Rhubarb compote is one of the most versatile stewed sauces you can easily make at home. With its tantalizing sweet-tart flavor, it's delicious as a standalone treat and perfect for jazzing up simple desserts or complementing various sweet and savory dishes.
Below, I walk you through my go-to recipe for stewed rhubarb sauce—made with simple, wholesome ingredients and customizable to your taste.
I grew up with rhubarb compote regularly appearing on our kitchen table during rhubarb season. It is one of my favorite healthy side dishes, and I use it on pretty much anything. Enjoy it as a light dessert, mixed with Greek yogurt, or on top of Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Drop Biscuits for breakfast.
Pair it with heartier fish or meat dishes, such as these Easy Beef Short Ribs, Instant Pot Beef Stew, or Cast-Iron Roast Chicken.
It's that versatile. Let's make it!
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Why You'll Love This Compote Recipe
- Simple: It's a great recipe for using either fresh stalks or frozen rhubarb and transforming it into one of my favorite compote recipes.
- Easy & quick: This stewed rhubarb sauce comes together over the stove with little effort.
- Healthy: You can make it with maple syrup, coconut sugar, less sugar content, or no sugar (Vegan, Paleo-friendly options).
- Adjustable: To change things up, add fresh fruit like strawberries (Rhubarb Strawberry Compote), apples (Rhubarb Apple Compote), pears (Rhubarb Pear Compote), apricots, cherries, fresh herbs, or spices, etc.
Ingredients & Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
This is what you need to make this easy rhubarb compote recipe.
- Rhubarb: You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb. There is no need to thaw the vegetable. It may take a few extra minutes to come to a boil, but it will have the same soft texture as using raw stalks. Extras can be used to make these Rhubarb Muffins or Rhubarb Smoothies.
- Butter: It adds a delicious richness and a lovely glossy softness to the rhubarb compote.
- Grapefruit Juice: You need some liquid to make stewed rhubarb sauce. Grapefruit juice is my top choice because it has an acidic flavor that complements rhubarb, but orange juice also works as an alternative.
- Sweetener of choice: To balance the tart flavors of rhubarb, add a small amount of sweetener based on taste. Maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, Stevia powder, or Monk fruit sweetener (sugar-free) are great options. You control the amount of sugar in this rhubarb compote recipe.
Note: Use coconut oil if you wish to keep it dairy-free, Paleo, and vegan-friendly.
How To Make It
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
The following step-by-step instructions outline how to prepare a simple rhubarb compote.
Step One (Picture 1 above) - Peel and chop rhubarb into small pieces.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Melt butter or coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add rhubarb, sweetener of choice, and grapefruit juice.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer for a few minutes, allowing the rhubarb to break down.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Maintain a gentle simmer over low heat until the rhubarb has almost completely broken down.
Helpful Tips
- Using Fresh Rhubarb Stalks? Cut off their thick ends and always discard their leaves—only the stalks are edible.
- If the Skin is Tough: Peel it off using a sharp paring knife—I always do. Simply slip the knife under the skin at the end of a rhubarb stalk and pull it off in strings.
- Adding Herbs or Spices? Bring the rhubarb mixture to a boil before adding it.
- For a Chunky Compote Texture: Reduce the simmer time to 15 to 20 minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
- Adjust The Sweetness: Start with a small amount and gradually increase it until you reach your desired level. You might prefer a less sweet compote or one that's more tart.
- The Compote Becomes Thicker: Compote thickens once cooled and refrigerated.
Flavor Variations
Pairing rhubarb with different fruits and herbs creates unique flavors. Here are a few lovely suggestions for making it more of a fruit sauce.
- Combine with Strawberries: These red fruits are a great match for rhubarb, and everyone loves strawberry rhubarb compote. For more complexity, add torn mint or chocolate mint (optional).
- Combine with Apples: Pair rhubarb with sweet apples for an aromatic rhubarb apple sauce. It's a beautiful classic blend. You can also add warm cinnamon. The apples are naturally sweet, so the sauce might need less sweetener.
- Combine with Pears: Pears' sweet and vinous character complements rhubarb's tartness, while cloves and maple syrup add warmth and richness to this fruity rhubarb-pear sauce.
- Combine with Sweet Apricots: They have floral notes with a silky, almost creamy texture that goes well with rhubarb and rosemary.
- Combine with Cherries: Mint, basil, Thyme, or rosemary work beautifully in a rhubarb cherry compote, which can be made similar to my strawberry rhubarb sauce.
Note: Spices such as cloves and fresh herbs like Rosemary or mint subtly enhance the flavors of rhubarb. Each chosen fruit adds its unique qualities to the rhubarb compote.
Add Some Complexity
- Add a touch of warm brandy, rum, or semi-sweet wine to the rhubarb sauce. It's a delicious way to add a lovely, complex flavor.
- Or try a liqueur such as Cointreau, as in this Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe for a rhubarb-apricot sauce.
- Other options: Vanilla extract, fresh ginger for a rhubarb ginger compote, lemon zest and lemon juice, orange zest and orange juice, and cinnamon stick are all good additions to make your rhubarb compote in various ways. Experiment with what you have on hand and love.
