Strawberry Compote for Cheesecake and Other Desserts

This easy strawberry compote for cheesecake and other desserts is a bit of a revelation. The fruit is gently roasted to create a spectacularly intense fruity flavour. This strawberry cheesecake sauce requires minimal effort and it can even be made with over-ripe fruit.

Whether you have perfectly ripe and wonderfully fresh strawberries or past their best berries, this easy strawberry compote is the ideal sauce to make for cheesecakes, meringues and a multitude of other tempting desserts or breakfast goodies such as waffles or pancakes.

Hands up if you’ve ever gone overboard snapping up fresh strawberries at the supermarket only to regret it a few days later when the sorrowful remains of one too many punnets sit languishing in the bottom of the fridge. Me too.

Magnificent strawberries don’t stay magnificent for long. They soon turn soft and squidgy. But all is not lost. This easy strawberry cheesecake sauce is my favourite wheeze against summertime food (and cash) waste. It makes a change from throwing those squishy berries into the freezer for future smoothies (or the inevitable freezer burn as they lay forgotten about again).

Take a look at this strawberry compote in action. It gracefully embraces the lead role in my strawberry tarts against gorgeously crisp sweet pastry and a swirl of vanilla-infused whipped cream.

Why you’ll love this strawberry cheesecake sauce

Gosh, where to start when extolling the virtues of this easy strawberry cheesecake sauce? Here are the main reasons I adore this recipe:

• The sauce is incredibly simple to make.
• And it requires just 3-4 ingredients.
• Gently roasting the fruit creates a fresh-tasting, punchy and gloriously vibrant sauce.
• The cooking process magically amplifies the sweet strawberry flavour.
• It’s a great way to use up a glut of strawberries.
• And it transforms over-ripe fruit into something supremely edible again.

But perhaps the best reason to love this easy strawberry compote is that it has so many uses – it’s not just for cheesecake.

What is strawberry compote?

Compote (or compôte – French for mixture) is a sauce consisting of whole or chopped pieces of fruit that have been stewed in syrup until soft. To make it, the fruit is typically cooked with sugar and flavoured with ingredients such as vanilla, ginger, citrus peel or baking spices including cinnamon, allspice, star anise and cloves.

In this easy strawberry compote recipe, I have chosen to cook the fruit by roasting it gently in the oven to amplify the flavour.

Is compote the same as jam?

No, fruit compote is not the same as jam. The fruit is much more finely chopped in jam and it is cooked to a setting point to enable it to reach a spreadable consistency. A setting agent, such as pectin or lemon juice is often included in a jam recipe to ensure the set point can be reached. Jam is often made and canned in sterilised jars to enable it to be stored for a long time.

Unlike jam, the aim of making compote is not to preserve the fruit. It is intended to be eaten fresh (within a few days). Setting agents have no place in a recipe for compote. And it’s usually nice and chunky, making it perfect for spooning over plenty of puddings.

Is compote the same as coulis?

Again, it is not. Fruit coulis is a thick sauce that is typically made from cooked fruit that has been pureed and strained to remove pulp and seeds. Compote includes the whole fruit and should not be strained.

Ingredients

Strawberries: use fresh strawberries for this sauce. If they are slightly over-ripe, soft or bruised then they will be transformed during the roasting, so feel free to use them here.

Sugar: use white caster sugar or white granulated sugar.

Vanilla pod: this adds a burst of interest to the final sauce. Feel free to mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste instead if you prefer.

Orange blossom water: this is entirely optional, but it does, again, add an extra level of flavour to the compote.

Step-by-step instructions

The recipe for this strawberry compote for cheesecake really couldn’t be simpler. It takes an hour or so to cook, but other than stirring it a couple of times during cooking, it’s a hands-off recipe.

1. Remove the green stalks and roughly chop the strawberries – not too small.
2. Lay the strawberries onto a baking tin lined with baking parchment.
3. Spilt the vanilla pod and lay it over the strawberries.
4. Scatter the orange blossom water over the strawberries, followed by the sugar.
5. Roast for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes until the liquid is beginning to thicken.
6. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and stir them into the sauce.

Serve the strawberry compote warm or cold with the dessert or breakfast of your choice (see suggestions below). It can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Expert tips

• Don’t cut the fruit too small. Little berries should be halved, large ones quartered. Avoid chopping the fruit finely though.
• Cut in different directions to give plenty of shape and texture to the sauce. Cut some horizontally, others vertically. Cut a few diagonally just for good measure.
• Use a baking sheet with a lip to ensure the juicy sauce stays in the pan.
• And choose a tin that is large enough for the fruit to lay in a single layer for even cooking.
• Double or even triple the recipe if your baking tin allows.
• Want a thicker strawberry cheesecake sauce? Just leave it to roast for an additional 15 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Ways to use roasted strawberry compote

Once made, this thick, chunky roasted strawberry compote makes a great addition to a variety of sweet treats:

• Spoon it on top of ice cream (it’s delicious paired with salted honey ice cream).
• It’s also ideal for pancakes and waffles.
• Try vanilla cake filled with strawberry compote.
• One batch also makes the ideal strawberry topping for cheesecake.
• Or pair it with meringue and fresh cream.
• Serve it with scones and clotted cream.
• Drizzle a spoonful over panna cotta for a particularly elegant dessert.
• Spoon some over Greek yoghurt and top with a handful of your favourite granola for a tasty breakfast treat.
• Gorge on strawberry shortcake topped with this tangy topping.
• Layer some into pots of Eton Mess.
• Have it for breakfast with some buckwheat porridge.

And those are just a few ideas. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of other uses for this amazing sauce too.

Variations

Of course, it’s also easy to adapt the final flavour of this strawberry compote for cheesecakes and other desserts depending on your latest whim. Try the following ideas:

• Instead of orange blossom water opt for a few drops of rose water.
• Finely grate some lemon or orange peel and stir a little into the fruit before cooking. Around 1 tablespoon should be plenty.
• Splash half a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar into the mix instead of the orange blossom water. It will add a blast of rich tanginess to the final sauce. In this case, I highly recommend pairing it with a classic vanilla cheesecake.
• Mince a small amount of fresh ginger and stir it through before cooking the compote to kick up the flavours (½ a teaspoon will be plenty)
• Add in a handful of fresh raspberries. They will break down during the cooking process, turning the sauce a little thicker.

More summer berry recipes

Have you made this easy strawberry compote? What did you serve it with? If you have made it I’d absolutely love it if you would be so kind as to leave a comment and/ or rating below. And don’t forget to share your gorgeous creation with me on Instagram (tag #littlesugarsnaps).