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easiest cherry compote

June 9, 2025 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

cherry compote in a pan

Maybe you just got back from cherry picking, or maybe you’ve got a bag of slightly freezer-burned cherries languishing in your freezer. Either way, this cherry compote recipe delivers. It’s super simple, made with just cherries and a bit of sugar, which allows the fruit to shine.

It brings the same dose of summer to your Sunday morning pancakes as it does to your Monday morning oatmeal. And it’s so easy to make. Skip to the recipe + video if you’re all set, or read on for a few useful tips and tricks.

cherry compote in a pan
chocolate mousse pots with cherry compote

Ways to use cherry compote

There are so many ways you can put this cherry compote to use. Here are a few ideas:

Zero-effort ideas:

  • Top store-bought chocolate mousse to make a Black-Forest-themed dessert.
  • Fold into whipped cream to make a cherry fool.
  • Spoon over rocky road ice cream.

Baking with cherry compote:

  • Bake a cheesecake and top with cherry compote before serving (my cookbook, Piecemeal, has a recipe for chèvre cheesecake with these cherries and it’s the GOAT… no pun intended).
  • Bake into a cheese babka (Piecemeal also has a recipe for that).
  • Fill a Victoria sponge cake with this compote instead of strawberries and jam.
  • Fill a batch of choux buns with whipped cream and compote.
  • For a twist on strawberry shortcakes, replace the berries with cherry compote.

Cherry-topped breakfasts:

  • Top a bowl of oatmeal.
  • Serve with yogurt and sliced almonds.
  • Top crêpes, waffles, pancakes, or a Dutch baby.

Savory applications:

  • Add a little balsamic vinegar to taste and serve with seared duck breast.
  • Add to a ricotta crostini with thyme.
  • Layer with tomatoes and mozzarella in a caprese salad.
cheesecake with cherry compote
cherry babka

A few recipe notes:

If you want to double it:

If you double this recipe without using a wider pan, it will take longer to reduce down and the cherries will soften more. To prevent this, you can use two pans or a much wider pan in addition to doubling it.

If you want to freeze it:

Make sure you store it in containers small enough that you’ll only have to thaw as much as you need at a time. For instance, if you’re going to use it for 2 oatmeal servings at a time, freeze in 2-serving containers, and then thaw a container overnight in the fridge so it’s ready for oatmeal the next morning.

If you want to reduce the sugar:

You can reduce the sugar to your own personal preference. But keep in mind that it will keep for less time in the fridge if you use less sugar and/or if you reduce it down less. The sugar has a preservative effect, but it also affects the texture of the syrup around the cherries. So if you plan to use it in a recipe where the texture matters (e.g., baked into a babka), I don’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar. If, however, you plan to use it as a topping for something like oatmeal or yogurt, you can reduce the sugar to taste.

Step-by-step photos

1. Place the water in a medium or large saucepan and add the cherries.

2. Add the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat without stirring. They will start out somewhat dry.

3. The cherries are done when their liquid has become syrupy and reduced down by about half.

4. Pour into a jar and cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then move to the fridge or freezer.

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easiest cherry compote

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  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 1⅓ cups [350 g]

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 4½ cups [575 g *or* 1¼ lb] pitted cherries
  • ¼ cup [50 g] sugar

Instructions

  1. Place the water in a medium or large saucepan and add the cherries and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat without stirring.
  2. Once audibly simmering, give it a stir and let it gently boil uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes while stirring occasionally (gradually lower the heat so it doesn’t rapidly boil). The cherries are done when their liquid has become syrupy and reduced down by about half (they will start out somewhat dry, but will give off a lot of liquid in the first 5 to 10 minutes).
  3. Pour into a jar and cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then move to the fridge or freezer.

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Notes

Frozen vs. fresh: You can use frozen cherries instead of fresh, especially if it’s not summertime. Frozen cherries are less dense than fresh, so use 5¼ cups frozen [still 575 g].

Doubling: You can double this recipe, but be sure to use a wider pan (otherwise it will take much longer and your cherries will end up much softer).

Storage: Cherry compote freezes wonderfully for at least 3 months—store in containers small enough to use up at once after thawing. As long as you reduce it down sufficiently (and don’t cut back on the sugar), it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.

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Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

If you like this recipe as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

The cookbook also has recipes for cherry cheese babka, cherry chèvre cheesecake, and Black Forest mousse. And all three recipes use this cherry compote as their base!

Filed Under: breakfast, dairy free, every recipe, gluten free, sweets, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: cherries, summer

chicken kebabs (easy and flexible)

May 18, 2025 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

chicken kebabs on a blue gingham tablecloth

This is the most flexible recipe for chicken kebabs you’ll ever find. Make it your own with whatever you’ve got on hand:

  • Use breasts or thighs
  • Use a grill or oven (or even a fire pit!)
  • Let it marinate or skip right to cooking with 0 wait time
  • Use any spices
  • Make it dairy free

In this post, I’m going to walk through each of these customizations, or you can jump to the recipe.

chicken kebabs on a blue gingham tablecloth

How to keep your chicken kebabs juicy (no matter the cut or cooking method)

This recipe for chicken kebabs is super forgiving, and that’s because of the important first step: salting the chicken. Salting it right at the beginning is the key to juicy chicken, whether you’re using breast meat, thigh meat, and whether you’ve got a super hot gas grill or a pretty ho-hum oven broiler. You can even roast them over an open fire.

