In need of a quick and easy alternative to apricot jam for baking or cooking? Below are 15 of the BEST apricot jam substitutes, plus tips and tricks on when to use them. I bet you probably already have a few in your pantry!
This post also includes a handy printable guide of the best substitutes for apricot preserves.
📌 If you don’t have one of the 15 substitutes listed below or you’re feeling ambitious, there’s a recipe for homemade apricot jam below which is the best alternative to store bought jam!
Apricot Jam Uses
Apricot jam has a thick consistency and a sweet taste. Its flavor is relatively mild making it delicious in savory dishes or sweet dishes.
Apricots are sweet like peaches but with a little bit of sourness. They’ve often been described as tasting like a cross between a peach and a plum.
Apricot jam is used for 3 main applications in baking and cooking:
- Glaze or Egg Wash Substitute: the thick, sticky consistency creates a beautiful golden brown sheen on pastries.
- Flavoring in Sweet or Savory Dishes: the flavor is a great addition to roasts or to fillings of pies or tarts. It’s the main ingredient in many tarts and the South African dish, Malva Pudding.
- Binding: the stickiness of the jam helps marzipan stick to cakes. Apricot Jam is often used to coat Christmas cakes or Holiday bakes.
I use apricot jam pretty much any time I bake pies or tarts as a vegan egg wash. Some recipes I use it in are:
Printable Guide
Below is a printable cheat sheet to keep in your kitchen. Feel free to also save this image to Pinterest for later!
Want to save these substitutes for later? Print or pin this image to Pinterest!
Apricot Jam Substitutes
Below are my favorite apricot jam alternatives, ranked in order of preference.
> Substitutes 1-9 work best to replace the flavor and/or texture of apricot jam.
> Substitutes 10-15 work best to replace the texture or sweetness of the apricot jam.
1. Peach Preserves
Substitute with a 1:1 ratio
Peach jam is the best apricot jam substitute in most cooking and baking applications. Peaches and apricots are both stone fruits and have a very similar taste. Peach preserves are my go-to alternative for apricot jam.
Peach jam or preserves would be a great apricot jam substitute for Malva Pudding and other recipes where it’s one of the key ingredients.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
2. Orange Marmalade
Substitute with a 1:1 ratio
Orange Marmalade, or orange jelly, has a more bitterness, a citrusy flavor and a chunkier texture than apricot jam, often because it has pieces of orange rind in it.
Oranges and citrus fruit have a distinctive flavor that isn’t exactly like apricots, but orange marmalade does a great job at replicating the sticky texture, sweetness, and color of apricot preserves.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
3. Fresh Apricots or Peaches
Dried apricots can be used to make your own jam (recipe below). homemade jam can be substituted with a 1:1 ratio for store bought jam.
If you’re able to find fresh whole fruit in the grocery store, fresh apricots or peaches would make a great substitute for apricot jam.
Fresh apricots won’t have the same sticky texture but are a great way to replace the flavor of the apricot jam.
Apricot season is between May and July in the Northern Hemisphere & the US, so fresh whole fruit is a good option during this time of year.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
4. Dried Apricots
Dried apricots can be used to make your own jam (recipe below). homemade jam can be substituted with a 1:1 ratio for store bought jam.
If fresh apricots aren’t in season, dried apricots are the next best option because they’re readily available in most places year round. You could even make your own homemade jam with dried apricots!
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
5. Duck Sauce
Duck sauce is typically a vegan-friendly condiment that’s made from apricots, peaches, plums or pineapple. It sometimes has soy sauce, added sugar, vinegar and chili peppers in it.
This sauce would be best in savory dishes since it contains soy sauce and other savory ingredients.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Savory)
- Binding
6. Canned Peaches
Canned peaches can be used to make your own jam (recipe below). homemade jam can be substituted with a 1:1 ratio for store bought jam.
Most grocery stores carry canned peaches year-round, making it a good, affordable option if it’s the winter and fresh stone fruit isn’t in season.
Like we mentioned above, apricots and peaches have a very similar flavor profile, so canned peaches are a great way to replace the flavor of apricots in recipes.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
7. Apple Jelly or Other Fruit Jam
Substitute with a 1:1 ratio
Apple jam, strawberry or raspberry jam, or fig jam would all be good substitutes in dishes where the apricot flavor isn’t as important. These fruit preserves can replace the sweetness and sticky texture of apricot jam, making them a good substitute for glazing applications.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
8. Apricot Juice, Orange Juice or Apple Juice
Fruit juice like apricot, orange or apple juice, is a good option if you don’t have any other fruit jams on hand. They replicate the flavor of apricot jam, but they won’t work for glazing or binding.
The good news is that these juices are readily available at most grocery stores, and you may even have some in your fridge!
