Quick Summary: Jams, jellies, and chutneys can do so much more than sit on toast. From cheese board pairings and savory meat sauces to cocktail starters and easy desserts, these ideas will change how you think about that jar in your fridge. Includes appetizers, marinades, sauces, cocktails, sandwiches, and desserts.
Jump to: Appetizers | Savory Sauces | Marinades | Smoothies | Breakfast | Dips | Drinks | Sandwiches | Desserts | Vegetables | Toast | FAQ
Jams, jellies and chutneys can definitely go beyond toast and add interest and deliciousness to many different baked goods, holiday food boards, or savory sauces.
I sold premium jams at the Minnesota farmers markets for 10+ years, including my three Good Food Awards-winning jams, and I’ve found dozens of ways to use them in cooking. Here is a list of more than 11 ways to use jams and jellies to enhance your home recipes in the easiest way possible.
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1. Cheese and Jam Pairings
The right jam can make a cheese board unforgettable. The basic principle is contrast: pair sweet, fruity jams with sharp or salty cheeses, and savory or spicy preserves with mild, creamy cheeses.
Here are a few favorites from years of making jams and chutneys for the St. Paul Farmers Market and using them during the holidays:
- fig jam with blue cheese
- hot pepper jelly with cream cheese (the classic)
- apricot preserves with brie
- red currant jelly with aged cheddar
- fruit chutneys with manchego or gruyere
For a deeper dive with a full pairing chart, check out this guide to cheese and jam pairings.
2. Savory Sauces
Quick & Easy Recipes:
In saucepan, mix preserves with some orange juice, cornstarch, soy sauce and mustard; heat over med-high until thoroughly combined and use as a sauce for meatballs, little smokies, or any of your favorite proteins;
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- Red Currant jelly
- Plum jams
- Sour cherry jams
- Low sugar blueberry jams
Making your own jams and preserves opens up even more possibilities in the kitchen. For a full overview of preservation methods from canning to drying to fermenting, check out these 10 ways to preserve fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.
3. Marinades
Quick & Easy Recipes:
Heat 1/2 jar of fruit jam in saucepan and mix in 1 Tbsp. mustard, 2 cloves garlic and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Place protein of choice (chicken, pork, fish or ribs) in plastic bag, pour marinade over it and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
Remove meat or fish from bag and place on grill or roast in oven. Use any marinade that has accumulated in the bottom of the roaster to baste the meat the last 5-10 minutes.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- Blueberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce on Pork Chops
- Tart cherry jams
- Peach jams
4. Shakes or Smoothies
Smoothie Ideas:
In blender, add some frozen vanilla yogurt, a banana, some jam of your choice, some skim milk and/or some fruit juice or water (to help liquefy).
Add protein powder or flax to blender if desired. Blend to desired thickness.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- Blueberry jam is my favorite for this
- All jams will work for smoothies…pick your favorite fruit
5. Breakfasts
Easy Ideas:
- Spread soft jams over pancakes or waffles
- dollop tomato jam or savory jam on omelets
- stir fruit jams into plain yogurt or into oatmeal.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- hot pepper jellies
- berry jams
- tomato jam
6. Sauces & Dips
Easy Ideas:
- add Dijon mustard to a citrus jam and use with fish
- melt hot pepper jellies and use as dipping sauce for eggrolls, wontons, samosas, etc.
- use fruit jam as a base for your favorite BBQ sauce recipe
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- citrus jams
- hot pepper jellies
- berry jams
7. For Beverages:
Creative Ideas:
Jellies can be used as an easy enhancement to cocktails, turning a simple cocktail into a “craft cocktail”. There is a range of cocktails and mocktails that can be made with fruit syrups (which is often just a jelly without the pectin).
Here is an ideas to get you started:
Prosecco Sparkler: warm up your favorite jelly (not jam) until liquefied and stir several tablespoons into glass of chilled prosecco or other sparkling white wine.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- pear jellies
- strawberry jelly
- herbal jellies
- Blueberry Mojito: Check out this easy recipe for making your own blueberry mojito with fresh or frozen blueberries
- Lime marmalade margarita: Add several tablespoons of lime or lemon jams to your recipe for margaritas and blend.
