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This easy pear compote recipe is a simple, fall-flavored fruit sauce that comes together in no time! Fresh pears, sweet brown sugar, and warm cinnamon simmer for 20 minutes in this simple dessert recipe. Serve it on buttermilk pancakes, waffles, or a slice of powdered sugar pound cake.
Pears are one of the most underrated fruits of fall. It’s all about pumpkin and apple, but I think pears deserve just as bright of a spotlight!
Fresh pears pair perfectly with quintessential fall flavors like brown sugar and cinnamon in this pear compote recipe.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Pears – peeled and chopped
- Brown Sugar – this will add a rich depth of flavor to the compote
- Lemon Juice – fresh or from a bottle
- Cinnamon – just a touch to highlight the fresh pears
What is a fruit compote?
"Compote" is a French term that seems fancy but just means a fruit sauce that is made by cooking whole pieces of fruit in simple syrup.
In this recipe, we’re changing things up just a bit by using brown sugar for more depth and adding ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to bring some warm, seasonal spice, though that is not a traditional component of compote.
How to Make Pear Compote
This is just a brief overview, find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
- Peel and chop the pears. Just a rough chop, the fruit will break down more during cooking.
- Boil the fruit, sugar, juice, and cinnamon. Stirring occasionally, until the pears break down and have become a delicious fruit sauce!
- Remove from heat, cool, store, and enjoy! This is like the best pancake topping ever!
Hard to believe something so delicious really can be that easy!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
This compote is a quick and simple sauce, not a jam recipe, so it is not preserved or shelf stable as a jam recipe could be.
The compote can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Alternatively, it can be frozen. Here’s how:
Fill a quart-sized, freeze-safe plastic bag with pear compote. Squeeze out any excess air. Properly label and date the bag with the contents. Lay flat in the freezer until solid (you can then store the bag upright, if desired).
Compote can be frozen for up to six months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Weight vs Quantity
This recipe calls for 2 pounds of pears and you may be wondering, "Yes, but how many is that?"
I used about 10 small pears from our tree to equal 2 pounds before peeling and cutting. If you’re using a larger pear, such as Bartlett, it would likely be less, around 6 or 7 pears.
Use the scale provided in the grocery store to weigh the fruit when buying pears or use a kitchen scale for homegrown pears.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend buying one! They’re so useful!
Two Pounds vs One Pound
This recipe is a bit different than my rhubarb compote recipe or mulberry compote recipe where I call for 1 pound of the fruit to 1 cup of sugar.
The 2-pound measurement is to account for the loss of weight when the pears are peeled, chopped, and their cores are discarded.
Bottled Lemon Juice vs Fresh
Don't have a fresh lemon on hand? You can use ¼ cup of bottled lemon juice. The key to this compote is to add a bit of acid via citrus juice to cut through the sweetness in the compote.
Serving Ideas
I am obsessed with this compote on pancakes! It would also be delish spooned over vanilla yogurt! With a sprinkling of granola. Or drizzled warm over fresh waffles. Or with a slice of pound cake and a dollop of fresh whipped cream! YUM!
Watch the recipe video!
Easy Pear Compote
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh pears
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel and chop the pears, discarding the peels, cores, and any bruised bits of fruit.
- Combine the chopped pears, 1 cup brown sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Boil rapidly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pears have released their natural juices, broken down, and created a beautifully silky sauce.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before storing in refrigerator.
- Serve compote over vanilla ice cream, pancakes, or a slice of pound cake!
Video
Notes
- Compote can be stored in refrigerator for up to five days.
- Refer to post for freezing instructions.
- ¼ cup bottled lemon juice can be substituted for the fresh lemon juice.
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