Carrot Cake Jam
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Rich with warming spices, this carrot cake jam is seriously dessert in a jar! It’s got sweetness from pineapple, tartness from fresh lemon, and those wonderful carrot cake spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Spoon some on top of fresh sourdough with a smear of cream cheese and you’ll be enjoying dessert for breakfast in just a few minutes!
Carrot cake jam might sound unexpected, but give it a try, and you'll see why it's special. It's inspired by my sourdough carrot cake (just like my sourdough carrot cake cookies, and this reader favorite sourdough carrot cake bread), and includes the warm spices, gentle sweetness, and a touch of brightness that makes an easy treat with a slice of toasted sourdough. It adds a fun and unique touch to an Easter brunch table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Plenty of Carrots - Talk about a wonderfully indulgent way to eat a root vegetable! Whether you’ve got an abundance of carrots from the farm or supermarket, or just a few hanging out in the back of the crisper drawer, this jam is a lovely way to use them up.
Makes a Wonderful Gift - While testing this recipe, I surprised a few people with jars of this unusual jam and everyone has loved it! It’s a great way to get a taste of carrot cake without eating a whole dessert.
No Pectin - I add green apple and fresh lemon, both naturally high in pectin, so there’s no need for commercial pectin.
Ingredients
- Carrots - Any variety, peeled or just scrubbed, it’s up to you.
- Green Apple - High in natural pectin, so it helps the jam set without any added extras. Make sure to keep the peel on. I use green apple in a lot of my chutneys, like this popular tomato chutney.
- Canned Pineapple with Juice - The pineapple adds a lovely sweetness without being too flavor-forward.
- Fresh Lemon - You’ll use both the zest and the juice, so unwaxed is ideal.
- Granulated and Brown Sugars - I used both sugars for extra depth of flavor, but you could use just one if you'd like.
- Ground Cinnamon - Essential for that carrot cake flavor.
- Ground Nutmeg - I happened to have a whole nutmeg that I grated fresh, but usually I have ground. Either one will work, although freshly grated nutmeg smells amazing!
- Ground cloves
- Flaked or desiccated coconut - I like the nutty tropical aroma this adds in at the end, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt - just a pinch helps to bring out the flavor.
How to Make Carrot Cake Jam
Cut the carrots and apple into large chunks. Add them to a food processor and pulse until finely shredded. The mixture should look like very small bits, not a smooth puree.
Add the shredded carrots and apple to a heavy based saucepan. Add the pineapple with its juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir well.
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly so it continues to bubble gently. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft.
If you prefer a smoother jam, carefully use an immersion blender/stick blender or transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until you reach your desired texture. Return the jam to the pot.
Return the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes. It will bubble up, so stir frequently, adjusting the heat as needed. The mixture will thicken.
Stir in the flaked coconut and vanilla extract. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the jam reaches a thick, spoonable consistency.
Carefully ladle the hot jam into the jars using a funnel, leaving about 1 cm of headroom at the top. Seal with lids, let cool on the counter, then transfer to the refrigerator.
While the jam finishes cooking, carefully pour boiling water into the jars. Let them sit for a few minutes, then empty them.
Kate’s Recipe Tips
- I recommend a large pot as the jam bubbles up a bunch at the end. I learned this the hard way and had to wipe up a bunch of jam spatter from my stovetop!
- You can customize this recipe to your own tastes by increasing the fragrant spices, or using fresh ginger instead of dried ground ginger or even adding raisins to the jam.
How To Use/What To Eat With
My family has been eating this jam for breakfast with a smear of cream cheese on buttered toast, or sourdough crumpets, but there are lots of ways to enjoy it.
- It's delicious with my sourdough discard cinnamon sugar crackers, especially with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Carrot cake jam pairs perfectly with clotted cream on a sourdough pumpkin scone or even a sourdough blueberry scone, especially in the spring.
- Flaky sourdough biscuits spread with carrot cake jam make a delicious afternoon treat!
- I love gifting this jam alongside a loaf of carrot cake sourdough bread - pure joy!
How To Store + Freeze
I don't can this jam. I just keep it in the fridge and it's fine this way. It lasts at least a month unopened and around 2 weeks once you open the jar.
You can also freeze the jam in the jars (just ensure you've left plenty of head room for expansion).
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking time can vary widely depending on your pans and your stove. You can increase the temperature if you’re trying to speed things up, but be sure to stir constantly to prevent any sticking or burning. Or, if you notice things moving faster, you can always turn down the heat.
Sure, other spices commonly used in carrot cake are ginger and allspice, so feel free to try those out. Fresh ginger can add quite a spicy zing, so use a small amount of ground ginger if you want a more subtle kick.
Absolutely! You could add in raisins during the first cooking step if you want them to break down more, or stir them in at the end alongside (or instead of) the coconut if you want them to maintain their shape more (this is how I add them to my tomato chutney).
Carrot Cake Jam
Equipment
- Heavy Based Saucepan
- Food Processor
- Jars for Storage (I've used 4 x 250ml jars)
- Stainless Steel Jar Funnel
- Stainless Steel Ladle
- Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 250 g Carrots (scrubbed or peeled, 3 medium carrots)
- 150 g Green Apple (cored, but unpeeled, 1 medium apple)
- 425 g Canned Pineapple (with juice, 1 can)
- 400 g Granulated Sugar
- 250 g Brown Sugar
- 3 g Cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves (ground)
- 20 g Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 5 g Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Cut the carrots and apple into large chunks. Add them to a food processor and pulse until finely shredded. The mixture should look like very small bits, not a smooth puree.
- Add the shredded carrots and apple to a heavy based saucepan. Add the pineapple with its juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir well.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly so it continues to bubble gently. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft.
- If you prefer a smoother jam, carefully use an immersion blender/stick blender to create your desired consistency.
- Return the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes. It will bubble up, so stir frequently, adjusting the heat as needed. The mixture will thicken.
- Stir in the flaked coconut and vanilla extract. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the jam reaches a thick, spoonable consistency.
Prepare and Fill Storage Jars
- While the jam finishes cooking, carefully pour boiling water into the jars. Let them sit for a few minutes, then empty them.
- Carefully ladle the hot jam into the jars using a funnel, leaving about 1 cm of headroom at the top. Seal with lids, let cool on the counter, then transfer to the refrigerator.
Notes
- Don't peel the apple. Keep it on for the natural pectin.
- I recommend a large pot as the jam bubbles up a bunch at the end. I learned this the hard way and had to wipe up a bunch of jam spatter from my stovetop!
Nutrition
