20 Minute Easy Pear Compote

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!

Ingredients for this recipe

How to Make Pear Compote

This is just a brief overview, find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below!

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. 

Watch the recipe video!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Easy Pear Compote

This simple pear compote recipe requires only four ingredients and takes just 20 minutes! Serve it over ice cream, vanilla yogurt, or buttermilk pancakes with whipped cream for a fall treat!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Fruit Compote, Pear Compote, Pear Recipe

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Amanda Gajdosik

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg