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Why this recipe works
There they are again. Those brown speckled bananas that you were SURE were going to be long gone by now, but no…here they are. But before you reach once again for that trusty banana bread recipe, walk on the wild side with me.
Break out the brown sugar and the cinnamon and let’s make some easy, no canning involved, spicy, creamy banana jam. Yep, banana jam.
This banana jam recipe does not involved canning or sealing or any of that (to me!) scary stuff.
Nope, we are going to mush up some bananas and cook them on the stovetop with some butter and cinnamon and sugar and vanilla, and once it cools down it will be the perfect amount of spreadable.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Bananas: You want your bananas to be nice and mushy…when they have lots of brown marks on the peel, that means they are perfect for making jam.
- Lemon juice: We like squeezing it out of one lemon, but you can also use bottled lemon juice – about 2 tablespoons.
- Butter: Our butter seemed to be shy about being in the picture, but you do need three tablespoons of it. Either salted or plain will work just fine.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Mush those elderly bananas up and pop them in a small heavy pot with a half cup of brown sugar, some lemon juice and three tablespoons of butter.
Stir this concoction around until everything is nice and simmering, and let it bubble away for about 20 minutes or so. Make sure you stir it every 5 minutes just to make sure things aren’t sticking or burning (I set a timer for this because it’s entirely possible that I can get onto Yummly and look up to find out that an hour has gone by). By this point, everything will be melted together and delectable.
STEP 2: Once the taste is good and perfect, let it cool off to room temperature. Don’t worry if it looks too liquid-y at this point – it will thicken up as it cools. Transfer your scrumptious jam into whatever you are going to store it in (I love a mason jar!) and you are done!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Remember that this is banana jam, not jelly, so it is always going to be a little soft (think apple butter-ish), but that is going to come in handy on the various things you can use it for. (Looking at you, cinnamon oat pancakes!)
You can keep it for up to a week in your fridge. (Mine is always gone within the first 24 hours!)
I am a big cinnamon and vanilla lover, so I go for the stronger end of the spectrum, but you might want to start out with less and add more as you taste. Yes, you MUST taste. It’s a requirement. So, taste a test spoonful, add a little vanilla and cinnamon, take another test spoonful, and add more or leave it as is…you get the idea!
I like to squish them up a little while they are still inside the peel and then squeeze the banana out on to a plate where I finish up the mashing with a fork. But you can also peel them without squishing and mash them with a fork or a potato masher.
Nope. You need them to be totally, completely ripe – as in lots of brown on those peels – or you won’t have the super soft consistency you need to make the jam. I promise it will be worth the wait!
Pop your question or comment in the comment section below and I will answer pronto!
And then….oh, and then! Then you get to try all the things that are possible with banana jam.
Serving it warmed up over vanilla ice cream with graham cracker crumbs on top.
Making a peanut butter and banana jam sandwich.
Spreading it on one of my mama’s homemade scones.
Rolling it up inside a warm leftover buttermilk pancake.
The banana jam possibilities are endless. This recipe makes about a cup and a half, and will go fast once everyone in your house finds out you have made banana jam!
Other banana recipes we love!
We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
Banana Jam
Give the banana bread a rest and turn those ripe bananas into jam with this quick and easy recipe. Banana jam is perfect on toast, ice cream and sandwiches!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups when mashed)
- Juice from one lemon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1–2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mash the bananas and put in a small heavy saucepan with the lemon juice, sugar and butter. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and then turn to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool until it is cool enough to taste. Taste and then add the cinnamon and vanilla by half teaspoon-fuls until it has the taste you like. The jam will still be a little liquid at this point – don’t worry!
- Let the jam cool completely to room temperature – it will thicken up as it cools to about the consistency of apple butter.
- Store in the fridge for a week or so – if it even lasts that long!
Notes
-
- Bananas: You want your bananas to be nice and mushy…when they have lots of brown marks on the peel, that means they are perfect for making jam.
-
- Lemon juice: We like squeezing it out of one lemon, but you can also use bottled lemon juice – about 2 tablespoons.
-
- Butter: Either salted or plain will work just fine.
Emma Jackson says
Love this recipe! Easy to make and I ate it on bread with some peanut butter and it was out of this world!
Peanut butter and banana – a classic!