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If you live for apple season, you have to try this caramel apple jam! It’s rich, glossy, and golden brown with a subtle warmth from the spices and bites of tender apple. It’s perfect for serving on ice cream, French toast, or yogurt, and makes a great gift for the holidays!
I’m pretty sure there is nothing as cozy as warm apples. From canning apple butter to baking a big pan of old-fashioned apple crisp, the aroma of apples cooking instantly makes me feel at home.
When I saw a recipe for caramel apple jam pop up in my favorite safe canning Facebook group, I jumped at the opportunity to try it. It was truly love at first bite!
Yes, it does have a lot of sugar, and no, I do not recommend reducing it. Think of this as a special, decadent treat to serve on special occasions or to give as a thoughtful gift.
P.S. This recipe was updated in October 2025 based on changes in the safe canning community. Please read the FAQs for more information!
If you love apple recipes, I suspect you’ll also enjoy this French apple tart (with homemade caramel drizzle) or my buttery apple crumble scones.
What you’ll love about this caramel apple jam recipe:
- Pieces of fresh apple in every bite
- Tastes like everything you love about fall
- Delicious topping for pancakes, waffles, and more
- Makes approximately 7 half pints
- Great for gift-giving (tie with a little twine and add a handwritten label)
- Inexpensive canning project
- Great way to use up extra apples
- Faster alternative to slow cooker apple butter
Equipment
To make and can caramel apple jam, you’ll need basic canning equipment, including:
- Apple peeler (you can use a peeler and knife or a hand-crank apple peeler and slicer)
- Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (I used a 5-quart pot and it was the perfect size)
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
- Water bath canner
- Canning funnel
- Headspace measuring tool
- 7 half-pint jars (or 14 quarter-pint jars)
- Jar lifter
- Clean kitchen towels
I switched to using a digital pressure canner this year, and I love how convenient it is! I don’t have to worry about overloading my glass-top stove with heavy pots, and it’s pretty much failproof. It also works as a water bath canner and is ideal for beginning canners!
Ingredients
- Fresh apples – This recipe works with different types of apples, but I prefer to use firm, tart apples to balance the sweetness and keep their texture. I used McCoun for the batch in these photos, but it’d also be great with Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gravenstein, or Cosmic Crisp. Avoid apples that become mushy after cooking, or they’ll disintegrate during the process.
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Boxed fruit pectin – You can use any type of boxed pectin, but do not substitute low-sugar pectin.
- White sugar
- Brown sugar – There is a lot of sugar in this recipe, but don’t be tempted to reduce it. It’s a key part of the flavor and texture.
How to Make Caramel Apple Jam
This recipe comes from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. It did not include headspace, but based on other jam recipes, I selected to use a 1/4-inch headspace. If you are canning above sea level, you will need to extend your processing time, like other jam recipes.
Make the Jam
- If canning, start warming your canning jars following the instructions in the next section.
- Combine apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, water, lemon juice, and butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot over low heat.
- Heat over low until the apples are tender. (I found it faster to add the lid to help steam the apples a bit.)
- Once the apples have softened, sprinkle the box of pectin and increase to high heat. Stir constantly.
- Add the sugars and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. It needs to boil hard for at least 1 minute or until it begins to thicken. Stir often to avoid burning and be careful not to overcook as it can result in a firm, over-set jam.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
Canning instructions
- Fill water bath canner with 5-6 inches of water. Add jars and cover, then heat over medium heat while preparing the jam. Rinse lids and bands in hot soapy water. Set aside.
- Once the jars are warm, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and place them upside down to strain out excess water.
- Add the canning funnel to the top of each jar and fill with hot jam. Repeat with all jars.
- Once the jars are filled, stir to remove any air bubbles and measure out 1/4 inch headspace.
- Use a clean, damp paper towel or kitchen towel to wipe rims.
- Center lids on jars and then screw on the bands until fingertight.
- Transfer to water bath canner, covering with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
- When the water begins to boil, start timing 10 minutes for processing.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, transfer the jars to a clean, dry kitchen towel and allow them to rest for 12-24 hours.
- Use as desired. When properly canned, jars are shelf-stable for at least 1 year. After opening, store in the fridge and use within several weeks.
Storing Suggestions
You do not have to can this jam if you don’t want to! You can store it in the fridge for about a month or freeze it (leave about an inch of headspace for expansion) for several months.
After canning, the jars are shelf-stable for at least 1 year. Always check your lids before opening. If the seal is not fully suctioned down or you see signs of the jar buckling, dispose of the contents.
