How to Make Blueberry Compote with Fresh Blueberries

Learn how to make blueberry compote with fresh blueberries and lemon for a delicious, summery treat! Make it lots during blueberry season and beyond!

If you’ve got an abundance of fresh blueberries on hand and you’re wondering what to make with them, why not give this blueberry compote a try?

It’s super easy to throw together, and it’s utterly delicious on top of ice cream, pancakes, Greek yogurt, etc.

Of course this will be the most delicious when made during peak season when beautiful, juicy blueberries are available. But since there are other added ingredients it’s a great way to enhance the flavor of berries that may be a little sad.

Let’s dive in and learn how to make this EASY blueberry compote!

Video Tutorial

Above is a quick video demonstration of the recipe (you may need to disable ad block to view it). The full written tutorial, frequently asked questions, and printable recipe are below!

Ingredient Notes:

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious compote:

• Fresh Blueberries: You could use cultivated or wild blueberries here. I’m partial to wild blueberries, but I can’t get my hands on fresh ones very often.
• Water: Adding a few tablespoons of water aids with the cooking process and prevents the blueberries from burning before they’re done. If you prefer a thinner compote, feel free to add a few more tablespoons of water.
• Sugar: While not strictly necessary, the sugar helps to enhance the natural sweetness and flavors of the blueberries. For the best flavor, I don’t recommend skipping, especially if you use the lemon. But you could substitute with pure maple syrup or honey and reduce the amount of water a bit. I’ll bet brown sugar would give this a lovely, caramel-y flavor. By the way I tried this with less sugar, and the blueberry flavor wasn’t as punchy.
• Lemon: Blueberries and lemons go together so well. The tart lemon juice helps to keep the flavors bright and fresh. You’ll be using the zest as well as the fresh lemon juice, so I recommend buying an organic lemon. If you prefer, you could substitute orange juice and zest.
• Salt: This helps to prevent your compote from tasting bland.
• Vanilla Extract: This is technically optional, but I love the extra flavor the vanilla lends to this. I have not personally tried it, but cinnamon might also be a lovely addition since it pairs well with blueberries.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now of course you’ll want to start by thoroughly washing your blueberries.

Make sure to remove any stems. Also, if there are any blueberries that are really mushy, you may wish to remove those as well.

Since you’ll be using the zest as well as the juice of the lemon, you want to give it a good wash and scrub.

Okay, now you can measure all of the ingredients into a small saucepan except for 1 cup of the blueberries and the vanilla extract.

Save those for later.

Move the pan to the stove top, turn it on to medium heat, and give everything a good stir.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for 8 minutes.

Make sure to stir occasionally!

If you like the blueberries in your compote to be quite small, you can mash them with a potato masher.

Add the remaining 1 cup of fresh berries and stir well.

Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Ways to Use Blueberry Compote:

The wonderful thing about fruit compotes is they’re so versatile: you can use them in many different applications!

Here are a few ideas:

• French Toast: Elevate your French toast by spooning this delicious blueberry compote on top!
• Greek Yogurt: For a super easy breakfast idea, mix this compote with Greek yogurt.
• Ice Cream: This is the perfect topping for ice cream. And don’t get stuck on just vanilla: I’ll bet it would be delicious on lemon or butter pecan as well!
• Pancakes or Waffles: Ladle some on top of pancakes or waffles for the ultimate breakfast treat.
• Pound Cake: A wonderful way to enjoy this would be on top of a freshly baked piece of pound cake.

Storing:

To store, cool to room temperature and transfer to an airtight container before placing in the refrigerator. A mason jar or glass lidded storage container are perfect.

If stored properly, it should keep in the refrigerator for up to 10-14 days. Use your eyes and nose to determine if it’s still good. If anything feels off, discard.

For longer term storage, place in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. The easiest way to freeze is to pour the compote into an ice cube tray before popping into the freezer. To thaw, you can either place in the refrigerator overnight, or reheat on the stove over low heat (stirring often) until thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is a Fruit Compote? Simply put, a compote is a mixture of fruit, sugar, and (optional) flavorings that’s cooked until syrupy and thickened.
• Why is my blueberry compote not thickening? It could be that your berries have a higher water content and need to be cooked a bit longer. Or your stove might run cool and thus you’ll need to cook the compote longer to reduce the liquid enough.
• Should you use fresh or frozen blueberries for compote? Since you’re cooking the blueberries in the compote, it’s okay to use fresh or frozen berries. However, you’ll need to increase the cooking time a bit if you use frozen berries.
• Do I need to use the lemon juice? While the lemon juice is not strictly necessary, I don’t recommend skipping it since it really enhances the flavor.
• Can I use honey instead of sugar in this compote? Yes, but you’ll want to either reduce the amount of water slightly or cook the compote a bit longer. Note that if your honey has a really strong flavor, it can overpower the flavor of the blueberries a bit.

So that’s how to make a scrumptious fresh blueberry compote! Make sure to check out my other blueberry recipes below:

More Blueberry Recipes:

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