8. Sandwiches & Burgers
Easy Recipes:
Panini: Use basting brush to spread olive oil or softened butter on outside of 2 slices of robust bread (or sourdough bread); layer inside of sandwich with cheese and a fruit jam or fruit butter (prosciutto or other meat sliced thin can also be added);
Place sandwich in Panini machine, oiled sides of bread on outside (touching grills) and close machine until cheese is melted and bread slightly browned.
If you do not have a Panini machine, just grill above sandwich like a grilled cheese sandwich.
PBJ’s: Try peanut-butter-jelly sandwiches with a bold jam or jelly to get a taste treat.
Hamburgers: I use a sweet-tart jam on one side of bun, ketchup on the other side of the bun and the hamburger of your choice in the middle for a wonderful tart and savory combination.
I love this with a ground chuck patty and an egg as the protein in the middle, and jam on the buns…scrumptious).
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- chutneys
- pumpkin butter
- fruit jams
9. Sweet Treats & Desserts
Here are a few of the many ways jams can be used in desserts
Chocolate-Raspberry Panini with Mascarpone: Butter 4 slices of French bread and arrange on baking sheet, buttered side down. Spread each with 1 Tbsp preserves.
Sprinkle chopped bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao) over each, leaving 1/2-inch border. Spread 6 Tbsp mascarpone cheese evenly over plain side of remaining 4 bread slices.
Sandwich cookies: Spread generous tsp of jam between two of your favorite cookies (oatmeal or ginger cookies work great).
Bars: Use as filling in any of your favorite bar recipes (i.e., raspberry-almond bars)
Empanads: Use as a filling for empanadas
Mini-tarts: Try these easy jam tarts for an easy recipe to do with kids) Basically roll out a pie crust and line a small circle of dough in miniature muffin cups or some sort of shallow mold. Fill with jam and bake until crust is golden and filling bubbles thickly.
Ice cream topping: Spoon sweet jams over ice cream fruit jams are especially good with ice cream, but the hot pepper jams are a nice twist.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- sweeter jams
- hot pepper jellies
- citrus marmalades
10. Mustard-Jam Mixtures for Vegetables:
Easy Idea:
Vegetable toppings: combine 1/3 cup jam (go for less sweet jams or chutneys) with 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp lemon juice; heat until melted and drizzle over vegetables
Protein toppings: mix 1/2 cup of mustard (coarse grain) with 1/4 jam and top a pork tenderloin with the mixture. Wrap in foil and cook 25 minutes at 350 F.
Recommended Jams/Jellies
- currant jelly
- stone fruit jams
- fruit chutneys
11. And, of course, TOAST!
All of the jams, jellies and preserves are wonderful with toast and all kinds of breads (bagels, cornbread, etc.)
FAQ
Less sweet jams like red currant, sour cherry, and stone fruit jams work well. Hot pepper jellies and chutneys are also excellent for savory applications.
Yes. Warm the jam slightly to thin it, then mix into cocktails. Jellies (without fruit pieces) blend more smoothly than chunky jams.
Refrigerator jam keeps 2-3 weeks. Properly canned jam keeps a year or more unopened.
Jam is made with crushed fruit. Jelly is made with fruit juice only (no pieces). Preserves have larger chunks of fruit.
Fig jam with blue cheese, hot pepper jelly with cream cheese, and fruit chutneys with aged cheddar are classic pairings. Here is a pairing chart. for jams and cheeses.
Besides all the ideas above, homemade jam makes great holiday gifts in small jars, can be stirred into plain yogurt for kids, used as a filling for thumbprint cookies, or warmed and drizzled over ice cream. If you have more than you can use, jam also freezes well for up to a year.
In some recipes, yes. Jam can replace sugar in marinades, salad dressings, and glazes. For baking, it’s trickier because the pectin and fruit change the texture. Jam works best as a filling or topping rather than as a sugar substitute in dough or batter.
Are jams and preserves slow carb or low carb?
Traditional jams are high in sugar and not compliant with slow carb or strict low carb diets. Low sugar or no-sugar-added jams are better options for low carb plans. The savory uses (marinades, sauces, cocktails) use small amounts where the sugar per serving is minimal.
Great back pocket ideas. Thanks for taking the time to share them. Into my recipe folder they go.
Thanks for commenting Cheri. Someday I’ll get around to updating the photos. The ideas are solid but the photos need an overhaul!
wow i am loving this
Thank you so much for commenting (and for liking it!).