Store the jars without the bands to minimize false seals.
After opening, store in the fridge and use within 2-4 weeks.
Make the most of your hard work!
My printable Canning Journal makes it easy to take stock of your inventory, get ready for canning season, plan your next recipe, and create a custom canning recipe book all in one.
Perfect for home canners!
How to Serve Caramel Apple Jam
This is the best part! I like to think of this as a dessert jam. It’s a bit sweet to add to your morning toast (although you certainly can). Instead, I like to add it to:
- Thumbprint cookies (Try it in these Pear Butter Cookies)
- Ice cream or yogurt
- Spooned over waffles, pancakes, or French toast
- Brushed on cinnamon rolls for a pop of apple flavor
Tips & Variations
- Play with spices. This caramel apple jam has a rich, sweet flavor with subtle spices. If you want more of an apple pie jam, increase the cinnamon (or use apple pie spice) to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. This is the ratio I use for apple butter and it works well. You can also try adding a teaspoon of dehydrated vanilla bean for a vanilla flavor. I have not tried this, though! If you do, let me know how it goes.
- Add salt. All the sugar makes this jam quite sweet, and it would taste amazing with about a teaspoon of kosher salt stirred in before canning.
- Mix and match apples. Using different types of apples will offer different textures and flavors. Have fun with it.
FAQs
I found this recipe in a very strict Facebook group that only recommends safe canning recipes. It was initially shared by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, and has been considered a safe canning recipe.
However, the group I found it in no longer recommends this version since it has not been validated by the farm bureau. Instead, they recommend this recipe for Apple Preserves from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
The main difference between the two recipes is 1 cup less sugar, an extra half cup of water, and the inclusion of one tablespoon of lemon juice. They also require a shorter processing time for people at sea level (5 minutes instead of 10).
Personally, I’m going to use up the jars I have from the original recipe because I’m not worried about the safety, but I have adjusted the recipe card to reflect the increased water and lemon juice from the tested version. I have not adjusted the processing times.
I recommend it for a little texture. I didn’t want to hand peel a bunch of apples, so I used my apple crank peeler and slicer, then roughly chopped them. The pieces don’t look quite as perfect as if I’d hand-cut them, but it took much less time, and there are still small pieces in every spoonful.
Nope. This recipe was formulated for half pints, which means you can safely size down but not up. If you want to share some for the holidays, try using quarter-pint jars (4 oz jars). They’re the perfect size and look super cute in gift baskets!
More Canning Recipes
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Caramel Apple Jam Recipe {for Canning}
Ingredients
- 6 cups apples, peeled and diced
- 1 cup water, (increased from 1/2 cup in Oct 2025)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp butter
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 package powdered pectin, 1 3/4 oz.
- 3 cup white sugar
- 2 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
Make the Jam
- *If canning, start warming your jars following the steps in the next section.
- Combine apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, water, lemon juice, and butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot over low heat.6 cups apples, 1 cup water, ½ tsp butter, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Heat over low until the apples are tender. (I found it faster to add the lid to help steam the apples a bit.)
- Once the apples have softened, sprinkle the box of pectin and increase to high heat. Stir constantly.1 package powdered pectin
- Add the sugars and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. It needs to boil hard for at least 1 minute or until it begins to thicken. Stir often to avoid burning and be careful not to overcook as it can result in a firm, over-set jam.3 cup white sugar, 2 cup light brown sugar
- Remove the pot from the heat.
Canning instructions
- Fill water bath canner with enough water to warm jars. Add jars and heat over medium heat while preparing the jam. Rinse lids and bands in hot water. Set aside.
- Once the jars are warm, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and place them upside down to strain out excess water.
- Add the canning funnel to the top of each jar and fill with hot jam. Repeat with all jars.
- Once the jars are filled, stir to remove any air bubbles and measure out 1/4 inch headspace.
- Use a clean, damp paper towel or kitchen towel to wipe rims.
- Center lids on jars and then screw on the bands until fingertight.
- Transfer to water bath canner, covering with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
- When the water begins to boil, start timing 10 minutes for processing.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, transfer the jars to a clean, dry kitchen towel and allow them to rest for 12-24 hours.
- Use as desired. When properly canned, jars are shelf-stable for at least 1 year. After opening, store in the fridge and use within several weeks.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
Post a photo and tag @milkglasshome!Pin this recipe for later!
What kind of apples do you use?
I usually like to use apples that are a little tart and firm, like Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith.