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This small batch cranberry jam is made from scratch with no added pectin. Fresh or thawed frozen cranberries simmer in orange juice and cinnamon for 15 minutes, until they burst into a spoonable, sweet-tart sauce
Featured Comment
“This is a great recipe! I made it last year for my Christmas Eve charcuterie, and my family requested that I make it again for New Year’s Eve this year! Super easy and tasty..”
– Hilary
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Cool Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Equipment: 1-quart saucepan
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 6 (2 tablespoons each)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Deep, concentrated cranberry, tart first and sweet behind it, with fresh orange and a touch of cinnamon.
A full-size jam recipe fills several jars, and this one fills a single small jar, about ¾ cup, which one person can finish before it has a chance to spoil.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Cranberry Jam
Spread this jam on a warm biscuit and the tart hits first, with the orange and the sweetness close behind it. The berries are softened and lightly mashed, so it’s thick enough to stay put on toast and hold its shape on a cracker next to a piece of brie. This is homemade cranberry jam, made without added pectin and it’s made for one or two people.
I make it with the same cranberries, sugar, and orange I use for my small batch cranberry sauce, with more liquid in the pot so the berries break all the way down, and then I mash them into a spread. The orange juice adds a touch of sweetness that balances the cranberries, and the zest and cinnamon go in with everything else so the flavor cooks in.
The whole ingredient list is cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, and ground cinnamon, with no preservatives. It keeps in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 3 months, and if you double it, it makes a holiday gift.
Looking for more small batch recipes to spread it on? Spoon it over Small Batch Cream Scones or Small Batch Butter Swim Biscuits, press it into Small Batch Thumbprint Cookies, and if you like making jam one jar at a time, try my Small Batch Refrigerator Jam.
Ingredients
Six ingredients go into this cranberry orange jam, and because the berries stay soft and only lightly mashed, it’s as much a cranberry preserve as a jam. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Cranberries: Cranberries give the jam its tart flavor, and the pectin they release as they cook is what thickens it, so you don’t need to add any. Use fresh berries, and pick out any that are soft or wrinkled. Frozen cranberries work too; thaw them completely first. A 12-ounce bag holds about 3 cups, and the 2 cups you don’t use here go into a small batch of cranberry orange scones. To freeze extras, spread them on a tray, freeze for 2 hours, then move them to a freezer bag for up to a year.
Sugar: Sugar takes the edge off the cranberries and helps the jam firm up as it cools. With less sugar the jam stays soft and tastes sharper.
Water: Water gives the berries enough liquid to break down fully before the pot goes dry, and most of it cooks off.
Orange juice: Orange juice adds a touch of sweetness that balances the cranberries. Lemon juice works in its place, but the jam will taste much more tart, so add a little extra sugar to taste. Extra juice can be used in small batch morning glory muffins or a tequila sunrise.
Orange zest: Orange zest gives the jam an orange flavor the juice alone can’t. Zest only the orange layer of the peel, since the white pith underneath tastes bitter.
Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a light warmth to the jam. A cinnamon stick dropped into the pot gives a deeper spice flavor; pull it out before you mash.
Recipe Variations
These swaps change the flavor or texture of this cranberry jam recipe.
Pear Cranberry Jam
Peel and finely dice ¼ cup of ripe pear and add it to the saucepan with the cranberries. Pear is sweeter and softer than cranberry, so the jam comes out milder.
Cranberry Ginger Jam
Add ¼ teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the saucepan with the cranberries. The ginger gives the jam a warm bite that goes well with cheese and pork.
Smooth Cranberry Jam
For a smooth jam with no pieces of fruit, cook the jam as directed, then purée it with an immersion blender or in a small blender before it cools.
How To Make Small Batch Cranberry Jam
Here’s how to make cranberry jam from fresh cranberries in two steps, with a photo for each. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Add all the ingredients to a 1-quart saucepan and set it over medium heat. Stir now and then until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the berries have burst and the jam has thickened. Press the softened berries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon to lightly mash them, then take the pan off the heat. The jam thickens more as it cools.
Expert Tips
Stir often: With this little liquid and sugar in the pan, the jam sticks and scorches on the bottom fast once it starts to thicken.
Stop while it’s still a little loose: The jam firms up as it cools, and a jam cooked until it looks done on the stove turns stiff and hard to spread once it’s chilled.
