No Sugar Added Fruit Compote

If you read my recent lightened up ranch dressing post, you know that one of my secrets to healthier eating is to make my own condiments. We’ve done savory, now we’ll go sweet with my no sugar added fruit compote. Store bought condiments can contain lots of sodium, sugar, processed sweeteners, preservatives, etc. and can be extremely calorie dense. Stuff you just don’t need, especially when working to maximize your calories in a healthier way.

My Easy NSA (no sugar added) Fruit Compote is the perfect way to add lots of flavor without adding lots of calories. With just 3 ingredients, 15 minutes and under 25 calories for 2 full tablespoons, you can create an extra versatile way to flavor a nearly endless list of foods. Waffles, yogurt, ice cream, biscuits all get an upgrade when you replace the typical traditional sweet accompaniments.

No Sugar Added Fruit Compote Equation

This one is even easier than my Quick Pies equation. 2 cups fruit + 1 tablespoon + pinch of salt citrus juice. That’s it! Here are some of my recommended combinations:

• Cherry + orange juice
• Strawberry + lime juice
• Blueberry + lemon juice
• Blackberry + orange juice
• Raspberry + lemon juice
• Peach + lemon juice
• Cherry + lime juice
• Apple + lemon juice

The final product will end up reduced by about 1/2 to yield 1 cup of compote which is 8, 2 tablespoon servings. In many cases, a 1/2 serving is enough!

Fresh or Frozen?

Whatever you’ve got! Both have advantages, but both produce equally delicious results. Frozen fruit is already prepped, but takes more time to come up to a simmer. Fresh fruit can require more prep. Pitting, slicing, removing stems takes time, but since the fruit isn’t frozen, it will come up to a simmer more quickly than frozen fruit. Use what you’ve got, it will be delicious!

Eat it on everything! Well, almost everything…

Breakfast and dessert are what first comes to mind for me, but I’ve used a blueberry compote with elk meat, so the sky is the limit!

One of my favorite ways to incorporate fruit compote into a healthier eating plan is to nix store bought flavored yogurts. While there are some great options on the market like Two Good, with pretty good ingredient lists, why not just add a spoon of this to a serving of 0% plain Greek yogurt and skip the sugar and sugar substitutes that many lower calorie yogurt options include. You’ll get so much more flavor bang for your buck!

All natural doesn’t always mean it’s better, but in this case, we’re getting away from added sugar/sweeteners completely and that’s a thumbs up in my book! I’ll buy the bulk yogurt with enough servings and shelf life for almost 2 weeks of breakfasts for the price of 3 individual serving yogurt cups. Healthier upgrades don’t always mean more expense!

Here’s a list of some of additional ways to use fruit compote:

• On biscuits, bagels, and English muffins in place of jam/jelly
• Over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
• A sweet sauce to compliment savory meats like elk, venison, and pork
• A substitute for syrup on waffles or pancakes

How to store

Fruit compote is not way to preserve fruit like canning jams/jellies. While it will extend the life of fresh fruit some, it’s not meant to be a way to extend the shelf life for an extended period of time. To me, the best way to enjoy is right off the stove over pancakes or ice cream. If you’re not looking to eat immediately, your compote will keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen.