Mary’s Spiced Apple Pear Compote
My favorite spiced apple pear compote recipe is super easy to make and delicious on so many things! I love it with pound cake, angel food cake, ice cream, and more. I’ve used it as a topping on many desserts—but also for savory options. It goes great with a good roast recipe, for example. I particularly like a little scoop of compote with my homemade pork roast!
How to Serve Compote (And what to serve with compote!)
This compote is so versatile that it goes well on almost anything. It’s fantastic on a piping-hot homemade Dutch baby pancake. It elevates a good roast, like I mentioned earlier—I love serving this on the side with my Hard Cider Pork Roast with Pink Lady Apples recipe. It’s better than cranberry sauce and perfectly complements the flavors of the roast. If you’re looking for an alternative to cranberry sauce in general, this recipe adds a warming touch to the holiday dinner spread, too.
Another way to serve your favorite fruit compote recipes is on a charcuterie board. Compote makes a wonderful addition to your charcuterie spread because it pairs well with cheese, crackers, and more. Learn how to make your own simple and beautiful charcuterie board with these helpful resources.
What kind of apples and pears are best for making compote?
Speaking of apples, I love using Honeycrisp, Pink Ladies, Gala, or Granny Smith apples for this recipe. For pears, I recommend looking for Bartlett pears and specifically ones that are not overripe. They’ll be much easier to work with, and they retain their texture during the cooking process. Oh, I’m getting hungry already. Let’s get cooking!
Mary’s Spiced Apple Pear Compote Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon Mary’s Cognac Barrel-Aged Vanilla Extract
- A pinch of salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- A pinch of allspice
- 2 teaspoons Calvados or any other brand of apple brandy
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 pear (I like to use Bartlett pears), peeled cored and cut into ½-inch dice
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, spices, and brandy. Stir to blend. Cook on medium low heat for 1 minute to just meld the flavors.
- Add the apples and pears. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes or until the fruit softens and the sauce thickens.
- Remove it from the heat and serve immediately if you like. It’s delicious while it’s still slightly warm! If you won’t be using it right away, simply let the mixture cool to room temperature then transfer into a covered container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
