Homemade Peach Compote
Jazz up plain French toast, pancakes or waffles this weekend by making this easy Peach Compote recipe! This sweet-tangy compote makes the perfect topping for your favorite breakfast or dessert. Makes 4 servings.
I’ve been thinking a lot about weekend traditions recently, mostly because my husband spent a month away from us, and he’s back again… so we’re back to our lazy weekend breakfasts.
Our laid back weekend morning tradition harkens back to the days when we were dating in college. I never knew being in the kitchen with someone could be so enjoyable, and it’s been our thing ever since.
This particular recipe came into being one of those lazy Saturday mornings. That morning, we were making waffles, and when Winston realized we had peaches in the freezer, he made a suggestion.
“Why don’t we just make some kind of compote and put it on top of our waffles?”
With that simple question, I immediately threw the frozen peaches into a sauce pan, adding a little sugar and water as I turned on the heat, smiling back at him.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Why I love this recipe:
This peach compote was originally made with frozen peaches, but it can easily be made with juicy, ripe peaches in the summertime, too. (I also have instructions for how to make it using canned peaches, as well.)
It comes together in about 15 minutes, so it’s quick and easy.
There is very little hands-on time, too.
Also, it’s excellent paired with breakfast, but I also urge you to try it with dessert (think vanilla ice cream or yogurt!)… or make it into a dessert unto itself.
Other breakfast recipes we adore: Sweet Potato Pancakes | Yogurt French Toast | Vegan Banana Muffins | Double Chocolate Pancakes | Chocolate Raspberry Overnight French Toast Casserole
Want more breakfast inspo? Check out my Breakfast Recipe Index.
What you’ll need to make this recipe:
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In addition to these tools, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe for peach compote, too:
- Frozen peaches—you’ll want them to be sliced. I also have instructions below for how to use fresh and canned peaches if you have those on hand.
- Granulated sugar—also known as white sugar, this is our sweetener for the compote. I do not recommend adding maple syrup or honey in place of the sugar, even though I’m sure it would be tasty.
- Water—this thins out our compote just a little bit!
- Balsamic vinegar—it sounds like an odd ingredient, but go with me here. The acidity of the vinegar pairs really nicely with the sweetness of the peaches, and it balances out the compote beautifully.
How to Make Peach Compote
Place your medium saucepan on the stovetop, and turn on the heat to medium-high.
Next, you’ll measure out the peaches. My recipe calls for frozen peaches, but you can use fresh or canned, too. Just make sure they’re sliced before you measure them out, as you want TWO cups total.
Add the peaches to the saucepan with water and sugar, and bring ’em to a boil, stirring occasionally.
The goal is to heat and cook until the peaches begin to break apart and break down.
When the peaches start falling apart, drizzle in the balsamic vinegar.
Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. This will ensure that the flavors really meld beautifully.
Serve warm over your favorite breakfast or over dessert.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips and Tricks
We love, love, love to host friends for brunch. Whether it’s a holiday-centric brunch or a regular ‘ol weekend one, it’s a good time had by all.
The best way to do brunch at home is have it be low stakes but to have a plan to execute it since brunch happens earlier in the day than a dinner party.
As someone who’s been known to scramble, I like to make things easy on myself, and to do this with brunch, I want to have a PLAN to stick to.
Here are some tricks for preparing for brunch with this compote:
- Make it in advance. The beauty in this compote is that it keeps in the fridge, so all you have to do when you’ve finished cooking it is to transfer it to a mason jar or another food-safe storage container. Let it cool, then transfer it to the fridge.
- If you’re hosting a lot of folks, double or triple the recipe. This compote is always a smash, so you’ll want to make sure to have enough.
- Reheat the compote in the microwave just before it’s time to eat.
- Give your brunch a theme! Since these peaches are summery and delicious, consider serving other summery foods to compliment the compote, like this Strawberry Melon Salad or Summer Fruit Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compote is generally made of fruit (fresh or frozen) and a little bit of sugar. We’re adding a little balsamic vinegar to this recipe, too.
The peaches are super sweet, as is the sugar. We need something to balance out the flavors a bit, which is why we’re using balsamic vinegar. This is the same theory you’d use for throwing a pinch of salt into a sweet dish.
Of course, you can! For the fresh peaches, slice them, then measure in two cups of the slices before following the same directions.
Measure out the sliced canned peaches the same way you would for the other two, and follow the instructions.
The peaches will cook for less time because they’re not frozen, but they’ll be equally as delicious.
Serve it atop homemade waffles or pancakes. Slather it over pork chops! Add it to a cocktail. Layer it inside homemade crepes.
Honestly, you can enjoy a compote any time of the day! This peach compote goes particularly well with breakfast items, like pancakes, waffles and even yogurt. It also pairs beautifully with dessert, like vanilla ice cream or even an icebox pie.
Quick Tips and Tricks for the BEST Homemade Peach Compote
- If you don’t have frozen peaches, you can use fresh or canned instead. If you’re using canned, make sure they’re no longer in the syrup because that will affect the texture.
- Don’t skip the balsamic vinegar. It really brings out the peachy flavors while balancing out the sweetness.
- Swap out the granulated sugar for brown sugar for a more molasses-y sweetness to this fresh fruit compote.
Love sauces and compotes? Check out these…
Now who’s ready for some Balsamic Peach Compote?
