Easy Raspberry Compote (Fresh or Frozen Berries)
A quick raspberry sauce for pancakes, yogurt, and cheesecake. Done in 20 minutes.
Raspberry compote is a quick fruit sauce, raspberries simmered with a little sugar and lemon, then thickened with cornstarch until glossy and spoonable. Fresh or frozen berries both work, and it’s done in about 20 minutes.
Spoon it over pancakes or waffles, swirl it into yogurt, or pour it over cheesecake or panna cotta for an easy dessert. It’s sweet with a little tartness, and goes with almost anything.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just a handful of ingredients. Raspberries, sugar, lemon, and a spoonful of cornstarch, all pantry and freezer staples.
- You control the thickness. Add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time and stop when it’s as thick or as pourable as you want, from a loose sauce to a spoonable topping.
- No thawing needed. Frozen raspberries go straight into the pot, so you can make this any time of year without waiting on berry season.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Raspberries. The base of the sauce. Fresh or frozen both work.
- White sugar. Sweetens the compote and balances the tartness of the berries. Add more or less to taste depending on how sweet your raspberries are.
- Lemon juice. Brightens the flavor and adds a little acidity to keep it from tasting flat.
- Salt. Just a pinch, to round out and lift the fruit flavor.
- Cornstarch. Thickens the compote into a glossy, spoonable sauce.
- Water. Loosens the cornstarch into a smooth slurry so it blends into the compote without clumping.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Raspberry Compote
👉 Check out our Compote guide for step-by-step photos and detailed explanations of the process.
- Cook the raspberries. Add a splash of water to a pot along with the raspberries (no need to thaw if frozen), sugar, and salt. Stir, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring every so often. Keep an eye on it at the start until the berries release their juices.
- Adjust the flavor. Take the pot off the heat and stir in about half the lemon juice, then taste. Add a little more sugar if it needs sweetness, more lemon juice for acidity, or another pinch of salt if the flavor falls flat. Balance it until you’re happy.
- Make the slurry and thicken. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Pour about half the slurry into the pot while stirring, return it to the heat, and keep stirring until it thickens. If it’s not yet thick and spoonable, add another half to three-quarters of the slurry and repeat, making more if needed. Once it’s thick enough, cook about a minute on low to cook off any cornstarch aftertaste.
- Taste and finish. Pull the pot off the heat and taste one last time. Add a touch more sugar or lemon juice if it needs balancing.
- Use or store. Spoon it out right away, or let it cool and refrigerate in a sealed container.
Tips for Success
- Aim for slightly looser than you want. The compote thickens as it cools, so stop adding slurry while it’s still a touch thinner than your target consistency. What looks a little loose in the hot pot will set to just right once chilled.
- Mix the slurry right before you use it. Cornstarch settles to the bottom of the water as it sits, so give it a quick stir again just before pouring it in if there’s any gap between mixing and using.
- Keep stirring once the slurry is in. Cornstarch can scorch on the bottom of the pot fast, so stir constantly while it’s on the heat until it thickens.
Ways to Use Raspberry Compote
- On breakfast. Spoon it over cottage cheese oat pancakes, fill crepes, swirl it into a yogurt bowl, or top your oatmeal or chia pudding.
- Over dessert. Pour it over no-bake cheesecake or panna cotta for a quick fruity finish.
- As a filling. Cook it a little thicker with a bit more slurry, then use it to fill cakes or tarts.
Storage
Let the compote cool, then store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The cornstarch keeps it thick, so it’s ready to spoon straight from the jar.
Servings: 1.25 cups
Calories: 761kcal
Ingredients
Compote
- 3 cups raspberries 360-380 g, fresh or frozen
- 3 tablespoons white sugar 42 g, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice 10 g, to taste
- pinch salt
Cornstarch slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch ~16 g
- 2 tablespoons water 30 g
Instructions
- Cook Raspberries: Into a pot add a bit of water, raspberries (no need to defrost frozen), sugar, and salt. Stir, put the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring every so often. Keep an eye on it at the beginning until the raspberries release their juices.3 cups raspberries, 3 tablespoons white sugar, pinch salt
- Adjust Flavor: Take the pot off the heat, add about half the lemon juice, then taste. If it needs more sweetness add a bit more sugar; if it could use more acidity add more lemon juice; or add a pinch of salt if the flavor isn't quite there. Balance the flavors until you're happy with them.2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Thicken With Slurry: In a small bowl combine cornstarch with water and stir until smooth to make a slurry. Pour about half of the slurry into the pot while stirring, return the pot to heat, and continue stirring until it thickens. If it's not yet fairly thick and spoonable, add another 1/2 to 3/4 of the remaining slurry and repeat; make more slurry if needed. Once it's thick enough, cook about a minute on low to remove any cornstarch aftertaste.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Finish And Taste: Remove the pot from heat and taste one final time. Add a bit more sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavor.
- Store Or Refrigerate: Use the compote immediately, or let it cool and refrigerate in a sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition information: the exact macros depend on how much sugar you add. Treat these values as a rough estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 761kcal | Carbohydrates: 182.7g | Protein: 8.69g | Fat: 5.04g | Fiber: 47g
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- Raspberry Pastry Cream. A creamy, pipeable raspberry filling if you’re headed toward tarts, cakes, or éclairs rather than a pourable sauce.
- Caramel Sauce. Another pour-over-everything topping for the same pancakes, waffles, and cheesecake, for when you’re in the mood for caramel over fruit.