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
9. Honey or Vegan Honey
Honey (or vegan honey) is yet another great natural sweetener. It has a thick sticky texture, tons of sweetness, and is great in a variety of dishes from sweet to savory.
Typically honey can be substituted with a 3:4 ratio with granulated cane sugar (3/4 cup honey to 1 cup granulated sugar). In most applications, it should be able to be substituted with a 1:1 ratio with apricot jam.
However, if using honey, you’ll most likely want to decrease the overall liquid of the recipe by 3-4 tablespoons.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
10. Agave Nectar
Agave is another mild-tasting yet common liquid sweetener.
Like honey, agave can be substituted with a 3:4 ratio with granulated cane sugar (3/4 cup agave to 1 cup granulated sugar).
In most applications, it should be able to be substituted with a 1:1 ratio with apricot jam. However, if using agave, you’ll most likely want to decrease the overall liquid of the recipe by 3-4 tablespoons.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
11. Maple Syrup
In terms of apricot jam substitutes, maple syrup is a great one. It’s readily available (I bet you have some in your fridge), it tastes amazing, and it’s all-natural.
The only reason it’s so low on the list is that it is a liquid sweetener and therefore isn’t great for every scenario.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
12. Simple Syrup
If you don’t have any of the other liquid sweeteners listed above, a homemade simple syrup is also a good option.
To use it as an alternative to apricot jam, you’ll want to opt for a thicker simple syrup– one that’s made by simmering a 1:2 ratio of water and sugar for 5-10 minutes. (So 1 cup water, 2 cups sugar).
While this option doesn’t have much flavor, it would add sweetness and would provide a thick, sticky texture similar to jam.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
- Binding
13. Brown Sugar
Light brown sugar can be either unrefined or refined. And commercial brown sugar is produced by mixing granulated sugar with molasses which gives it a rich caramel flavor.
Because of this, brown sugar is a great option for flavoring recipes. On its own, it doesn’t have a sticky texture, so it’s not the best option for glazing or binding.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
14. Cranberry Sauce
You may only think of Thanksgiving when you think of cranberry sauce, but it would be a good option if you don’t have any of the substitutes listed above.
Cranberry sauce is sweet and tart with a different flavor than apricots. But it does add a beautiful color to dishes and has a thick texture.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Glazing
- Flavoring (Sweet or Savory)
15. Pectin
Pectin is what is found in most fruits and it’s used to make homemade jam. It’s also used as a thickener in pie fillings and tarts.
If you don’t have any of the above, you can make your own jam/jelly with pectin, sugar and water.
It performs best when used for the following applications:
- Binding
Apricot Preserve Substitute FAQ
Peach preserves or orange marmalade make the best substitutes for apricot jam in baking. They work well for glazing, flavoring, and binding applications.
Yes, honey can be substituted for apricot jam in some baking or cooking applications. Honey works the best when you need to add sweetness to a recipe, but you don’t necessarily need the apricot flavor.
Homemade Apricot Jam Substitute
If you don't have one of the 15 substitutes listed above or you're feeling ambitious, you can easily make your own homemade apricot jam which is the best alternative to store bought jam!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fresh or Canned Apricots or Peaches, peeled and diced with the stone removed
- 1 1/2 cups Cane Sugar
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon or Orange Juice
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a large pot.
- Simmer the mixture on medium heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This mixture should cook on a low simmer, and should not come to a rapid boil.
- Mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon. As it cooks, the fruit will be easier to mash. Mash until smooth or leave small chunks of fruit if you prefer that consistency.
- Let the jam cool at room temperature.
- Can the fruit in a water bath according to this website's instructions. Or spoon into a clean, sealable jar and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
If you have any questions about which Apricot Jam substitute to use, or how to use it, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll gladly give you my thoughts!
~ happy cooking ~
Summary
| Apricot Jam Substitute | Use Case | Ingredient Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Peach Preserves | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | similar taste to apricots |
| 2. Orange Marmalade | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | citrus, more bitter, chunkier texture |
| 3. Fresh Apricots or Peaches | Flavor | can make homemade jam |
| 4. Dried Apricots | Flavor | can make homemade jam |
| 5. Duck Sauce | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | best in savory dishes |
| 6. Canned Peaches | Flavor | can make homemade jam |
| 7. Apple Jelly or Other Fruit Jam | Glazing, Binding | similar texture, but not flavor |
| 8. Fruit Juice | Flavor | good for adding sweetness |
| 9. Honey or Vegan Honey | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | different flavor |
| 10. Agave Nectar | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | different flavor |
| 11. Maple Syrup | Glazing, Flavor, Binding | different flavor |
| 12. Simple Syrup | Glazing | adds sweetness |
| 13. Brown Sugar | Flavor | caramel taste |
| 14. Cranberry Sauce | Glazing, Flavor | tart yet sweet |
| 15. Pectin | Glazing | can make homemade jam |
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