This incredible Mixed Berry Compote is packed with the flavor of sweet, juicy berries. With only a handful of ingredients and a couple of simple steps you will have a delicious berry sauce to use as a topping on your favorite desserts and breakfast foods. Try this berry compote on ice cream, cheesecake, pound cake, pancakes, yogurt, and more!

spooning out mixed berry compote this recipe

Another berry recipe? Yes! I just couldn’t help myself. This Mixed Berry Compote is so, so, SO good. It is bursting with the flavor of fresh berries and it is the perfect topping for breakfast recipes and desserts. We absolutely love it on our fluffy Vegan Waffles. Oh, and don’t get me started on how wonderful this sauce is atop ice cream. It’s been our favorite summer treat!

It’s truly the ultimate addition to any breakfast or dessert table!

I love this berry compote because it’s super versatile and you can even freeze it for later. If you have lots of fresh berries that you don’t want to go bad, make a batch or two to use them up.

Mixed berry compote ingredients:

This berry compote recipe uses simple ingredients that give it a versatile, yet classic flavor! Here’s what you need to make it:

  • Mixed berries. I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Feel free to use any combination of berries and add in blackberries too! Fresh or frozen berries work.
  • Sugar. Granulated sugar helps sweeten the berries and make this sauce perfectly sweet. Start with about 1/3 cup of sugar and then taste the sauce. If you like your compote sweeter, you can always add more sugar.
  • Lemon zest and lemon juice. Both are optional ingredients, so if you don’t have them available, no worries. However, they do add a pop of fresh favor that balances out the sweetness. Any citrus juice and zest will work.
mixed berries cooking in a pot

How to make berry compote:

This recipe is so easy to make! You’ll need a saucepan or pot and about 20 minutes of prep and cook time. Here’s the simple steps:

  1. Combine & simmer ingredients. In a pot over medium heat, combine ingredients and bring them to a very gentle simmer.
  2. Cook. Stir frequently as the berries cook and break down a bit and they turn into a thick sauce. You can lightly mash the berries, if you don’t like the sauce as chunky.
  3. Serve and enjoy. You can serve warm or let the sauce cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Enjoy!
mixed berry compote in a large bowl with a spoon

Can you use frozen berries for compote?

Frozen berries work great in this recipe. So, you can actually make delicious berry compote no matter what season it is.

Thaw the frozen berries in a large bowl at room temperature. There will be some excess liquid in the bowl and you can add that to the pot with the berries. You’ll never guess that the compote isn’t made with fresh berries!

Berry compote serving options:

Wondering what you should use this sauce as a topping for? We have lots of ideas:

Pro tip: Want an effortless summer dessert? Buy a pound cake or angel food cake from the store, and top it with this mixed berry compote and whipped cream. People will go crazy for it! No one will even know that the cake is store-bought, once you dress it up.

berry compote in a small mason jar

Recipe substitutions and tips:

  • Use any combination of berries that you like.
  • Instead of lemon juice and zest, use orange or lime juice and zest to make the compote.
  • Make the compote as thick and chunky as you like. You can lightly mash the berries, if you want them to be more broken down.
  • You can use this recipe to make a mixed berry purée. Once the berries have cooked and cooled a bit, you can blend them to get a thinner puréed sauce.
  • Adjust the sweetness based on how sweet your berries are. If your berries are extra sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar or if they are extra tart, add a bit more sugar.
  • Serve the compote warm or chilled. Make sure to plan ahead and allow enough time for the compote to chill if you’re serving it on ice cream, cheesecake, or cake. The sauce can be served warm if you’re serving it on waffles, pancakes, or oatmeal.

How long does berry compote last?

Once completely cool, store compote in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep well for a couple of weeks. You can also store the compote in the freezer for 6 months.

spoon dishing out berry sauce from a mason jar

More sauces and syrups to try:

As usual, please let me know if you end up making this recipe and how you like it. You can come back here to leave a comment or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always love to see what y’all are making from the blog!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
spooning out mixed berry compote

Mixed Berry Compote

  • Author: Brita Britnell
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This incredible Mixed Berry Compote is packed with the flavor of sweet, juicy berries. With only a handful of ingredients and a couple of simple steps you will have a delicious berry sauce to use as a topping on your favorite desserts and breakfast foods. Try this berry compote on ice cream, cheesecake, pound cake, pancakes, yogurt, and more!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 20 ounces of mixed berries, fresh or frozen*
  • ⅓ cup of sugar (plus more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon of citrus zest (optional), I usually use lemon but orange, grapefruit or lime will also work well
  • 1 tablespoon of citrus juice (optional), I usually use lemon but orange, grapefruit or lime will also work well

Instructions

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a pot over medium heat and bring to a very gentle simmer.
  2. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently until the fruit starts to break down a bit and the sauce thickens. I like mine quite thick and chunky but you can lightly mash the berries a bit if you want them to be more broken down. Continue to cook long enough for the sugar to dissolve and mix in with the berries (usually about a minute).
  3. Store the compote in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks. You can also store it in the freezer for 6 months.

Notes

*I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but really any berry that you’d like will work!

*If using frozen berries, place them in a large bowl and let them thaw completely at room temperature. There will be some excess liquid in the bowl and you can add that to the pot with the berries.

*Once the berries have cooked and cooled a bit, you can blend them to get a berry puree. Compote is traditionally chunky but you can easily turn it into puree as desired.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: sauce
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: berry compote, berry sauce, mixed berry compote