Easy Apple Compote Recipe (Czech jablečný kompot)

In my grandma's kitchen, a big pot of apple compote used to stand at the edge of the old stove, with a ladle inside, and anyone who walked by could scoop a bowlful. That is jablečný kompot - apple compote the Czech way, and it still tastes like a treat from someone who loves you.

What is apple compote? It is a simple Czech dessert of peeled apple wedges gently stewed in water with sugar, cinnamon, whole cloves, and lemon. Unlike applesauce, the apples keep their shape, and Czechs drink the spiced cooking liquid straight from the bowl.

The recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and apart from the apples, everything comes from the pantry: a little sugar, ground cinnamon, a few cloves, a slice of lemon, and water. If you have never stewed fruit before, this is the place to start. I make it every fall, and I serve it warm, lukewarm, or cold - whichever way the pot happens to offer it.

Jump to

• ➜ Why this recipe works
• ➜ The story behind Czech apple compote
• Czech pronunciation
• ➜ Ingredients you will need
• ➜ How to make apple compote
• ➜ Variations
• ➜ How to serve Czech apple compote
• ➜ How to store apple compote
• ➜ FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

➜ Why this recipe works

• Sugar and spices go into the pot right at the start. They cook into the apple wedges as the water heats, so the fruit itself tastes spiced and sweet instead of bland.
• The amount of water is your flavor dial. My family covered the apples fully, which gives you plenty of spiced liquid to drink with the compote. Less water makes a smaller, more intense compote.
• Whole cloves give the compote its signature taste. My grandma left them floating in the pot, and nobody minded. Just know that a clove turns bitter if you bite into one, so if you are serving children, fish the cloves out first.

"Just made this compote from bunch of old unhappy apples. My daughter loved it! Instant hit! Thank you!"

Lili

If apples keep landing in your kitchen every fall, try my Czech apple bread pudding (žemlovka) next. For a showstopper on the coffee table, there is my apple strudel with puff pastry. Or skip the oven altogether and make my no-bake apple jelly cake, a favorite fall dessert of mine.

➜ The story behind Czech apple compote

I learned this compote from my grandma Blažena, who lived on a small farm in northern Bohemia. The garden was full of old apple trees, and every fall they were heavy with fruit. Grandma picked the apples herself, or she sent us grandchildren out to do it. Then she peeled them, cut out the cores, and stewed the wedges in water with spices. The peeling was not optional: the compote was her treat for us kids, and the skins of those old varieties could be tough.

My husband's grandmother Anna made her own version. She was a German-speaking Czech, and she stewed the apples in much less water, with the same spices, so her compote came out smaller and more intense. She called it Äpfelpappe, from German. Both grandmothers started from the same few things: apples, a little sugar, and warm spices.

➜ Ingredients you will need

✅ See the recipe below with step-by-step photos and many helpful tips. Scroll down for the full printable recipe in both US cups and metric measurements.

• Apples, any variety works, and a mix of varieties tastes best. A few tart apples give the compote a livelier flavor. In the US, Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp are good choices because they hold their shape when stewed.
• Granulated sugar, sweetens the apples and the spiced cooking liquid.
• Ground cinnamon, the form Czech kitchens have always used. A cinnamon stick works too if you prefer to lift the spice out later.
• Whole cloves, the spice that makes the compote taste the Czech way.
• Lemon, a few slices brighten the sweet cooking liquid. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice works instead.
• Water, the apples stew in it and soak up the spices.

➜ How to make apple compote

STEP 1: Peel and cut the apples. Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler and cut them in half. Cut out the cores with a small knife. Then slice each half into wedges of roughly the same size, so they all cook at the same speed.

STEP 2: Put everything into the pot at once. Place the apple wedges in a medium saucepan and pour in enough water to cover them. This is how my grandma made it, and it gives you plenty of the spiced liquid that Czechs drink with the compote.

If you prefer a smaller, more intense compote, add just enough water to barely cover the apples, and stir more often while they cook. The water should stay above the apples the whole time.

Either way, add the sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and lemon slices right at the start, so the spices cook into the fruit.

STEP 3: Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat down low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the apples simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. The compote is done when a knife tip slides into a wedge easily, but the wedge still holds its shape.

STEP 4: Let it rest, then serve. Serve the compote with a good ladle of the spiced cooking liquid. If children are at the table, remove the cloves first.

➜ Variations

• Star anise, add one whole star along with the cloves for an even deeper aroma.
• Honey or maple syrup instead of sugar, not traditional in the Czech Republic, but both work well if you want to skip refined sugar. Stir the honey in at the end of cooking rather than the start, so it keeps more of its flavor.

➜ How to serve Czech apple compote

Serve the compote in small bowls with a generous ladle of the spiced liquid. It tastes wonderful warm, straight from the pot, but lukewarm and cold have their fans too. In the Czech Republic, compote is a snack or a light dessert rather than part of a meal, and children love it most of all.

And do not pour the cooking liquid away. Sweet, lemony, and full of spice, it is the best part of the bowl. Dobrou chuť!

➜ How to store apple compote

Let the compote cool to room temperature first. Then transfer it, along with the liquid, into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for 4 to 5 days.

➜ FAQ

📖 Recipe