Easy, Perfect Berry Sauce (Compote)

This berry sauce (compote) is incredibly versatile and pairs perfectly with cheesecake, waffles, ice cream, and more. You won’t believe how easy it is to make!

Since fresh berries are hard to find around here, I usually rely on frozen berries to make jams and compotes. If you have an abundance of fresh berries, check out my post on how to freeze fresh berries! Fortunately, both frozen and fresh berries work incredibly well for making compotes! All it takes is cooking berries and sugar in a saucepan -although I like to add a few other ingredients to enhance the flavor.

How to make a berry sauce

1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, place berries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally until the liquid thickens. At any point, you can add water if the sauce it too thick, or more sugar to make it sweeter.
2. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth, then add it to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes longer until it reaches the desired consistency. Sauce will thicken further as it cools.

What can I pair berry sauce with?

You can pair mixed berry compote with lots of desserts! Here are a few of my favorites:

• New York Cheesecake
• Classic Cheesecake
• Ricotta Cheesecake
• Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Almond Torte
• Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Vanilla Panna Cotta
• No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

Tips for making the BEST berry sauce

• Try to keep most of the berries whole while cooking (but if they do break, that’s ok).
• Frozen berries release plenty of juices while cooking, so don’t be tempted to add water in the beginning.
• If you’re using fresh berries rather than frozen, you’ll need to add a few tablespoons of water until you reach the desired consistency.
• The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will get. You can also add a bit more cornstarch for thickening, but don’t add too much or it will affect the taste.
• For a smooth sauce, you can puree the cooked sauce in a food processor. If you like, you can also push it through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon to discard the seeds.
• If you like, you can add a fruit-based liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Chambord.
• You can use orange zest instead of lemon zest (but still use the lemon juice).
• Try adding a pinch of warm spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg for added flavor.

5 from 12 votes

Berry Sauce

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

 

This berry compote is easy to make and pairs perfectly with cakes, ice creams, custards, and more!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries*
• 2-6 tablespoons granulated sugar , to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 grates of lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, place berries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally until the liquid (which is the juice released from the fruit) thickens. At any point, you can add water if the sauce it too thick, or more sugar to make it sweeter.
2. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth, then add it to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes longer until it reaches the desired consistency. Sauce will thicken further as it cools.

Recipe Notes

*If using fresh berries rather than frozen, you’ll need to add a few tablespoons of water until you reach the desired consistency.