Easy Pomegranate Compote

Make this tasty easy Pomegranate Compote recipe with only 3 ingredients in less than 10 minutes! It's the perfect way to level up your breakfast or dessert.

This pomegranate compote recipe is a quick and easy fruity sauce that you can whip up in less than 10 minutes with just 3 ingredients.

You can even use fresh or frozen pomegranate seeds.

We love the thick pomegranate sauce stirred into oatmeal, drizzled on plain yogurt, as a cake filling or dolloped onto waffles and pancakes.

To make pomegranate compote, simply mix together pomegranate, orange juice and sugar to cook up a tangy and sweet pomegranate sauce that will taste great on so many different foods!

Making compote is one of the easiest ways to add a sweet flavor to your food. I'm a HUGE compote fan and make it all the time with various fruits. Check out my list of the best compote recipes.

What is compote?

Compote is a mix of whole fruit pieces with juice that is sweetened up and cooked down to make it more spreadable without the use of any thickeners.

It's much quicker to make than jam and has less sugar. It doesn't last as long, but hey, it doesn't need to when you can whip up a batch in just a few minutes!

And trust me, when you see how easy and tasty it is you'll be making this pomegranate compote recipe a LOT. I know we do!

Compote made with pomegranate gives off a beautiful color and texture that is unique and flavorful and so easy to make.

It has a lovely texture from the seeds, as they swim in the tangy sweet sauce. Bliss.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

You can use a seasonal pomegranate that is a beautifully rich pink and red color.

Make it with fresh or frozen pomegranate seeds/arils.

This recipe only uses 3 ingredients that are simple and easy to find.

You can store this compote in the fridge or freeze it for up to 2 months. 

The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled or more to scale.

Pomegranate compote can be spread on top of many different breakfast items which makes it a great treat to bring to a breakfast or brunch gathering.

It's also great for dessert: try it on top of my Pomegranate Cake, poured onto vanilla ice cream or just eaten straight from the bowl.

You can customize the flavor by adding your favorite seasonings or fruit. A little ground cardamom will give it a Middle Eastern flair, while chopped fresh mint will freshen it up.

Remove the seeds of the pomegranate yourself or purchase frozen pomegranate seeds for easier handling and clean up!

Ingredients & Tools 

• Pomegranate Seeds - You’ll need to use pomegranate seeds to make this recipe. You could use fresh or purchase them frozen. 
• Orange Juice - Orange compliments the flavor of pomegranate well because it helps balance out the tart pomegranate. You can substitute lemon. The acidic citrus balances the fruit and sugar beautifully.
• Sugar - Sugar is needed to sweeten and thicken the compote. It works with any sugar or coconut sugar, though I usually just use granulated white sugar.

How to make Pomegranate Compote

Follow this step-by-step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.

Step 1: Add the pomegranate seeds, sugar and orange juice to a small pot.

Step 2: Turn the heat to medium-high and stir together. Bring to a rolling boil.

Step 3: Turn down the heat until the mixture is at a low boil for 5 minutes while continuing to stir.

Use immediately or let cool before adding to a bowl or jar and storing in the fridge.

How To Remove Seeds From A Pomegranate 

If using whole pomegranates, I find the easiest way is to remove the seeds in a bowl of water. Otherwise it can be messy and pomegranate juice can stain (as I’ve learned from experience).

1. Cut the crown out (the round bit that pokes out), the cut down into 4 or 8 wedges. 
2. In a bowl full of water, use your hands to gently pull the arils out of the wedges. 
3. Remove all the white pith and the arils should all sink to the bottom of the bowl. 
4. Discard the casing and pith.

Tips 

Make sure your jars are completely sterilized before adding in compote and sealing with a lid.

If you’re freezing the compote, use a freezer safe bag instead of a jar to allow room for it to expand while freezing.

It’s important that the compote comes to a boil completely to make sure the natural thickening agents in the fruit release to help turn it into a spreadable sauce once cooled.

If you want it extra thick, stir half a teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of water, then stir it into the compote and cook for a further minute. It should be thick enough without this stage though, and it thickens more as it cools.

Serving Suggestions

Serve on top of a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Use it to top a fluffy Vegan Waffles.

Serve in a dish on a charcuterie-style Pancake Board.

Dollop onto some of these Pancake Ideas.

Pairs well with these Blackberry Pancakes.

Top this Vietnamese Avocado Shake.

Spread on top of Cinnamon French Toast.

Dollop onto Vegan Cheesecake.

Variations

Add in some warming spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.

Brighten it up by adding in fresh lemon peel.

Turn up the antioxidants by adding blueberries, cranberries or blackberries.

Add a kick of spice by introducing some fresh ginger.

Give it a Middle Eastern flair with a little ground cardamom. 

Storage 

Storing: You can store pomegranate compote in sterilized jars in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: Pomegranate compote can be frozen if it’s stored in a freezer-safe bag with the air removed for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

FAQs 

What's the difference between jam and compote? Jam usually has a thickening agent such as pectin (whether added or naturally-occurring) to make it thicken and gel. A compote only uses the natural pectin of the fruit and also contains whole fruit pieces. Jam contains more sugar than compote and takes longer to make. Compote doesn't last as long as jam.

How do I thicken my compote if it’s not spreadable? You can add ½ teaspoon of cornstarch that is dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water to the mix to help thicken it up while it’s hot.

What fruit can replace pomegranate if I can’t find any? To get the most similar flavor from a fruit, use fresh whole cranberries in place of pomegranate in this recipe.

Compote Recipes

If you love this pomegranate compote, I hope you'll try these other tasty compote recipes too! They're all quick and easy with few ingredients.

Raspberry Compote
Plum Compote
Blueberry Compote
Blackberry Compote
Peach Compote
Apple Compote
Pineapple Compote
Mango Compote

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