It's excellent that fresh cranberries are available everywhere around Christmas time. I find these tart berries—which are packed with vitamin C—delicious. A good cranberry compote is, of course, indispensable at Christmas dinner, but it is delicious all winter long.
No Christmas without cranberry compote
At our place, cranberry compote finds a place on our Christmas dinner table every year. The compote tastes great with many types of meat, especially game. A nice venison steak, for example. But make sure to save a portion for after dinner because cranberry compote is also delicious with a cheese plate. The compote goes exceptionally well with brie and with blue cheese.
Or how about a scoop of cranberry compote in your breakfast yogurt for breakfast? Or to top your pancakes? In short, you can go many ways with this delicious cranberry compote with cinnamon and orange!
PS: if you love fresh cranberries, also give this Christmas sheet cake with fresh cranberries a try!
Why you'll love this recipe:
Quick recipe - this cranberry compote is ready within just 20 minutes!
Make ahead recipe - you can whip up the the compote the day before your dinner party.
Serves a crowd - this recipe will serve 4 people but it's so easy to double or triple the quantities.
Cranberry compote ingredients
For this compote recipe, you need:
Cranberries: Choose fresh or frozen cranberries. Do not use dried cranberries; they are not suitable for making compote.
Sugar: Cranberries are very acidic; sugar is needed to counterbalance that. White granulated sugar works well in this recipe.
Orange: For a Christmassy cranberry compote, add orange. You use both the juice and the zest for this recipe, so preferably use organic oranges.
Cinnamon & thyme: for a delicious winter flavor, add a cinnamon stick & fresh thyme as seasonings.
Variation tips: Of course, you can experiment with seasonings. Use a vanilla pod instead of cinnamon. You can also replace the thyme with rosemary.
Storing and preparing compote
This compote is easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. You can also freeze the compote. It will keep for months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, cranberry compote can be frozen perfectly well. Put the compote in a tightly sealed container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the compote thaw slowly in the refrigerator before using it again.
Cranberry compote will keep for about a week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
You can replace the sugar with a natural sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, or stevia. Without sugar or sugar substitutes, the compote will be way too tart.
The recipe uses fresh or frozen cranberries. Dried cranberries contain more sugar and have a different texture, they are not suitable to make compote.
Cranberry compote
Equipment
- sauce pan
- fine grater
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen*)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 oranges (zest and juice)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar and orange zest to a medium saucepan.
- Squeeze the oranges and add the juice to the pan. Add the cinnamon stick and the thyme.
- Bring the mixture to a boil (stirring frequently) and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Let the cranberry compote cool, then remove the cinnamon stick.
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