This easy spiced cranberry jam takes just a few minutes to make. It's so simple and uses just a few easy to find ingredients. This spiced cranberry jam is just the right balance of sweet and tart, with a hint of orange and lots of warm spices! Serve it warm at Thanksgiving or on a cheeseboard with brie and crackers.
If you've never made jam from scratch before, have no fear. Homemade cranberry jam is one of the easiest jams to make, and I'm here to guide you through every step of the process. You got this!
I love making my spiced cranberry jam in the fall when cranberries are perfectly in season. Then, I use the canning process (shared below) to save jars of it to eat all year round.
In 2020, I shipped jars of my spiced cranberry jam across the country to friends and family I couldn't see at Thanksgiving because of the pandemic lockdowns. Sending jars of homemade jam was my way of joining their Thanksgiving celebrations even though I couldn't be there in person.
5 star reader review
“...I was intimidated but it is so fun and easy to make that I've now made probably 10 batches. I gave them to all my kids' teachers for holiday gifts and I bring this jam to every gathering I'm invited to! It's always a hit! My family loves it with some toast in the morning, or with some goat cheese on a baguette for a snack. Thank you for this amazing recipe!”
—Kaitlin
What you think of as a homemade "cranberry sauce" is actually a type of cranberry jam, so this spiced cranberry jam really is perfect on a Thanksgiving table. It can even be made in advance (just like my popular make-ahead turkey gravy) to save you time when you're doing your holiday cooking.
Now, for a bit of science: Fruit jams require pectin to thicken and gelatinize. Pectin occurs naturally in fruits like oranges, lemons, apples, and, lucky for us — cranberries! When pectin combines with sugar and an acid (usually lemon juice), it turns fruit into what we think of as jam.
Because cranberries are naturally high in pectin and acid, cranberry jam doesn't need any additional pectin or acid. All you have to add is sugar.
Here's what you will need to make this spiced cranberry jam.
The core ingredients of my cranberry jam are fresh cranberries (one whole 12 oz bag) which are super easy to find in most grocery stores from October to November and plain white granulated sugar. Nothing fancy!
To make it a little more interesting, I also add orange zest and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I always look for a large naval orange with bright orange skin and I use a fine microplane zester to finely grate the peel, avoiding the white pith which is bitter..
I recently picked up a jar of Burlap & Barrel's cult-fave Royal Cinnamon and it was so good in this jam. Cloves have a really strong flavor so a little goes a long way, but they add a really nice, complex warm/sweet flavor to the jam. And I always use whole nutmeg that I grate fresh with a microplane zester — I get the best flavor from it that way!
Making Spiced Cranberry Jam
When you first start cooking the cranberries, it will seem like nothing is happening. That's because you can't see the liquid inside the cranberries slowly heating up. But after a few minutes of stirring on the stove, the cranberries will start bursting. You'll actually be able to hear them popping!
I wait to add the spices until the cranberries are cooking so that they don't burn.
When the cranberries are pretty mashed up and there's not a lot of liquid in the pot, I like to use an immersion blender to break them down even more. (If you prefer a chunky jam, you can skip this step!) If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a cocktail muddler or even a potato masher here instead.
Once you add the sugar, it will immediately melt and combine with the berry mixture. In this case, the sugar operates almost more like a liquid ingredient than a dry ingredient! Then all you need to do is bring it to a low boil for a couple minutes to thicken and it's ready to can.
I usually transfer it immediately to sterilized canning jars for long-term storage or to an airtight container if I plan to use it immediately.
5 star reader review
“This is so good. First time making jam and canning, and this recipe followed correctly is perfect and so easy. I made 14 6oz jars to give out for the holiday, I know this will be a big hit.”
—Melissa
A Quick Note on These Recipe Measurements
I usually use grams because they're simpler. In this case, ounces is simpler. Cranberries usually come in 12 ounce bags. That's 340 grams. And saying 10 ounces is simpler than 284 grams sugar. (Oh look, there's the measurements in grams if you need them!).
Most digital scales can do both grams and ounces, so it's easy enough to switch! I've even included cups measurements for both in the recipe card. Just know that if you use the 2X or 3X buttons the cups measurements on the right won't automatically adjust, so you'll have to do that multiplication for yourself.
📖 Recipe
Easy Spiced Cranberry Jam (Makes a Great Gift!)
Recipe Notes
- This recipe makes enough jam to fill (1) sixteen fluid ounce jar, (2) eight fluid ounce jars, or (4) four fluid ounce jars of cranberry jam. An eight fluid ounce jar can hold approximately 9 ounces of jam by weight.