How To Use Rhubarb Compote
Here are a few of my favorite suggestions and different ways to use (leftover) rhubarb compote:
- Spoon some over a slice of Lupin Bread, overnight oats, or Peanut Butter Cottage Cheese Toast.
- Serve with Oat Flour Pancakes, Healthy Waffles, or Orange Loaf Cake.
- Top it over vanilla ice cream or Blender Nice Cream.
- Swirl over Chia Seed Pudding or plain yogurt, topped with Nut-Free Granola.
- Serve rhubarb compote as a side on breakfast and brunch tables.
- Add it as a table spread with cheese and crackers or as part of a grazing board.
- Mash into cooked or baked potatoes and veggies. My favorite!
- Layer it on desserts like this Almond Flour Chocolate Cake or No-Bake Cheesecake.
- Its sweet and tarty flavors pair well with savory dishes like Turkey Burgers on The Stove, Juicy Beef Burgers, or Bison Meatballs, to name a few.
Recipe FAQs
I received a lot of questions about Rhubarb Compote, and I've answered them all here.
Compote is a sauce mostly made with a simple fruit(s), either fresh or frozen, cooked briefly in some juice on the stove until it obtains a thicker or spreadable texture.
Herbs, spices, and sweeteners can be added to enhance the fruit or vegetable flavors. Unlike jam, compote has a soft, slightly runny texture and is not intended for canning.
Depending on your preference, you can make a compote chunky or silkier in texture.
Mid-spring or early summer is the prime season for these fleshy, reddish stalks to show up in local grocery stores or farmers' markets.
That's when field-grown rhubarb hits the market.
Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find Greenhouse-grown Rhubarb anywhere from late winter to early spring, depending on your location.
The watery, crispy vegetable stalks have a robust, tart taste and are very stringy.
Its flavor is heavenly when balanced with the right amount of sweetness.
Although you don't have to, I always lightly peel them and remove the tougher strings before using them to make the compote.
Although it is meant to be consumed relatively soon after making it, it will keep up to two weeks in the fridge.
Yes, you can.
You can make a big batch and freeze it in smaller portions to enjoy long after the rhubarb season (up to 6 months).
I like to store them in jars with a lid or an airtight container, leaving half an inch of headspace. If you plan to freeze them, use freezer jars.
Allow the compote to cool first and settle into the jar before screwing on the lid or closing the container. Then refrigerate.
Yes. Add sweet, fresh fruits and grapefruit or orange juice to add natural sweetness.
A tad of Monkfruit sweetener or Stevia also does an excellent job of getting the bitterness out of rhubarb.
More Fruity Side Dishes To Try Next
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📖 Recipe
How To Make A Simple Rhubarb Compote
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 Wooden Spoon to stir
- 1 knife and a cutting board
- Glass jars for storage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons real butter or coconut butter/oil to keep it dairy-free
- 2 pounds unpeeled rhubarb (920 grams) (or about 810 grams peeled and cubed rhubarb)
- ½ cup Maple syrup (170 ml) See note below on sweetener for more options
- 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about ¼ liter) juice of two large grapefruits—see note
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium heat.3 tablespoons real butter or coconut butter/oil
- Add the rhubarb and coat with your choice of sweetener (maple syrup, coconut sugar, Stevia, or monk fruit sweetener). Stir in the grapefruit juice.2 pounds unpeeled rhubarb (920 grams), ½ cup Maple syrup (170 ml), 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about ¼ liter)
- Change the heat to medium-high, cover the pan, and let the rhubarb mixture come to a boil. As soon as the liquid has come to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
- Cook for about 5 minutes to allow the rhubarb to break down, stirring occasionally. While stirring, break down the bigger pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Taste and add more sweetener if you prefer a sweeter rhubarb compote.
- Then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 25 to 30 minutes, pot half-covered, or until the rhubarb has nearly broken down. Stir occasionally.
- Enjoy immediately or allow to cool slightly before storing the compote in tightly sealed jars.
- Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Notes
- *Rhubarb: Use about 4 to 5 large stalks to yield 5 cups of lightly peeled and coarsely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (or about 610 grams).
- Use sweetener of choice: Use ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup coconut or brown sugar, or ¼ to ½ cup Monk fruit sweetener or Stevia to taste for no-sugar options. Adjust the sweetness to your liking—start with a small amount and gradually increase until you reach your preferred level. You may not need the full amount if you prefer a less sweet compote. Note: When using non-liquid sweeteners, you may need less simmer time, or the compote may turn out a tad thicker if cooked for the same length of time as with liquid sweeteners.
- If you like a more chunky compote texture, reduce the simmer time to only 15 to 20 minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
- For a thicker consistency, use less water or liquid.
- Grapefruit juice alternative: Try 1 cup of fresh orange juice instead, or a combo of orange and lemon juice.
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Carol says
Made the stewed rhubarb (rhubarb compote for my French husband) with apples and my husband, who grew up savoring compote, really enjoyed it. Thank you!
Mariska Ramondino says
Thank you, Carol! This makes me happy, and thank you for the star rating. It's so appreciated,