A delicious dessert doesn’t always have to be complicated, right?! When strawberries are widely available (and affordable) in the summer, a simple one Strawberry compote with vanilla sauce makes for a tasty, sweet treat. Perfect for hot summer days, but also great when it’s been raining for days on end. We love this simple dessert, the one that Grandma always enjoyed making and serving to us…
Strawberries are a summer highlight. The weather in our part of the world can be hit-or-miss. Sometimes there isn’t enough sun, sometimes it rains, and sometimes there’s too much sun. A bowl of fresh strawberries can sweeten a good day or brighten up a bad one. A delicious dessert can improve so many things and lighten the mood, right?!
Anyway, we love using strawberries in our baking and for desserts. You can do so much with these little red fellas. While we prefer using them fresh, they are also fantastic as a compote. And the best part? Once you’ve cooked up a batch of compote, you can use it in plenty of other recipes – assuming you don’t just want to simply spoon it straight out of the bowl…
Strawberry compote and other berry/fruit compotes are classic German desserts. We call this type of dessert “Compote” or “Grütze”. Various fruits and/or berries are cooked for some time, and the juices released during cooking time are thickened with a little cornstarch. Compotes are absolute classics in the dessert category, although perhaps not quite as popular as they used to be.
We still truly enjoy this “old-fashioned” type of dessert, though. It requires very little effort, and you can have something delicious on the table in no time. Plus, if you make a bit more than you need, you have a great ingredient ready for other recipes, as mentioned earlier. If you enjoy making tiramisu, for instance, you could incorporate leftover compote as a refreshing layer between the ladyfingers and the mascarpone cream. A great example of this is our Strawberry Matcha Tiramisu, although that fruity layer works just as well with a classic tiramisu (minus the Matcha)…
Well. As for the preparation, there isn’t much to add to the recipe below. Making a fruit compote is incredibly easy. You simply cook the berries briefly until they soften a bit. If any liquid is released during cooking, you can thicken it using cornstarch.
When making strawberry compote, you do need to add a little extra liquid. Although the berries contain plenty of water, they don’t release a lot of it. That’s why we simply mix the cornstarch with a bit of water and stir that into the cooked strawberries. Pureeing some of the berries also creates a pleasant consistency/texture.
The recipe also includes instructions for a homemade vanilla sauce, although that part is optional. The strawberry compote tastes fantastic with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top as well. If you still want the vanilla sauce but prefer to skip the extra work, you can always opt for a store-bought version, right? There’s a Danish product available in German supermarkets, for example, that works perfectly here…
If the pictures and everything else make you crave more strawberry desserts – no matter if strawberry compote or simply macerated strawberries are involved – check out some of our other ideas on the blog. Macerated strawberries or strawberry compote are essential for our Strawberries & Cream Layer Cake! So good! If you prefer something richer and creamier, you can pile plenty of strawberries onto our delicious San Sebastian Cheesecake. Definitely a recommendation.
INGREDIENTS / INGREDIENTS
(6 servings)
For the strawberry compote:
21 oz. (600g) fresh strawberries
2 tbsp. sugar (more if needed)
some lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1/2 cup (120ml) of water
2 tbsp. cornstarch*
For the vanilla sauce:
4 medium egg yolks
16.9 fl. oz. (500ml) milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch*
2-3 tbsp. sugar
1 whole vanilla bean pod (organic)*
some chopped/sliced nuts as decoration (optional)
(6 people)
For the strawberry jelly:
600g strawberries
2 tbsp sugar (more if necessary)
some lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla paste*
120ml water
2 tbsp cornstarch*
For the vanilla sauce:
4 egg yolks (M)
500ml milk
1 tbsp cornstarch*
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 organic vanilla bean*
some chopped/planed nuts for decoration (optional)
DIRECTIONS / PREPARATION
1. Wash and dry the strawberries for the compote, then cut them into small pieces. Set aside about half of them. Place the remaining strawberries in a small saucepan along with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla paste, and about half of the water. Mix the remaining water with the cornstarch.