This salting step is technically called “dry brining,” but it’s as simple as giving your chicken a moment to absorb some salt. With dry brining, even if you go a little bit above the ideal doneness temperature, or even if you don’t have a thermometer in the first place—there’s a lot more wiggle room.

Why you don’t need to let chicken kebabs marinate overnight

Let’s talk about one of the most overrated cooking techniques out there: marinating meat overnight.

Here’s the thing: soaking meat in a zippy marinade? It’s mostly just a surface-level improvement (literally!). Flavors in marinades don’t actually make it past the outer layer of meat. So while your chicken might smell incredible in the bowl, once it hits the grill, most of that marinade drips right off. Whatever’s left behind in the bowl? Lost forever.

That’s why I prefer a different approach. Rather than letting your kebabs sit around in a marinade that may never make it past the surface, go with a punchy, clingy coating—something that sticks around and builds flavor as it cooks.

It’s faster, tasty, and (best of all) it skips the overnight wait.

One caveat: Salt does make a difference, because it can actually chance the texture of the meat. But when your chicken pieces are small (like the ones in this recipe), they don’t need a whole night to get the benefits. Salt early in the cooking process, and you’ll get tender, juicy results without all the waiting around.

All that said, if you want to prep your kebabs the night before, go for it. There’s no harm in letting them rest in the fridge overnight. It just doesn’t need to take that long.

Other ingredient substitutions

You can use pretty much any warm spice blend you have on hand, and you don’t need to use yogurt. If you’re fully omitting the yogurt, you’ll need to scale back on the lemon to make sure the spices don’t get washed away. Add just enough lemon to make a thick paste with the spices.

Step-by-step chicken kebab instructions

Cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch [4 cm] cubes and place in a medium mixing bowl.

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1 1/4 tsp [7 g] salt.*** Let it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding. Salting it first will help it stay juicy. If you plan to cook them right away, preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting or your grill to medium-high (brush your grill grates with a thin layer of oil first).

Top the chicken with the yogurt, paprika, spice blend, garlic, and lemon zest and juice. Mix together until coated evenly.

Skewer the chicken, alternating each piece of chicken with a piece of onion. If you’re making them ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight and preheat your broiler or grill the next day. If you’re making them now, proceed.

For grilling: Place on the grill, cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes for breasts (15-18 minutes for thighs), flipping once halfway through. They’re ready to flip once the first side is caramelized and a little charred. If they caramelize too quickly, turn the heat down.

For broiling: Place on a aluminum foil-lined aluminum sheet pan. Place under your oven’s broiler and cook for about 10-17 minutes for breasts (15-20 minutes for thighs), flipping once halfway through. If they caramelize too quickly, turn the heat down.

The chicken is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F [74°C] for breasts, 185°F [85°C] for thighs.

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chicken kebabs (easy and flexible)

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Ingredients

  • 2.5 lb [1.1 kg] boneless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenderloins
  • Salt
  • 1/3 cup [80g] Greek yogurt*
  • 2 Tbsp [12g] sweet paprika
  • 2 tsp [4g] baharat, garam masala, or other spice blend**
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • The zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 red onion, diced very coarsely (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch [4 cm] cubes and place in a medium mixing bowl. Coat the chicken evenly with 1 1/4 tsp [7 g] salt.*** Let it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding. Salting it first will help it stay juicy.
  2. If you plan to cook them right away, preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting or your grill to medium-high (brush your grill grates with a thin layer of oil first).
  3. Top the chicken with the yogurt, paprika, spice blend, garlic, and lemon zest and juice. Mix together until coated evenly.
  4. Skewer the chicken, alternating each piece of chicken with a piece of onion.
  5. If you’re making them ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight and preheat your broiler or grill the next day. If you’re making them now, proceed.
  6. For grilling: Place on the grill, cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes for breasts (15-18 minutes for thighs), flipping once halfway through. They’re ready to flip once the first side is caramelized and a little charred. If they caramelize too quickly, turn the heat down.
    For broiling: Place on a aluminum foil-lined aluminum sheet pan. Place under your oven’s broiler and cook for about 10-17 minutes for breasts (15-20 minutes for thighs), flipping once halfway through. If they caramelize too quickly, turn the heat down.
  7. The chicken is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F [74°C] for breasts, 185°F [85°C] for thighs.

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Notes

* Omit the yogurt if you want to make this dairy free (and add just enough lemon juice to make a paste with the spices that will cling to the chicken without washing off—you may need more or less than is listed in the recipe), or substitute a plain, unsweetened dairy free yogurt.

** You can use any savory spice blend. If you don’t have a spice blend on hand, you can use a combination of cumin, black pepper, and a tiny bit of cardamom or cinnamon.

*** If you need to cut back on salt for health or personal preference, feel free to. Salt helps chicken stay juicy, so you will need to be more careful not to overcook it if you use less.

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Filed Under: dairy free, dinner, every recipe, gluten free, lunch, main courses, weeknight Tagged With: baharat, chicken, garlic, grilling, lemon, middle eastern, yogurt

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Welcome! I’m Kathryn Pauline, cookbook author, recipe developer, and photographer.

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