Peach And Vanilla Compote

Name: Peach And Vanilla Compote
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 Peaches ((650g Rough Prepped Weight)); 80 g Caster Sugar; 80 g Honey; 2 tbsp Lemon Juice ((1 Lemon)); 1 tsp Vanilla Paste ((Or Half A Vanilla Pod)); A Pinch Of Sea Salt

Jump to Recipe

This peach and vanilla compote is a great way to use seasonal fruit. It’s sweet, jammy, full of flavour and perfect with desserts, breakfast & savoury dishes too.

Peaches are a fantastic fruit to use for compote & when you cook them down with sugar, honey and vanilla, they turn into a sweet, jammy sauce that’s full of flavour. It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect with creamy desserts like cheesecake & ice cream, pancakes & waffles at breakfast and even savoury dishes like grilled pork, cheeseboards & cured meat.

A perfectly ripe, juicy peach is the ultimate summertime fruit and this homemade compote really lets the flavour of the fruit shine through! It only takes 15 minutes to cook and will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. The perfect fruit sauce to have on hand for dinner parties & barbecues and for when a homemade (or shop bought) dessert or breakfast needs a hit of sweet, bright, summery flavour.

For more easy to follow dessert recipes, take a look at our dessert recipe collection! There’s something for everyone here, including homemade ice creams, cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding, panna cottas & lots more.

In This Post

Why You’ll Love This Compote

It’s Easy To Make
This style of fruit compote is made by cooking fruit in a pan with sugar. It only takes 15 minutes to cook!
Works With Sweet & Savoury Dishes
Peach compote works great with sweet desserts and breakfast dishes but also works with savoury meals like grilled pork, cheeseboards and cured meats.
Uses Seasonal Fruit
This fruit sauce lets the flavour of the peaches shine through, so it’s a great way to use seasonal fruit.

Ingredients For Peach Compote

Peaches – You’ll need fresh peaches for this recipe and it’s best to use ones that are ripe but not overly soft, as it will make it difficult to prep them. I yellow flesh peaches but you could use white flesh peaches instead & use slightly less sugar.
Sugar – Caster sugar is best for compote as it adds sweetness whilst still letting the flavour of the fruit shine through.
Honey – Peaches and honey work incredibly well together so we’re adding a generous amount into this compote, for sweetness and flavour.
Lemon Juice – The acidity of lemon juice cuts through the sweetness from the fruit & sugar.
Vanilla – You can add vanilla paste or half a vanilla pod into your compote. If using a pod, scrape the seeds out then add both the pod & seeds to the fruit.
Salt – A pinch of salt enhances the flavours from the fruit.

How To Make Peach And Vanilla Compote

This homemade compote is incredibly easy to make and is made by cooking chopped peaches with sugar, honey, vanilla & lemon juice on the stove into a thick, jammy sauce. The juice thickens naturally as the compote cooks and reduces, so there’s no need to use cornflour!

Chop Peaches
The first step is to half the fresh peaches, remove the stone then chop the flesh into 1 cm chunks. You should be able to gently pull the stone out of each peach but you can use a small sharp knife to carefully cut it out as well.
Cook To Dissolve Sugar
Add the chopped peaches into a pan along with sugar, honey, lemon juice, vanilla & a pinch of salt then set over a medium-low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved & the fruit is starting to soften and break down. This will take around 5 minutes.
Adjust Sweetness
Once the sugar has dissolved, give the sauce a taste then add in more sugar if you think it needs it.
Simmer Until Thick
To finish the compote, bring it to a simmer then cook for 5-10 minutes until it has reduced into a thick, jammy sauce. Then you can take the pan off the heat and let the compote cool before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Peach and vanilla compote goes great with loads of different desserts & is best made when peaches are in season! You can spoon peach compote over ice cream, serve it with creamy cheesecake or alongside a vanilla panna cotta.

You can also serve your peach compote at breakfast on top of pancakes, waffles and yogurt bowls or even with savoury dishes like grilled pork chops, roasted ham or on a cheese or charcuterie board.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cook peach compote on an Aga?

To cook peach compote on an Aga, use the simmering plate.

Can you use canned peaches for compote?

Although you can use canned peaches for peach compote, I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe as it’s designed to use raw ones. You’d need to thicken a compote made with canned fruit with cornflour as the fruit is already cooked and will be mushy by the time the sauce thickens on its own.

How long will homemade peach compote keep for?

Peach compote made with fresh peaches needs to be stored in the fridge and should be eaten within 5 days.

Can you freeze peach compote?

Peach compote can be frozen and will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to store the compote in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.

When are peaches in season?

Peaches are in season between May and September. Peaches grown in the UK are at their best between June & September, American peaches are best in July and August and European peaches (grown in Spain, Italy & Greece) are at their peak between July & August.

More Dessert Recipes To Try

If you have enjoyed this peach compote recipe, it would mean a lot if you could leave a review & rating. And if you’d like to stay up to date with future recipes, follow us on Instagram & TikTok or subscribe to our newsletter!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save To Collection

This peach and vanilla compote is a great way to use seasonal fruit. It's sweet, jammy, full of flavour and perfect with desserts, breakfast & savoury dishes too.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: 8 People

Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

Large Saucepan
Juicer

Ingredients

8 Peaches (650g Rough Prepped Weight)
80 g Caster Sugar
80 g Honey
2 tbsp Lemon Juice (1 Lemon)
1 tsp Vanilla Paste (Or Half A Vanilla Pod)
A Pinch Of Sea Salt

Instructions

Cut each peach in half, remove the stones then cut the flesh into 1 cm pieces.
To remove the stones, gently pull them out with your fingers or carefully cut around them with a small knife.
Add the diced peaches into a large pan along with the sugar, honey, lemon juice, vanilla & salt then set the pan over a medium-low heat.
If your using a vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds then add both the pod & seeds into the pan.
Cook the fruit, stirring regularly until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit is starting to soften then give it a taste and add in more sugar if needed. This step will take around 5 minutes.
Continue cooking over a medium-low heat until the fruit has softened and the juice has thickened into a thick compote. This will take 5-10 minutes.
Once cooked, take the pan off the heat, let the compote cool then transfer to an airtight container. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Notes

1. Peaches – This recipe works best with ripe peaches that aren’t overly soft as they’ll be difficult to cut into pieces. Once prepped, you should have roughly 650g of diced peach. I used yellow flesh peaches but white flesh peaches will work as well but you’ll need to use slightly less sugar (start with 60 grams).

2. Storage – This compote needs to be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within 5 days. Alternatively, you can store the compote in the freezer for up to 3 months but will need to defrost it fully before serving.

3. Vanilla – You can use either vanilla paste or half a vanilla pod for this recipe or leave it out completely if you’d prefer.

4. Sweetness Level – I’d highly recommend giving the compote a taste as it cooks, then adding in more caster sugar if needed. Peaches will have varying levels of sweetness so it’s best to add sugar in to taste.