Cranberry Grape Compote, the very same one I made on The Great American Recipe for PBS, is perfect for all your cranberry cravings!
Sweet or Spicy Cranberry Grape Compote – Your New Holiday Must-Have
Whether you’re setting the table for Thanksgiving, planning a cozy brunch, or dreaming up a show-stopping cheese board, this cranberry grape compote is the kind of recipe that steals the spotlight.
It’s sweet, slightly tart, and can be turned spicy with just one tiny twist, add a chili pepper and a squeeze of garlic. Simple, sophisticated, and utterly irresistible.
Cranberry Compote
Cranberry compote is slightly tart, a little sweet and can add all the beautiful spices to awake the tastebuds.
I make it with sour cranberries, sweet juicy red grapes, a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of bourbon and maple syrup or toss in a chili pepper for sweet or spicy.
Cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cloves or ginger, orange rinds or even orange blossom water, are my flavors of choice.
This compote is an easy mix to simmer, leave rustic so the cranberries remain visible, or puree into a smooth sauce.
It goes along side turkey dishes, on top of a baked brie, which would be perfect to serve with my Cranberry Yeast Bread.
Try adding a few chili peppers to Cranberry Grape Compote and baste a pork loin, chicken wings or a duck breast and roast!
Grape Compote
While most kids prefer a grape jelly, where they really don’t see the fruit they’re eating, us adults, with a more developed eye for gourmet food, love a rustic grape compote.
A rustic compote, regardless of the fruit, is one in which the fruit is simmered with a little sugar and other ingredients to release the natural juices of the fruit.
It is then thickened by simmering sugar with the fruit to form a kind of syrup.
I prefer to leave the fruit whole rather than puree it, unless I want to use it as a spread.
Grape compote is absolutely luscious atop a cheesecake, schmeared over toast, pancakes or muffins, a quick dessert served over ice cream and is a delight on a charcuterie board in a pretty little bowl.
But… The most whimsical use of this fabulous compote is on Chocolate Reindeer Antler Cheese Cake with Cranberry Compote!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Grape Compote I Made For PBS
Fresh cranberries offer a bold tartness, while juicy red grapes melt into the compote with natural sweetness.
Add a sprinkle of sugar, a splash of bourbon or maple syrup, and suddenly you’ve got a gourmet sauce that tastes like the holidays in a spoonful.
Want to make it savory? Toss in a sliced chili pepper or pinch of chili flakes, and watch it transform into a spicy fruit glaze brushed over a roast pork or duck.
When invited to cook for television’s PBS The Great American Recipe, what better recipe to showcase than one from North America’s very own cranberries.
What Makes This Recipe So Easy
What makes cranberry grape compote so easy, is that you simply toss the fruit in a saucepan with a little sugar, some spices. Less than thirty minutes, you have a finished compote, ready to serve.
Once the juices of the fruit become part of the liquid, the sugar is what helps to thicken the compote as it simmers, much like making a syrup.
Cranberry Grape Compote On PBS Cooking Competition
If you watched The Great American Recipe, on PBS, throughout the summer of 2022, you will know I prepared this compote (Episode 7), on the show.
The judges, particularly Graham Elliot, loved this recipe and said it was the best he’d ever tasted!
I put just one chili pepper in it to balance out the sweet, and a splash of bourbon to deepen the flavor.
Honestly, this is the best cranberry sauce rendition you will have anywhere, and I’m not even a Michelin Star Chef… yet!
Spicy Fruit Compote
This luscious sweet fruit compote can be easily turned into a spicy compote simply by tossing in a few fresh chili peppers or dried chili flakes, some coarse salt, a few sprigs of herbs and wow, you’ve got a great savory sauce!
Spread this spicy compote over your ‘leftover’ turkey sandwich and you’ve got yourself anything but leftovers!
Rub a pork loin, duck breast, or chicken wings with the spicy compote and you’ve got yourself a beautiful glaze to roast these meats with.
Ingredients Needed To Make Cranberry Grape Compote?
To make the sweet version of the compote, you will use these ingredients, but if your preference is the spicy version you will just use less sugar, since the grapes are plenty sweet enough, and toss in a few extra ingredients.
- Fresh Cranberries – Naturally tart and vibrant, cranberries are the backbone of this compote. As they heat, they burst open, releasing pectin that naturally thickens the sauce without needing gelatin or cornstarch. Their jewel-toned color also gives the compote its gorgeous ruby hue.
- Red Grapes – Sweet, juicy, and floral, red grapes soften as they simmer and lend a mellow sweetness that balances the cranberries’ sharpness. They create a lush, syrupy texture and keep the compote from becoming overly tart.
- Sugar – A small amount of sugar helps draw out the juices from the fruit and enhances natural sweetness. It also caramelizes slightly as it simmers, giving the compote body and a glossy finish.
