flourished by nature

5 ingredient cherry jam

by

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Cherry season is definitely one of my favorite things about summer. So I always try to make the most of it and use them for all sorts of recipes, like this 5 ingredient cherry jam! It is vegan and naturally gluten free.

Image showing a close up shot of the small jar in which the 5 ingredient cherry jam is inside. The jar has water drops on the outside, making everything look a little more fresh. There are some fresh cherries lying around the jar, a white bowl with more cherries is blearily visible in the background. A tiny silver spoon with an retro looking pattern is inside the jar.

Like most of my family on my dads side (and like my brother), we have a slight obsession with jams. Swirled into yoghurt or porridge, spread onto toast…almost everything with jam is our jam 😉

My grandparents would always eat toasted sourdough with some curd and blueberry jam for breakfast- a combination I can definitely recommend if you haven’t tried it yet!

Jump to:

Ingredients

As the title suggests, you only need 5 ingredients. Ok, 6 ingredients if you count the water:

Image showing the 5 ingredient cherry jam from above. The jam is in a tiny jar. There are cherries lying around the jar and parts of a small white bowl filled with more cherries is visible n the top left corner. There is a blob of jam on the right side of the jar and a tiny silver spoon covered in the 5 ingredient cherry jam. One more spoon is inside the jar.i
  • CHERRIES: You can use fresh or frozen ones. But during cherry season of course it is always nice to use freshly picked ones or those dark red ones from the supermarket or Farmers market!
  • STRAWBERRIES: I wanted to add a bit more variety, so I decided to go with a handful of strawberries.
  • MAPLE SYRUP: To make sure we achieve the right amount of sweetness.
  • ALMOND EXTRACT: Most conventional supermarkets carry almond extract. If you cannot find it, I suggest you stop by at an organic grocery store.
  • AGAR AGAR: Helps to thicken the jam. It’s best to look for agar agar in your local organic supermarket. Make sure you choose a 100% variety as some brands use mixes of different thickeners!

5 ingredient cherry jam in just a few steps

The recipe for this jam is so easy, you can hardly make any mistakes:

  1. First we need to add the cherries, strawberries and maple syrup to a small pot. We bring everything to a quick boil, then reduce the mixture to a simmer on medium heat and let it cook for around 5 minutes until the fruit are soft.
  2. Then we mix in the almond extract and agar agar and cook the jam for 1-2 further minutes until it thickens. Keep stirring throughout the process to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
  3. The final step calls for a hand held blender: We add some water and blend until we reach a completely smooth consistency. If you find the texture to be too thick, just add 1-2 more tablespoons of water.

See? And in the twinkling of an eye you have a delicious jam you can spread onto some bread or stir into your morning oats, yoghurts or use it for baking.

Image showing the 5 ingredient cherry jam from above in a close up shot. The jam is in a tiny jar. There are cherries lying around the jar and a blob of the jam is to its right side. The top of a tiny silver spoon is visible, covered in cherry jam. There is another tiny silver spoon inside the jar as well.

Substitutions

You can swap the following ingredients if you do not have them on hand:

STRAWBERRIES – You could use raspberries instead.
MAPLE SYRUP – Any other liquid sweetener would work just as fine, like date syrup or coconut blossom syrup.

Storage how-to

It is really important to let the jam cool completely before transferring to the fridge. Once ready, place an (airtight) lid on top and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

If you know that you will not consume it within this time span, you can also freeze it in an airtight container or into ice cube forms for about 2-3 months.

THER CHERRY RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE

Lets get started!

I hope I could convince you to give this 5 ingredient cherry jam a try! And before you head to the kitchen, please remember to let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating. I am also always happy to see your recreations, so please feel free to tag me on instagram or send me pic!!!

ALL THE BEST

Print Pin

5 ingredient cherry jam

Cherry season is definitely one of my favorite things about Summer. So I always try to make the most of it and turn them into all sorts of recipes, like this 5 ingredient cherry jam! It is vegan and naturally gluten free.
Course Dessert, Snack, spread, sweets
Keyword breakfast, dessert, gluten free, nut free, snack, spread, sweets, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 1 small batch*
Author Julia

Ingredients

  • 200 g cherries (pitted and halved)**
  • 50 g strawberries ***
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) maple syrup ***
  • 1/4 Tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 Tbsp agar agar
  • 4-5 Tbsp water

Instructions

  • Add the cherries, strawberries and maple syrup to a small pot. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium heat and let everything cook for around 5 minutes until the fruit are soft.
  • Add the almond extract and agar agar and cook for 1-2 further minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir continuously. Let cool a bit.
  • Add the water and blend until completely smooth with the help of an immersion blender. If you find the texture too thick, just add 1-2 more tablespoons of water.
  • Transfer to a glas jar and let cool completely. Then place the (airtight) lid on top and store in the fridge. The jam will keep for 2-3 days . ENJOY!

Notes

*This makes a rather small amount of cherry jam, but is just right if you eat it within a few days. Otherwise, you can just up the amount of the ingredients.
**You can use fresh or frozen ones.
***Instead of strawberries, you could also use raspberries.
***If you do not have maple syrup, opt for any other liquid sweetener you have on hand!

More Sweets