Blueberry Topping (Blueberry Compote)

What exactly is it?

Known by many names – Blueberry sauce, blueberry pie filling, blueberry topping or blueberry compote – these are all very slight variants of the same thing. They all use just a handful of ingredients to make a blueberry syrup filled with plump blueberries, that you’ll want to pour over everything. 

Blueberry sauce or topping might have a runnier syrup as opposed to a pie filling where the syrup is often further thickened with cornflour (cornstarch). Compote is a French term for fruit cooked in syrup – generally their own. Blueberry compote is no different and it’s consistency is normally achieved by reducing the liquid and not by adding cornflour / cornstarch.

Luckily, all you need is one recipe and you get to determine how thick you’d like it. 

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

• Blueberries: I use frozen blueberries in this compote, for convenience and they’re also more affordable. You can absolutely use fresh blueberries too.
• Lemon: There is both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in this blueberry sauce. It adds a tang and also helps to thicken the sauce. Please don’t use bottled lemon juice.
• Sugar: All you need is granulated sugar and just a little. You can adjust this to the sweetness of your berries.
• Cornflour / cornstarch: Just a little cornflour / cornstarch will thicken this sauce up nicely and gives it the perfect pouring consistency. This is optional though.

How to make this easy blueberry compote recipe

First, you add the blueberries, lemon juice and lemon zest to a saucepan over medium heat and cook them until they release their juices and start to boil.

Combine the cornflour and water, then simmer this until it thickens the a consistency you like. More about this below. 

The blueberry sauce will thicken a little as it cools and will be quite thick when cold from the fridge.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

Determining how thick your blueberry topping will be

This recipe can take you from blueberry sauce through to a thick blueberry compote or even as far as a jam-like consistency if you want. Here’s a few tips to help you understand how to get it just the way you like.

1. Keep in mind that frozen berries release more water than fresh and will break down more easily.
2. I’s thick enough to be used as a sauce when you run your finger through it on the back of a spoon and the line holds and does not start dripping. Or dot some on a cold plate then give it 10-20 seconds to set up so you can see what it will be like when cold.
3. To thicken further (for pies especially) use cornflour and / or cook longer:
   • Cornflour / cornstarch will thicken your sauce quickly, a good option if you want lots of syrup in your sauce.
   • Cooking longer will thicken the sauce via reduction, and will result in less syrup than the previous option.
4. To keep the blueberries more plump, remove the berries early in the process, while leaving their juice to cook and reduce then add them back at the end. 
5. To get it more jam like, you can add a further teaspoon of cornflour and water or, again, just cook it a little longer.
6. If it turns out too thick, you can simple add a dash of water and stir it through until it’s the way you like it. Just keep in mind that adding water will water down the flavour as well as thin the sauce out.

Can I use sugar alternatives and natural sweeteners?

Bursting with bright summery berry flavour, blueberries are naturally sweet, so you don’t need a lot of sugar. You may find frozen will need more sugar than in season fresh berries. Blueberries are also filled with powerful antioxidants so you can actually feel good about eating this.

Blueberry topping can be made with natural sugar alternatives too. My favourite is monk fruit sweetener since it only adds sweetness but no extra flavour profile, though you could use maple syrup or honey too. Using a sugar alternative makes this sauce perfect for topping smoothie bowls and yoghurt or mixing through yoghurt to make frozen yoghurt pops.

How to store blueberry sauce / filling

Storage of your blueberry sauce is easy, using a preserving jar with an airtight lid for 7-10 days. Keep it stored in the refrigerator.

Did I mention blueberry filling can be frozen? 

It freezes very well. I like to freeze it in chocolate moulds or larger ice block moulds so that I can thaw just as much as I need. Perfect if you’re making a small batch of pancakes just for you. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a ziplock bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can this blueberry sauce be preserved / canned?

This blueberry sauce doesn’t have enough sugar in it to preserve for long periods. It will keep best in a sterilised jar and longer unopened but won’t preserve for extended periods.

So many wonderful ways to use this blueberry pie filling so what are you waiting for?