Homemade Apple Cranberry Compote is a showstopper for the holidays, but it's easy and delicious enough to be enjoyed year-round. Fresh cranberries and apple are simmered together to create a sweet, tart, and vibrant fruit sauce. With only 6 ingredients and 20 minute cook time, it couldn't be any easier!
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🫙 What Is Compote?
Compote, chutney, jam, jelly... what's the difference between all these fruit sauces? Luckily it isn't too complicated! It mostly depends on the resulting texture of the sauce.
Jam is probably the most familiar of the bunch. When fruit and sugar is cooked down and thickened to a spreadable consistency, it becomes jam. When all the seeds and fruit pulp are then removed, jam becomes jelly. Pectin, a thickening component that's naturally found in fruit, can be added which results in a firmer texture. Chutney, on the other hand, is usually made with fruit, spices, and vinegar. It's usually made with less sugar and common for savory applications.
And finally, you get compote when whole pieces of fruit and sugar are cooked down. It's not as spreadable as jam and has more texture and chew. As someone who's Team Texture, compote is my absolute favorite!
🍎 The Best Apple Cranberry Sauce
This tasty Apple Cranberry Compote has all the best elements of a traditional holiday cranberry sauce. It's sweet and tangy, which helps to balance all the rich and heavy dishes on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's also vibrant, bright, and festive for the holiday table.
But the softened apples give the cranberry sauce wonderful texture and flavor. Both apples and cranberries are seasonal in the fall and winter, so they naturally belong together. The pinch of cinnamon also makes the fruit compote extra cozy, fragrant, and warming.
Apple Cranberry Compote is a must for my holiday menus, but I love stocking up on cranberries in my freezer so I can make this year-round! It's great on top of ice cream and yogurt, or spread onto toast, pancakes, and waffles. You'll always want to have a stash ready to enjoy in the refrigerator for your family!
Why You'll Love It
- Quick and easy: This Apple Cranberry Compote only requires 6 easy-to-find ingredients, 20 minutes, and one pot. It's very simple and fuss-free!
- Great for holidays: Cranberry sauce is a must for Thanksgiving and Christmas! This version adds a fun, seasonal twist without straying too far from the traditional. It's also all made on the stovetop, which saves your oven for dishes like Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing or Butternut Squash and Mushroom Empanadas.
- Can be made in advance: Save time during the busy holiday season by making Apple Cranberry Compote early. It stores very well and tastes just as delicious a few days later.
🧂 Ingredients
- Apple juice: You need liquid to dissolve the sugar, so why not reinforce the apple flavor with juice. You can use either apple juice or cider (which is unfiltered juice).
- White and brown sugar: I like to use a combination of both sugars for more flavor. But use all white or all brown sugar if preferred.
- Cinnamon: Makes the compote extra festive and cozy. Besides, apple and cinnamon belong together!
- Fresh cranberries: I highly recommend fresh cranberries for the best texture. They're very, very tart, which is tamed with the sugar but the tart and tangy flavor is still prominent.
- Apple: I recommend using a sweet, crunchy apple that will hold its shape well. There are so many apple varieties but my favorite is the versatile Fuji apple. Honeycrisp, Envy, or Gala apples would also be great in this Apple Cranberry Compote. For a softer texture, try McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious apple.
Substitutions & Variations
- Replace both the white and brown sugar with ¾ cup maple syrup for a natural sweetener.
- Use one cinnamon stick in place of the ground cinnamon. Remember to remove it before serving.
- If using frozen cranberries instead of fresh, you will not need to thaw it beforehand. Increase the cooking time as there will be more water.
- If you're not a fan of the diced apple, try grating it instead. You can also use applesauce in its place for a jam-like cranberry and apple sauce.
- Try adding different fruits into this compote. Orange, pineapple, or raspberry would be fun and interesting additions.
- Herbs and spices are essential for holiday recipes! Spice this compote up by adding in ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, or vanilla extract.
- For more texture, mix in chopped Orange Candied Almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
👩🏻🍳 How To Make Apple Cranberry Compote
⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see full ingredient amounts and instructions.
