Strawberry Compote (Strawberry Sauce)

Jump to Recipe

Really easy and quick to prepare and made with 3 simple pantry staples, this colorful Strawberry compote is the perfect sauce to serve with waffles, pancakes, Yogurt, on top of your cheesecakes, and with all of the breakfast, brunch, and dessert treats you can think of.

And like with this Blueberry compote, we love making it in the summer with the abundance of fresh strawberries but can make it year round with frozen berries too. Whip up a batch, refrigerate and eat all week long.

Why Compote?

Strawberry compote is a very simple strawberry sauce that is so easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients. If you already have fresh strawberries, you probably won’t even need to go to the store! If you’ve got older kids, they can even make this on their own; it’s that simple!

The first time I made this Instant Pot Strawberry Compote recipe, my family fell in love, and now I make it every time we have an abundance of fresh berries, although frozen berries work great too.

Why You’ll ♡ This

• Quick and Easy – You only need minimal prep and 15 minutes.
• Endless Possibilities – Pour over pancakes and waffles for sure, but the fun doesn’t end there. See our list of all the ways you can use this sauce below. 
• No Processed Sugar – This strawberry compote is made with maple syrup (or honey), so there is no processed sugar. The final product is sweet but not too sweet.
• Small Batch – Enjoy a small batch of this sauce, and no canning equipment needed!  

Ingredient Notes

• Strawberries – you can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If frozen you will need to cook this a little longer to get rid of the extra liquid.
• Maple syrup – please use real maple syrup for this. You can use sugar as well or honey if not vegan. Increase the amount a little bit for a sweeter compote.
• Lemon – you will need both the lemon juice and lemon zest to complete this. For the best results, please use fresh lemon juice not the bottled stuff. I have used lime as well but you would need to reduce the amount of lime juice.

Ready to make this Strawberry Compote Recipe? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…

How To Make Strawberry Compote On Stovetop

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil for 7-10 minutes(uncovered) until the sauce begins to thicken. Then serve warm or store in the fridge until chilled. 

How To Make Strawberry Compote In Instant Pot

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot insert, place on the lid, and turn the valve to sealing position.
2. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute, followed by a full natural pressure release. Open the lid, turn the Instant Pot to sauté, and cook for about 5 more minutes to thicken.
3. Serve compote warm or cold. 

How To Thicken Strawberry Sauce Without Cornstarch

You may find that your sauce is not as thick as you like it. This is due to the variation of the water content of the fruit. The compote will naturally thicken a little more as it cools, but if it’s still not thick enough, you can fix it without using cornstarch by following these steps: 

1. Remove the strawberries from the sauce using a slotted spoon. 
2. Bring the sauce to a boil for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken a little more. 
3. Return the berries to the sauce and allow it to cool. 

How To Use This Strawberry Sauce

Pull out this colorful strawberry sauce at breakfast, brunch, dinner, or even for dessert. It goes with pretty much everything! Here are just some of the ways to enjoy it;

• Creamy Yogurt
• Pancakes
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Oatmeal
• Toast
• French Toast
• With Crackers and Cream Cheese
• Granola
• Cheesecake
• Roasted Pork or Chicken
• Ice Cream

Pro Tips 

• Use REAL maple syrup, not pancake syrup. 
• No maple syrup? You can substitute an equal amount of honey.
• If you want a sweeter sauce, increase the amount of maple syrup. 
• If you make this with frozen berries you may need to cook longer to thicken. 
• As the strawberry compote recipe cools, the sauce will thicken even more. 
• Cook time listed does not include the time it takes for Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.

Delicious Variations

• Use Other Fruits – Make compotes with other fruits like raspberries, blueberries, mango, and even pineapple. 
• Swap the Citrus – Try orange juice or lime juice instead of lemon.
• Add Flavor – Mix in a bit of vanilla or almond extract.
• Add Spice – Boil a cinnamon stick with the mixture and remove before serving. 

Make Ahead And Storage

• Prep Ahead – This sauce is good warm or cold, so there isn’t much prep work needed. If you are using frozen berries, you don’t even need to defrost them!
• Store – This sauce can be kept in a sealed container (I like to use a mason jar) in the fridge for about 5 days. 
• Freeze – If you have an abundance of berries, you can make the compote and freeze it for later. Allow the cooked compote to cool completely. Pour into a freezer-safe bag or jar. Label and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge. 

FAQs

Weight Watchers Points

There is just 1 Blue Plan SmartPoint in a serving of this.

More Recipes You May Like

• Blueberry Compote.
• Easy Honey Butter.
• Strawberry Jam.
• Instant Pot Cherry Jam.
• Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter.
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Butter.

Serving Suggestions

• Instant Pot Pancake Bites.
• Instant Pot Yogurt.
• Instant Pot Cinnamon Rolls.

Thank you for reading my strawberry compote recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog. 

Get The Strawberry Compote Recipe: