Raspberry compote has a loose jammy texture with a bright, sweet-tart flavour that makes it perfect for spooning over cheesecakes, pancakes, ice cream and more. It’s quick to make and keeps well in the fridge, so it’s an easy one to have on hand for desserts and breakfasts.
I developed this recipe with frozen raspberries so you can make it any time of year, without relying on expensive fresh berries. A little lemon juice lifts the flavour while the simple method gives you a thick, glossy sauce that tastes intensely of raspberry.
It works great inside cakes too, just like in this Coconut and Raspberry Cake.
This recipe was first published here on August 3rd, 2021 and has been updated with more detailed information.
❤️ Why this recipe works
- Fresh or frozen raspberries so you can make it all year round.
- It thickens naturally through reduction so no need for starch.
- Just enough sugar keeps the flavour bright and not cloyingly sweet.
- Lemon and vanilla balance and deepen the flavour.
- You can control the consistency from syrupy to thick and jammy.
- Naturally vegan and gluten free
Table of contents
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What is raspberry compote?
You could define compote as a thick fruit sauce. Not as thick as jam but still chunky.
Often known as a raspberry sauce, coulis or topping too, raspberry compote is essentially raspberries cooked down with a little sugar and lemon juice until thick and syrupy.
Personally, I think of a compote as being a little thicker than a sauce but many people use the same terminology for both. The great thing about this recipe is you can determine the consistency. The longer it cooks, the thicker and jammier it will become.
Ingredients you’ll need
What could be simpler than 4 ingredients available year round.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Raspberries: I often use frozen for this raspberry compote, but you can also use fresh with all the same quantities. The darker your raspberries, the deeper the compote’s colour. Fresh raspberries may take slightly longer to cook, but otherwise the method remains exactly the same.
- Sugar: You only need a little sugar and you can adjust this to taste. Just regular white sugar is all you need.
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds a lovely tang to this compote but if you want less tang, swap it for the same quantity of water or even orange juice.
- Vanilla: The vanilla in this recipe is what takes it to the next level. I urge you not to skip it.
How to make raspberry compote
Raspberry and, indeed, any berry compote is very easy to make and you can swap the raspberries here for any berry you like.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Cook the compote: Add the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a heavy based saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until it’s been simmering for 10 minutes or so and it’s thick and jammy (photo 1),
- Add the vanilla: Stir in the vanilla (photo 2) then pour into a preserving jar until cool. Put the lid on and refrigerate until use.
The raspberry sauce is ready when you can drag a spoon through it and you can see the bottom of the saucepan for a few seconds before it covers over again. You can make this to your liking though.
The raspberries will break down as you cook them, they won’t hold their shape. This makes it perfectly spoonable.
You can use the raspberry compote while still warm, at room temperature or when cold and there is nearly unlimited number of ways to use it.
Tips and tricks
- Stay close: You don’t need to watch this constantly as it cooks but you need to stir it quite regularly so that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
- The colour of your berries will determine the colour of the compote: The deeper the colour of your raspberries the deeper the colour will be in the finished compote.
- Don’t like the seeds? You can easily push the compote through a sieve to separate them from the flesh and in so doing, you have a perfectly smooth raspberry sauce.
Ways to use raspberry compote
I have a nearly endless list of ways to use berry compote. Here are some recipes showing the ways I’ve used it (in different flavours) on this blog.
- Use it on top of rice pudding
- Top your favourite cheesecake
- Use it to fill the centre of cupcakes
- Use it between layers on cakes or swirled through cakes
- Swirl it through ice cream or mix through ice cream
- Top your pancakes
- Spread on toast or crumpets
- Use as a filling for sweet rolls
- Make layered cheesecake parfaits in glasses
- Use it as part of a brunch or breakfast board
- Swirl it through yoghurt for breakfast
- Add it to brownies before baking
- Use it as a sauce for panna cotta
There are so many more ways. I’d love to hear your favourite.
How to store compote
Store this compote in an airtight preserving jar or mason jar for up to 7 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Cool fully before sealing to prevent condensation.
FAQ’s
This compote can’t be preserved for long periods as it doesn’t contain enough sugar. You’ll need to eat this within 7 days of making it or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can however, it’s best to cook it completely before removing the seeds. There is pectin naturally in the seeds and it does affect the consistency, so don’t remove them until it’s already the right consistency.
This raspberry compote can be made with sugar alternatives. Being naturally sweet, they don’t require a lot of sweetener anyway but feel free to replace the sugar with maple syrup or monkfruit sweetener.
More compote recipes you’ll love
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Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen raspberries (or fresh) (roughly 250g / 8.8oz)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (8 tsp, notes 2)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (4 tsp, notes 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into a medium saucepan over medium heat. As it heats stir until everything is mixed.
- Bring to a simmer and cook stirring every so often for around 10 minutes or until the juice has thickened.
- Notes about consistency: A little syrupy juice is perfect if using this compote to pour over ice cream, yoghurt or cheesecakes for example. To use it inside a cake, continue to reduce on the stove until very thick.
- Stir in the vanilla then pour it into your preserving jar and let it cool to room temperature before lidding and storing in the fridge.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Yield about ⅔ cup
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Adjust the sugar to taste: Taste the raspberries before cooking to see if you’ll need more or less sugar.
- The lemon juice adds some tang but if you don’t want added tang you can swap it for just water or even orange juice.
- Please don’t skip the vanilla – it’s what makes this compote stand out from the rest and takes it to another level.
- Store for up to 7 days in the fridge in an airtight mason or preserving jar. Can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
- You can strain out the seeds if you prefer using a sieve.
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8 Comments on “Raspberry Compote (Raspberry Sauce)”
Another fantastic recipe. Thank you so much for the detailed explanations and for your hard work!
So great to hear, Chris. Truly appreciate you trying my recipe 🙂
I was looking for the best compote recipe that didn’t use too much sugar or thickeners and this was the one. Great recipe, thanks. I’m using it in a trifle (instead of jam) with clementine posset on top.
So happy you love it, Liv.
Sounds easy, but no quantities or proportions? How much lemon juice? How much vanilla? For a beginner, quantities/proportions would be very helpful!
Hi Paul, just scroll to the recipe card down the bottom. It has all the quantities and instructions there.
This sauce looks and sounds so wonderful – luscious, fresh, subtly tart. This summer I’ve been enjoying vanilla ice cream with various fruit and berry sauces, so this is right up my alley!
You would love this. You can sweeten to taste and it’s perfect over ice cream