2. Let the strawberries simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until they are very soft. If you’re in a hurry, you can purée the strawberries with an immersion blender* if they aren’t softening quickly enough. Once the berries are soft or pureed, add the cornstarch-water mixture to the saucepan and stir it in. Let everything cook/bubble until the compote has thickened nicely.
3. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes, then add the remaining chopped strawberries and stir them in. Let the compote cool completely before serving.
4. For the vanilla sauce, mix the egg yolks with about three tablespoons of the milk and the cornstarch until well combined and set aside.
5. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds to a small saucepan together with the remaining milk and the sugar. Heat up until the milk barely simmers, while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let the vanilla bean pod steep for about 15 minutes. Return the milk to the stove and heat it up until it starts to bubble. Add the egg yolk mixture and bring everything to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.
6. Serve the cooled strawberry compote with the vanilla sauce in dessert bowls and garnish with a few chopped/sliced nuts to your liking (optional).
1. Wash the strawberries for the groats, dry them and then cut them into small pieces. Set about half of it aside. Place the remaining strawberries in a small saucepan along with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla paste and about half of the water. Mix the remaining water with the starch.
2. Simmer the strawberries over medium heat for a few minutesuntil they are nice and soft. If you’re in a bit of a hurry, you can also puree the strawberries with a hand blender* if they don’t soften quickly enough. As soon as the berries are nice and soft or pureed, add the liquid with the starch to the pot and stir in – let everything simmer until the groats have thickened nicely.
3. Remove the groats from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the remaining, finely chopped strawberries and mix in. Allow the grits to cool completely before serving.
4. For the vanilla sauce, mix the egg yolks with about three tablespoons of the milk and starch until smooth and set aside.
5. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp. Put the pod and pulp in a small pot with the remaining milk and sugar and bring to the boil briefly while stirring – Remove from heat and let steep for about 15 minutes. Heat the milk again until bubbles form. Add the egg yolk mixture and bring to the boil again, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.
6. Serve the cooled strawberry jelly with vanilla sauce in dessert bowls and decorate with a few nuts if you like (optional).
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Description
We love this simple and easy dessert on a hot summer day: Strawberry Compote with Vanilla Sauce is an absolute family favorite for many years now…
For the strawberry compote:
21 oz. (600g) fresh strawberries
2 tbsp. sugar (more if needed)
some lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1/2 cup (120ml) of water
2 tbsp. cornstarch*
For the vanilla sauce:
4 medium egg yolks
16.9 fl. oz. (500ml) milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch*
2–3 tbsp. sugar
1 whole vanilla bean pod (organic)*
some chopped/sliced nuts as decoration (optional)
1. Wash and dry the strawberries for the compote, then cut them into small pieces. Set aside about half of them. Place the remaining strawberries in a small saucepan along with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla paste, and about half of the water. Mix the remaining water with the cornstarch.
2. Let the strawberries simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until they are very soft. If you’re in a hurry, you can purée the strawberries with an immersion blender* if they aren’t softening quickly enough. Once the berries are soft or pureed, add the cornstarch-water mixture to the saucepan and stir it in. Let everything cook/bubble until the compote has thickened nicely.
3. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes, then add the remaining chopped strawberries and stir them in. Let the compote cool completely before serving.
4. For the vanilla sauce, mix the egg yolks with about three tablespoons of the milk and the cornstarch until well combined and set aside.
5. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds to a small saucepan together with the remaining milk and the sugar. Heat up until the milk barely simmers, while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let the vanilla bean pod steep for about 15 minutes. Return the milk to the stove and heat it up until it starts to bubble. Add the egg yolk mixture and bring everything to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.
6. Serve the cooled strawberry compote with the vanilla sauce in dessert bowls and garnish with a few chopped/sliced nuts to your liking (optional).
Notes
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