Vanilla Pudding with Fruit Compote is a simple French recipe that is both visually and actually tasty. The tilted setting of the vanilla pudding and the freshness of the fruit makes this a refreshing dessert to every meal. I always make a few extra as a treat for myself but don’t tell anyone. Normally, I use fresh fruit during season, but frozen fruit is both tasty and economical. I have compoted blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberry. Am going to try mango and kiwi soon.
Vanilla Pudding with Fruit Compote combines smooth, creamy vanilla pudding with bright, fruity compote for a dessert that feels both comforting and refreshing. The original dish is associated with French cuisine and makes a lovely ending to a family meal or dinner with friends.
What makes this dessert especially appealing is the contrast between the two main parts. The vanilla pudding is rich, soft and wonderfully creamy. Meanwhile, the fruit compote brings a gentle sharpness that stops the pudding from feeling too heavy. Together, they create a balanced dessert with plenty of flavour in every spoonful.
The presentation also gives this simple dessert a little extra charm. The pudding is allowed to set at an angle inside the serving glasses. Once the fruit compote is added, the layers create an attractive finish that is sure to catch attention around the table. It is a clever touch, especially when you are entertaining and want something that looks special without spending hours decorating it.
The fruit can also be changed to suit the season or whatever you have available. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries all work beautifully, while other fruits can offer something different. Frozen fruit is another useful option, particularly when fresh berries are expensive or out of season. This flexibility makes the dessert easy to enjoy throughout the year.
I particularly like the freshness that the fruit brings to the pudding. The gentle sweetness of vanilla pairs naturally with berries, while a little citrus helps lift the overall flavour. Fresh mint can then add a final touch of colour and freshness when the dessert reaches the table.
This is also a dessert that can be prepared ahead of time. That makes it especially useful when you are entertaining. Rather than rushing around after the main course, you can simply bring the chilled glasses from the refrigerator and finish them for serving.
For a relaxed family meal, the pudding works equally well. Children will enjoy its creamy texture and sweet fruit, while adults can appreciate its simple elegance. Furthermore, the individual glasses make serving easy and help create a neat presentation.
Vanilla Pudding with Fruit Compote proves that a good dessert does not need a long list of complicated ingredients or elaborate decoration. It is creamy, fruity, colourful and satisfying. Most importantly, it offers the kind of familiar flavours that make everyone want to reach for another spoonful.

Vanilla Pudding with Fruit Compote
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pudding
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large egg yolks free range
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 cups full fat milk whole
- 3 tbsp corn-starch to thicken the pudding
- 1 tbsp butter room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
For the Fruit Compote
- 2 cups fruit
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 12 leaves mint
Instructions
- In a small dish add the corn-starch and ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine. Put to one side as you will need it shortly.3 tbsp corn-starch, 3 cups full fat milk
- Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add the 2 ¾ cups of milk, sugar and the salt and stir until it starts to steam. Never let it boil.¾ cup sugar, 3 cups full fat milk, 1 pinch salt
- In a mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk gently. Once the milk mixture is steaming slowly pour enough into the yolks to blend together. You need to continually whisk while missing. When mixed, pour the egg yolks and milk mixture back into the pan and stir.3 large egg yolks
- Pour the corn-starch/milk mixture as made in part 1 into the saucepan and continue to stir.
- When the contents start to simmer and has thickened, remove from the heat, and add the vanilla extract and the butter. I like to stir until the butter has fully dissolved.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp butter
- Pour into your serving glasses and push cling film/plastic wrap until it touches the pudding.
- I lean my glasses over in the fridge with the clingfilm still in contact so it sets at a angle. It requires a few hours to set enough to hold the compote. This way adding the compote looks so cool. I place the base of the glass through the shelf and lean them up against packs of butter. Hey it works!!
- Time for the compote. Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the fruit and orange juice.2 cups fruit, 2 tbsp orange juice
- When the juice and fruit start to bubble, break the fruit down with a spoon or spatula into a pulp.
- Cook the fruit and juice over the heat for about 10 minutes giving it another pulping every couple of minutes.
- When fully pulped and looking gorgeous, remove from the heat and transfer to sterilized jars. Allow to cool completely or use warm over ice cream etc.
- When its time to serve the vanilla pudding, carefully remove from the fridge making sure that it has firmed up and set.
- Add the fruit compote to the glass carefully and return to the fridge until needed.
- Decorate with mint leaves, little fruit etc.12 leaves mint

30 comments
I could have had several of these, they were that good.
This was a big hit with my family. Even the children asked if there was any more.
I would perhaps use slightly less sugar next time, but otherwise this was delicious.
A wonderfully simple dessert with a lovely balance of sweetness and fruitiness. I will be making this again soon.
The presentation was the first thing everyone noticed. Fortunately, it tasted just as good as it looked.
I loved serving this in individual glasses. It made the dessert feel special without needing much decoration.
The pudding set beautifully and had a lovely smooth texture. I would happily make this for guests.
I tried blackberries in the compote and they worked extremely well. The slight sharpness was perfect.
The pudding was wonderfully creamy and the fruit added just the right amount of freshness.
Very easy to enjoy and not overly complicated. I will definitely make this again.
I really enjoyed the contrast between the smooth pudding and the slightly sharp fruit. It made every spoonful feel fresh.
The vanilla flavour really comes through nicely. The fruit compote stops the dessert from becoming too sweet.
I used strawberries for the compote and they were delicious with the vanilla pudding.
The combination of textures was excellent. The soft pudding and fruity topping worked beautifully together.
My guests loved this and several asked where I had found the idea. It is definitely going on my entertaining menu.
I thought the recipe might be quite rich, but the fruit makes it feel surprisingly light and refreshing.
This made a lovely dessert for a dinner with friends. Everyone commented on how attractive it looked.
A simple dessert with plenty of flavour. My family enjoyed it and there were no leftovers.
The fresh fruit compote made all the difference. It added colour, flavour and a pleasant little sharpness.
The mint garnish added a nice finishing touch. It also made the glasses look even more inviting.
The tilted presentation is a fantastic idea. It looks much more impressive than the amount of effort involved.
I used a mixture of raspberries and blueberries, which gave the dessert a beautiful colour and flavour.
This was such a lovely dessert. The creamy vanilla pudding and fresh fruit compote worked beautifully together.
I used frozen fruit because that was what I had available, and it worked perfectly.
A delicious combination of creamy and fruity flavours. This is definitely one I will keep in my dessert collection.
I made these ahead of dinner and that worked really well. It meant dessert was ready when we needed it.
This is a great dessert when you want something homemade but still want it to look impressive.
The vanilla pudding was silky smooth and the fruit topping brought everything together. A very satisfying dessert.
I tried mango instead of berries and really enjoyed the result. It gave the dessert a completely different character.
A really elegant dessert for something that uses such simple flavours. The vanilla and fruit complement each other wonderfully.