Pineapple Compote is our favourite quick and easy dessert to make when a craving for tropical fruit hits.

Fresh pineapple chunks are stewed and poached in a skillet on the stove then flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, rum, sherry and Grand Marnier.

Serve this homemade spiced Pineapple Compote recipe on French Toast, pancakes, ice cream, or yogurt. You can prepare it as a chunky topping or smooth sauce.

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Homemade Pineapple Compote Ingredients

My family loves making this easy pineapple compote recipe whenever we’re craving a tropical paradise beach vacation to Hawaii.

Butter: a small amount of butter is used in this recipe to give the compote syrup and sauce a velvety and creamy texture.
Brown Sugar: adds additional sweetness and the flavour of molasses to the stewed pineapple.
Cloves & Cinnamon: flavours the compote with warming spices.
Rum: we like to use a white rum like Bacardi Superior.
Dry Sherry: our favourite fortified wine.
Grand Marnier: an orange flavoured brandy liqueur.

Pineapple: we always use fresh pineapple in this recipe. Cut the pieces into thumb-sized chunks.

Homemade Pineapple Compote recipe ingredients.

What Is Poached, Stewed & Compote Fruit?

So what’s the difference between poached, stewed and compote fruit?

Fruit Compote is the name of a particular dish, while poaching and stewing are terms used to describe the desserts required cooking method.

Fruit Compote: compote or compôte is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit cooked in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. It can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Poaching: poaching fruit by simmering it in a flavoured syrup deepens its flavour, softens its flesh, and gives it a shiny, almost translucent appearance. The sugar in a poaching syrup penetrates the fruit and keeps it firm during and after cooking.
Stewing: is similar to poaching in that it is defined as, “boiling slowly or with simmering heat.” You can use the terms stewed fruit and poached fruit interchangeably.

What Is The Difference Between Compote and Jam?

Compote and jam are two different products made from similar ingredients.

Compotes have bigger pieces of fruit in them, and smaller berries can and be kept whole, whereas jam has smaller pieces of fruit, sometimes even pureed. Compotes are not canned and have less sugar than jam.

What Is The Difference Between Coulis and Compote?

A coulis is smooth fruit puree that is sometimes strained, while a compote is usually pieces of fruit in a sugary syrup like sauce.

How Do You Thicken Compote?

A cornstarch slurry is a quick and easy way to thicken a compote. Add the slurry to the compote along with the other ingredients before cooking. This will allow to the slurry to slowly thicken the compote as it cooks.

Stewed pineapple are cooked in a skillet with spices like cinnamon.

History Of Fruit Compote

Compote conformed to the medieval belief that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the effects of humidity on the body. The name is derived from the Latin word compositus, meaning mixture.

In late medieval England it was served at the beginning of the last course of a feast, often accompanied by a creamy potage. During the Renaissance, it was served chilled at the end of dinner.

Because it was easy to prepare, made from inexpensive ingredients and contained no dairy products, compote became a staple of Jewish households throughout Europe. In modern French, the term refers to usually unsweetened fruit purée without fruit chunks, such as applesauce.

Today, it is widespread and often served in lieu of vegetables in Northern European countries such as Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, in Scandinavia and France.

Dried fruit is often used for compote by cultures from Eastern Europe, and its syrup is also drunk as a beverage. Both are called kompot.

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Stew Pineapple Compote until the fruit is fork tender and the syrup has thickened.

Pineapple Compote Cooking Tips

We like to make this recipe whenever we find fresh pineapple on sale at the grocery store.
In a pinch you can use frozen pineapple to make compote. Do not use canned fruit.
Instead of brown sugar, try using white sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave or honey.
Taste your compote before removing it from the stove. Gradually add more sugar to taste.
Pineapple compote will thicken more as it cools.
Don’t overcook stewed or poached pineapple or you’ll produce a thick jam.

Spiced Pineapple Compote Recipe Photo Image.

Pineapple Compote Serving Suggestions

You can serve homemade fruit compote warm, at room temperature or chilled.

You can enjoy it all on its own served in a small bowl with a spoon.

Since our recipe is boozy, you can use the syrup and stewed pineapple as a sweetener and flavour when making craft cocktails.

At brunch serve compote with French Toast, Pancakes, Waffles, yogurt parfait, oatmeal or in a healthy smoothie.

For dessert we love serving the syrup sauce and tender fruit with ice cream, cakes, pudding or in a milkshake.

You can also serve the syrupy fruit over a cheesecake.

Pineapple Compote is the perfect healthy dessert for lovers of tropical fruit.

Variations & Special Diets

My family likes to make a chunky stewed pineapple compote so we typically cook the fruit until fork tender.

The longer you stew or poach the pineapple in syrup the more they will break down. The texture of the pineapple is a preference and totally up to you. If you want the compote to have more of a thinned sauce consistency cook the ingredients for a few more minutes over the stove.

You can add stewed fruit to a blender to create a smooth sauce for sundaes or breakfast bowls.

Have fun with your spirit collection by making substitutions based on what’s available on your bar cart. You can substitue dry sherry for other fortified wines like marsala or sweet red vermouth. You can substitute Grand Marnier for Amaretto Disaronno.

Add apple cider vinegar for a tangy and sweet-tart edge.

Add lime juice to tone down the sweetness of the pineapple.

If you want to make a kid-friendly non-alcoholic pineapple compote substitute the Grand Marnier, rum and dry sherry with pineapple juice or water. You will likely need to add additional sweetener so taste while you’re cooking.

Want to make vegan pineapple compote instead of this vegetarian recipe? Simply swap the butter for your favourite vegetable oil like canola or rapeseed.

Our Stewed Pineapple recipe is flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, rum, sherry and Grand Marnier.

Storing Pineapple Compote

This pineapple compote is so delicious your family will likely finish eating it all in a day or two!

If you’re planning on double or tripling the recipe, store leftovers in a large jar at the back of your fridge for up to a week.

Compote can also be frozen and enjoyed once thawed.

You can not can or preserve pineapple compote and store it long term like you would a jam.

We love serving Pineapple Compote with ice cream.

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How To Make Homemade Stewed Pineapple Compote

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