This quick and easy cinnamon apple jam tastes just like apple pie! Combine a variety of apples with warm spices, gelatin, and reduced sugar for a sweet, tart spread.
Not that long ago, while cleaning out the fridge, I found a bundle of apples that kept getting pushed to the bottom of the crisper drawer.
They were slightly bruised, some of them had cut skin, and more than a few were getting wrinkly. They were ugly, and I wouldn’t have wanted to eat them either!
But eating the food we have is key to avoiding food waste and eating within a budget. Ugly fruit is perfect for things like Cheesecake Blueberry Smoothies, Berry Pies, and Banana Ice Cream.
Ugly apples, in particular, are perfect for Homemade Apple Sauce and cinnamon apple jam!
EASY APPLE JAM RECIPE
My mother-in-law makes AMAZING apple pie jelly, and while this isn’t her recipe, I think it’s just as delicious (and my kids agree).
For all of those who aren’t sure if they can make apple jam or jelly themselves, let me reassure you. This apple jam recipe is:
- Super easy. A bunch of chopping, yes, but then it’s just stirring. You can stir!
- Filled with flavor. I’m talking burst-in-your-mouth flavor that makes you want to eat the jar with a spoon.
- Super flexible. It truly doesn’t matter what type of apples you have – they’ll all work. I’ve used Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith Apples, Honeycrisp, and some unknown pink one. It was AMAZING!
- Freezable. Here’s the thing… I’m not a big canner. I know how to can a few things well, and that’s pretty much it. But I can freeze like a champ, and I assure you that this apple pie jam is DEFINITELY freezer-friendly!
APPLE JAM VS APPLE JELLY RECIPE
If you use fruit, you’re technically making jam. If you use fruit JUICE, you’re technically making jelly.
And if you leave apple chunks of fruit in it, it can be called preserves or French apple jam.
In this case, we’re using whole fruit that’s also making juice… so I don’t think it really matters if we call it apple cinnamon jam or apple jelly. I’ve called it both.
Just make it and enjoy, mkay?
LOW SUGAR APPLE CINNAMON JAM RECIPE WITHOUT PECTIN
You don’t need a ton of ingredients for this apple jelly recipe, but here’s what you do need:
- Apples. You need a lot of apples (it doesn’t matter what kind). Try choosing a mix of tart and sweet, firm and soft. Or grab what’s on sale or at the orchard.
- Sugar. You don’t need a lot of sugar here, and in fact, you could get away with LESS than what the recipe calls for. I used turbinado, but you can use white sugar.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Cloves. The usual suspects when you want the taste of apple pie. I did not use ginger, although that is common in apple pie filling.
- Gelatin. Gelatin is cooked collagen (read about the benefits of collagen here). In this apple jam recipe, the gelatin is the thickening agent and helps firm up our jelly since we’re not using the apple skins (where most of the natural pectin is). Like collagen, I only use and recommend Perfect Supplements brand gelatin.
Did you notice what was missing?
There’s NO pectin and VERY LOW SUGAR! And the best part is that you could probably reduce the sugar even more! There’s also no lemon juice, although some people enjoy adding a splash to balance out the sweetness of apple jam recipes.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE JAM
Making jellies and jams can be super intimidating, but this apple jam comes together REALLY quickly and easily. It’s perfect for beginners and will give you the taste of apple pie without actually baking an apple pie!
Here’s the basic 5-step process:
Step 1. Chop up all the apples and put them with the sugar and spices in a big pot. Bring to a simmer, just under a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 2. When the apples release enough juices, scoop out at least ¼ cup with a measuring glass. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the juice and let it sit to bloom.
Step 3. Meanwhile, cook down the apples until they are soft and the juices have mostly evaporated, stirring often to prevent burning.
Step 4. When there’s barely any juice left, remove the pot from the heat. Whisk the gelatin into the reserved juices and pour into the apple mixture. Stir very well with a spatula.
Step 5. Distribute among pint-sized jars (like these). Clean the rims with a towel and screw on each lid tightly. Set aside to cool completely before storing in the freezer.
That’s it! That doesn’t sound hard, does it? You can do this!
