Strawberry Compote Recipe (Strawberry Topping)

How to make a simple 3-ingredient strawberry compote that is perfect for adding to breakfast dishes, baking, and more. This sweet and fruity strawberry topping requires just strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice!

The weather’s getting warmer and the winter coats are going away – spring has officially arrived! And with it, my favorite season. Strawberry season! And just in time, I’ve got a delicious, three-ingredient strawberry compote recipe that goes with literally everything.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for new ways to get creative with strawberries. They have such a short shelf life. So I wanted to create a recipe that eliminates waste and uses all the goodness of the fruit.

Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered with my strawberry compote recipe. It’s healthy, packed full of natural goodness, and has zero nasty chemicals, additives, or flavorings. Strawberry sauce or compote you buy from the grocery store can have all kinds of added extras that’ll really slow you down.

And the best part? My strawberry compote only has three ingredients in it – and the possibilities for using it are endless. 

If you enjoy strawberries, maybe you’ll also like these Homemade Dried Strawberries and this Easy Strawberry Milk.

The Recipe Ingredients

Compotes only contain three basic ingredients – and my recipe means this strawberry sauce will be ready to serve in fifteen minutes.

• Strawberries: The Queen Ingredient. Fresh strawberries work best for a compote or strawberry glaze.
  But if you can’t get a hold of them, frozen strawberries will do in a pinch. Make sure to let them completely defrost before using them. It’ll save you a lot of effort!

If you don’t have strawberries, but still want to make a delicious fruit compote, you can replace them with other berry fruits. Choose from raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, cherries, peaches, pears, rhubarb, etc. Different fruits will need slightly longer to break down while cooking.

• Lemon: The citrus of the lemon will lift the sweetness of the strawberry and give it a greater depth of flavor. It’s also great to use when making sauces or jams. The lemon can also help the compote set. If you don’t have lemons, orange or grapefruit are great alternatives.
• Sugar: Caster sugar is best; its tiny crystals mean it melts a lot quicker. Granulated sugar will also work. And so will cane sugar if you’re looking to use less refined sugar – it might just take longer to dissolve.

How to Make Strawberry Compote

Prepare Your Fruit

Wash the strawberries and remove the leaves and stem – you don’t want any of them getting into the compote! Cut the strawberries in half, then add to a medium saucepan.

Juice half a lemon, then add it to the strawberries. You can adjust how much lemon juice you use based on the number of strawberries you have.

Turn on The Heat

Add the sugar to the strawberry and lemon. Turn on the burner to medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil.

Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat just slightly. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the strawberries from time to time, so they release all their juices. Be gentle here though. You don’t want to crush the fruit too much as it can stick to the bottom of your pan.

Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes longer.

If you want your compote super smooth, run it through a sieve into a clean bowl or jug. Using a wooden spoon, make circles into the compote as it drains. This will remove the seeds and any other unwanted lumps from your strawberry compote. 

Once ready, set aside the compote to cool down. Then pour it into a sterilized airtight jar. It’s best to keep it in the fridge for about 1-2 weeks.

You can also freeze the strawberry topping for up to 3 months. When needed, place it in the fridge to thaw overnight.

If you want to reheat it, do so in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon or two of water if needed.

Uses for Strawberry Compote

Strawberry compote is super versatile – and my recipe means you can have it ready in minutes.

For Breakfast: This strawberry topping sauce is great for adding to oatmeal. You can also include it in a smoothie if you’ve not got fresh fruit. Or even put it on pancakes and waffles.

Strawberries are a great compliment to other fruity flavors. Particularly apple, rhubarb, and other berry fruits, as well as citruses like orange, lemon, and grapefruit.

Baking: this homemade strawberry topping is also a great addition to baking, especially if you’re looking to wow up a dessert:

• Make your own sundae with fresh chopped fruit, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate with vanilla ice cream.
• Use it as a strawberry topping for cheesecake. Serve slices of delicious cheesecake drizzled with this delicious strawberry compote.
• Serve alongside an Italian panna cotta or mousse for an extra burst of flavor. Strawberry is especially good with white chocolate!

Or, just serve it with anything!

My strawberry compote is just as good on its own as it is with other dishes. Eat it straight from the jar or spread it on toast. It’s a great substitute if you don’t have fresh strawberries in the house but want something sweet to go with your meal. 

More Strawberry Recipes

• Homemade Strawberry Jam
• Easy Strawberry Milk Recipe
• Strawberry Sorbet
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Simple Strawberry Mocktail
• Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino
• Easy Homemade Dried Strawberries

If you try this strawberry sauce recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie.