Black Pepper Free Spiced Mulled Cherries
Warm, jewel-toned, and deeply aromatic, this spiced cherry compote is the kind of thing that makes your whole kitchen smell like a holiday market. Sweet cherries simmer low and slow in pomegranate juice with honey, Ceylon cinnamon, fresh ginger, turmeric, and a bright strip of orange zest until the liquid reduces into a glossy, spoonable sauce. The apple cider vinegar adds just enough tang to keep everything balanced and prevent the sweetness from going one-note. For anyone avoiding black pepper, spiced recipes can feel like a minefield — so many blends and warming spice mixes sneak it in — but every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. Ceylon cinnamon in particular brings a delicate, floral warmth that carries the whole dish without any harsh bite. Serve it warm over vanilla ice cream, swirl it into yogurt, or spoon it alongside roasted pork or duck for a genuinely impressive finishing touch. It also keeps beautifully in a jar, thickening into an even richer compote as it cools.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb frozen or fresh sweet cherries, pitted
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 strip orange zest (about 3 inches), pith removed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the pomegranate juice, honey, Ceylon cinnamon stick, grated ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, orange zest strip, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey dissolves, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add the cherries and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are tender and the liquid has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon, 15 to 18 minutes.
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