• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Keep calm and eat ice cream
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Sauces / Pear Compote

    Pear Compote

    Published: Apr 16, 2022 by Sarah Brooks

    7 shares
    • Share4
    • Yummly
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe
    Mason jar of compote, with spoon and fresh pears and ginger on the side.

    This simple spiced pear compote with vanilla is an easy way to use beautiful fresh ripe pears. Perfect over everything from pancakes to porridge and ice cream.

    Mason jar of compote, with spoon and fresh pears and ginger on the side.
    Spiced pear compote.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
    • Ingredients
    • How to make pear compote
    • How to serve
    • How to store
    • Looking for more yummy Fall dessert recipes?
    • 📋 Recipe

    Recipe tips and frequently asked questions

    What is pear compote?

    Pear compote is a simple dessert sauce usually made with pears and a sweetener such as maple syrup or sugar. It often has spices and sometimes a little alcohol for extra flavor.

    What to eat with pear compote?

    This fruit compote is delicious on its own or pairs beautifully with everything from pancakes, porridge, waffles, yogurt, cake, french toast and of course ice cream!

    Can I add other flavors to this?

    You sure can. The following flavors/swaps would pair perfectly with this

    • Replace the brown sugar with ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
    • A dash of alcohol. A little rum or red wine are popular choices.
    • Other fruit such as apples, rhubarb, raspberries, plums, or cranberries.
    • Other herbs and spices such as thyme, cloves, nutmeg or allspice.
    Compote in a serving bowl with a spoon, and fresh pears and leave on the side.
    Simple pear compote.

    Can I make a healthy version?

    To make a healthy version of this compote without sugar you can try a few things

    • Substitute the brown sugar with a non-refined sweetener such as ¼ cup maple syrup, honey or agave syrup.
    • Leave out the sugar altogether.

    If trying either of these options I recommend making sure your pears are really ripe and juicy to make the most of the natural sweetness of the pears.

    How long does pear compote last?

    This fruit compote will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to four days. It can also be frozen for up to three months. Once frozen make sure to defrost it completely before serving.

    Why has the color of my compote changed?

    Sometimes when stored in the fridge for several hours the color of this compote can become duller or muted. To restore it to more of a golden brown color simply put the compote into a pot and heat up for a few minutes. Either way it will still taste delicious!

    Ingredients

    Compote ingredients as per main body of text.

    Fresh pears: are an integral part of this recipe. I use William Bartlett pears, also known as Williams Bon Chrétien or Bartlett pear but you can use whatever sort you have available. Look for fresh, very ripe fruit that will give maximum sweetness and flavor.

    Brown sugar: works best in this recipe and adds some wonderful caramel notes to the compote.

    Unsalted butter: a little butter adds some flavor and richness to this compote. For a vegan version you can use vegan butter or leave it out altogether.

    Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.

    Ground ginger: ginger and pear are an awesome flavor combo. Try to use a new jar of ground ginger if possible rather than one that's been sitting around for ages. The flavor will be better.

    Ground Cinnamon: a great pairing with pears. You could also try using allspice or nutmeg.

    Ground Cardamom: a little bit of ground cardamom really complements the pear flavor in this ice cream

    How to make pear compote

    See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.

    Peel, core and dice the pears. Add the butter and brown sugar to a skillet. Cook on medium, stirring until the sugar and butter are melted together and foamy. Continue to cook for another minute or two to get more color on the caramel but be careful not to burn the sugar. Add the ginger, cinnamon and cardamom and mix well.

    Process shots: peel, core and dice pears, melt and mix sugar and butter in skillet, add spices, add diced pears.

    Add the diced pears and stir well. Cook the pears for a few minutes until they have released a lot of juice. Continue to cook the pears for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently until they have cooked down and have a wonderfully thick, almost jammy consistency.

    Process shot: reduced, thickened compote.

    How to serve

    Bowl of porridge with pear compote and jar of compote, fresh pears, ginger and spoon on the side.
    Pear compote with porridge.

    To serve this pear fruit compote spoon over porridge, pancakes, waffles, yogurt or ice cream while still warm. Or cool and store in the fridge and serve cold.

    How to store

    This pear and ginger compote will store in a covered container in the fridge for up to four days. It can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.

    Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream

    Looking for more yummy Fall dessert recipes?

    Why not try making

    • Pear Ice Cream
    • Stewed Pears
    • Pear Crumble
    • Feijoa ice cream

    Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes.

