Sweet Banana Jam

Two ingredients. That’s not a typo. Ripe bananas and lemon juice blended smooth and simmered down into a thick, spreadable jam with zero added sugar. The natural sweetness of the bananas does all the work.

The key is using very ripe bananas, the ones with brown spots all over the skin that you’d normally toss or freeze for banana bread. At that stage, the starches have fully converted to sugar, giving you a jam that’s genuinely sweet without needing anything extra.

Blend everything smooth first, then bring it to a boil and drop the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally and watch as the mixture reduces and darkens. You’ll know it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon and holds its shape. The lemon juice isn’t just for flavor. The acid helps preserve the color and keeps the jam from turning an unappetizing brown.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir more as it thickens. Early on, occasional stirring is fine. But as the jam reduces, the bottom scorches easily. Stay close toward the end.
• It thickens more as it cools. Pull it from the heat when it’s slightly looser than your target consistency. Overcooking gives you banana leather, not jam.
• Store in the fridge in a clean jar. Without pectin or added sugar acting as preservatives, this is a fresh jam that keeps about 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

Variations

• Cinnamon banana jam: Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon before blending for a warm, spiced version that’s incredible on toast.
• Banana vanilla jam: Scrape in the seeds from one vanilla bean (or add a teaspoon of vanilla extract) for a more complex, dessert-like spread.