goes on and on. The key, in my humble opinion, is striking the perfect balance of sweetness and zing.

overhead vertical shot of stainless steel pot with mixed berry compote with bowls of fresh berries

Consider enjoying this mixed berry compote recipe on

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Angel Food Cake (I know, I need to put one on the blog)
Lemon Genoise Cake with Fresh Berries
Cinnamon Roll French Toast

I hope that you enjoy this berry compote, let me know what you do with it! If you really enjoyed this recipe, feel free to leave a 5-star rating down below.

Happy eating!

If summer is your favorite season, you’ll love these Summer Recipes

Be sure to check out more fun Sauces and Condiments recipes!

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Yield: 24 servings