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Home » Recipes » Other Treats

Pineapple Jam

Updated: Mar 31, 2025 · Published: Apr 18, 2022 by Kathleen Culver · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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An easy, small batch fresh pineapple jam recipe made with just three ingredients: fresh pineapple, lime juice and granulated sugar. Enjoy this vibrant golden, flavor packed homemade pineapple jam on toast or scones, as a filling in cake, or with your favorite pastries. Or eat it straight from the spoon while imagining yourself on a tropical island.

A glass jar of pineapple jam with a spoon inside.

I recently made a recipe for Puerto Rican quesitos, which are cream cheese filled pastries made with flaky puff pastry. One of the variations on the traditional recipe called for the addition of pineapple jam, so I made my own easy, no pectin pineapple jam since it's not a common item in stores.

It's a basic, small batch pineapple jam recipe that requires only three ingredients. You can put it together in less than an hour and you'll end up with a pint jar (2 cups) of golden yellow jam that's packed with tropical pineapple flavor.

It's a versatile recipe that is just as easily spread onto toast as used as a filling in a layer cake. I imagine it's delightful with my brown sugar layer cake with creme fraiche frosting. You could sub the jam for the rhubarb compote. You can find an extensive list of recommended uses for the jam here.

As you'll see, this is a pretty thick, reduced jam as I wanted to remove extra moisture before adding it to pastries. If you like a looser, more runny jam, cook it for the shorter time so there's more juice remaining.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Recipe Tips
  • Jam vs Jelly
  • Recommended Uses
  • 📖 Recipe
  • More recipes with jam
  • 💬 Comments
A glass jar of golden colored jam with a spoon inside.

Ingredients

Fresh pineapple - This recipe uses a whole fresh pineapple of average size. When cut, mine ended up yielding 725 grams (about 4.5 cups) of chopped pineapple. Read here for tips on how to know if a pineapple is ripe.

Granulated sugar - to add sweetness to the jam and help preserve it once cooked.

Fresh lime juice - The lime juice isn't needed for acidity (pineapple is already acidic enough) but lime juice adds citrus flavor and helps balance the sweetness.

* See recipe card for detailed quantities.

Ingredients for pineapple jam.
A pineapple split in half with the centers facing upwards.

Instructions

How to make pineapple jam:

A peeled pineapple on a cutting board, crushed pineapple in a food processor, raw pineapple with sugar and lime juice in a saucepan, and cooked pineapple jam.

Step 1: Roughly chop the peeled and cored pineapple and place into the bowl of a food processor or blender.

Step 2: Pulse briefly, enough to chop the pineapple into medium-fine pieces, but not enough to puree it.

Step 3: Add pineapple to a 3 quart saucepan along with the sugar and lime juice. Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer. It should simmer with purpose - a weak simmer will work but will extend the cooking time. Do not cover.

Step 4: Simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until jam has thickened and reduced significantly. When you draw a spoon through the jam, the trail should not cover with liquid. I reduced my jam significantly as I'll be using it in a cream cheese pastry recipe where I don't want extra moisture. At the end of cooking, my jam was beginning to make a light sizzling noise on the bottom of the pan. It will thicken a bit more as it cools.

Note - for a thinner jam with more moisture, reduce cooking time by about 10-15 minutes.

Set a timer ever 5 minutes if needed so that you remember to stir your jam as it reduces.

A jar of pineapple jam with a hand holding a jam filled spoon.

Substitutions

Canned pineapple - You can substitute canned pineapple for this recipe, but I much prefer fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple has an excellent, robust flavor and a more vibrant color.

Canned pineapple frequently has a metallic taste and is much more one dimensional in flavor. It will also be much more pale in color. If you do use canned pineapple, make sure that it is canned in 100% juice rather than sugar syrup. Drain the juice and proceed with the recipe as written.

Lemon Juice - If you don't have a lime on hand, substituting lemon juice is fine.

