Strawberry Rhubarb Compote With Cheesecake Cream

This Strawberry Rhubarb Compote With Cheesecake Cream is one of my favorite desserts. It is creamy, sweet, bright, and a little tart. Think a rich, creamy cheesecake whipped cream paired with the surprising sweet tartness of strawberries and rhubarb peeking through. It’s creamy and zingy all at once. I make this frequently for parties and guests. I also serve this in canning jars with lids – making it the perfect picnic companion. Pair it with this Keto Scottish Shortbread and you don’t even need a spoon! (And yes, it’s low carb and keto-friendly!)

The Inspiration

I have always love the pairing of strawberries and rhubarb. When I was little we would go back to England to visit each year. My grandmother would always have freshly baked pies for us. I remember them vividly… strawberry rhubarb, blackberry apple, and gooseberry. She would make more than one and I would have to choose which I wanted after dinner. This was torture. I wanted them all. They were so delicious.

We would top our slices of pie with spoonfuls of thick cream which had been delivered by the milkman in a glass bottle. Cream in England is much thicker than the cream here in America. It has a thick layer at the top which you have to break up to reveal the cream below – it has the consistency of a pourable yogurt. Heaven.

I have been making this recipe for years and years… I’m not quite sure how it evolved. Quite possibly it was due to a surplus of rhubarb from my neighbor’s gigantic plant. It produces so much and I hate letting anything go to waste so I try to eat as much as I can and preserve it if I can’t. It freezes really well. My latest attempt to preserve it is in making Rhubarb Gin.

The Ingredients

I haven’t mentioned it yet, but this is a really easy dessert to make. It feels like I have been saying that about every recipe that I have shared so far. I guess the truth is, that while I may love unusual ingredients and extravagant creations, the recipes that I make regularly and love enough to share are fairly easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients.

This is definitely the case with this recipe. The compote is composed of fresh strawberries, rhubarb, and a bit of sugar (or a sugar alternative to make this keto-friendly.) Thankfully both strawberries and rhubarb are low in carbs and are considered keto-friendly “fruits” (rhubarb is technically a vegetable.)

The cheesecake cream is made from fresh heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar (or a confectioners sugar alternative.) Heavy cream and cream cheese are most certainly keto-friendly.

The Steps

Plan Your Presentation

First, you should decide how you want to serve these and gather your containers. For the prettiest presentation I layered the cheesecake cream and the strawberry rhubarb compote in a simple glass, shown here. You can also use canning jars with lids for a more rustic presentation, and to make them easy to transport (great for picnics!) This also enables you to freeze them to eat later (just pop them into the fridge to thaw overnight and they will be ready to eat!)

Prep The Fruit

Next, wash and slice the strawberries and rhubarb. I like to keep these in bite size pieces. Be sure to reserve a few fresh strawberries to lay on top for garnish.

Cook The Fruit, Briefly

Add the fruit to a pan and cook on medium heat. Once the fruit has started to release it’s juice, add the sugar (or sugar alternative) and stir. Continue to stir to incorporate the sugar and cook until the fruit has just fallen. The goal is to retain some of the fresh fruit taste and texture while taking the edge off of the rhubarb. Remove from the heat and let cool. (I should note that I like things on the less-sweet side, so please taste and add more sugar if you prefer.)

Whip The Cheesecake Cream

Now for the cheesecake cream! In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar (or confectioners sugar alternative) to incorporate. Continue mixing, slowly adding the cream a little at a time and mix on medium speed until it reaches a thick whipped cream consistency.

Put It All Together

Now you are ready to put it all together. Begin by spooning a layer of the compote into the glass first. Follow this by a layer of cheesecake cream… and so on and so forth depending on the size of your container. Make sure that you end on a layer of cheesecake cream. Add the fresh strawberries for garnish.

I usually serve this with shortbread to use to spoon out the dessert. It is a fabulous pairing! I used to serve it with Walker’s shortbread fingers, but to translate it for the keto diet, I serve it with Keto Scottish Shortbread.

The Results

Fresh strawberries and rhubarb pair creating a sweet and tart layer which mixes in every bite with a light, fluffy cheesecake whipped cream. This dessert is light and bright, yet feels decidedly decadent. Without much effort you can make this pretty, and pretty delicious, low carb, keto-friendly dessert.

I should note that these desserts can be stored in the fridge for a few days. The layers can also be stored in the fridge separately to be assembled at a later date. They both are delicious with other things too. The fruit is great spooned over Greek yogurt. And again, these can be frozen. I always keep a handful in the freezer, just in case!

If you make this Strawberry Rhubarb Compote be sure to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see!

How To Make: Strawberry Rhubarb Compote With Cheesecake Cream