This wonderful blueberry compote is made with fresh fruit and a touch of sweetener. Fresh blueberries are delicious, but cooking them really enhances their flavor!
My late grandfather Jacob used to make compote for dessert. I was a kid last time I had it so exact details escape me. But I remember that he used to cook the fruit for a very long time over low heat.
Grandpa didn't make a blueberry compote. His compote contained plums and raisins and it was served chilled (this stewed prunes recipe reminds me of grandpa's compote). I remember taking a spoonful and feeling the soft, sweet fruit melting in my mouth. It was so good!
A simple and quick compote
Sadly, my grandparents did not leave any written recipes behind. So when I decided to make a fruit compote, I turned to the Internet. I found several recipes online and was intrigued when I realized that one could quickly cook blueberries into a syrupy topping or dessert.
I love creamy Greek yogurt. The idea of making a quick, simple topping for plain Greek yogurt was appealing. So were the short cooking time and the ultra-short ingredients list.
Most recipes I found use powdered sugar to sweeten the berries, and also to thicken the compote. Powdered sugar contains cornstarch that acts as a thickener. But I use just a touch of sweetener plus some lemon juice, with wonderful results.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need three ingredients (plus some water) to make this blueberry compote! How cool is that? The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Blueberries: One of my favorite fruit! I use fresh blueberries in this recipe. I don't recommend using frozen blueberries. The flavor and texture will be all wrong. I mostly reserve frozen blueberries for smoothies.
Lemon juice: Helps to thicken the compote. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Sweetener: My favorite sweetener is stevia glycerite, so that's what I use in this recipe. The amount I use equals about ¼ cup of sugar, so you can use a comparable amount of your favorite sweetener.
How to make a blueberry compote
Gently cooked, soft, lightly sweetened blueberries, bursting with flavor. This dessert is so delicious and it's also very easy to make. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Add the ingredients to a small saucepan.
2. Heat them over low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. When the blueberries become very soft and start to burst, remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes, then serve.
How to serve blueberry compote
This tasty dessert is wonderful on its own, warm or chilled. It's also very good as a topping for cheesecake, pancakes, waffles, Greek yogurt, frozen yogurt, or vanilla ice cream.
How long to keep the leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. They keep well! You can enjoy them cold, straight out of the fridge, or gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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Blueberry Compote
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (150 grams)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals about ¼ cup sugar)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the blueberries, water, lemon juice and stevia in a small saucepan and mix gently. Heat over low heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the blueberries are very soft and starting to burst. This should take 10-15 minutes, depending on the level of heat you use.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow to the compote to slightly cool and thicken, about 2 minutes. Serve alone in dessert bowls, or as a topping.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.