More About Compotes Desserts

Our Compotes and Fruit Desserts collection brings together the fruit purées that French families eat every day: Materne Pom'Potes pouches, Andros compotes and creamy fruit desserts, Bonne Maman compotées, organic fruit desserts from Bio Village and Jardin Bio, and no-added-sugar options. In pots, pouches and family jars, Epicerie Corner delivers them across the UK.

Compote: a French Everyday Dessert

Few foods are as common in French homes as compote, a smooth or chunky purée of cooked fruit, most often apple. It is eaten as a light dessert after lunch or dinner, as part of the after-school goûter, at the school canteen and in lunchboxes. Babies are often introduced to fruit through compote, and adults keep eating it all their lives. In French shops it appears in many forms: individual pots (coupelles), squeezable pouches (gourdes) that children can eat without a spoon, and large jars to serve in bowls. Labels also distinguish recipes: a classic compote may contain added sugar, while products labelled dessert fruitier or sans sucres ajoutés often rely only on the sweetness of the fruit.

Compotes in Our Range

Materne and Pom'Potes

Materne is one of France's most familiar compote brands, and its Pom'Potes pouches are a lunchbox classic. Choose Materne Pom'Potes Apple in packs of 20, Natural Apple and no-added-sugar packs, Apricot Strawberry Banana, Apple Raspberry Reine-Claude, Mirabelle and Cherry varieties, the Family Apple Mix and organic Pom'Potes in apple, apple-raspberry and multivitamin. Materne pots include red fruit and yellow fruit compotes in packs of 16, no-added-sugar packs of 12 and organic apple.

Andros

Andros Apple Compote and Apple Vanilla, Apple Banana, Apple Pear and Apple Chestnut in family jars; Apple with chunks; no-added-sugar apple, apple-mango and apple-cherry with chunks; Andros Délice raspberry and strawberry; the creamy L'Onctueux apricot and pear desserts; a low-sugar maxi jar; and Andros pouches in apple, apple-banana, apple-strawberry and mixed packs of up to 20.

Bonne Maman Compotées

Bonne Maman's compotées are richer, chunkier fruit desserts, often in glass pots: Mango Peach, White Nectarine, Pineapple Rum Vanilla and a Peach compote jar.

Organic Compotes and Fruit Desserts

Bio Village organic fruit desserts in apple, apple-pear, apple-strawberry, apple-red fruit, apple-chestnut and apple-apricot, organic pouches and family jars with no added sugar; Jardin Bio apple and apple-pear fruit desserts in 680g jars; and Douceur du Verger apple-pear pouches and apple-rhubarb compote.

Simple Apple Purée

C'est qui le Patron apple purée, 99% apples, in an 840g jar, ideal for baking and family desserts.

Compote at Every Age

Compote follows French people through life. Toddlers discover it as one of their first desserts, smooth and mild. School children take a pouch of Pom'Potes in their bag and find a pot on their canteen tray. Teenagers and adults keep it as a light, quick dessert, while older people often appreciate its soft texture. Families with several children tend to buy multipacks of 12 or 20 pouches, which last through the school week, and keep a large jar in the fridge for weekend desserts. Varying the fruit, from apple and pear to apricot, mango, red fruit and chestnut, keeps it interesting, and pairing a compote with a dairy product and a biscuit makes a classic French goûter.

How to Choose a Compote

• For lunchboxes and on the go: pouches (gourdes) such as Pom'Potes or Andros, no spoon needed.
• For desserts at home: individual pots or a family jar served in bowls.
• Less sugar: look for "sans sucres ajoutés" or "dessert fruitier" with no added sugar; fruit still contains natural sugars.
• Organic: Bio Village, Jardin Bio, Materne organic and Pom'Potes Bio.
• Texture: smooth purées for younger children, chunky compotes and compotées for a more homemade feel.
• Something special: Bonne Maman compotées with exotic fruit or a touch of rum.

Ways to Enjoy Compote

Serve compote chilled or at room temperature, plain or with a spoonful of fromage blanc, yoghurt or crème fraîche. Warm apple compote is delicious with crêpes, waffles or vanilla ice cream, and it makes a quick filling for a tart or crumble. In baking, apple purée can replace part of the butter or sugar in cakes and muffins. For breakfast, stir compote into porridge or layer it with granola and yoghurt. Apple compote also goes well with roast pork or black pudding, a classic pairing in northern France. Unopened pots and pouches can usually be stored in the cupboard; once opened, keep jars in the fridge and finish them within the time shown on the label. For more, browse Charles & Alice and Desserts.

Compote FAQs

What is the difference between compote and dessert fruitier?

Both are fruit purées. "Compote" in France traditionally allows added sugar, while "dessert fruitier" or "purée de fruits" is often used for recipes without added sugar, made only from fruit. Check the ingredient list on each product.

What are Pom'Potes?

Pom'Potes is Materne's range of fruit compotes in squeezable pouches, designed for children to eat anywhere without a spoon. They come in many fruit flavours, including organic and no-added-sugar versions.

Are fruit pouches suitable for babies?

Some pouches are designed for young children, but age recommendations vary. For babies, choose products specifically labelled for infants and follow the recommended age on the pack.

Can compote be frozen?

Compote can be frozen, for example in ice-cube trays or freezer bags, for use in baking or smoothies. Thaw it in the fridge. Freeze it before the date on the pack.