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Rhubarb Orange Compote

May 4, 2016 By justalittlebitofbacon 14 Comments

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Need a quick, super tasty, and not too sweet dessert sauce? Well, then rhubarb orange compote is a great sauce to make and have with your ice cream, or your pancakes, or maybe your strawberry scones! And it’s even vegan, gluten-free, and moderately healthy. (It is mostly fruit after all.)

Rhubarb Orange Compote - Don't know what to do with rhubarb? Try this quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe. Spoon it over ice cream and cake and it's awesome on pancakes! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Hello, all!

Making Rhubarb Compote

Seeing long, red stalks of rhubarb at the market (or in a rhubarb patch if I’m lucky) gives me a mighty need for rhubarb orange compote!

This is by far the easiest rhubarb recipe I make, and one that anyone who has no clue about cooking with rhubarb should try. Ever looked at rhubarb in the store and wondered what the heck to do with that? This is what you can do with it! And it’s a much lower bar than making a whole pie or cake.

And then once you’re more confident in your rhubarb cooking skills, you can try my Rhubarb Coffee Cake as well. šŸ™‚

How much sugar to add?

Most recipes I’ve seen for rhubarb compote call for a lot more sugar than this recipe, but I really enjoy the tartness of rhubarb and don’t want to cover it up too much. No sugar and it’s like eating plain cranberries. Way too tart most of the time! The only times I’ve eaten plain cranberries is in salads which had other sweet ingredients, so still sugar, just not directly on the cranberries. Rhubarb is the same way.

You will need some sugar to balance it out and get to the sweet-tart happy middle which your taste buds will love. However, if you really keep your sugar intake very low, I’d suggest adding less, or even just seeing if the natural sugar that’s in the orange juice is enough to start, and then increasing the sugar to your taste.

Rhubarb Orange Compote - Don't know what to do with rhubarb? Try this quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe. Spoon it over ice cream and cake and it's awesome on pancakes! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Ideas on Variations

While I love this recipe exactly as is, you might want to try other ideas, such as:

  • Add some other spices, such as cloves or allspice. They work well in desserts and complement the cinnamon.
  • Or spiking the compote with a little orange liqueur, like Cointreau or Triple Sec, can be a fun addition for the adults in the family. šŸ™‚ A scoop of vanilla ice cream and some spiked rhubarb orange compote? Now, that’s dessert!

Rhubarb Orange Compote - Don't know what to do with rhubarb? Try this quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe. Spoon it over ice cream and cake and it's awesome on pancakes! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

More Delicious Fruit Sauces for Desserts

  • Fresh Blueberry Sauce
  • Fresh Strawberry Sauce with Black Pepper (try it! it’s amazing)
  • Cinnamon Spiced Blood Orange Compote   

If you try my recipe for Rhubarb Orange Compote, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails or liking my Facebook or Pinterest (see the form and icons in the sidebar or below the recipe card)

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Rhubarb Orange Compote - Don't know what to do with rhubarb? Try this quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe. Spoon it over ice cream and cake and it's awesome on pancakes! | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Rhubarb Orange Compote

Don't know what to do with rhubarb? Try this quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe. Spoon it over ice cream and cake and it's awesome on pancakes!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rhubarb compote, rhubarb sauce
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 600kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (1 1/2 lb) chopped rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes.
  • Serve warm or cold. This will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Vanilla: For a more intense vanilla flavor use 1/2 a vanilla bean in the recipe.
  • Choosing Rhubarb: Thin, red stalks of rhubarb have a sweeter and more delicate flavor and are worth seeking out. However, I enjoy the compote with thick stalks as well.

Related Posts:

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    Baked Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal
  • Ingredient Spotlight: Rhubarb - With its deep, red stalks and intensely sour and puckery flavor, rhubarb is great in desserts as well as in stews and savory sauces. If all you know is strawberry rhubarb pie, you'll be impressed by rhubarb's versatility. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
    Ingredient Spotlight: Cooking with Rhubarb
  • Easy to make, this homemade rhubarb syrup has so many uses! Rhubarb simple syrup can be poured over pancakes, made into cocktails and drinks, served over ice cream, added to pound cake, and more. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #rhubarb #springrecipes #dessertrecipes #syrup #simplesyrup
    Homemade Rhubarb Simple Syrup
  • It's easy to make fresh and homemade blueberry sauce! A few minutes of cooking and you'll be spooning this fruit compote over pound cake, cheesecake, pancakes, ice cream, and more. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #blueberries #fruitsauce #berries #cheesecake #pancakes
    Blueberry Sauce - Fresh and Homemade
  • Strawberry sauce with a twist! Fresh strawberries are simmered in wine and spiced with black pepper for an intense and complex flavor. Great on shortcake, cheesecake, ice cream, pancakes, waffles and more! | justalittlebitofbacon.com
    Fresh Strawberry Sauce with Black Pepper and Cabernet
  • Ruby red and cinnamon spiced, this blood orange compote is a beautiful and intensely flavored sauce perfect for spooning over creamy mascarpone mousse. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
    Cinnamon Spiced Blood Orange Compote with Mascarpone Mousse
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Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, 15 minutes or less, 5 ingredients or less, desserts, fruit desserts, gluten free, recipe, spring, summer, sweet treats, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: oranges, rhubarb

« Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Olives and Pine Nuts
Ingredient Spotlight: Cooking with Rhubarb »

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Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

  1. Noel says

    May 6, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    I love this combination! Usually people pair rhubarb with strawberries – and I love that. But sometimes I’m looking for something new and refreshing.

    Yummed and pinned.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 7, 2018 at 11:34 am

      It’s good to mix it up sometimes!

      Reply
  2. Mary Frances says

    June 1, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! The sweetness of the vanilla ice cream and the tartness of the rhubarb orange compote makes a nice combination.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      June 3, 2017 at 7:31 am

      Thanks! Yes, I love the sweet-tart combo you get from the compote and ice cream. That’s why I like making the recipe a bit on the tart side. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Nancy says

    May 22, 2016 at 4:11 am

    5 stars
    I just found rhubarb after commenting on your Rhubarb Coffee Cake that I couldn’t get it here šŸ™‚ So happy. This is so nice on my yoghurt in the mornings.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 22, 2016 at 10:36 pm

      Yay for finding rhubarb! I’m glad you enjoy the compote. šŸ™‚ And, if you have more rhubarb than you can use at once, it does freeze well.

      Reply
  4. Tamara says

    May 21, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    Compotes are a favorite in my kitchen… I did a nectarine and blackberry compote for pecan waffles just this morning. I love rhubarb, and live in a part of the country (south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley) with every imaginable citrus fruit. I think I need to make this one!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 22, 2016 at 10:33 pm

      Nectarine and blackberry sounds awesome. I’ll have to keep that combo in mind once we get to nectarine season up here! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Charla says

    May 21, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    I’m going to whip up a batch of this. I have so much rhubarb in the house it’s unreal.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 22, 2016 at 10:21 pm

      I always have so much this time of year too. It’s a good thing it freezes well. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Donna says

    May 21, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    Oh yum, I love this twist on the traditional strawberry and rhubarb combo – sounds delicious! And homemade preserves are the tastiest šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 22, 2016 at 10:21 pm

      Thanks! I love looking beyond strawberries for rhubarb.

      Reply
  7. Erin says

    May 10, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    I’m definitely gonna make a batch of this the next time I make some homemade waffles! I love rhubarb but haven’t combined it with orange yet…

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 15, 2016 at 7:44 pm

      Most people combine it with strawberries. Which is a great combo, but I like to mix it up. šŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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