Seven Best Spicy Jams for Cheese
Spicy Jams
Fruits and their byproducts are no strangers to cheese pairing. Wine, fruit’s ultimate glow-up, is a liquid chameleon whose limitless variations can make a match for literally any cheese. Paired with cheese, a savory-sweet fruit compote can create a taste sensation redolent of an entire meal in one bite. Dried fruits and fruit candies provide the perfect sweet counterpoint for many sharp and peppery cheeses, and of course jellies and jams are always on hand in our cupboards or refrigerator whenever an impromptu cheese plate is assembled.
Spicy jams, on the other hand, are the kind of dark horse fruit pairing for cheese that may not always be on hand, but arguably should. Bringing both the sweet and heat elements to complement the complexity of our favorite cheeses, they can be the difference between a cheese bite that is merely delightful, and one that can really light up your mouth — and your spirit. While a pepper jelly of some kind may be available on your supermarket shelves, we’ve unearthed seven spicy jams from small, artisanal producers who put the kind of care into their products that make them truly worthy of our best curds.
Jenkins Jellies' Fiery Figs and Gorgonzola Dolce
It’s rare to think of a humble jam having a Hollywood-worthy story, but this one literally does. Jenkins Jellies was founded by former Los Angeles-based actress Hillary Jenkins, whose jam business was born from her garden, and quickly attracted celebrity acolytes. With the banner “real fruit — rowdy peppers,” the all-spicy lineup puts peppers as the co-star against fruits from cranberries and apricots to passionfruit and guava. If you’re feeling extra rowdy, the aptly-named Hell Fire Jelly features seven different hot peppers in the blend.
“It’s so hard to pick my favorite spicy jam and cheese pairing since I love ALL my pepper jam babies,” says Jenkins, “BUT for a semi-soft cheese combo I really love, I'd go with Gorgonzola Dolce and Jenkins Jellies Fiery Figs. The spicy-sweet fig flavor cuts through the creamy, funky richness of Gorgonzola, creating a luxurious contrast. A close second fave: for a semi-hard cheese pairing I love Gouda and Jenkins Guava Brava Pepper Jelly.”
Janet's Fines Compotes Cranberry Jalapeno and Humboldt Fog
We’ve long been a fan of Janet’s Finest, having previously included them as a great gift for cheese lovers. A women-owned, multigenerational company, their “Midwest spicy” jalapeño-based compotes not only bring a number of fruit companions into the blend, but are offered in two sizes, allowing for a festive mix-and-match approach.
And they are ripe for cheese pairing. “Our Cranberry Jalapeño with Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog is my go to,” says Angela Kmeck, the brand’s co-owner. “The creamy, tangy goat cheese and tart cranberry flavor with just a little kick from the jalapeño… it’s fancy without trying too hard,” she says. And because it’s hard for anyone to pick an absolute favorite pairing, “I also love pairing our Raspberry Jalapeño with Marin French Triple Crème Brie,” says Kmeck. “The cheese has this soft, buttery richness that the compote cuts through with bright raspberry flavor and just a touch of heat. It’s that perfect balance of velvety and exciting, and it turns something as simple as cheese and crackers into a real treat.”
Chukar Cherries Cherry Pepper Jelly and Briar Rose Butterbloom
Washington’s Chukar Cherries is entirely in the business of one of the state’s most important crops, serving up cherries that have been naturally preserved by an extra ripening time on the tree since the 1980s. (They became a tenant of Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market in the 1990s.) While chocolate covered cherries and sweet cherry treats are their mainstay products, a little spice enters the picture with their jalapeño-spiked Cherry Pepper Jelly.
“Cherry-sweet flavors with an acidic backstory and a slow heat make this savory pepper jelly a delicious pairing for a wide variety of domestic and imported soft white cheeses,” says Holly Oten, press manager for Chukar Cherries. We love another option from the Pacific Northwest such as Briar Rose Creamery’s Butterbloom. “Made in the Chukar kitchen with Northwest cherries and three types of peppers, it is an adventurous addition to any charcuterie board or an elevated grilled cheese sandwich.”
Chad's Bear Lake Raspberry Jalapeño Jam and Smoked Brie
Chad’s Raspberry Kitchen, based in Bear Lake, Utah, is more than just sweet in its product lineup. The business was founded to support a son and brother born with a rare liver disease, and to provide him with an occupation after the onset of blindness due to a disease-related infection. In Chad’s name, the brand serves all manner of raspberry-based products, including not only a sweet-spicy Raspberry Jalapeño Jam, but even a Raspberry Salsa.
“When you mix dairy with both heat and sweet it’s a new experience for your tongue that you don’t get to have all the time,” says Patrick Floyd, Chad’s brother, who now manages the brand. “It’s so good and evidence that God loves us,” he says. For a uniquely Utah cheese-and-spicy-jam treat, Floyd recommends a little smoke in the mix. “Utah is obsessed with baked brie right now, but one of the things that I’ve enjoyed doing is smoked brie or smoked cream cheese with our tart and spicy Raspberry Jalapeño,” he says. “It’s not fancy or sexy, but it’s an automatic party.”
Heirloom Black Widow Jam with Goat Cheese
Jalapeño has been the leading pepper in a majority of spicy jams, but Central Florida’s Heirloom Jams isn’t shy about bringing Carolina Reapers to the party to really make you sweat, appropriate for a brand based in the tropical heat. Among their spicy and boozy jams — which are made in small batches and are also available in bulk orders for party favors — they also don’t shy away from evocative product names when a little sting might be involved.
“Black Widow Jam combines sweet blackberries and apples with the intense heat of Carolina Reaper peppers, creating a bold sweet-heat balance,” says Cheryl Daniels, the brand’s founder. As Florida also claims a number of goat dairies within its borders, “the jam pairs so beautifully with a tart and creamy goat cheese,” she says, “bringing a smooth texture and mild flavor that help mellow the pepper’s fiery kick without overpowering it.”
Scratch Gourmet Mango Jalapeño and Ewephoria
Based in Coronado, California, Scratch Gourmet is a full-service caterer with a number of bespoke products to its credit, including a lineup of homemade jams that all bring the heat, from a Mild Jalapeño to a full-on Habanero Jam, as well as a number of fruit-and-spice concoctions.
“One of my favorite spicy jam and cheese pairings is my Mango Jalapeño paired with Ewephoria sheep's milk Gouda,” says Kathryn Jennings, the mastermind behind the brand. “The cheese has such a rich, nutty and butterscotch-like flavor, and the contrast with the bright and spicy jam highlights the complex characteristics of both.”
Auntie Rana's Five Berry Spice Jam and Manchego
Along with pepper-spiked spicy jams, we also have a place in our hearts for spiced jams, that lead with a gentle heat brought about by subtler means. “Spiced jam brings warmth and a little depth that really makes cheese shine,” says Syed Khaleque, co-founder of Auntie Rana’s, whose range of products highlight Southeast Asian flavors in condiment form. Products such as Five Berry Spiced Jam and Golden Mango Achaar — a middle ground between jam and chutney — are excellent companions for cheeses from any corner of the globe.
“We love pairing our Five Berry Spiced Jam with an aged Manchego,” says Khaleque. “The nutty, slightly salty flavor really plays off the jam’s mix of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, and strawberries, and that touch of warm spice ties it all together. It’s sweet, savory, and just a little unexpected.”