    Mason jar of compote, with spoon and fresh pears and ginger on the side.
    Easy pear compote.

    📋 Recipe

    Mason jar of compote, with spoon and fresh pears and ginger on the side.

    Pear Compote

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    This simple spiced pear compote with vanilla is an easy way to use beautiful fresh ripe pears. Perfect over everything from pancakes to porridge and ice cream.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 ¼ cup serves
    Calories 115 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons (40gsm) unsalted butter
    • ½ cup (110gms) brown sugar
    • 6 medium sized (1kg) fresh ripe pears
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon cardamon
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    I highly recommend measuring by weight and mls instead of cups. You will get better, more consistent results!

    • Peel, core and dice the pears.
    • Add the butter and brown sugar to a skillet. Cook on medium, stirring until the sugar and butter are melted together and foamy.
    • Continue to cook for another minute or two to get more color on the caramel but be careful not to burn the sugar. Add the ginger, cinnamon and cardamom and mix well.
    • Add the diced pears and stir well. Cook the pears for a few minutes until they have released a lot of juice.
    • Continue to cook the pears for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently until they have cooked down and have a wonderfully thick, almost jammy consistency.
    • Serve immediately while still warm or cool and store in a covered container until needed. Delicious!

    Notes

    What sort of pear to use:
    • Fresh, ripe, juicy pears for best flavor.  
    Storage:
    • In a covered container in the fridge for up to four days.
    • In an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.  Once frozen defrost fully before serving. 
     
    • Sometimes when stored in the fridge for several hours the color of this compote can become duller or muted. To restore it to more of a golden brown color simply put the compote into a pot and heat up for a few minutes. Either way it will still taste delicious!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 0.1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 9mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 124IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.2mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: spiced
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Join the community!

    Like Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream on Facebook for more great recipes

    Mason jar of compote, with spoon and fresh pears and ginger on the side.

    Pin it for later!

    Spooning out compote from a mason jar, on a plate with fresh pears and ginger on the side.
    Pear and ginger compote.
    7 shares
    • Share4
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream

    Ice cream from my favourite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

    Hi I’m Sarah and welcome to Keep Calm and Eat Ice-cream.

    I’ll be sharing all the things I love about ice-cream, eating it, making it, reviewing it, bathing it in (kidding) and all the things in between. So sit back, grab a scoop and come on a delicious journey with me

    Recipe of the month
    Biscoff Cheesecake

    Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.

    Latest ice cream recipes

    Close up peanut butter ice cream in a bowl with roasted peanuts.

    Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    Close up three scoops dulce de leche ice cream with drizzle.

    Dulce De Leche Ice Cream

    Close up of three scoops of ice cream in a bowl.

    Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

    More ice cream recipes

    Latest popsicle recipes

    Close up popsicles surrounded by fresh pineapple, cherries and cherry leaves.

    Pineapple Cherry Popsicles

    Close up Popsicles surrounded by fresh cherries and mango.

    Cherry Mango Popsicles

    Close up of strawberry jello popsicle with mini strawberry jello molds.

    Jello popsicles

    More popsicle recipes

    Latest dessert recipes

    Close up Oreo turkey cookies

    Oreo Turkey Cookies

    Milkshake in a mason jar with a straw, whipped cream, banana chip crumbs and a cherry on top.

    Banana Milkshake

    Group of three sundaes, classic, strawberry and caramel, with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, wafers and cherry, on a plate with spoons, nuts and sprinkles.

    Ice Cream Sundae

    More dessert recipes

    Short on time? - Check out our recipes and collections as web stories.

    Web Stories

    Check out more tasty recipes

    Most shared posts

    Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.

    Biscoff Cheesecake

    Shares: 2011

    Close up slice of caramilk cheesecake on a plate with a fork with rest of cake and caramilk chocolate in the background.

    Caramilk cheesecake

    Shares: 2466

    Close up passion fruit cheesecake with passion fruit coulis, a vintage fork in front, fresh passion fruit and passion fruit leave on the side.

    Passion fruit cheesecake

    Shares: 969

    Passion fruit coulis in a glass jar with a vintage spoon in front and fresh, cut open passion fruit and passion fruit leaves on the side, on a wooden chopping board.

    Passion fruit coulis

    Shares: 840

    Lemon, lime and bitters popsicles with fresh lemon and limes.

    Lemon, lime and bitters popsicles

    Shares: 797

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    Newsletter





    Social Media

    Follow me on your favorite social media and recipe sharing channels

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2022 Sarah Brooks