Skip To Main ContentMasterClass logo
|Articles
At Work
Log In
Sign Up
Food

Apple Compote Recipe: How to Make Cinnamon Apple Compote

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jul 28, 2022 • 2 min read

Cinnamon apple compote is a fruit spread made with apples, sugar syrup, and warm spices. This dessert tastes like apple pie but comes together in a fraction of the time.

Learn From the Best

Sign Up

What Is Apple Compote?

Apple compote is a type of fruit spread made from whole apples or chunks of apples slowly cooked in sugar syrup. Bakers can season compotes with spices or a dash of liquor or add thickeners like powdered pectin to thicken the mixture. For flavor, many apple compote recipes include brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, warm spices, and lemon juice. Fruit compote makes a delicious topping for vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, french toast, granola, waffles, or even savory dishes like pork chops or sweet potatoes.

4 Tips For Making Apple Compote

Follow these tips to make the best apple compote:

  1. 1. Choose the best apples. The best apple varieties for compote have relatively firm flesh and a bright, juicy flavor. Tart apples like Granny Smith, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, or Pink Lady are ideal. Conversely, Golden Delicious apples will soften too much in the cooking liquid.
  2. 2. Experiment with texture. Compote can be spreadable like jam or contain more fruit pulp à la puréed fruit depending on the recipe. The density and amount of solids will depend on the size of fruit pieces and the added pectin in a particular recipe; lower pectin content signifies a smoother compote.
  3. 3. Make a spiced apple compote. While sugar and lemon juice will capture pure apple flavor, adding spices and vinegar brings out the fruit’s lesser-known savory side. Take inspiration from Indian classics like apple chutney or mango chutney, and stew your fruit with whole spices, citrus zest, and dried chilies.
  4. 4. Use the right kind of sugar. Granulated or preserving sugar is ideal for making fruit preserves. Granulated white sugar works well with high-pectin fruits like apples and cranberries. (Preserving sugar has larger sugar crystals that help set low-pectin fruits, like blueberries, peaches, and pears.)

Storing Apple Compote

Most compotes have less sugar than your typical jar of jam. This keeps the calorie count a bit lower, but the tradeoff is losing sugar's preservative properties. As a result, compote typically lasts about two weeks in the fridge, while an opened jar of jam can last a month or more.

Cinnamon Apple Compote Recipe

email recipe
1 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

2 cups

prep time

10 min

total time

35 min

cook time

25 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Peel and core the apples, then cut into ½-inch pieces.

  2. 2

    Split the vanilla bean in half.

  3. 3

    Scrape the vanilla seeds out of the bean pod.

  4. 4

    To a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the diced apples, lemon juice, and water.

  5. 5

    Bring the mixture to a boil.

  6. 6

    Cook the mixture for 5 minutes.

  7. 7

    With a potato masher or fork, lightly mash the apples (it will be more textured than applesauce).

  8. 8

    Add the brown sugar, vanilla seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom.

  9. 9

    Reduce the stovetop to low heat.

  10. 10

    Cook the mixture for 20 minutes, mashing the fruit and stirring it occasionally.

  11. 11

    Turn off the heat and allow the apple compote to cool until it’s warm or room temperature.

  12. 12

    Use the apple compote immediately or spoon it into an airtight container, such as a jar with a lid, and store it in the refrigerator.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Dominique Ansel, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.