Cherry Chocolate Jam (Rich, Sweet & Perfect for Canning)
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Homemade Cherry Chocolate Jam
If you love chocolate covered cherries or cherry ice cream with chocolate chunks, this cherry chocolate jam is going to be a new favorite. It blends sweet cherries with rich cocoa for a smooth, chocolatey jam that still tastes like classic cherry preserves. We first spotted this recipe in the Ball Canning Book and had to try it. You may wonder if chocolate really works in jam. It does. The flavor is deep, sweet, and absolutely delicious.
We make homemade cherry preserves every year, so adding a chocolate version is now on our must‑make list. This jam is perfect for canning, gifting, or spooning over desserts.
Why This Cherry Chocolate Jam Works
- Versatile: amazing on toast, ice cream, pastries, and desserts.
- Rich chocolate flavor: unsweetened cocoa blends into the cherries for a smooth, chocolatey finish.
- Perfect cherry texture: chopped cherries break down just enough to create a thick, spreadable jam.
- Safe for canning: bottled lemon juice provides consistent acidity.
- Reliable set: pectin helps the jam thicken beautifully.
- Fresh or frozen cherries: both work well once thawed.
Ingredients You Need
- Bottled lemon juice: ensures safe acidity for canning
- Chopped sweet cherries: fresh or frozen work, must be pitted
- Unsweetened cocoa: gives the jam its chocolate flavor
- Sugar: balances the cocoa and cherries
- Pectin: helps the jam set
Equipment
- Half pint or pint jars
- Dutch oven or heavy pot
- Cherry pitter
- Water bath canner
- Ladle and funnel
- Measuring cups
- Spatula
How to Make Cherry Chocolate Jam
- Prepare the cherries Wash, stem, pit, and chop the cherries into small pieces. Chopping helps the jam cook evenly and gives it a smoother texture.
- Combine cherries, lemon juice, and pectin Place everything into a Dutch oven and stir well so the pectin blends evenly.
- Mix cocoa and sugar In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa into the sugar. This prevents lumps and helps the cocoa dissolve smoothly.
- Heat the cherries Bring the cherries to a boil over medium heat, stirring to keep them from sticking.
- Add the cocoa sugar mixture Pour the sugar mixture into the hot cherries and stir until dissolved.
- Bring to a rolling boil Cook at a full rolling boil for one minute. Stir constantly so the jam does not scorch.
- Remove from heat Skim any foam if needed.
- Fill the jars Ladle the hot jam into clean jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and add lids.
- Water bath process. Place jars in a boiling water bath with 1 inch of water above the lids. Process for 10 minutes.
- 10. Cool and store Let jars rest for 5 minutes before removing from the water. Cool for 12 hours, check seals, label, and store.
Ways to Use Cherry Chocolate Jam
- Stir into yogurt
- Spread on toast or biscuits
- Spoon over vanilla ice cream
- Swirl into brownies
- Fill pastries or hand pies
- Add to thumbprint cookies
- Use as a cheesecake topping
Do Chocolate and Cherries Go Together?
Yes. Think chocolate covered cherries, cherry chocolate ice cream, or cherry brownies. The flavors pair beautifully.
Can I Use Frozen Cherries?
Yes. Thaw them first so they heat evenly.
Do I Need Lemon Juice?
Yes. Bottled lemon juice ensures consistent acidity for safe canning.
Do I Need to Pit the Cherries?
Yes. Any missed pits will float to the top while cooking, so keep a fork nearby to remove them.
Can I Use Tart Cherries?
Yes. Tart cherries work well but the jam will taste slightly less sweet.
Do I Need to Water Bath this Jam?
Yes. Ball recommends water bath processing for safety and a reliable set.
Do You Have Another Cherry Jam Recipe?
Definitely. We have a small batch cherry jam recipe you can make easily and a freezer jam recipe as well.
Cherry Chocolate Jam Recipe
A rich and delicious cherry chocolate jam made with sweet cherries, cocoa, pectin, and bottled lemon juice. Inspired by the Ball Canning Book and perfect for water bath canning, gifting, and desserts.
Servings: 5 half pints
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped pitted dark sweet cherries
- 6 Tablespoons Pectin
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 6 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa
Instructions
- Fill the water bath canner with water (to give the jars water 1 inch above the jars. Start heating the water while you process the cherries.
- Wash the cherries.
- Remove the stems, pits and cut the cherries into small pieces (rough chop).
- Place the cherries and lemon juice and pectin into the Dutch oven.
- Stir to blend the pectin and lemon juice evenly through the cherries.
- While the cherries comes up to temp, mix the cocoa and sugar into a bowl. This will make it easier when it's time to add and the cocoa will mix in to the cherries easier.
- Bring the mix to a boil over medium heat.Stir to keep the mix from burning.
- Add the sugar/cocoa mix and stir until the sugar melts.
- Bring to a rolling boil, stirring to keep from boiling.
- Stir the mix for a minute while it boils (rolling boil is a boil you cannot stir down). Stir. Stir. Stir.
- After a minute of hard boiling (and constant stirring), remove from heat.
- If there is a foam on top, you can remove before ladling into jars.
- Place the funnel on the jar and with the ladle, fill the jars, leaving 1/4" head space from the top.
- Clean the top of the jar with a clean wet towel.
- Place a seal on the jar and flinger tighten.
- Place the jars in hot water in the water bath canner.
- Repeat filling each jar and placing into the water bath canner, water should be 1" over top of jars.
- Bring the water bath canner water to a boil and water bath jars for 10 minutes.
- After the time is up, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jars and place on a towel.
- Cover the jars and allow them to cool for 12 hours.
- Check to ensure they have sealed. Label and date the jars.
Video
Notes
The water bath water is brought to a boil while you are processing the jars so that the water and jars are both hot when you place the jars into the water bath.
Stirring is needed to keep the jam from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
A towel is placed underneath the jars to keep them from touching a cold surface.
The jars are covered to keep the jars from experience any sudden changes in room temperature (and breaking the jars)
I just finished my first batch of this and they are delicious! I tasted it before canning process but I can’t imagine any difference in taste once canned and cooled. Although neither are cherry lovers like I am both my husband and my adult son said they tasted good. You can definitely taste both the chocolate and the cherries and neither one overwhelms the other. Just a nice balance between the 2. Other than the high cost of cherries this is definitely at the top of my list of items that I’m making to give out as Christmas gifts this year.
I used frozen dark cherries and 3 16 ounce bags got me the full 6 cups needed. I strained them and reserved the juice to see if I can use it to make a cherry jelly. I used my food processor to chop the cherries and it worked extremely well and saved a lot of time and effort, as well as saving my fingers from the inevitable wound that I nearly always get when chopping with a knife. You really have to stir this continuously both before and after the addition of the sugar and cocoa mix in order to keep it from burning. There was some foam that I had to skim off but not a lot. I got 8 half pints and one 1/4 pint from this recipe without making any modifications so I was very happy with that as it reduced the cost for each jar. I will update my review tomorrow if the jam doesn’t gel well.
If you like cherries and you like chocolate then I definitely recommend this easy recipe. I will definitely be making more of this in the future. Thanks for sharing this!
Your friends and family are going to love their efforts Barbie! Cherries can definitely be on the pricy side. Finding the cherries on sale, freezing until you are ready to make also works for us. I love that you saved the juice for jelly! Yum!
how long does it take to set up? my jars pinged, but not setting up ye.
It can take 24 to 48 hours for the jam to set.