Variations

If you wish to try some variations on this pineapple jam recipe, consider the following:

  • Spicy - for pineapple jalapeños jam, add 1 or 2 seeded and minced jalapeños with the other ingredients for some spicy kick. If you really like spice, you could substitute a habanero pepper for the jalapeños. Careful - they're about 76 times hotter than the average jalapeño.
  • Spiked - stir in a tablespoon of rum when the jam is mostly cooked down to your preferred thickness.

Equipment

3 quart saucepan - The pan you use (along with the strength of your burner) will impact the total cooking time needed to reduce the jam to your preferred consistency. I use a thick bottomed saucepan to help ensure that my jam doesn't burn while I'm cooking it.

Storage

Store this fresh pineapple freezer jam for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Alternatively, you can freeze the jam for up to 3 months.

Recipe Tips

Keep an eye on the jam as it reduces. There will be a fair amount of liquid from the pineapple juice at the beginning. However, as the water content evaporates, you will need to stir the mixture more frequently to prevent it from burning.

A spoonful of jam resting atop a jar of jam on a small plate.

Jam vs Jelly

This is not pineapple jelly. Jelly has been strained to remove all pieces of fruit and contains just the juices, sweetener and a thickener such as pectin. It is usually transparent and has a smooth consistency.

Jam uses crushed or diced fruit and has a more rustic, chunky texture. It is slightly looser in consistency than jelly.

Preserves are basically a thicker version of jam that often use large pieces of fruit, or whole fruits. They have a very thick and chunky texture.

This pineapple recipe probably falls somewhere in the middle between jam and preserves, depending on how small you dice your pineapple.

Recommended Uses

There are endless ways to use this jam besides just putting it onto your toast!

  • Add a teaspoon to the cream cheese filling in these Puerto Rican Quesitos (delicious puff pastry sweets!)
  • Spread this jam onto scones, quickbreads or bagels
  • Use as a filling for a layer cake or cupcakes
  • Top a creamy cheesecake
  • Try a nut butter and pineapple jam sandwich for a tropical variation on the classic peanut butter and jelly
  • Spread some jam inside your grilled cheese sandwich
  • Top a wheel of brie or some goat cheese with this jam
  • Stir into cream cheese to make a pineapple spread
  • Mix a few spoonfuls into a bowl of Greek yogurt
  • Add a tablespoonful to your vinaigrette
  • As a topping for chicken or pork
A piece of toast spread with bright yellow pineapple jam on a plate.

Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!

📖 Recipe

A mason jar of golden yellow jam.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Pineapple Jam

An easy, small batch fresh pineapple jam recipe made with just three ingredients: fresh pineapple, lime juice and granulated sugar. Enjoy this vibrant golden, flavor packed homemade pineapple jam on toast or scones, as a filling in cake, or with your favorite pastries.
AuthorKathleen Culver
Prep time15 minutes minutes
Cook time30 minutes minutes
Total time1 hour hour
Servings2 cups (1 pint jar, 500 mL)
Prevent your screen from going dark

INGREDIENTS

  • 725 grams (4.5 cups) fresh pineapple, peeled and cored (1 large)
  • 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed from 1 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Roughly chop the peeled and cored pineapple and place into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse briefly, enough to chop the pineapple into medium-fine pieces, but not enough to puree it.
    725 grams (4.5 cups) fresh pineapple
  • Add pineapple to a 3 quart saucepan along with the sugar and lime juice. Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer. It should simmer with purpose - a weak simmer will work but will extend the cooking time. Do not cover.
    200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • Simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until jam has thickened and reduced significantly. When you draw a spoon through the jam, the trail should not cover with liquid. At the end of cooking, the jam will begin to make a light sizzling noise on the bottom of the pan. It will thicken a bit more as it cools.
    I reduced my jam a lot as I was using it in a pastry recipe where I didn't want extra moisture. If you prefer a looser jam with more moisture, reduce simmering time by 10-15 minutes.
  • Cool jam, and transfer to an airtight container such as a lidded glass jar. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

