This Vegan Sweet Cherry Jam is a simple, low histamine way to enjoy the bright flavor of cherries any time of year. Made without pectin and with just a few natural ingredients, it’s perfect for creating “freezer jams” that can be stored in small portions for later use. Whether spread on pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, or enjoyed with toast, this jam brings a touch of sweet, fruity nostalgia to every bite.
For other low sugar jam recipes, also try my rose blackberry jam and blueberry vanila jam.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Sweet Low Histamine Sauce: with fresh cherries as the base, this is a great vegan-friendly dessert sauce for topping ice cream, chia pudding, overnight oats, or even a fruit salad. Much like the other low histamine sauces on the site, this sweet cherry jam is versatile enough to be used as a dip, sauce, or drizzle for your favorite bread and fruit slices.
Much Cheaper Than Store-Bought: It's hard to find reasonably-priced jam sauces, so making your own at home is a cost-effective way to enhance your home-cooking.
You can easily double or halve this recipe, so if you need more or less of this to make something else, just follow the steps with your fruit of choice.
🍒 Ingredients
Cherries: naturally sweet and juicy, cherries add vibrant flavor and color; for best results on a low histamine diet, use very fresh cherries and enjoy soon after preparation.
Date Syrup or Honey: these natural sweeteners provide gentle sweetness and depth of flavor; date syrup offers a rich, caramel-like taste, while honey adds floral notes—use in moderation and choose high-quality, additive-free options.
Monk Fruit: when you’re trying to eat low-sugar, monk fruit extract will be one of your best friends. It packs a sweetness level approximately 200x that of table sugar, so it should be used sparingly.
Hibiscus Powder: made from dried hibiscus petals, this vibrant, tart powder adds natural color and a subtle cranberry-like flavor; use sparingly and choose a pure, additive-free powder for best tolerance.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🥄 How to Make Cherry Jam (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Thoroughly wash your frozen cherries, and then cut each one into thirds or halves if they're particularly big (image 1). Place them in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and turn the heat on medium-low.
Step 2) While the pan heats up under the berries, add the date syrup on top, and then measure out the monk fruit, hibiscus powder, and pinch of salt into a separate bowl (image 2). Don't add the water yet.
Step 3) After a few minutes, your cherries and syrup should start to get mushy and bubble up, and you should start stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, lightly smashing some of the berries as they further soften. Turn the heat to low and give this mixture about 2 more minutes of simmering (if it's still boiling, lower the heat even more), continuing to crush the berries and blend them with the date syrup (image 3).
Step 4) After those few minutes, take your potato masher (or a large whisk) and mash all the berries. Add your monk fruit, hibiscus powder, and salt mixture and blend thoroughly. This is when you can add up to 2 Tablespoons of water, if your mixture is too thick for your liking (image 4).
Step 5) Cook the jam for 1 more minute, then turn off the heat and continue to stir the mixture for another minute or two before moving it onto a cool surface. If you cook much longer you'll start to cook out the flavor. If you want a very smooth jam, use an immersion blender to even out the texture, which I would actually recommend if you used frozen fruit. Place your fresh jam into a glass jar to use immediately and safely freeze the rest.
🧂 Variations
- Lower-Sugar Cherry Jam: Reduce or omit the date syrup or honey and rely on a small pinch of monk fruit or stevia for sweetness.
- Honey-Free Cherry Jam: Use date syrup only for a fully plant-based, low histamine–friendly option.
- Extra-Tart Cherry Jam: Increase the hibiscus powder slightly for more tang and deeper color without using citrus.
- Milder Cherry Jam: Reduce the hibiscus powder for a softer, naturally sweet cherry flavor that may be better tolerated.
- Thicker Jam Texture: Simmer a bit longer or mash the cherries more finely to create a thicker consistency without pectin.
- Chunky Cherry Compote: Lightly mash the cherries and reduce cooking time for a spoonable, chunky texture perfect for toppings.
🧊 Freezing or Storage
This jam is great in the freezer! It's best fresh, of course, but it loses very little by spending up to 3 months in the freezer, and I recommend saving it in an ice cube tray if possible, to make single servings easier to defrost. Alternately, if not eating low histamine it will stay good int he fridge for up to a week.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Date Syrup: you can sub honey or maple syrup, but it needs a bit of traditional sweetener alongside the monk fruit. If your stomach can't yet handle sugar, you can omit it, but the texture may be overly thick and it won't be as sweet.
Hibiscus Powder: if you can't tolerate hibiscus, you can sub 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice, if tolerated.
❓ What to Serve With Cherry Jam
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Cherries are generally considered lower histamine than many fruits, but tolerance varies. For best results, use very fresh cherries and consume the jam soon after making it.
This jam thickens naturally as the cherries cook down and reduce, so no added pectin is needed.
Yes, when made with date syrup instead of honey, the recipe is completely vegan.
Hibiscus powder adds natural tartness and vibrant color, helping balance sweetness without using citrus or vinegar.
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low histamine–friendly.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Sweet Cherry Jam (No Pectin)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup cherries pitted & rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon date syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon monk fruit extract or stevia powder
- ½ teaspoon hibiscus powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons water optional
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash your frozen cherries, and then cut each one into thirds or halves if they're particularly big. Place them in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and turn the heat on medium-low.
- While the pan heats up under the berries, add the date syrup on top, and then measure out the monk fruit, hibiscus powder, and pinch of salt into a separate bowl. Don't add the water yet.
- After a few minutes, your cherries and syrup should start to get mushy and bubble up, and you should start stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, lightly smashing some of the berries as they further soften. Turn the heat to low and give this mixture about 2 more minutes of simmering (if it's still boiling, lower the heat even more), continuing to crush the berries and blend them with the date syrup.
- After those few minutes, take your potato masher (or a large whisk) and mash all the berries. Add your monk fruit, hibiscus powder, and salt mixture and blend thoroughly. This is when you can add up to 2 Tablespoons of water, if your mixture is too thick for your liking.
- Cook the jam for 1 more minute, then turn off the heat and continue to stir the mixture for another minute or two before moving it onto a cool surface. If you cook much longer you'll start to cook out the flavor. If you want a very smooth jam, use an immersion blender to even out the texture, which I would actually recommend if you used frozen fruit. Place your fresh jam into a glass jar to use immediately and safely freeze the rest.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sara says
Thank you for the recipe! Looks delish! I think I’m going to make a big batch and use some for jam and to add to smoothies and some to mix with coconut milk to make popsicles.
Max says
Mmmm that sounds delicious, Sara! It's also great swirled into porridge or overnight oats in the cooler months, and freezes nicely for that!