How to make an easy rhubarb compote recipe

May is always the month of the year that I look forward to make lots of things with fresh rhubarb. It took a while for rhubarb season to arrive this year but it is finally here.

It’s the perfect timing to make this easy recipe for rhubarb compote. Delicious in a bowl of Greek yogurt in the morning, in your overnight oats but also wonderful in desserts or serve with vanilla ice cream or a little whipped cream. One of my favorite fruit compote recipes.

What is rhubarb compote?

Rhubarb compote is perhaps one of the most popular uses for rhubarb. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but this dish is sweet so the use is more like a fruit. It’s a delicious way to use an abundance of rhubarb and definitely my favorite way to use it.

To make compote, all you need is sugar, water, and chopped rhubarb, which you bring to a boil until the rhubarb falls apart. That’s your compote! It’s very easy to make and, most importantly, very tasty.

To make your own rhubarb compote

Don’t wait too long to make your rhubarb compote, because before you know it, this delicious vegetable will be out of season. You only need a few ingredients, which I will explain in more detail below.

• Rhubarb. For a sweet flavor and beautiful color, use red rhubarb stems. Green rhubarb stems are generally more acidic and just don’t look as pretty as the pink stalks in my opinion.
• Sugar. Rhubarb is a vegetable and has a sour taste, so a little white sugar is recommended for a tasty compote. When using green rhubarb stalks, the compote may need a different amount of sugar. You can also use maple syrup or honey if you prefer. If you don’t like a tart compote you can add more sugar. You can also use brown sugar but keep in mind that the color of the compote will change slightly.
• Vanilla. This makes everything taste better, including this compote. I use vanilla sugar, but you can use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
• Water. A little water is needed to bring the mixture to a boil, but be careful not to use too much. Otherwise, the compote will quickly become too thin. Replacing the water with orange juice is a great way to vary the flavor.

BAKING TIP: If you’re not going to use all of the compote, store it in sterilized Mason jars.

Once you’ve assembled all the ingredients you can cut the rhubarb into smaller pieces with a sharp knife and boil to the right consistency.

More Rhubarb Recipes

For a variation on this recipe, try the recipe for strawberry rhubarb compote.  Rhubarb Cake is also highly recommended and is especially delicious with a generous crumble topping. There are endless delicious recipes you can make with rhubarb:

• Rhubarb frangipane pie
• Rhubarb Crumble
• Strawberry rhubarb clafoutis

The difference between rhubarb puree, rhubarb compote and rhubarb jam

Rhubarb puree is similar to rhubarb compote. A compote often contains coarser pieces, while a puree tends to have a finer texture. The ingredients are almost identical.

However, jam is different because pectin and/or jam sugar are added. The gelling agent makes rhubarb jam nice and firm and easy to spread. In general, jams are also sweeter because more sugar is needed to make the jam last longer.