Slow Cooker Autumn Fruit Compote

I made a big batch of fruit compote in the slow cooker recently and it was one of those things that started with me wanting to use up a couple of bits and ended with me rummaging through the kitchen looking for anything else I could chuck in.

I had some plums and apples that I wanted to use up and my original plan was just to make a simple apple and plum compote to have with yoghurt and porridge. I spotted a pack of blueberries that needed using too and remembered I still had the last of the blackberries I’d picked, so they went in as well.

A rummage through the cupboard turned up a random tin of pears that’s been in there forever, and as I wanted to bulk the compote out a bit, I drained those and added them to the slow cooker.

And that’s how my simple apple and plum compote became a giant slow cooker full of autumn fruit. 😂

I added some fresh ginger, cinnamon and vanilla and, after it had been cooking for a while, the whole kitchen smelled like Christmas. It smelled absolutely amazing and very autumnal, which feels just about right now we’re into October.

The best thing about making fruit compote like this is that you really don’t need to follow an exact recipe. Mine was based entirely around what I already had in the house and what needed using up, so think of the quantities below as a guide rather than something you need to follow exactly.

What I used

4–5 plums
2 apples
1 pack of blueberries
A handful of blackberries
1 tin of pears, drained
1–2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
A squeeze of lemon juice

I didn’t add any sugar because there was already plenty of sweetness from the fruit, particularly the tinned pears. You can always taste yours when it’s cooked and decide then if you think it needs anything.

How to make slow cooker fruit compote

I started by coring the apples and chopping them into small chunks. I left the skins on because I couldn’t see any reason to peel them, but you absolutely can if you’d prefer to.

I stoned and chopped the plums before adding them to the slow cooker with the apples, blueberries and the last of my picked blackberries. The drained pears went in next, followed by the grated fresh ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and just a tablespoon of water.

You really don’t need much added liquid because the fruit releases loads of juice as it cooks. Depending on the fruit you use, you’ll probably end up with more liquid than you expect rather than not enough.

Give everything a stir, put the lid on and cook on HIGH for around 1½–2 hours or on LOW for around 4–5 hours.

Once the fruit is completely soft, give everything another good stir. If you like a chunky compote, you can pretty much leave it as it is. If you’d rather it was smoother, just squash some of the larger pieces of fruit against the side of the slow cooker with a wooden spoon.

If your compote is a little more liquid than you’d like, take the lid off and leave it cooking on HIGH for another 20–30 minutes so some of the liquid can evaporate.

I’d taste it before adding any extra sweetness. Apples, blueberries and tinned pears are already pretty sweet, so when they’re mixed with the slightly sharper plums and blackberries you might find that the balance is just right without adding anything else.

Use whatever fruit you have

This is definitely more of an idea than an exact recipe. If you’ve got three apples rather than two, use three. If there are a couple of pears going soft in the fruit bowl, chuck those in instead of tinned pears. Frozen berries would work just as well as fresh ones, and you could use raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or a mixture.

It’s also a great way of rescuing fruit that’s reached that stage where nobody in the house is particularly interested in eating it anymore but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

And don’t overlook the random tins sitting at the back of the cupboard either. My tin of pears had been ignored for ages and was perfect for bulking this batch out without me having to buy anything else.

It’s basically a fridge, freezer and cupboard clear-out disguised as a recipe. 😉

What can you do with fruit compote?

My main reason for making this was breakfast. I love yoghurt and fruit, and as the mornings get colder I’ll be having more porridge, so having a tub of this ready in the fridge makes both a bit more interesting. I can spoon it cold over yoghurt, warm a couple of spoonfuls through with porridge or add it to overnight oats.

It would be lovely with pancakes too, or warmed up and served with ice cream, custard or rice pudding for a really easy pudding.

You could also turn it into a fruit crumble with hardly any extra effort. Just spoon some of the compote into an ovenproof dish, add your favourite crumble topping and bake it until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling underneath. Because the fruit is already cooked, you’re really only waiting for the crumble topping to cook.

I think it would work really well as the fruit layer in a breakfast parfait too, layered up with yoghurt and maybe some granola. You could spoon it over French toast, use it as a topping for cheesecake or even swirl some through plain yoghurt before freezing it into yoghurt lollies.

If you have puff pastry in the fridge or freezer, you could use the compote to make some very easy fruit turnovers, although I’d drain off any excess liquid first so you don’t end up with soggy pastry.

That’s what I like most about making a big batch like this. It’s not just a tub of fruit that I need to somehow get through before it goes off. I can use it for breakfast most days and, if we’re getting towards the end of the batch, turn whatever’s left into a crumble for pudding.

It makes the whole thing feel much more useful than the slightly random collection of fruit I started with.

Storing your homemade fruit compote

Once the compote has cooled completely, transfer it to a covered container and keep it in the fridge. I’d aim to use it within four or five days.

If you’ve made a massive batch like I did and know you won’t get through it all, you can freeze some. I’d freeze it in smaller portions so you can just take out enough for a couple of breakfasts at a time rather than defrosting the whole lot.

This is exactly the sort of cooking I love at this time of year. I started with some fruit that needed using, added the last of the blackberries I’d picked and finally found a purpose for that forgotten tin of pears in the cupboard.

A few hours later I had a big batch of compote ready for breakfasts and the whole house smelled like Christmas.

Not bad for what was basically a kitchen clear-out.

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