RECIPE OF APPLE JAM TIPS
A lot of the variation in apple jam recipes comes down to personal preference. Do you like your apple jam smooth or chunky? More sweet or less sweet? You get to make it just how you like it!
- You can reduce the sugar to 1 ½ cups for a less sweet recipe of apple jam.
- For larger batches, that means reducing the sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup for every 5 pounds of apples.
- To make your apple jam smoother, use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the apples as they cook. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the finished jam if you prefer a completely smooth texture.
SERVE APPLE CINNAMON JAM WITH
Enjoy the recipe of apple jam in all sorts of ways!
- Spread it on Homemade Bread
- Load up biscuits with butter and jam
- Start your morning with a slice of Sourdough Toast or an English Muffin with apple jelly
- Dollop some on Vanilla Ice Cream
- Spoon over Oatmeal Pancakes or Cinnamon Waffles
- Stir it into oatmeal or yogurt
HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE JAM FIT WITH YOUR MACROS
Even when you’re working on specific food goals, you can still have apple jam! You just want to make sure you track it accurately.
Because of the sugar and the apples, this apple jam recipe will be mostly carbs. It also gives you fiber, which helps you feel full.
When you spread apple jam on toast, you’ll typically use about 1 Tablespoon, which is about the size of your thumb. If you’re counting macros, it’s worth measuring and weighing the first time so that you can estimate it accurately in the future.
RECIPES APPLE JAM FAQS
Do recipes apple jam need pectin?
Obviously, no! You can make this with gelatin, and it works just as well.
How do you make apple jam with very low sugar?
This recipe uses a 1:5 ratio of sugar to apples, and the sugar helps to set the apples and offset the tartness. My kids thought it was perfect, but you could reduce the sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup for every 5 pounds of apples, and it would turn out just as good!
What is the difference between apple jam recipes and apple preserves recipes?
It comes down to texture. Jam recipes use crushed or mashed fruit, while preserves usually contain larger pieces of fruit. How you choose to mash up the pieces of cooked apple is up to you!
Is apple butter the same as apple jam?
Not quite! Apple butter cooks down for a longer time, resulting in a darker color and smoother texture. You can find my hands-off Apple Butter Recipe here.
MORE YUMMY JAMS AND SPREADS
- No-Cook Freezer Strawberry Jam
- Homemade Apple Butter
- Homemade Nut Butter
- Cinnamon Cocoa Hemp Butter
- Failproof Homemade Mayo
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This quick and easy cinnamon apple jam tastes just like apple pie! Combine a variety of apples with warm spices, gelatin, and reduced sugar for a sweet, tart spread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Makes 5 pints of apple jam 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Stove Top Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 10 cups ¼” diced apples (about 4 pounds) (1816g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar** (400g)
- 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon (23g)
- 1 ½ tsp nutmeg (3g)
- ½ tsp cloves (2g)
- 1 ½ tsp gelatin (I recommend Perfect Supplements) (5g)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- After a while, the apples will start to release their juices. When they do, use a glass measuring cup like this one to measure out ¼ cup of juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juices and let it sit to bloom.
- Meanwhile, let the apples continue to cook until they become soft and the juices have mostly evaporated. Stir often to prevent burning.
- When there’s very little juice left in the pot, remove the apples from the heat. Whisk the gelatin in the measuring cup with the liquid, and then pour the liquid into the apple mixture. Stir well.
- Distribute between pint-sized jars like these and let the apple jam cool completely before storing in the freezer.
Notes
***You can reduce the sugar to 1 ½ cups for a less sweet apple jam.
***For even less sugar, you could reduce the sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup for every 5 pounds of apples, and it would turn out just as good!
I made this. It was very tasty, but I don’t think I cooked it long enough the apples weren’t soft enough. But it was great on a cracker with sharp cheese. I used the jam to make an apple crisp and that softened the apples to a better consistency. I’m making it again but cooking it longer. I also chopped some crystallized ginger.
Is this recipe shelf stable if I want to water bath can instead of freeze?
Hi Stacy,
Yes, as long as you use the proper and complete canning method. Hope this helps!