EQUIPMENT

  • 3 quart saucepan

NOTES

  • For this recipe, I really feel fresh pineapple is best. You can substitute with canned pineapple, but it will not have the same vibrant flavor.
  • Look for pineapple canned in 100% juice. It should not be in sugar syrup.
  • You may substitute lemon juice if you don't have lime juice.
  • The pan you use (along with the strength of your burner) will impact the total cooking time needed to reduce the jam to your preferred consistency.
  • I use a thick bottomed 3 quart saucepan to help ensure that my jam doesn't burn while I'm cooking it.
  • Keep an eye on the jam as it reduces.
  • There will be a fair amount of liquid from the pineapple juice at the beginning.
  • However, as the water content evaporates, you will need to stir the mixture more frequently to prevent it from burning.
  • If helpful, set a timer every 5 minutes so you remember to stir!
  • I reduced my jam significantly as I was using it in a pastry recipe for Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries (Quesitos) where I didn't want extra moisture.
  • If you prefer a looser jam with more moisture, reduce simmering time by 10-15 minutes.
  • Store this fresh pineapple freezer jam for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Freeze the jam for up to 3 months.

More recipes with jam

  • Nussecken bars dipped in chocolate on a white fluted plate.
    Nussecken (German Nut Corners)
  • A lattice topped crostata di marmellata with one slice removed.
    Crostata di Marmellata (Italian Jam Tart)
  • A baked tarte aux figues with a slice cut out, with fig leaves and honey nearby.
    Tarte aux Figues (French Fig Tart)
  • Baked pastries on white parchment on a white ceramic plate. A small metal sieve of powdered sugar rests on the right of the plate. A bit of a light blue napkin peeks into the frame at bottom right. The plate rests on a tan stone surface.
    Quesitos (Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries)

Comments

    4.29 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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  1. Claire says

    March 30, 2025 at 11:36 pm

    This is not a jam, it's stewed pineapple. I don't know how it has such a good review. What a waste of my afternoon and an amazing pineapple. I wish I could give it no stars.

    Reply
    • Kathleen Culver says

      March 31, 2025 at 10:27 am

      Hi Claire,

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t turn out as you expected. I understand your frustration, especially after investing time and ingredients into the process.

      This recipe for pineapple jam is intentionally thicker than traditional jams, which I mention in the post. I also include step-by-step photos to show exactly what the final outcome should look like. It's definitely a thicker consistency since I created it specifically for use in a pastry where the extra moisture wouldn't be helpful.

      It’s clear from your comment that there was a misunderstanding about the recipe's outcome. I've added a clarifying note so readers know they can cook the recipe less for a looser, more moist jam.

      I’m always open to feedback and suggestions for improvement. If you encountered any specific issues with the recipe or if there’s something in particular that went differently for you, I’d love to hear more. This helps me continue to refine my recipes and ensure they work well for all of my readers.

      I hope you’ll consider giving the recipe another try. I’m here to help if you need any further assistance.

      Kathleen

      Reply
  2. Jack says

    September 25, 2024 at 3:32 pm

    Follow-up - I just noticed the "cups" measurement for the sugar ingredient doesn't change either.

    Reply
  3. Jack says

    September 25, 2024 at 3:30 pm

    Just an FYI - for folks who rely on "cups" rather than grams in recipes, I noticed that the "cups" of pineapple does not change depending on the portion size. It always stays at "4.5 Cups" for 1X, 2X and 3X, regardless of which one was chosen. Haven't made this yet, am making it tomorrow, but I noticed this anomaly when I was printing out the recipe.

    Reply
    • Kathleen Culver says

      September 25, 2024 at 4:31 pm

      Hi Jack,
      Thank you very much for the note!
      I have to manually tweak the recipe card to convert the cups portion as it doesn't work automatically.
      I missed those ones, and have now updated them so they'll increase along with the portion size selected.
      I appreciate it.
      Kathleen

      Reply
  4. PMA says

    June 25, 2024 at 3:00 pm

    Was perfect to use to fill Scottish Pineapple Tarts.
    I added the optional tot of rum - YUM
    We are eating it with yoghurt too!

    Reply

Hi! I'm Kathleen.

I'm the baker, food photographer and chief mess maker behind the Floured Table. I share my passion for delicious desserts by providing you with well tested, approachable recipes you can confidently recreate at home.

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