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This small batch cranberry jam is made with fresh or frozen cranberries, sugar, and orange for a sweet and tart flavor. Ready in just 15 minutes, this easy no-pectin jam is perfect for spreading on toast, serving with holiday meals, or adding to your favorite dessert
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
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Ready in about 15 minutes with no added pectin.
- Simple Method: No special equipment or tricky steps required.
- Sweet & Tart Flavor: Cranberries, sugar, and orange create a perfectly balanced jam.
- Versatile: Delicious on toast, desserts, or a holiday cheese board.
- Great for Gifting: Double or triple the batch for homemade holiday gifts.
I love making this small batch cranberry jam because it’s such a simple way to bring fresh cranberry flavor to my table. With just a handful of ingredients, I can whip up a bright, homemade jam that feels special whether I’m spreading it on toast, spooning it over yogurt, or adding it to baked goods.
I especially enjoy making it around Thanksgiving and Christmas when fresh cranberries are easy to find and holiday flavors are at their best.
I also love topping our butter swim biscuits with this jam, spooning it over pancakes for one, or adding a dollop to small batch thumbprint cookies and small batch jam-filled oatmeal bars. It’s wonderful with a single serving of panna cotta, served alongside pork tenderloin, or as a flavorful addition to our Thanksgiving sliders.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy cranberry jam recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Cranberries: Use fresh or thawed frozen cranberries. If you buy a large bag, freeze the extras to reduce waste. Rinse, dry, and freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. They’ll keep for up to 12 months. Extra cranberries can be used to make a small batch of cranberry orange scones.
- Sugar: Offsets the tartness in this sweet-and-tart spread.
- Orange Juice & Zest: Brightens the flavor. You’ll need 4 Tbsp of fresh juice and zest from one small orange. Use extra juice in a small batch of morning glory muffins or a tequila sunrise.
- Cinnamon: Use ground cinnamon or toss in a cinnamon stick for a deeper spice flavor.
How To Make Cranberry Jam
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of cranberry jam. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Add all ingredients to a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the cranberries soften and burst, about 8 to 10 minutes. The jam will thicken as it cooks.
Expert Tips
- Stir Often: Prevents sticking and ensures a smooth texture.
- Adjust Sweetness: Taste as it cooks and add sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Cool Before Storing: The jam thickens as it cools, so let it reach room temperature first.
- Zest Lightly: Avoid the bitter white pith when zesting the orange.
- Store Correctly: Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 2 weeks.
- Make More: Double or triple the recipe if you need extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cranberries are naturally high in pectin, so the jam thickens on its own without any added pectin.
Stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, cranberry jam will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Yes. Once cooled, place the jam in a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Yes, this small batch recipe easily doubles or triples if you’d like to make more for gifts or larger gatherings.
If your jam is too thick, add a splash of water and cook briefly, stirring until you reach your desired consistency.
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 pectin-free cranberry jam or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it.
Small Batch Cranberry Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the cranberries soften and burst, about 8 to 10 minutes. The jam will thicken as it cooks.
- Remove from the heat and cool before transferring to a jar or bowl.
Notes
- Stir Often: Prevents sticking and ensures a smooth texture.
- Adjust Sweetness: Taste as it cooks and add sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Cool Before Storing: The jam thickens as it cools, so let it reach room temperature first.
- Zest Lightly: Avoid the bitter white pith when zesting the orange.
- Store Correctly: Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 2 weeks.
- Make More: Double or triple the recipe if you need extra.
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.
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.