Flavorful peach compote, easy to make and ready in no time. Great for breakfast on top of müsli or waffles and amazing as a light summer dessert.
Flavorful peach compote, easy to make and ready in no time. Great for breakfast on top of muesli or waffles and amazing as a light summer dessert.
Making peach compote is easy and so satisfying. It tastes amazing, better than you would even think, and it is so versatile when it comes to serving. From breakfast to dessert, you can serve it on its own, it can be added to other desserts, you can even serve it as a small side dish for savory dishes, like roasted duck breast, for instance.
What is compote?
Compote is a mixture of fruit, sugar, and spices cooked in a little water (or wine). Its origins can be found in medieval Europe, compote meaning mixture in French.
It can be served hot or cold and it can be made with pretty much any fruit or berry you can think of. Or with a mixture of fruit and/or berries.
My latest was only last week: apricots mixed with apples and cooked in caramelized sugar and white wine. So good!
Or try this very simple apricot compote, for instance.
What do you need?
- Peaches: this recipe is a good one to have when you happen to buy peaches that are not perfectly ripe and soft. And that happens quite often, doesn’t it?
- Frozen peach slices are fine as well.
- Otherwise, you will need some sugar, a lemon, ½ cinnamon stick, and vanilla extract or paste.
Alternative ingredients:
- Light brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or other sweeteners like stevia or xylitol.
- When using stevia, I always add it at the end and always to taste.
- Nectarines or apricots instead of peaches.
- Star anise instead of cinnamon.
How to peel a peach?
I prefer to peel the peaches when making compote, I am not crazy about the skin bits floating in the finished dish. It is, however, an optional step.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- In the meantime, score the bottom of each peach with an X, the peel will start releasing there making it easier for you to peel the fruit.
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and adding some ice cubes to it. If you don’t have ice cubes, just make sure that the water is very cold, you have to stop the cooking process immediately so that the peaches don’t become mushy.
- Blanch the peaches for only 30 seconds.
- Drain and place them in the ice bath. Leave them for 1 minute.
- Peel with the fingers or a small knife, starting at the bottom where you scored the X.
How to make?
- Peel and slice the peaches. (1)
- Place in a saucepan with all the other ingredients. (2)
- Cook 5 to 8 minutes and adjust the taste with lemon juice. (3)
- Serve hot or at room temperature. (4)
Tips
- I cook the compote for only 5 to 8 minutes because I like the fruit to keep its shape.
- If you prefer a less chunky compote, cook the peaches for about 10 minutes until they start to break down. Mash them lightly with the back of a spoon, if you wish.
How to store?
- You can make a larger batch of compote and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This way you will have something to add to your breakfast, for instance, for several days.
- It will keep well for at least 3-4 days.
- You can reheat it or serve it directly from the fridge.
- You can also freeze the compote.
How to serve?
- This peach compote is so good, you can definitely serve it on its own as a light dessert in summer.
- Otherwise, it makes a great addition to many other desserts.
- Serve it over semolina or milk pudding, over ice cream, with strained yogurt or with regular Greek yogurt.
- You can have it for breakfast with müsli, over waffles or pancakes.
- And you can serve it as a side dish for roasted duck breast, for instance.
More compotes or fruit sauces
Peach Compote
Ingredients
- 8-9 peaches about 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of each peach with an X. Place peaches in the boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds. Drain and place in an ice bath or very cold water for about 1 minute. You should be able to remove the skin very easily now, it will start releasing where you scored the X, so start peeling it off there.
- Slice the peaches. Place them in a saucepan and add the sugar, lemon juice, water, cinnamon stick, vanilla, and salt. Combine very gently.
- Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat and cook gently for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally and carefully. The liquid should reduce slightly and the peaches should be soft but not mushy, they should still hold their shape.
- If you prefer a less chunky compote, cook the peaches for about 10 minutes until they start to break down. Mash them lightly with the back of a spoon, if you wish. Adjust the taste with more lemon juice, if necessary.