Easy Homemade Cherry Compote

Fresh Easy Homemade Cherry Compote
Homemade Cherry Compote is very easy to make with fresh sweet or sour Cherries. It is so versatile, you will want to use it everywhere. Drizzle it on a pancake, slather it onto bread for a sandwich, spread it on a fruit pizza, spoon it on to ice-cream, make a yogurt parfait (recipe below) – or just eat it straight from the bowl, the possibilities are many.

Dark red thick Cherry Compote in a white china jar with design of purple fruits, pink flowers and green leaves. Red white black striped napkin to the left. White bowl with sliced cherries in the background. All on a white background
Cherry Compote with Cinnamon and Vanilla
The cherries I used for the Compote were moist, sweet and tasty and it was difficult to resist eating them just fresh instead of making the compote.

Variations and Substitutions for This Recipe
Sour cherries may be used instead of sweet ones, though you need to increase the quantity of sugar or add honey or molasses to the ingredients in the recipe card below.
This homemade cherry compote may be made with just 3 ingredients: cherries, sugar and water. Spices and herbs may be suitably added for variation in flavour. Add vanilla extract, orange zest, rosemary leaves, cinnamon – or just one or two of these for a subtle aroma and flavour.
Almond extract may be substituted for vanilla, brown sugar for the white.
Sugar being added in a drizzle to a pot of sliced and pitted dark red cherries
Adding Sugar to the Sliced Cherries for Cherry Compote
Making Cherry Compote
The cherries taste delicious on their own, but cooking them with sugar enhances their flavour.

The cinnamon and rosemary added their mite to the aroma while the compote cooked.

The compote may be frozen and used later and it should be good for a month at least. If that is, you don’t use it up well before that time. Mine never last more than a day or two!

Making this homemade Cherry Compote is easy and fun and you get a feeling of satisfaction when its done as it tastes and looks so good. It took very little effort to put together though. In fact, the only ‘work’ involved was pitting the cherries before cooking them!

When I first made the compote, I had promised my 5 year old granddaughter Tamma that I would be making a Cherry compote yogurt Parfait for dessert, and when I did, she gave me a double thumbs up for the great taste! She was very helpful and even took some pictures while I was making the compote, so that I could post them here!
Easy Homemade Cherry Compote

Easy Homemade Cherry Compote of fresh dark red cherries with cinnamon and vanilla extract. Use it in parfaits or ice cream or even to fill a sandwich!

INGREDIENTS

4 cup fresh cherries washed, stalks removed, pitted and halved
4 pinch salt
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Orange zest
3/4 stick cinnamon
1/5 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
5 tablespoons Fresh orange juice
4 drop vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the cherries, remove the stalks, halve and pit them. Measure out all the ingredients except the vanilla extract. Mince the rosemary.
Place the cherries in wide pan, with sides tall enough to hold the liquid when it bubbles and froths. Add a smidgeon of salt (less than a pinch), add sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, minced rosemary and the orange juice.
Stir and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Keep on a simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sugar syrup heats to very high temperatures, so handle the pan with care. Drain
Easy Homemade Cherry Compote of fresh dark red cherries with cinnamon and vanilla extract
Remove from the stove and drain the cherries into a clean bowl. Replace the pan with the syrup on the stove, and boil on low heat for about 10 minutes or till the syrup thickens, stirring frequently.
Till the syrup thickens
Add a drop of vanilla extract, stir and add back the cherries. Boil for another 5 minutes and remove from the stove. Allow to cool and transfer to a container for storing till required to be used.
Vanilla extract is used in liquid form as an ingredient in sweet dishes and desserts, for the preparation of cakes, pies, puddings, cream and the like. However, this extract also flavors dairy drinks such as liqueur, hot chocolate, homemade wine or sangria. Vanilla extract contains a small amount of B vitamins such as niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and pyrrodixin as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese and zinc.