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a close up of thick and glossy red cherry compote cooking in a skillet

summer cherry compote recipe

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Sweet summer cherries are sprinkled with sugar, dashed with cinnamon, and slowly simmered with a squeeze of lemon in this fresh cherry compote recipe. The result: a glassy red sauce studded with plump n’ juicy whole cherries!

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound fresh cherries
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. Pluck the stems from and pit the fresh cherries. I do not have a cherry pitter tool (I know!!) so I use a combo of a chopstick and sandwich pick to accomplish this task, by inserting the pointy end of either tool through the stem end of the cherry, and popping it out the other side. If using something sharp (I’m looking at you sandwich pick) watch your fingies! a pan with pitted cherries is next to a plate with a few whole cherries. there is also a small bowl containing cherry pits and stems, as well as the tools used to pit the cherries.
  2. In a saucepan or wide skillet over medium heat, combine the pitted cherries, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon, salt, and ¼ cup water. a mixture of fresh cherries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, and water in a wide skillet with a gray nonstick coating.
  3. Cook, stirring often for about 15-20 minutes, until the cherries have softened and released some of their juices. Not sure what science is taking place here but the mixture always gets all foamy as it cooks! As the mixture cooks, it will get thicker and more concentrated, so you may have to reduce the heat and keep a close eye on it to avoid sticking.the cherry mixture being cooked in the skillet. the cherry juices are producing foamy bubbles as the cook and steam is rising from the pan.
  4. Stir in the bourbon and cook for 2 more minutes, just to cook the alcohol off. the bourbon has been cooked into the cherry mixture, leaving a deeply colored and lightly thickened cherry mixture.
  5. Make the cornstarch + water slurry in a small bowl, stirring it well so that the cornstarch dissolves completely. Stir about half of the slurry into the cherry mixture and continue cooking over medium heat, for about 2-3 minutes until thick and smooth. Check the consistency of the sauce; if you want it to be thicker, add in the remaining cornstarch slurry. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue thickening a bit as it cools too! 
    white colored cornstarch slurry is added to the pan with the cherry mixture, contrasting against the red coloring of the sauce.
  6. Remove your cherry compote from the heat and set it aside, letting it cool for about 5 minutes to finish thickening. Serve warm or chilled, however you like! 
    the finished cherry compote in the skillet, bearing a deep red color, glossy texture, and thick consistency.

Notes

  • When pitting cherries, try your best to keep most of them whole. It takes a little patience, but the pits will pop out the other side, I promise! Don’t worry if a few of them crack or smush, they’ll help make the sauce nice and juicy. 
  • The amount of cornstarch slurry you need to use will depend on the amount of naturally occurring pectin in your cherries, which can vary across crops, seasons, and levels of ripeness. My cherries thickened up a fair bit on their own, so half of the cornstarch mixture was perfect for my batch. It’s also a little bit up to your personal tastes too! I like my compote on the thinner side so it can be dripped and drizzled as opposed to thick and gloppy like a cherry pie filling (mmm that sure sounds like a recipe for another day though…) but if you want it more thick and jammy, you do you!  
  • If at any point your cherry compote seems like it is getting TOO thick, simply add a splash of water. If it becomes too wet, just cook it for a few extra minutes to evaporate excess water. Nice and forgiving 🙂 
  • Author: kelly@crescentmoonkitchen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: sauce
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: american

Find it online: https://crescentmoonkitchen.com/summer-cherry-compote-recipe/