- Sugar and acid are natural preservatives, so homemade cranberry jam will stay good for at least 1 month in the fridge in an airtight container. "The expected shelf life will be shortened by keeping the container frequently open and/or out at room temperature for long periods of time during use," advises the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP). If you follow the canning process and store your sealed jam jars in a cool, dark place, the airtight seal will keep the spiced cranberry jam good for a year. Once opened, it will stay good in the fridge for at least 1 month. From the NCHFP: "For safe eating practices, store your opened jar of jam or jelly in the refrigerator until consumed, and examine it frequently for signs of spoilage (like mold or yeast growth, or off-odors, including 'fermented,' 'alcohol' or 'yeasty' odors). Discard the product immediately if any signs of spoilage are detected."
- You can totally swap the cloves for other spices if you want. This is also great with warm spices like allspice, apple pie spice blends, ground ginger, a pinch of cayenne, etc.
- The flat part of the ring lids on the jars is not reusable for canning purposes. The rings and the jars can be reused, but the flat part of the lid with the rubber rim can only be used once to get an airtight seal. You can use the flat part of the jar as a regular lid, you just can't use it again in the canning process.
- Shoutout to Chef Jody O'Sullivan for the tip to flip the jars upside down if the lids don't pop flat!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (3 cups)
- 10 ounces sugar (1¼ cups)
- 1 orange (zested)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon whole nutmeg (freshly grated)
Instructions
Spiced Cranberry Jam
- Measure sugar and spices and set aside.
- Cook cranberries in a medium sauce pot over medium heat until they start popping and breaking down, 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently, using a spatula or wooden spoon to mash the cranberries up as you go. If the berries start burning on the bottom of the pot in the first few minutes, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- When the cranberries are as mashed up as you can get them and there's no liquid pooling in the bottom of the pot, reduce heat to low and use an immersion blender to break them up even more. (Skip this step for a chunky cranberry jam!)
- Add the sugar, orange zest, and spices all at once and stir well to melt the sugar into the cranberry mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the spiced cranberry jam mixture to a low boil, stirring constantly.
- Cook at a low boil for 1-2 minutes until jam thickens. To check the consistency, dollop a small amount of jam (¼ teaspoon) on a non-plastic plate and pop in the freezer for 20-30 seconds. Test it by spreading it on the plate with a knife or your finger; if it's runny, keep cooking the jam a few minutes more. If it spreads like jam, it's ready!
- Remove jam from heat and transfer to sterilized canning jar or airtight container to store.
Canning Process
- Sterilize jars: Submerge glass canning jars upright in large pot with at least 1-2" of water of headroom. Bring to a boil for at least 10 minutes. They can stay longer than 10 minutes, just make sure to keep them fully submerged.
- Sterilize lids: In a separate pot, submerge the flat part of the lids (not the rings) for at least 10 minutes, or until ready to use. Do not boil!
- Carefully remove a jar from the water. Dry out the inside with a paper towel, then pour jam into the jar, leaving at least ¼" headspace at the top.
- Run a knife or small offset spatula around the jar to knock out any air bubbles trapped inside. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any debris or jammy bits.
- Place one of the flat sterilized lids on the jar and screw the ring piece on so that it's "fingertip tight." (You should be able to unscrew it with little effort using just your fingertips.)
- When all the jars have been filled, submerge them in a pot of boiling water with at least 1-2" of water above them. Cover with a well-fitting lid to create pressure inside the pot. Maintain a rolling boiling for 10 minutes, then uncover and turn the heat off. Let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the jars to a clean towel.
- The lids should be perfectly flat on top or will "pop" flat within a few minutes of being removed from the water. Once they do, tighten the rings the rest of the way. Caution: Jars will be hot! If the lids don't pop flat, try flipping them upside down to cool. Otherwise repeat the canning process, knocking out air bubbles and making sure there's no debris in the way of the rubber seal.
Mel says
Really tasty, quick and simple. The cranberries broke down totally with just a flat potato masher. Freezing half for Christmas but could probably devour it on toast or oatmeal.
Jordan Rae Cox says
This was the first time I made jam and it was delicious- on my second go! During the first round I mixed up tb and tsp and the spice level was overwhelming. I went back and did it the right way and to my delight everyone at thanksgiving loved it. This went well on rosemary biscuits and we even had some with brie and crackers.
Rebecca says
Ooof yes — tablespoons would be too much hahaha. I'm glad you got it right on the second try — brie and rosemary biscuits sound like the perfect combo for it
Cait says
I love this recipe! I am a huge fan of cranberries, but I'm the only one in my family who likes them so I've spent years trying to make cranberry recipes that anyone but me will eat. This is the first one I've found that meets the criteria! I made it for thanksgiving and paired it with brie for an appetizer and it was a huge hit. And it was so easy and quick!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
What a win! Pairing this cranberry jam with brie is such a good combo — glad you all enjoyed!
Kristin says
Thank you! We had a ton of extra cranberries after thanksgiving and I made a bunch of small jars for stocking stuffers! Any idea how long this will last out of the fridge?