STEP ONE: First, prep your ingredients. Luckily, there's minimal prep involved - just dice your apples to bite-sized pieces.
STEP TWO: Then, add apple juice, white sugar, and brown sugar to a small pot. Bring to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent the sugar from burning. It should take about 8-10 minutes to come up to temperature.
STEP THREE: Add the fresh cranberries, diced apple pieces, and cinnamon. Stir together and let return to a boil.
Around the 4-5 minutes mark, you'll start to hear a popping sound as the cranberries burst. Adjust the heat so it's constantly at a gentle boil and stir often.
After 8-10 minutes, the compote will appear thicker and gel-like. If you'd like a smoother cranberry sauce, use your wooden spoon to smash any cranberries that haven't popped yet. Then let cool and serve at room temperature, or set in the refrigerator to serve chilled.
How To Enjoy Cranberry Apple Compote
- Stuff it into Air Fryer Cheese Quesadilla for a sweet and savory meal.
- This fruit sauce is great for breakfast! Serve it on top of waffles, pancakes, yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, or chia seed pudding. Or simply spread it on toast with nut butter.
- For an easy appetizer, spread the compote onto crackers with a slice of Brie or goat cheese. Top with fresh herbs for an elegant garnish. Apple Cranberry Compote would also work great as a dip or spread on a charcuterie board.
- Mix it into California Chicken Salad and make a sandwich, wrap, or healthy salad.
- Spoon Cranberry and Apple Compote on top of ice cream for an easy dessert. Or serve with Apple Chai Bars for a double-apple treat.
- Prepare a perfect Thanksgiving feast by serving this alongside turkey, roasted vegetables, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls.
🥡 Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store cooled Apple Cranberry Compote in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing: Let cool completely, then transfer to a zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible. Freeze for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating: You can serve this compote chilled, straight from the refrigerator. If you want it a little warmer, let it sit out at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
Make Ahead: I highly recommend making Apple Cranberry Compote in advance! Making it the day before will guarantee freshness and proper gel-like consistency, but you can make it up to 1 week in advance.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Cranberries are full of pectin, a natural gelling agent in the fruit. All you have to do is boil the cranberries long enough (about 10 minutes) for it to be released and for any excess water to evaporate. As it cools, it will also continue to gel up.
Cranberry "sauce" is a vague term, but it usually refers to a jam-like consistency that's thick and spreadable. This is achieved by boiling the fruit and sugar until it becomes a jammy consistency from the released pectin. On the other hand, cranberry relish is made from raw, chopped up ingredients.
Either one is great! But in my opinion, it has the best texture when it's chilled or at room temperature.
🍽 Looking For More Holiday Dishes?
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📋 Recipe
Apple Cranberry Compote
Ingredients
- ¾ cup apple juice
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar tightly packed
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 oz fresh cranberries about 4 cups
- 1 apple peeled and diced into ½" cubes; about 1½ cups (see notes)
Instructions
- Add apple juice, white sugar, and brown sugar to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugars and prevent it from burning on the bottom. It should take about 10 minutes to come to a boil.
- Add the cranberries, cubed apple, and cinnamon. Return to a boil, then turn down the heat to a constant simmer. Let cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Option to leave some cranberries whole or pop it by smashing it against the wall of your pot.
- Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. It will continue to thicken. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
- Apple: I recommend using a sweet, crunchy apple that will hold its shape well. There are so many apple varieties but my favorite is the versatile Fuji apple. Honeycrisp, Envy, or Gala apples would also be great in this Apple Cranberry Compote. For a softer texture, try McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious apple.
- I highly recommend making Apple Cranberry Compote in advance! Making it the day before will guarantee freshness and proper gel-like consistency, but you can make it up to 1 week in advance.
- Substitutions:
- Replace both the white and brown sugar with ¾ cup maple syrup for a natural sweetener.
- Use one cinnamon stick in place of the ground cinnamon. Remember to remove it before serving.
- If using frozen cranberries instead of fresh, you will not need to thaw it beforehand. Increase the cooking time as there will be more water.
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