- Bourbon (Optional but Wow-Worthy) – Bourbon adds rich vanilla, oak, and caramel notes. As the alcohol evaporates, you’re left with a subtle warmth and depth that transforms this simple compote into something gourmet and holiday-worthy.
- Orange zest – Orange rinds bring brightness and citrus oils that lift the flavor of the compote. They provide the perfect contrast to the darker notes of cranberries and bourbon, fresh, fragrant, and slightly bitter in the best way.
- Garlic (savory version) – A surprising but beautiful addition, garlic brings a soft, savory backbone to the compote when used sparingly. As it cooks, it mellows into a sweet, roasted flavor that compliments the fruit instead of competing with it.
- Salt – Even in sweet recipes, a pinch of salt is essential. It heightens the sweetness of the fruit, balances acidity from the cranberries, and rounds out all the flavors so nothing tastes flat.
- Rosemary – Earthy and aromatic, rosemary gives the compote a woodsy, Mediterranean note. It pairs beautifully with roasted meats and adds sophistication to savory applications like glazed pork, duck, or leftover turkey sandwiches.
- Star Anise or Cloves – Star anise has a warm, licorice-like flavor that compliments both sweet and savory versions. One pod is enough to add subtle spice and depth without overpowering the fruit.
- Chili pepper – This is where the compote turns bold. Fresh or dried chili adds just the right amount of heat to counter the sweetness. It creates a sweet-spicy glaze that works like magic on roast chicken, pork loin, duck breast, or even atop a grilled cheese.
The rest is easy, just simmer, cool and transfer to a jar!
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan with a lid, to simmer the ingredients until the cranberries are the desired softness.
- Stainless tea ball – a wonderful aid to infuse whole spices and easy to remove without having to fish around in the sauce for them.
- Slotted metal spoon – a stainless steel is most versatile for straining, is heat-resistant and dishwasher safe.
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons for more precise measuring, especially the first time making this, and then later you can simply eyeball the amounts you prefer more or less of.
- Mason jar with lid is the best way to store this cranberry compote in the fridge or even pop into the freezer if you choose to make a larger batch and use at a later time.
- Stovetop or single burner (perfect for when the stovetop is full), to simmer ingredients.
Storing Cranberry Grape Compote
When making a compote from fresh fruit, remember it is fresh fruit and can last up to two weeks in an air tight container in the fridge, or can be frozen in airtight containers.
My preference is… no, let me rephrase that, my kitchen equipment addiction is to own lots and lots of glass jars, of all sizes and shapes.
Canning glass jars are so affordable and come in so many sizes, but I’ve been known to scrub the label off many a cute glass jar from something I’ve bought in the grocery store and reuse the jar for recipes such as this.
A Useful Tip For Storage Jar Lids
If you noticed my Rudolph Antler Cheesecake Cranberry dessert above, you will notice the small individual size.
As much as I love canning glass jars, I too now use their lids for all my ‘portion’ size baking. Mini tart pans that are wonderfully affordable and reusable!
A Delicious Finish To Any Meal
Whether you spoon it over a creamy baked brie, tuck it into a turkey sandwich, or brush it onto roast pork with a little heat from chili and garlic, this cranberry grape compote has a way of turning simple dishes into something unforgettable.
It’s rustic, elegant, and endlessly versatile, just the kind of recipe that belongs in every holiday kitchen.
So the next time cranberries and grapes make their way into your shopping basket, remember how quickly they can become this vibrant, jewel-toned compote. Sweet or spicy, smooth or rustic, it’s a recipe that invites you to make it your own.
If you make it, I’d love to hear how you served it, on a cheese board, roasted over duck, or eaten warm straight from the spoon (no judgment here!). Don’t forget to share, pin, and save it for your next gathering.
Happy cooking, and may your table always be full of color, flavor, and good company.
Cranberry Grape Compote
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Tea Steeper ball
- Blender optional, if a smooth consistency is desired
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Fresh Cranberries
- 1 cup Red Grapes
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 2 tbsp Maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Bourbon
- 1 tbsp Orange rind
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 1 Star Anise
- 3 Whole cloves
- 1 Garlic clove (spicy version) crushed
- 1 Fresh Chili pepper (spicy version) split
Instructions
- In a two-quart saucepan with a lid, on medium heat, place the berries, grapes, splash of water and sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Add the rosemary sprig, place the star anise and cloves in a tea steeper, along with orange rind, maple syrup, salt and bourbon and allow to simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let simmer another 5 minutes until the liquids begin to thicken.
- Remove the sprig of rosemary, orange rind and the whole spices in the tea steeper. Ready to use warm or when cool.
- For the spicy version, add the crushed garlic and split chili when adding the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chili pepper when the compote has thickened and discard.
Notes
- If a thicker sauce is required, half a teaspoon of cornstarch can be added when the compote is simmering.Â
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.