A seasonal Mandarin Compote with a hint of cinnamon you can spoon over most breakfast food for a citrusy start to the morning. Or if you’re craving something sweet, spoon it over some vanilla ice cream for a fast and elegant dessert!
Your French toast, pancakes, waffles and granola bowls will thank you for making this Mandarin Compote.
I first made this using the abundant supply of mandarins my sister was giving me every time she saw me, and compotes are an excellent way of using up seasonal fruit. You can also halve or triple this Mandarin Compote recipe as needed.
Why you’ll Love this Mandarin Compote Recipe
Quick. Ready in as little as 15 minutes, this Mandarin Compote comes together quickly.
- Fruity flavour. The mandarin’s citrus flavour is really enhanced by the cinnamon and concentrated by using citrus juice instead of water.
- No extra steps. Compotes aren’t meant for long-term storage, so there’s no need to steralise jars for canning and preserving.
- Versatile. This Mandarin Compote is just as comfortable on top of breakfast foods as it is dolloped over desserts like ice cream, madeira cake and cheesecake.
Cook with me
What is Compote?
Also known as stewed fruit or refrigerator jam, fruit compotes are a cooked, chunky fruit sauce. They’re made by mixing fruit, sugar or honey, and some lemon juice or water over heat until the fruit starts to break down and the liquid is syrupy.
Compotes differ from jam in their texture and longevity. As they contain no added pectin and only a few tablespoons of sugar, compotes are tinner and runnier than jams. They also keep in the fridge for only a week or so, as they’re not designed for preserving and storing but for eating quickly.
Mandarin Compote Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delightfully citrusy and syrupy recipe:
- Fresh citrus juice. I’ve used blood orange juice because I had them on hand and wanted a different flavour than just mandarin, but you can also use orange juice or mandarin juice. Tangelos and tangerines might be too tart. Definitely don’t use lemon or lime for this particular compote though as the citrus juice becomes a thick syrup with no added water.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar helps not only sweeten the tart citrus but gives it a bit of dimension as well. It also helps the citrus juice turn into a syrup. Start with one tablespoon and taste before adding the second.
- Cinnamon. A warming, flavourful spice so only a little is needed. Pairs really well citrus and stops a sweet dish like this from becoming one note.
- Mandarins. The star of the show! Any mandarins will do but I was lucky to be using small, tart, homegrown ones. You want to peel and segment then mandarins, and then spend a few moments to try and really get rid of all the pith or albedo from each piece, as it can be bitter.
Find the exact quantities in the recipe card below.
How to Make this Mandarin Compote Recipe
Honestly, you can eat this Mandarin Compote straight from the pot with a spoon. Or you could add it to most breakfast food, to give a bright, citrusy lift to your granola bowl, waffles, pancakes and French toast. It would also be a lovely addition to a cheese board, in place of or in addition to some quince paste. Or just spoon it over ice cream and call it dessert!
Here’s the quick rundown on how to make the recipe:
- Juice the citrus.
- Add the sugar and cinnamon.
- Bring it to the boil.
- Add mandarin segments.
- Simmer until fruit start to collapse and liquid becomes syrupy.
That’s it!
Love citrus fruit? Try these recipes too:
- Fig and Blood Orange Salad
- Orange and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
- Blood Orange and Cardamom Vinaigrette
- Mandarin and Chickpea Salad with Halloumi
- Pomelo and Salmon Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- Chocolate and Blood Orange Cupcakes
Have you made this Mandarin Compote yet? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know. What did you spoon the compote over? Or take a pic and tag me over on Instagram, I love seeing what you guys are making from the blog!
Mandarin Compote
Ingredients
- ½ cup blood orange juice, orange juice or mandarin juice
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar, depending on the tartness of the citrus used
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 mandarins
Instructions
- Juice your citrus until you have ½ cup of fresh juice. I used blood oranges because they’re in season, I had them on hand, and it’s cheaper and has less waist that juicing a mandarin. Orange juice and mandarin juice would work just as well though, so use what you have or can get.½ cup blood orange juice
- Pour the juice into a small saucepan. Taste the juice and add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar if it’s tart, and 1 tablespoon sugar if the juice is sweet. Add the cinnamon and stir over high heat until the liquid starts to boil.1-2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Let the juice simmer for 5 minutes as you peel, segment the mandarins, and remove as much of the pith as possible (the pith could make the compote bitter). Lower the heat to medium and add the mandarin segments to the juice and stir to coat. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the mandarin segments start to collapse but keep their shape.4 mandarins
- Pour the mandarin compote and any juices (the syrup will thicken even more once cooled) into a jar or ramekin and serve, warm or cold, over French toast, granola and yogurt, toast, madeira cake, or a cheese board.
- You can store the Mandarin Compote tightly sealed in the fridge for 4-5 days.
