21 Ways to Upgrade Breakfast with Syrups, Jams, and Compotes

No French toast, waffle, biscuit, or oatmeal is complete without a syrup, jam, or compote to go along with it.

August 22, 2016

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Weekday mornings can be rough, but nothing will kick off your day like a hearty breakfast topped with (or, okay, drowned in) butter, jam, or syrup. From swirling honey on your yogurt to making a compote for your oatmeal, you can make most of these toppings over the weekend, then add the finishing touches to your breakfast all week long, giving you quite a luxurious start to your day.

Alex Lau
1/20
Salted Honey Cantaloupe Jam
This salty, sweet cantaloupe jam will put your go-to strawberry jam to shame.
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Alex Lau
2/20
Blueberry–Chia Seed Jam
Don’t worry if this looks a little runny when it’s hot. The chia seeds will plump as the jam cools, thickening it considerably.
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Alex Lau
3/20
Jam-Filled Almond Cupcakes
Gluten-free but clearly not vegan, for whoever’s keeping track.
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Peter Frank Edwards
4/20
Pearl Sugar Waffles with Bacon and Plums
One of the best ways to upgrade maple syrup? Add some cacao nibs!
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Danny Kim
5/20
Morning Barley with Squash, Date, and Lemon Compote
This compote works equally well as a chunky accompaniment to steamy fish at dinnertime and as a stir-in for a morning porridge.
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Ditte Isager
6/20
Cornmeal Waffles with Currant-Maple Sauce
If you can’t find currants (check the farmers’ market first), use any other berry or a mix.
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Alex Lau
7/20
Ricotta Toast with Pears and Honey
This is also great with maple syrup; you can use any kind of pear or apple, too.
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Alex Lau
8/20
Ricotta Pancakes with Honeycomb-Candy Butter
The airy brittle known as honeycomb just may be our new favorite confection; mixed into butter it’s a sumptuous add to frostings and a sweet topper for biscuits.
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Lennart Weibull
9/20
Apple and Peach Compote
When apple season hits but peaches still linger at the market, it's time for a standout condiment to round out any breakfast.
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Matt Duckor
10/20
The Blueberry Blossom Pancake
Puréeing syrup with your favorite berries is an easy trick for any boring old pancake.
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Hirsheimer & Hamilton
11/20
Canal House Peach Jam
This peach jam recipe makes enough to give a few jars away as gifts, or you could easily halve it.
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12/20
Maple Syrup-Soaked Doughnut Holes
These sweet doughnuts are bathed in maple syrup just before serving.
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Peden + Munk
13/20
Yogurt with Fresh Figs, Honey, and Pine Nuts
Warming the honey with rose water infuses it with flavor.
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Zach Desart
14/20
Black Grape Compote
Grape compote is the perfect accompainment to any breakfast. Add some ice cream to it at the end of the day for a well-deserved dessert.
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Digital Recipe Editor. Jill edits all the recipes published online, so if something in your oven explodes, you will be able to partly blame her for that—but hopefully that never happens! Besides wasting way too much time on the Internet, she’s into Steelers football, reading nerdy books, forgetting deep conversations ... Read More

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