12 Best Jams For Your Charcuterie Board

The best jams for a charcuterie board are those that strike a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, and enhance the natural flavors of your meats and cheeses. I love adding jams to my spreads, whether it’s a small charcuterie board, a traditional one, or a charcuterie table because they’re great for adding flavor and texture overall.

But with hundreds of different types of jams, fruit preserves, and other spreads available, it can be challenging to decide which ones to use for your charcuterie board, especially when trying to pair them with your favorite meats and cheeses. The right jam can take your spread from good to great, but the wrong one can overwhelm the flavors and throw off the balance of your board.

In this blog post, let’s talk about the best jams for a charcuterie board, plus some tips for serving and presenting them to make a gorgeous, well-balanced spread. Let’s get started!

Best Jams For Your Charcuterie Board

I’ve made countless charcuterie boards in the past few years, from a gorgeous wedding charcuterie board to a beach-themed spread for a summer party. For each one I create, I make sure that I add at least 2 jams that pair well with my chosen cheeses. Not only do they contribute to the board’s treasure trove of flavors but they also add an interactive element to it. Guests can mix and match the jams with any ingredient on the spread, making it more fun and engaging. 

While you’re free to choose spicy, savory, and other unique, adventurous jam flavors, classic sweet jams are a great choice for beginners. Their familiar flavors make it easy to pair with the other ingredients on your board, plus you can always add a savory dip or spread to balance out the sweetness. Here are some timeless jam selections you can try:

Fig Jam

Fig jam is a true classic. Its sweetness and earthiness complements a wide range of cheeses, balancing their savory and salty flavors. Pair it with brie, feta, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and Emmental. The sweetness of fig jam also goes well with bold and tangy blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Stilton, and its richness is a perfect pairing for creamy cheeses like soft goat cheese, cottage cheese, and Camembert.

Apricot Preserves

Apricot preserves are a delightful blend of sweet and tangy flavors. They have a vibrant orange hue that can add a nice pop of color to your board. 

The natural acidity of apricot preserves is great for balancing the lush and creamy texture of soft cheeses like brie, Camembert, and triple cream cheeses (like Brillat-Savarin and Pierre Robert). The fruitiness of apricot preserves also make a nice contrast to the nutty and salty flavors of aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Gouda, Monterey Jack, and Grana Padano.

Raspberry Jam

Another ideal jam to pair with rich and creamy cheeses is raspberry jam, which coincidentally is a favorite summer berry of mine. Its sweetness and bright tartness are great for cutting through the fat of cured meats and the buttery texture of double cream cheeses like brie, Camembert, and Fromage D’Affinois. Feta, mozzarella, ricotta, and other fresh and soft cheeses also provide a smooth contrast to the bold flavor of raspberry jam.

Strawberry Jam

Who doesn’t like strawberry jam? I love it on baguette slices! I always add it to my Easter charcuterie boards and other spreads I do in the springtime. One of my favorite combos is strawberry jam on sliced brie and prosciutto, yum! 

Like other sweet and slightly acidic jams, strawberry jam is versatile, pairing well with brie, cream cheese, and goat cheese. They’re also great for triple cream cheeses such as Explorateur, Saint André, and Delice de Bourgogne.

Blueberry Jam

Sweet and tangy, blueberry jam is another popular choice. Its delicious flavor, rich purple color, and smooth, spreadable texture works great with creamy cheeses like brie and goat cheese, as well as harder cheeses such as Cheddar, Manchego, and Parmesan. 

Blueberry jam also provides a nice contrast to the saltiness of meats like pepperoni, prosciutto, and salami. It’s a great addition to a 4th of July charcuterie board that follows a red, white, and blue theme!

Blackberry Jam

Like other berry jams, blackberry jam has a sweet and tart flavor. It’s rich, dark sweetness perfectly complements sharp cheeses like Cheddar, Manchego, Parmesan, and Asiago. They also help enhance the creaminess of brie, feta, goat cheese, and the flavor of blue cheeses like mild blue cheese, French Roquefort, and English Stilton.

Plum Jam

Plum jam, with its deep and rich flavor, provides a delicious contrast to cream cheese, goat cheese, and triple cream cheeses like Delice de Bourgogne, St. André, and Explorateur. The velvety spread of plum jam is also a great match for Gouda, Fontina, and Emmental. 

Cranberry Compote

Cranberry compote is made by simmering cranberries with sugar and spices, resulting in a sweet and tangy sweet sauce. It makes me think of Christmas every time I have it, that’s why it’s a staple in holiday parties that I host and holiday charcuterie boards that I make. 