Taste before it cools: Some bags of cranberries are more tart than others. If the jam tastes sharp, add another teaspoon of sugar while the pan is still warm enough to dissolve it.
Use a half-pint jar: The whole batch is about ¾ cup, which fits an 8-ounce jar with a little headroom, so one jar holds it for the fridge or for gifting.
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to get your cranberry jam to the thickness and texture you want.
Why isn’t my cranberry jam thickening?
Cranberry jam looks thin while it’s hot, because it firms up as it cools. Let it cool for 10 minutes before you judge it. If it’s still loose once it cools, return it to the saucepan and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring, then mash again.
Why is my cranberry jam too thick after it chills?
Cranberry jam turns stiff after chilling when it cooked a few minutes too long on the stove. Stir in water a teaspoon at a time until it spreads easily. Next time, take the pan off the heat while the jam still looks a little loose.
Why does my cranberry jam taste bitter?
Cranberry jam tastes bitter when the white pith under the orange peel gets into the zest, or when the jam cooks too long. Zest only the orange layer, and stop cooking at 8 to 10 minutes. A teaspoon of sugar stirred in while the jam is warm softens the bitterness in a batch that’s already made.
Why won’t my cranberries break down?
Cranberries stay whole when the heat is too low or when frozen berries went into the pan without thawing. Keep the jam at a steady simmer and give it 2 to 3 more minutes, then press the berries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon.
How To Use Cranberry Jam
Cranberry jam belongs on the Thanksgiving table next to the dinner rolls, and it’s just as good on a weekday morning or a cheese board.
- Pancakes For One: A spoonful melts into a warm stack in place of syrup.
- Panna Cotta For One: The tart jam against the cool, creamy custard is the pairing in the photo above.
- Pork Tenderloin For One: Spread it over the sliced pork, or stir a spoonful into the pan juices for a quick sauce.
- Small Batch Turkey Sliders: Jam in place of cranberry sauce on leftover turkey and a soft roll.
On a holiday cheese board, set the jar next to brie or a sharp cheddar with crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cranberry jam doesn’t need added pectin, because cranberries are one of the highest-pectin fruits and thicken on their own as they cook. This recipe uses none, and the jam still sets.
Cranberry jam keeps for 1 week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Sugar is its only preservative, so freeze any you won’t finish within the week.
Cranberry jam freezes for up to 3 months. Cool it, spoon it into a freezer-safe jar with a little room at the top for expansion, and thaw it in the refrigerator before using.
Frozen cranberries work for cranberry jam as long as they’re thawed first. Thaw them completely before they go into the pan so they break down in the same 8 to 10 minutes as fresh berries.
Cranberry jam and cranberry sauce start with the same ingredients, but the jam cooks with more liquid until the berries collapse and is mashed into a thick spread, while cranberry sauce keeps whole berries and is spooned next to turkey.
This cranberry jam is a refrigerator and freezer jam, and it hasn’t been tested for canning. Keep it in the refrigerator for a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Dried cranberries won’t make this jam, because they’ve been sweetened and dried and don’t release the juice or pectin that fresh berries do. Use fresh or thawed frozen cranberries.
Cranberry jam doubles or triples with no other changes, and a double batch cooks in a 2-quart saucepan so it has room to bubble.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch cranberry jam without pectin please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Small Batch Cranberry Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (or frozen, thawed)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, and ground cinnamon to a 1-quart saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the berries have burst and the jam has thickened.
- Press the softened berries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon to lightly mash them, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Let the jam cool for 10 minutes, then spoon it into a jar or bowl. It thickens more as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can I use lemon juice instead of orange?
You can use lemon juice, but it will give the jam a much more tart flavor. Orange juice adds a touch of sweetness and balances the cranberries nicely, so if you use lemon, you might want to add a little extra sugar to taste.
Just making it now! Wasn’t sure what to do with left over cranberries. I might add them to flapjacks
Hi Joanie love your recipes just wondering if I can use frozen cranberries
Yes, frozen and thawed cranberries work beautifully.
I will make this tomorrow however, what is the thickening agent that changes this from sauce to jam?
The jam gets its thickness from the natural pectin in the fruit.
Like these easy small batch recipes that if needed we can double. Thanks.
Excellent recipe! Thanks for literally getting me out of a “jam” (when I couldn’t find any in stores) 🙂
I just finished a tiny jar of cranberry jam with gin and lavender that was a gift. This recipe should work well as a base for concocting a trial batch to replace it. Thank you!
