Red berry compote made with the Thermomix® takes 20 minutes and makes 4 servings (about 900 g, 180 kcal per serving). 400 g mixed berries plus 200 g sour cherries plus 250 g cherry nectar with 30 g cornflour. The trick for the right texture: 300 g of the berries are set aside and folded in at the end, so the finished compote contains not just smooth sauce but also whole pieces of berry.
We make this compote as a northern German summer dessert when the berries are in season (June to August). Classically served with vanilla sauce or whipping cream, and in Hamburg traditionally with buttermilk. Compared to ready-made versions (Onken, Schwartau at 2 to 3 euros per pot), the homemade version costs around 4 euros for the whole bowl (4 servings), making it cheaper per serving.
Red Berry Compote with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 6 ✓
- 400 g mixed berries e.g. strawberries, red and blackcurrants, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries
- 200 g sour cherries
- 250 g cherry nectar
- 50 g sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 30 g cornflour
Instructions 0 / 5
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1
Prepare the berries.
Sort the berries, remove the stalks and place 200 g of them into the mixing bowl.
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2
Prepare the cherries.
Wash the cherries, pat dry, remove the stalks, stone them and place 100 g of them into the mixing bowl.
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3
Cook all ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the berries and cherries set aside, into the mixing bowl, chop for 12 sec / speed 9 and cook for 9 min / 100°C / speed 3.
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4
Mix berries and compote.
Add the berries and cherries set aside into the mixing bowl and mix for 20 sec / reverse direction / speed 2.
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5
Leave to cool.
Pour the red berry compote into a bowl and place cling film directly onto the surface of the hot compote. This prevents a skin from forming as it cools. Alternatively, fill into sterilised jars.
Tip: Red berry compote with the Thermomix® can also be made with the same quantity of frozen mixed berries. We then increase the cooking time in step 3 by 4 minutes, to 13 minutes, and mix the berries in step 4 for 2 minutes / 100 °C / reverse direction / speed 2. This saves the time needed to prepare fresh berries.
If you want to keep your compote for longer, fill it into sterilised jars while still hot, place the jars upside down for 20 minutes, then store in the fridge. This way the compote keeps for several weeks.
Video
Nutrition per serving
A Northern German Classic: Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark
Red berry compote (known in northern German dialect as “Rode Grütt”) has been a summer dessert in northern Germany and Denmark since the 19th century (in Denmark as “Rødgrød med fløde”). The Danish original is served with cream, the Holstein version with vanilla sauce, and the Hamburg version with cold milk or buttermilk.
“Red berry compote with vanilla sauce” was listed by the German Foreign Office in 2019 as one of 100 characteristic German dishes. Despite industrial ready-made versions (Onken, Schwartau), it is still often cooked from scratch in northern Germany, because the flavour of fresh berries is noticeably more intense.
Which Berries: 400 g Mixed or Individual Varieties
The classic mix: 100 g strawberries, 100 g raspberries, 100 g blackberries, 100 g red or blackcurrants. Plus 200 g sour cherries for acidity. If you prefer to keep it simple: 400 g frozen “mixed berries for red compote” from the supermarket (3 to 4 euros per 500 g bag).
Strawberries add sweetness, raspberries give the typical aroma, blackberries provide the deep red colour, and currants bring the tartness. Sour cherries are essential: sweet cherries make the compote too sweet and bland, while sour cherries give it the fruity, tangy character.
Use fresh berries in season (June to August), otherwise use frozen ones: thaw them first AND drain off the juice, otherwise the compote will be too watery. Rule of thumb: use 100 ml less cherry nectar per 500 g of frozen berries.
Why Set Aside 300 g of Berries
The key step for texture: do not add all 600 g of berries to the mixing bowl at once. Instead, set aside 200 g of berries and 100 g of cherries. In the mixing bowl, only 200 g of berries and 100 g of cherries are cooked down with the nectar and cornflour into a thick sauce. The whole berries are added at the end and only lightly mixed in reverse direction.
The result: a smooth red sauce with whole, firm pieces of berry. If all the berries cook at the same time, they break down into a puree. This is the most common mistake made by red berry compote beginners.
Cornflour: 30 g for a Thick, Smooth Consistency
30 g of cornflour (such as Maizena) thickens the berry sauce. Enough for a smooth, creamy texture, not too firm. At 50 g the compote becomes almost pudding-like. At 15 g it stays too runny.
Important: the cornflour must be stirred in cold (this happens automatically when mixing, as all ingredients are chopped together for 12 sec at speed 9). During the subsequent cooking (9 min at 100°C, speed 3) the starch thickens. Vegan alternative: 1 tbsp agar-agar (stir in before cooking).
Variations: With Elderberry, Plums or a Tropical Twist
Elderberry compote: 400 g berries plus 200 g elderberries instead of sour cherries. Plus elderflower syrup instead of cherry nectar. Aromatic and earthy, a typical autumn flavour.
Plum compote: Replace the berries with stoned plums, and add cinnamon and cloves. A winter variation.
Tropical compote: Mango, pineapple and passion fruit instead of berries, coconut milk instead of cherry nectar. A summer variation with a completely different character.
Apple compote: 600 g peeled apples instead of berries, plus 1 tsp cinnamon and brown sugar. A classic autumn variation.
Adults-only version: Stir 50 g of kirsch or rumtopf syrup into the warm compote at the end.
What to Serve with Red Berry Compote
Classic accompaniments: vanilla sauce (northern German style), cold milk (Hamburg style) or whipping cream (Danish style). With vanilla ice cream as a summer dessert. With Thermomix® rice pudding as a sweet main course for children. As a topping on pancakes or waffles. Mixed with quark as a healthy breakfast.
Also great in crepes or as a filling for shortcrust pastry tartlets. Poured over Thermomix® pudding as a two-layer dessert. Swirled into yoghurt as a breakfast topping.
Red Berry Compote: 5 Days in the Fridge, 3 Months Frozen
In a bowl with cling film placed directly on the surface (to prevent a skin forming as it cools), the compote keeps for 5 days in the fridge. If you fill it into sterilised screw-top jars: 2 to 3 weeks. No need to reheat, it is served cold.
Freezing: keeps for 3 months in individual portion jars. Thaw overnight in the fridge, stir well before serving (the consistency may be slightly runnier after thawing; stir 1 tbsp of cornflour into 50 ml of water and cook into the warmed compote to thicken again).
Dazu passt: Vanilla ice cream, semolina pudding and pancakes.
Also worth a look: Low-carb berry and nut quark with the Thermomix® in under 15 minutes.