It’s vibrant red color is also perfect for the red and green theme of Christmas! This delicious compote pairs beautifully roasted meats, sharp Cheddar and Wensleydale, and double cream cheeses like brie and Camembert. Cranberry jam is a good second choice.

Apple Jam

Like any apple desserts, apple jam is a favorite in our household. This sweet and mildly tart jam is a delightful match for mozzarella, fontina, Grana Padano, and English Cheddar. It pairs great with brioche, croissants, and other bread and makes an excellent glaze for roasted meat for your charcuterie board, especially pork.

Orange Marmalade

Orange marmalade has a bright citrus flavor with a hint of bitterness, which can bring an interesting contrast to both sharp and creamy cheeses. It’s a great match for aged Cheddar,  gouda, Monterey Jack, and semi-aged Pecorino. It’s also delicious paired with brie, Camembert, and other rich and creamy cheeses.

Cherry Jam

Cherry jam is perfect for balancing the richness of fatty meats and strong cheeses. Its vibrant tartness is a delightful complement to brie, Camembert, fresh Burrata, goat cheese, and aged cheeses like Cheddar and Gouda.

Quince Jam

Quince jam is a unique preserve with a sweet and slightly tart flavor that features the fragrant, floral notes of the quince fruit. It pairs brilliantly with sharp cheeses like Manchego and Idiazabal, cheddars like Beecher’s and Kerrygold, blue cheeses like Stilton, and triple-cream cheeses like Brillat-Savarin.

How To Serve Jam On A Charcuterie Board

The number of jams to serve on a charcuterie board depends on the size of your board and the number of guests you are expecting. As a rule of thumb, 1 to 2 different options of jam is ideal for a traditional charcuterie board, assuming that you’ll add spreads and dips, too. For larger spreads like a charcuterie table, 4 to 6 varieties is a good amount to cater to different tastes.

Serving Tools For Jams

When you include jams to your spread, make sure that you provide the essential tools so that guests can easily serve themselves. Prepare these charcuterie supplies when serving jam:

• Small Containers: Bowls, jars, ramekins, and other small containers are typically used to serve jams for a charcuterie board. These containers are also typically used to serve small ingredients like grapes, olives, pickles, and nuts like almonds, pecans, and walnuts.
• Small Spoons: Ideal for scooping and dolloping jams onto individual servings.
• Spreaders: These are perfect for spreading jam on crackers, bread, or different types of cheeses. Cheese knives, with their wider blade, are great for spreading thicker jams or fruit preserves.
• Labels or Markers: These are ideal for labeling different jams for larger spreads or if you’re serving unique or unusual flavors like red pepper jelly.

Creative Ways To Present Jams

Aesthetics is an important part of a charcuterie board – you should always aim to make your spread a feast for the eyes. However, the ideal board is not only visually appealing and appetizing to guests, but it should also be arranged in a way that is accessible and easy to navigate.

Every small detail matters, including the placement and presentation of your ingredients on the board. Jams, jellies, dips, and spreads should be placed strategically so that they’re easily accessible and complement the surrounding meats, cheeses, bread, and other items. 

Guests should be able to pair flavors effortlessly! When it comes to presentation, here are a few creative ways you can try.

• Mini Jars or Bowls: Place mini jars, small bowls, or ramekins of different jams throughout the board, preferably ingredients they best pair with. Jars and bowls add height to the spread, making it more visually interesting.
• Decorative Containers: Put your jams on decorative containers that complement the theme of your board. Vintage teacups, crystal bowls, and miniature clay pots are all great choices. To add a fun and playful element, sometimes I use small novelty mugs or cups for my jams.
• Directly On The Board: Another creative way to present jams is to spoon them directly onto the board. Use the back of a spoon or a piping bag to create artistic dollops of jam, like elegant lines or swirls. Add a few pieces of real fruit as garnish!
• Phyllo Cups: Prepare small phyllo cups and fill them with various jams. These bite-sized treats add a delightful, crunchy texture and are perfect for easy grabbing.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know the best jams for a charcuterie board, you can now serve the top choices that best complement your chosen meats, cheeses, and bread. You may see jams as a filler for charcuterie boards, but they actually play an important role in balancing flavors and adding texture to the spread. So add a jam or two to your next charcuterie masterpiece to take it to the next level!

What’s your favorite jam for charcuterie boards? I’d love to know! If you enjoyed this blog post, save it on your bookmarks for later or share it with your fellow foodies!