Rebecca says
If you canned it according to my instructions it will be fine out of the fridge for 1 year. Once opened, it will be good for about a month unrefrigerated or up to a year stored in the refrigerator. If you didn't use my canning instructions and just put lids on the jars without removing the air, it will be good for about a month unrefrigerated, or up to a year if stored in the fridge!
Liz says
Super easy recipe and so tasty. I made a double batch and canned then in 2.75 oz jars to put in homemade Christmas baskets for friends. Perfect holiday flavors!
Penny says
This sounds delicious and easy to make, but do you have any special instructions for freezing?
Rebecca says
Because I can my jam in sterilized jars with an airtight seal, I don't usually freeze it. I don't have special instructions for how to do so, but a quick google turned up some posts with lots of great tips for freezing cooked jams!
Kaitlin says
Made this for the first time as part of your class and then just made it again on my own! I LOVE this recipe! My kids love it so much and I am going to make some more for teacher gifts this year. It is such a Warm and cozy jam recipe, the spices included really make me feel a holiday vibe while we eat it. Bonus it goes amazing with the homemade goat cheese!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Kaitlin!!! This makes me SO HAPPY! Thank you so much for joining the class and I'm so thrilled to hear you've continued enjoying and making the jam (and the goat cheese!). <3
Melissa says
This is so good. First time making jam and canning, and this recipe followed correctly is perfect and so easy. I made 14 6oz jars to give out for the holiday, I know this will be a big hit.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and congrats on a successful first time canning experience! Enjoy your holidays. 🙂
Lindsey says
I purchased the clearance cranberries after Thanksgiving at my local store for 50 cents a bag and this was the perfect recipe for them! Full disclosure I added cardamom to mine, as I think it goes with the spice pallet and it's one of my favorite (so aromatic!). I will definitely be serving this at my family Christmas party next weekend. Thank you for this recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yess cardamom is one of my favorite warm spices and is a perfect fit here! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
(PS - Would you mind adding a star rating to your comment?)
Janet says
Hi Rebecca,
I made a double batch of the jam (after only being able to watch the class due to my broken stove). It came together so quickly including time for canning. Probably the quickest and easiest canning I’ve ever done. I canned them in 4 ounce jars to give as gifts and have some for myself. First use use was on a turkey burger with Brie cheese, absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe and virtual class!
Joseph Moylan says
I made a comment about a print friendly version, my bad, i found it! and the recipe is fantastic, we're working on a second batch.
Kaitlin says
I took Rebecca's jam making class to learn to make this - it was my first jam and I was intimidated but it is so fun and easy to make that I've now made probably 10 batches. I gave them to all my kids' teachers for holiday gifts and I bring this jam to every gathering I'm invited to! It's always a hit! My family loves it with some toast in the morning, or with some goat cheese on a baguette for a snack. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I love this so much!! Thanks for joining the class, so glad to hear it's become a recipe staple!
Daphne Tichy says
Can you perhaps substitute lemon juice for the orange zest and if so how much?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I wouldn’t use lemon juice! Lemon juice is acidic, it doesn’t add flavor. It will interact with the pectin in the cranberries. If you don’t want orange flavor just leave the zest out. If you want lemon flavor, replace the orange zest with lemon zest!
Kendra Chase says
Amazing!!! 😍 it Will become a favorite in our house! On repeat for every fall 🍂 Thank you for the beautiful recipe! 🙏❤️
Joseph Moylan says
I would like to make enough for a case of pint jars, what changes to the recipe do you make for that volume as it will be more than one bag of cranberry's?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Just scale it up! It might take a bit longer for the cranberries and everything to break down but otherwise it’s the same recipe just bigger!
Eleanor says
Could I use frozen cranberries and if so do I thaw them out first using only the fruit?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I haven't actually tested this with frozen cranberries but I would suggest thawing them out and patting them dry first so you don't have to deal with cooking off all the extra moisture from them defrosting! Let me know how it works for you!
Jackie says
I make about 25 pounds of cranberries into juice concentrate every year and I am always looking for ways to use the pulp. This looks like it will do! Going to try it the next time I make up juice! Thank you for the recipe!!
Jackie/Famished Farm
kathryn vasil says
It is yummy, my mom said it was tart and not sweet enough. Any advice on upping sugar? Also can I up the spice any?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hmmm this IS a tart jam by design — you can always increase the sugar slightly or stir in some corn syrup at the end once you've finished the cooking process. And yes, you can absolutely increase the spices! Enjoy!
Katrina Himmelreich says
This is so delicious! I brought this and the Butter Pecan Pound Cake into my office for my coworkers. They loved it so much and have already asked for more! I love how simple this recipe is. I was easily able to make the jam while the bread was in the oven!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I'm so glad you and your coworkers enjoyed the jam and the cake! Happy baking!