The other 2 in the gift were “fig with port wine and walnuts”, and “plum with star anise and vanilla”. Your recipe should work as a basis for those as well, so thanks again
Oh, that sounds wonderful!!
This is a great recipe! I made it last year for my Christmas Eve charcuterie, and my family requested that I make it again for New Year’s Eve this year! Super easy and tasty with crackers and cheese!
Where did you that cute container for the cranberry jam?
From a Texas thrift shop many years ago.
Made it last night with leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving and oh I LOVE IT! Thank you for this super simple but delicious recipe! Sending lots of love and prayers your way.
Thank you. I’m so glad you love the recipe.
Today, I’m making this cranberry jam for the third time! I made it twice last year and will make it several times this year. It’s wonderful on cream scones, English muffins, and vanilla ice cream. Cranberry is one of my favorite flavors and I love having fresh jam on hand. Great way to use extra cranberries but the recipe is so good I bought an extra bag of fresh cranberries this year to make jam. Thank you for the keeper!
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Laurie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
I am looking for a cute gift to give to my coworkers in my office. Some of them work opposite shifts than I. Can I prepare this like I was canning them. And put in small mason jars and seal the lids like would normally do for canning?
Will that make them shelf stable outside the frig?
Thanks so much for the info.
Hi Gina, I really don’t know the answer to your question. I’ve never experimented with canning this jam.
Like these easy small batch recipes that if needed we can double. Thanks.
This is a delicious, easy recipe. I just made two batches (3 cups of cranberries each), adding more sugar to the second batch. I poured the warm jam into warm half pint jelly jars and processed in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. Each batch yielded 3 half pints.
The jam turned out great. It tastes delicious. Thanks for sharing an amazing recipe!
What’s the shelf life of cranberry preserves?
Cranberry jam will keep in the refrigerator for three weeks. You can freeze jam by pouring the cooled jam into a clean jar with a lid. It will keep for 6-8 months in the freezer.
I don’t necessarily like the chunks of cranberry in this. I am also looking to make cranberry Jam to use as a tenderloin sauce with ginger and rosemary. Which by the way was a hellofresh recipe.
I’m wondering if you could run the Cranberries through a blender first so it chops them all up and then cook everything. Or should you cook the Jam first per your instructions and then throw the whole mix into the blender for a smoother Jam. Thoughts please thank you
I would cook the jam first and then either use a blender or an immersion blender to puree the cranberries.
Perfect find! I’m also trying to copy the tenderloin recipe from HelloFresh! Thanks for posting this!
Can i use dry cranberrries for this recipe
No. Fresh or frozen cranberries work best.
Absolutely lovely! Because I am using it to fill lemon cupcakes, I did slice my fresh cranberries in half before cooking and then pressed the finished jam through a sieve while still warm. The jam thickened beautifully and the taste is spot-on: tart but not too tart. Thanks much for sharing your recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the jam. Thank you so much for your feedback.
This was just wonderful! I made a second batch with doubled portions and am giving them as gifts to all my friends who love cheese – this, as you said, will be the perfect complement to that that! Thank you for this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It does make a wonderful gift. Thank you.
This is so good!! I was searching for a way to use my leftover cranberries. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Haven’t made the jam yet. Looks wonderful. I am interested to know where I might find the beautiful jar used in your blog?
Thank you. I love that little jar and I think it was a lucky find at a thrift store a few years ago.
LOVED THIS Cranberry Jam. It was the perfect amount for the recipe I needed and was easy to make. It turned out with a nice consistency and was delicious – not too sweet. I used it for a pork tenderloin, adding fresh ginger and fresh minced rosemary which gave it a savory touch. I have pinned this recipe and saved it to my phone. I will be making this again and highly recommend it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and bet it was wonderful with the pork. I am definitely going to add the jam the next time I make pork tenderloin.
I have found freezing things like this in the really small squares is just perfect. each square has a lid that fits tight and holds 1/2 cup.. I keep a supply on hand
I used thawed cranberries and it came out great. The jam is fresh and fruity.
I’m allergic to oranges, can i use another juice such as lemon instead?
Penny, have you made this jam recipe yet? You can use lemons but the taste will be different, not as sweet since lemons are not sweet.
Could frozen cranberries be used?
Yes, just be sure to thaw them first.
Joanie