I am, I am!
Scroll on down to learn how to make this goodness…
Balsamic Peach Compote
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen peach slices
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
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Instructions
- Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Measure out the peaches, and add them to the saucepan. Add the water and sugar to the pan, too.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil, heating until the peaches start to break apart.
- When peaches begin breaking down into smaller pieces, add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm on top of French Toast, Waffles or Pancakes (or even DESSERT!), and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The photos and recipe for this Peach Compote were originally published on March 21, 2012. The photographs, along with the text of this blog post, were updated on June 27, 2017.
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Decadent breakfast eh? Book me a seat! This sounds divine. I love the photos – definitely plate-licking stuff 🙂
Thanks so much, Hester! I’m all for a decadent breakfast, too. It’s pretty much one of the BEST things about the weekends. 🙂
Wow damn that looks really good. Fresh, in season peaches are a favorite, I like this!
It really IS good! And I agree – you can’t beat a fresh peach!
i love the idea of that bit of balsamic, too. looks perfect for a weekend breakfast!
Thanks, Brandi! It really was a perfect thing for a lazy weekend breakfast. Thanks for stopping by!
Wanting a simple topping for a gift of “Mason Jar Pound Cake”, I googled ‘frozen fruit compote’.. That lead me to this page..
Simple, delicious recipe to top our slices of pound cake.. Used my raspberry balsamic for a bit of another flavor layer..
3 years after you posted this but as timely as can be…
I will be looking through your blog for other goodies…
Thank you…. :O)
Ross
Wanting a simple topping for a gift of “Mason Jar Pound Cake”, I googled ‘frozen fruit compote’.. That lead me to this page..
Simple, delicious recipe to top our slices of pound cake.. Used my raspberry balsamic for a bit of another flavor layer..
3 years after you posted this but as timely as can be…
I will be looking through your blog for other goodies…
Thank you…. :O)
Ross
So happy that this compote worked wonderfully for you and that it went well on your pound cake! Thanks for leaving this comment — it has made me smile today knowing this helped someone out very long after the post went live!
I would love to have this for breakfast!
I’ll just send some your way. 😉
WOWZA I need that balsamic peach compete in my life for ALL the things. I would love to try it on vanilla ice cream!
Seriously. It’s so good for SO many things. And I bet it would be ah-mazing on vanilla ice cream!
Ohmygosh Erin your photos are magnificent! I’m in awe of this gorgeous recipe!
Thank you so much, Jenn! I had a lot of fun shooting these photos… and then gobbling up the compote and pancakes! 😉
My grandmother used to make something very similar to this. Though she didn’t put it on pancakes. That is simply brilliant. I love peaches and can’t wait to try your version!!
I love that your grandmother made something similar to this! What would she use it on? We’re huge peach fans, too, so I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy ’em!
I am a total believer in a carb loaded weekend breakfast! Great family time! I want this compote on ice cream too!
The carb loaded weekend breakfast is the BEST! And I bet this compote would be brilliant on ice cream! I’m sad I haven’t tried that iteration yet. 😉
That looks positively mouth-watering, YUM!
Thank you so much, Kimberly!
HOLD THE PHONE. This compote looks totally drool worthy. I am all about making my French toast even more exciting. Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you, Madison! I hope that this compote does wonderful things to your French toast and elevates your breakfast/brunch plans even more! Can’t go wrong with peaches in the summertime.
There’s nothing better on a weekend morning than pancakes with a great compote. This peach one sounds awesome!
I am so glad it’s peach season because this looks delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Oh I would love to have this on top of some pancakes tomorrow morning for breakfast! Great post! 🙂
WOW, I am imagining so many uses for this stuff – I’m thinking peanut butter sandwiches, a sweet/savory shortcake, possibly even as a side with grilled chicken. Awesome!
My grandmother used to make something very similar to this. Though she didn’t put it on pancakes. That is simply brilliant. I love peaches and can’t wait to try your version!!
So good. I’ve been making this with peaches I’d frozen from tree to eat with yogurt and granola. Thanks for the recipe.
So good. I’ve been making this with peaches I’d frozen from tree to eat with yogurt and granola. Thanks for the recipe.
Dulce, this makes me SO happy to hear! I love that you’ve been making this compote from peaches you froze from the tree. 🙂 Also, I am insanely jealous that you’ve got a peach tree–that sounds like a dream.
Thanks so much for leaving this comment. I hope you continue to enjoy this compote through the summer, too!
If using fresh peaches, do they need to be peeled first?
Hi Letty! If you’re using fresh peaches, I suggest removing the peach peel. Since frozen peaches don’t include the peel, I’d keep ’em out of the compote, too.
I hope that helps! Thanks for asking–I’ll make a note in the post itself for others who might have the same question.
Recipe was top notch delicious! Made this for a chicken and waffle recipe I was trying out. My peaches were very tart so I had to add a bit of brown sugar to balance it. Threw in some whiskey for fun and had a delicious brunch!!!!
Oh, this makes me SO incredibly happy to hear, Ariel! I love that you paired this compote with a chicken and waffles recipe (YUM) and added some brown sugar for balance, as well as whiskey. (Whiskey and peaches is one of my favorite summertime combinations.) Cheers to an excellent brunch. Thanks so much for reporting back to let me know this worked for you–I really appreciate it!