This Instant Pot Apple Fig Compote contains no added sugar. Just the pure, natural sweetness of apples and dried figs make this dish perfectly sweet and healthy. So versatile you could eat it for every meal of the day!
There are serious advantages to having a sister that's complete opposite. In a way, we become the ultimate woman because we've got each other's talents on speed dial. If I'm at a loss on photography, decor, or basically anything to do with blogging, she's got the answers.
If she needs food or medical advice, I'm all over it. Power to the sistas!
So when Cami (the genius over the Decor side of TIDBITS) texted me in desperate need of a fall time appetizer, I was more than happy to procrastinate yard clean up, yet another day, to help. I've got to say, we came up with something pretty sweet.
How cool is this, we created 2 recipes that are great on their own, but when combined become the ultimate Fall Appetizer. Are you pickin' up on the symbolism here?
With approximately 8 million apples laughing at me every time I go into the garage, I knew which direction I needed to take. But for this sister project, it had to be special. Terrifically, mouthwateringly, mind-blowingly special.
I spotted 3 partially used bags of dried figs in my pantry and I knew immediately what was about to go down. Apple Fig Compote.
And for those who don't like figs, I've got your back, stay with me here.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS HEALTHY APPLE COMPOTE
- No added sugar! Sweet apples and dried figs are all that's needed to make it perfectly sweet
- E-A-S-Y. The blessed Instant Pot does all the cooking
- THE SMELLLLLLL. The steam coming out from the pressure cooker is a gift from heaven
- The crunchy bites of fig seeds are the most delightful thing since tater tots
- Versatile. You could eat this for every meal of the day. Use it over yogurt, on a grilled cheese (with brie, mmmm), over pork chops, or with a scoop of ice cream. You've got breakfast through dessert here! What other ingredient besides salt can do that?!
WHAT IS A COMPOTE
Let's clear this up first. A compote consists of whole or chopped fruit (fresh or frozen) that has been cooked down into a sweet syrup. The syrup can be made from any sweetener or be created by the fruit itself as it cooks down. The final product is a soft, sweet, fragrant, and flavorful masterpiece.
Compotes are amazing because they can be used in so many ways from sweet to savory. Compotes also store well in the fridge and often times in the freezer. The best part is that you can make a compote with endless varieties of fruit and spices. Are you on board now?
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT COMPOTE
- Chop up your fruit, in this case, apples . . .
- And figs (use kitchen shears! It's soooo much easier. I love my Cutco ones more than life)
- Throw it in the pot with a little bit of liquid. You don't need a lot of extra liquid when it comes to fruit. As the fruit heats up, it releases the extra liquid you need to create steam. Cook for 2 minutes
- Behold your perfectly cooked compote
- Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up in seconds, if desired
- EAT!
HOW TO SERVE FRUIT COMPOTE
I discussed options above, but here's a list for your convenience
- Over yogurt
- With ice cream
- Served hot with a dollop of frozen cream, granola, and pecans (my favorite!)
- On top of chicken or pork
- Fill a crepe
- In a grilled cheese (trust me on this one, go with brie cheese)
- On toast, biscuits, muffins, pancakes, french toast, waffles, etc
- Atop cheesecake
- And now for the ultimate sister collaborative idea . . . Maple Pumpkin Coconut Dip served in a Phyllo Crisp topped with Apple Fig Compote (see recipe notes for directions). Like seriously, is that not the most bomb Fall Time Appetizer you've ever seen in your life! The flavor's sing Autumn. In the words of my son, “It makes my heart feel good and makes me want to be a nice person.” Amen kiddo.
The list goes on and on. This compote is amazing hot or cold. Feel free to share your own ideas below. I plan on making a ton of this compote and I'm hoping like crazy it freezes well. It hasn't lasted long enough to need to freeze it yet.
Enjoy this fall time gem!
Variations
Okay, now for the fig haters or those with an unreasonable fear of Fig Newtons. I didn't forget you.
- Swap the figs for chopped dates like in this Caramel Apple Pie. It's incredible!
- Omit the figs and add more apples
- Swap the apples for pears or use a combination of each
- If you want it sweeter, add 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup
Head over to Cami's to get the recipe for this amazing Healthy Pumpkin Dip.
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT APPLE FIG COMPOTE
- Instant Pot
- Kitchen Shears (these are my Cutco Shears, that I adore, but there are much cheaper options)
- Vietnamese Cinnamon (best ground cinnamon ever, it's all I use)
*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you!
PrintInstant Pot Healthy Apple Fig Compote
This naturally sweet Apple Fig Compote has a million different uses but is so good you could eat it plain with a spoon!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 pounds honey crisp apples
- 1 1/2 cups dried figs, see note
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Vietnamese/Saigon preferably)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons apple cider, divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 – 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice all the apples. Place apples in the pressure cooker pot.
- Using kitchen shears or sharp, clean scissors, cut figs into small pieces. You can also use a sharp knife but the shears make it a lot easier.
- Put figs on top of apples.
- To the pot, add 2 tablespoons apple cider, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt. Do not stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a quick release.
- Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of apple juice. Using the saute function of the pressure cooker, bring apples to a light simmer, stir in cornstarch slurry, until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Can be eaten hot, at room temperature, or chilled from the refrigerator. Reheats perfectly in the microwave.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can substitute with different varieties of apples, but know that the texture may change
- Variations include: swap figs for dates, omit figs, swap pears for apples, use a combo of pears and apples, etc
- Cook 4 minutes for a softer apple
- Serve with yogurt, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, pork, crepes, etc etc
Ultimate Fall Appetizer: Pumpkin Spice Coconut Cream filled Phyllo Crisp with Fig Apple Compote
- Stack 2 sheets of Fillo Dough Pastry sheets on top of each other and brush with melted butter. Stack another 2 sheets on top and again brush with butter. Cut out small squares then press them into a small muffin tin to make a cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 – 8 minutes, until browned. When cooled, fill with Healthy Pumpkin Dip and top with Apple Fig Compote. Serve.
- To make this even easier, look for the Mini Fillo Shells. They can be harder to find than the sheets, but are so yummy!
Keywords: instant pot recipe, apple compote, pork chop topping
This is a great recipe! I tested it first by using 2lb (half batch) with prunes and found that 2 min. in my instant pot made the apples a bit too soft for my liking (I used Ida Red). Second time around, same apples, I reduced the time to 1 min, added a 1/4 tsp lemon zest. Turned out great! I have more than I can eat in 5 days and I was wondering if this will freeze well? I think freezing will make the texture of the apples too mushy, but maybe I can make it work with some granola, throw it in the microwave and called it apple crumble 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration…
★★★★★
Natalie, Yum your details have me craving this! I’ll be making this again soon! I have frozen it and it does change the texture a little, but I still served it at a party and it was fantastic.
This looks spectacular! I’m going to try it in mini phyllo cups with some melted brie for a fall appetizer.
Susan, That is absolutely genius! I am so trying this! Would you put the brie in while prebaking the phyllo cups?
Yes, it only takes a couple of minutes to start to melt, then add the compote on top! I can see this topping a grilled pork tenderloin too. Thanks for this great recipe!
Susan, I just got home from the store. I got my brie and shells 🙂
I don’t quite have 8 million apples (more like 4 million) sitting in my basement but I’m excited to try this!! I also happen to have a Costco sized bag of dates and some empty canning jars waiting for compute! Thanks for the idea; and more importantly the recipe (#128522#)
★★★★★
Deb, I love dates and apples together. I did that with an apple pie on my blog. It’s like apples and caramel, yum! I wish I was more savvy with canning.