Slim Down Lifestyle

Sadly, peach season is coming to an end here in the midwest where I live, but I wanted to sneak in this simple peach compote recipe before they are gone! I have been making it on repeat this summer and adding it to all of my favorite breakfast foods like yogurt, overnight oats, and waffles. The great thing about this simple peach compote is that it is so easy to whip up with just a few ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry: maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. 

What is Fruit Compote?

A compote is a mixture of fresh (or frozen) fruit, sugar, and spices simmered together to make tasty, chunky sauce. For this easy peach compote, I sautéed fresh peaches cut up into 1/2 inch pieces and sautéed in warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla). Rather than sugar, I used maple syrup since I love the way the flavor pairs with peaches. You can make a compote of pretty much any fruit  (apples are another favorite of mine!) and it is a great way to extend the shelf life of fruit that may getting too ripe. You can usually keep compote in the fridge for about a week; to store it longer, put it in the freezer and then thaw when ready to use. 

How to Choose the Best Peaches

First, shop for local peaches if you can! We buy ours at the farmers market from a Michigan-based organic farm and they are so good. Look for peaches without any soft spots from bruising. (If there are soft spots, just cut them out when making this compote.) A ripe peach should give a little when gently squeezed; an unripe peach will be firm. If you want your peaches to ripen faster, place in a brown paper bag, seal, and let sit on the counter a couple of days. Check daily to monitor their ripeness. Peaches are best stored on the counter rather than the refrigerator until they are ripe; once ripe, transfer to the refrigerator. Peaches will start to get wrinkly when they’ve ripened too far so be sure to eat them up before that happens!

How to Serve Peach Compote

Use this tasty peach compote on plain yogurt, chia pudding, overnight oats, hot oatmeal,  pancakes, waffles, and more! I like making a batch of this peach compote on the weekend so I have it on hand for adding to my breakfast in the morning during the week. My favorite way to enjoy it is over overnight oats. You can find my recipe for overnight oats in this post!