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Strawberry Compote

Strawberry Compote is so easy and versatile that you’ll want to make this recipe all the way through summer! 

With just 3 ingredients and made in just 10 minutes this luscious strawberry sauce is sweet and fruity while still being tangy. And this dazzling, vivid red topping is perfect for almost every dessert! 

Strawberry Compote in a glass jar with a spoonful being poured in.
Luscious and full of strawberry flavor!

This easy Strawberry Compote is a versatile and delicious condiment made by cooking strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until the strawberries are soft and the mixture thickens. It can be served as a strawberry topping for pancakes, waffles, or ice cream, or, when thickened, as a filling for pastries

The strawberries in the compote are sweet, juicy and have a very fragrant aroma. The texture of this strawberry compote is thick and chunky. If you prefer a more smooth fruit compote, it’s easy to crush the strawberries halfway through the cooking with a fork or potato masher.

This is a great recipe because:

  • This scrumptious and simple strawberry compote is incredibly versatile and can be used in a multitude of ways.
  • The cooking process is super simple!
  • It makes wonderful use of a bounty of summer strawberries. If you have extra strawberries, try this Strawberry Peach Cobbler.
  • The vibrant red compote looks so appealing over any dessert and makes even simple vanilla ice cream into a mouth-watering treat!

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients

Ingredients for this recipe viewed from above.
  • Strawberries – strawberries vary in ripeness and sweetness. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on how ripe the fruit is. If the fruit is less ripe, the cooking time may be longer. Taste the strawberries before adding the sugar. If the strawberries you have are particularly sweet, don’t add all the sugar. You can always add a little more sugar at the end.
  • White granulated sugar – I’ve always used white sugar but I can’t see why you couldn’t use brown.
  • Lemon juice – completely optional but I like the tang it gives to the compote. Also the lemon juice will help the compote to gel a little.

How to Make Strawberry Compote

Follow my simple instructions to learn how to make strawberry compote. Wash and hull the strawberries then cut them in halves if small or quarters if large.

Cut up strawberries and white sugar in a saucepan viewed from above.

Place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into the pan and put over medium heat. There’s no need to add extra water.

A spoonful of cooked strawberries on a red spatula viewed from above and held over a pot of cooked strawberries.

Stir regularly combining all the ingredients. Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The strawberries will soften and begin to break up as they cook. If the fruit is less ripe this will take longer.

Remove from the heat and pour into a jar or container to cool. Refrigerate before serving.

Hint: be sure to stir regularly, particularly at the beginning. Within a few minutes, the sugar will melt and the strawberries will start to release some liquid.

Substitutions

  • Frozen strawberries – use frozen berries for a convenient option.
  • Lemon juice – bottled lemon juice can be used instead of fresh.

Variations

  • Vanilla – include 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean when cooking the strawberries for a delicious change.
  • Extra lemon flavor – add a teaspoon finely grated lemon zest for a bright, tangy flavor.
  • Thick – for a thicker compote, stir together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (cornflour) with 4 teaspoons water until well combined and stir into the compote at the end of the cooking time. Simmer until thickened.

If you love this Strawberry Compote, be sure to try my other compote recipes –  Raspberry Compote, Blueberry Compote and Dried Fruit Compote.

Storage

Store the strawberry compote in a very clean, air tight container in the fridge for 1 week. The compote may even last up to 2 weeks. Be sure that the container or jar used to store the compote is scrupulously clean. 

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This compote can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, let the compote cool completely and then transfer it into a freezer proof container and pop into the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter. 

Top tip

Cooked strawberries in a white oval dish viewed from above.

As with most recipes, my tip is to choose the highest quality ingredients that you can afford. But in saying that, this recipe works well with mediocre fruit and even frozen strawberries. Be sure to taste and add more sugar if necessary. Lesser quality fruit often tastes better with more sugar.

Wash the strawberries well and let them drain for a moment or two. Then cut the fruit into even size pieces so that everything cooks evenly.

Stir regularly because there is no additional water added to this recipe. By stirring you’ll find that the sugar begins to dissolve as the juices are released from the strawberries and soon they’ll create lots of wonderful, bright red juice!

FAQ

How do you thicken strawberry compote?

For a thicker compote, simply mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 4 teaspoons of cold water until completely combined. With the strawberry compote still over the heat, pour in this mixture while stirring continuously. The mixture will thicken almost immediately.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool as in the recipe.

How long will strawberry compote last?

Strawberry compote will last approximately 7 days in the fridge in an airtight container. However, under perfect conditions, the compote may even last up to 2 weeks.

Can you make strawberry compote with frozen strawberries?

Frozen strawberries can be used to make strawberry compote which is great because frozen berries don’t need any preparation. Just pop them (no need to thaw) into the saucepan along with the sugar and lemon juice. Just be aware that the compote will take a little longer to cook because you’re starting with frozen strawberries.

Serving Suggestions

Wedge of yellow cake with chunky strawberry sauce being poured over it.

Strawberry Compote is fantastic on almost every dessert!

It is also great as a stand-alone condiment. You could simply spoon it over a bowl and enjoy it as it is.

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Strawberry Compote in a glass jar with a spoonful being poured in.

Strawberry Compote Recipe

This easy Strawberry compote is a versatile and delicious condiment made by cooking strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until the strawberries are soft and the mixture thickens.
5 from 82 votes
Print Pin Review
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings:6 people
Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries (450 grams) fresh or frozen
  • cup white granulated sugar (67 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional

Instructions

  • Hull the strawberries and cut in halves if small or quarters if large.
  • Add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice to the pan and place over medium heat.
  • Stir regularly combining all the ingredients. Within a few minutes, the sugar will melt and the strawberries will start to release some liquid.
  • Continue to simmer for 8-10, stirring occasionally. The strawberries will soften and begin to break up. If the fruit is less ripe this will take longer.
  • Remove from the heat and pour into a jar or container to cool.
  • Refrigerate before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

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Notes

Tips for Success
  1. Choose good quality fresh strawberries. However, frozen strawberries work well in this recipe too.
  2. Cut the strawberries in even size pieces for even cooking.
  3. Stir the compote regularly as it cooks.
For more information and tips, read the full information above.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and leave a comment below!

Nutritional Estimate Per Serving

Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.

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9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made this twice, once for ice cream topping and once again for my German Pancakes. It was very quick and easy to make.
    I cut the sugar in the second batch down to 1/4 cup and it was perfect sweetness for vanilla ice cream!

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I made a double batch and used on waffles and also over ice cream. Super quick and easy to prepare and very versatile for serving. Can’t wait to make this again.

      1. 5 stars
        Was using a new lemon, so I zested it up in the pan with the juice, added the rest of the ingredients. Had less than a # of strawberries so added 2 small bananas.

        Tasted it and regardless of what they said about the strawberry vinegar water soak, they started to turn anyway and taste like vinegar, too when I tasted my compote. So, then I added some homemade vanilla extract, still tasted the vinegar, then sprinkled cinnamon over the top! The cinnamon did the job and it finally tastes great! That you for the recipe!
        My finished product went into 8oz Mason jars, topped with my homemade Greek yogurt! For being I added cinnamon, l decided to add pieces of graham crackers and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top before closing them up for the fridge for breakfast &/or dessert.

  3. Your compote looks so delicious spooned over the cake, presuming it’s the Almond cake. A really nice photo Marcellina. I would love to eat that right now.