Recipes · Sick-Day Food

Warm Prune Compote

Name: Warm Prune Compote
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 cups (4 servings of about 5 prunes)
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (about 200 g) pitted prunes (dried plums; unsweetened, with no added sugar); 1 1/2 cups water; 2 wide strips orange peel (from 1 orange, without the white pith); 1 cinnamon stick; 3 thin slices fresh ginger (optional)

Reader ratings

Pitted prunes plumped in water with orange peel and a cinnamon stick until soft and syrupy, with no added sugar. A gentle, sweet bowl for when your bowels have slowed down after illness, medicines or days in bed.

Prunes have been used traditionally as a home remedy for constipation in many countries.

Total 20 min

Prep 5 min

Cook 15 min

Yield 2 cups (4 servings of about 5 prunes)

Level Easy

Digestion · Meal Prep · Plant-Based · Gluten-Free · Dairy-Free · 5 Ingredients

Safety

Prunes are for constipation only. Skip them if you have diarrhea, vomiting or belly pain from an unknown cause, because their fiber and sorbitol loosen stools and can worsen cramps. If the compote causes watery stools, cut back.
Seek care for constipation with blood in the stool, black stools, unexplained weight loss, severe or worsening belly pain, vomiting, a swollen hard belly, or being unable to pass stool or gas. New constipation after age 50, or constipation that lasts longer than 3 weeks, also needs checking. For a baby or young child, ask the pediatrician before using prunes.
Prunes are high in natural sugar (roughly 30 g of carbohydrate per serving here), so count them if you have diabetes. They are also rich in potassium, so ask your clinician about quantity if you have kidney disease or take medicines that raise potassium.
Check that pitted prunes really are pit-free, and chop them finely for toddlers and young children, because dried fruit is sticky and a choking risk. Choose prunes with no added sugar, and check the label for sulfites if you are sensitive to them.

Why it’s good for you

Prunes combine fiber, sorbitol (a natural sugar alcohol that draws water into the gut) and polyphenols, and stewing them gives a soft, sweet bowl you can eat even with little appetite.

Evidence

Moderate evidence

Some human trials or consistent observational data; not yet settled.

In a 3-week crossover trial of 40 adults with constipation, 50 g of dried plums twice a day produced more complete spontaneous bowel movements (3.5 versus 2.8 a week) and softer stools than psyllium. A US trial comparing 2 kiwifruit, 100 g of prunes or 12 g of psyllium found all three improved constipation, and in 120 healthy adults with infrequent stools, 80 or 120 g of prunes a day increased stool weight and frequency but also caused more flatulence. The trials were small and short, and the compote itself (prunes cooked in water) has not been tested.

General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (about 200 g) pitted prunes (dried plums; unsweetened, with no added sugar)
1 1/2 cups water
2 wide strips orange peel (from 1 orange, without the white pith)
1 cinnamon stick
3 thin slices fresh ginger (optional)

Instructions

Combine the prunes, water, orange peel, cinnamon stick and ginger, if using, in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the prunes are plump and very soft and the liquid has turned dark and syrupy.
Remove the cinnamon stick, orange peel and ginger. Serve warm in small bowls with some of the juices, on its own or spooned over plain yogurt or oatmeal.
Cool leftovers, then store them in a clean, covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Tips

Each 1/2-cup serving holds about 5 prunes (50 g). The trials used about 100 g a day, roughly 10 prunes, so 2 servings a day matches the amount studied.
Start with 1 serving a day and build up over a week, with plenty of water. Prunes contain fiber and sorbitol, and flatulence was more common in the largest prune trial.
A warm compote is easier to eat than a handful of dried prunes when you have no appetite. For another food with trial support, see the Green Kiwifruit Bowl.

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