Perfectly spiced and naturally sweetened, this easy apple compote is ready quickly, with about 5 minutes of prep and just 20 minutes on the stovetop! Enjoy it with breakfast or dessert or even by itself as an afternoon snack... it's delicious however (and whenever) you serve them!
My kids literally go insane for this cinnamon apple compote! All three of them gobble it up so quickly and when I say I'm going to make it they cheer as if I'm offering them cake. It's honestly kind of hilarious!
I typically double or triple the recipe and then mix in different varieties of apples. It's fun to experiment with the different flavors and find a balance of sweet and tart that we all enjoy.
This apple compote recipe is therefore perfect for those who enjoy picking a variety of apples at apple orchards (I try to go once a year during apple season). Using hand-picked fresh apples really does make a difference in terms of both taste and texture!
What is Compote?
Compote is essentially fruit that is cooked in sugar syrup made from water, sugar and spices. The word compôte is French for "stewed fruit."
Fruit compote can be made with different kinds of fruit such as blueberries, strawberries and even raspberries!
Ingredients
This is a pretty straightforward recipe, and I use simple ingredients that let the natural sweetness and nostalgic flavor of the apples shine in every single bite.
- Red sweet apples - I peel the apples since I prefer that for this recipe, but you can leave the skins on for added nutrition if you don't mind them!
- Water (or full-fat coconut milk) - Coconut milk will make it thicker and creamier, and as it cooks down will give it a caramel taste when combined with the maple sugar.
- Lemon - There's nothing like fresh lemon juice!
- Maple sugar - This keeps the recipe refined sugar-free (as opposed to using brown sugar). You can sub coconut sugar as well.
- Vegan butter - Coconut oil also works here!
- Cinnamon - The recipe calls for ¾ teaspoon, but you can bump it up a bit if you love ground cinnamon! If you have apple pie spice on hand a sprinkle of that would also be super tasty in here.
- Arrowroot starch - This will help thicken the sauce at the very end. I love the texture it gives!
- Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract and high quality if you can!
- Salt
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
How to Make Homemade Apple Compote
Gather your ingredients and you're halfway there! This easy recipe only has a couple steps:
- Add water (or coconut milk), lemon juice, maple sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon and salt to a large saucepan or skillet and whisk together over medium heat until incorporated (about 5 minutes).
- Add the apples and cook on low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. Once the apples are fork tender and the water has evaporated, pull them off the heat and sprinkle arrowroot starch and vanilla overtop.
- Serve immediately while hot or let it cool to room temperature. You can also enjoy it cold!
Store apple compote in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tips
The cook time will depend on the thickness of the diced apples. The smaller the apple pieces, the quicker they will cook. Whether large or small, do your best to dice them into similar size chunks to allow for even cooking. I like dicing them into ½-inch chunks.
Add more liquid if necessary. If your apples aren't soft enough once the liquid evaporates, add a couple of tablespoons of water (or more coconut milk) and allow it to cook a little longer.
Health Benefits of Apples
Full disclosure: I LOVE apples. I honestly cannot get enough! I even wrote an article about the health benefits of apples in The Washington Post years ago.
Apples are full of powerful disease-fighting nutrients and health benefits. They keep you hydrated, they’re low in calories, fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and full of fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.
What are the Best Apples for Sautéing?
I love the combination of sweet red apples with warm spices. Gala, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia and Fuji apples are all perfect varieties to shop for. I often double the recipe and mix in a Granny Smith apple as well. Granny Smith apples add some tartness to balance the sweet and we absolutely love it!
How to Serve Apple Compote
My kids love these vegan cinnamon apples completely plain by the spoonful! I love how many delicious possibilities there are with this sweet dish, though. Make a batch and enjoy it in so many different ways - it's a really versatile recipe!
- Over your favorite vegan yogurt - I love the coconut yogurt from Culina (not sponsored) because it is refined sugar-free (vanilla-flavored is delish with this one)!
- With my Easy Granola Recipe - crumble it overtop for some crunch.
- Stirred into Creamy Vegan Oatmeal for a hearty breakfast.
- With dessert! It is the perfect topping over Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream. Add a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream too!
This delicious apple compote is vegan (no dairy or eggs needed!), gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, refined sugar-free, soy-free and nut-free. I hope you love this simple recipe as much as my kiddos and I do!
Please tag me on Instagram if you make it so I can see the results, and drop a review below to help others find this easy apple recipe!
More Fun Apple Recipes
@eatingbyelaine SAUTÉED CINNAMOM APPLES 🍎 #applepie #applepierecipe #applelover #applerecipes #fallrecipes #cinnamonapples #easydesserts #quickeasydessert ♬ original sound - eatingbyelaine
25-Minute Fresh Apple Compote
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Perfectly spiced and naturally sweetened, this easy apple compote is ready quickly, with about 5 minutes of prep and just 20 minutes on the stovetop! Enjoy it with breakfast or dessert or even by itself as an afternoon snack... it's delicious however (and whenever) you serve them!
Ingredients
- ½ cup filtered water or full-fat coconut milk
- ½ small lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons maple sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegan butter)
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium red sweet apples, peeled, cored and diced into ½-inch cubes (measures ~ 2 ½ cups once diced)
Instructions
- Add water (or coconut milk), lemon juice, maple sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon and salt to a large saucepan or skillet and whisk together over medium heat until incorporated (about 5 minutes).
- Add the apples and cook on low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. Once the apples are fork tender and the water has evaporated, pull them off the heat and sprinkle arrowroot starch and vanilla overtop.
- Serve immediately while hot or let it cool to room temperature. You can also enjoy it cold!
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
You can leave the skin on the apples for better nutrition but I prefer the texture with them peeled. The skin is typically peeled for classic apple compote.
You can thinly slice the apples rather than finely dicing them but this will lengthen the cooking time. When I do this I typically add a little more water and cover the skillet to speed up the process. You can also dice the apples finely to cook more quickly (this makes them easy to sprinkle overtop yogurt or ice cream).
Feel free to add a sprinkle of apple pie spice too if you have that on hand.
I often double this recipe and mix in a Granny Smith apple to balance the sweet red apple with the tart Granny Smith flavor.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert or Snack
- Method: Stovetop
Noel Burke says
This recipe looks easy and delicious! I will be making it this weekend with my boys. Love your simple, clear directions and accompanying pics.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Noel! I hope you and your boys enjoy it this weekend! Best, Elaine
Victoria Guobaitis says
Made this last year! Ready for apple season to make it again! This time I’ll try to make the caramel sauce too!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you for the five star rating, Victoria! Yes, the caramel sauce sounds like the perfect pairing for this one! Best, Elaine
Megan feldman says
I’ve been making this one almost daily! So delicious! Thanks Elaine!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you, Megan! I'm so happy you have been enjoying this one! Thank you for the five star rating! Best, Elaine