Easy Hot Pepper Jelly is a colorful sweet-hot pepper jelly with no canning required ~ just make it, chill it, and keep it in the refrigerator. It’s incredible with cheese and crackers, on charcuterie boards, and in sandwiches.
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Hot pepper jelly is a sweet-hot refrigerator jelly packed with colorful peppers and jalapeños. Spoon it over cream cheese or goat cheese and you’ve got one of the easiest appetizers I know.
What readers are saying
🌶️ I give it as gifts to my friends and they love it! It’s great on wings and pork. I also use it with fried fish and shrimp. Yum!!
🌶️ Amazing jelly with crackers and cream cheese!
🌶️ Super easy to make and Delicious! I also froze about 10 jars to pull out later and it still tasted amazing!
🌶️ Everyone wants a jar after posting on social media!
Why I love this hot pepper jelly
The peppers stay colorful and fresh because they aren’t cooked to death. Once the mixture boils, the final cook is just a minute after adding the pectin.
I use both jalapeños and sweet bell peppers, so you get plenty of pepper flavor along with the heat. Choose a mix of red, yellow, orange, or green bells ~ the more colorful the peppers, the prettier your jelly.
Best of all, a jar in the fridge means you’re always about two minutes away from an appetizer: spoon it over a block of cream cheese or soft goat cheese and add crackers.
How hot do you want your pepper jelly?
Jalapeños can vary quite a bit in heat, so every batch will be a little different. My recipe uses plenty of colorful sweet bell peppers along with the jalapeños, which gives the jelly its pretty confetti look and keeps the heat from being overwhelming.
For a milder jelly, remove the seeds along with the pale inner ribs and membranes before chopping your jalapeños. For more heat, leave them in.
You can also experiment with hotter peppers like serranos or habaneros, but remember ~ a little habanero goes a long way.
Wear gloves when working with hot peppers, and avoid touching your eyes or face.
A note about the pectin
Pectin isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different types are formulated to work with different amounts of sugar and different methods, so use the exact type of pectin called for in the recipe rather than substituting another variety.
Use SURE-JELL Less or No Sugar Needed Pectin for this recipe. This jelly uses considerably less sugar than most traditional pepper jellies, and I find this pectin gives me the most reliable set.
To stop those pesky pepper bits from floating
You just need to work around the gel setting and keep them from bobbing to the top. Big brands use fancy industrial chillers to freeze everything in place, but you can get that same perfect, store-bought look at home with two quick tricks:
The Jar Flip: About 20 to 30 minutes after your jars come out of the water bath, gently flip them upside down for 10 minutes, then turn them right-side up again. This mixes the peppers back through the jar right as the gel sets up for good.
Cool & Stir: After pulling your pot off the stove, let the jelly sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Give it a gentle stir right before ladling into jars. This lets the pectin start thickening up in the pot so it catches the peppers before they ever hit the jar.
My favorite ways to serve hot pepper jelly
The classic is still my favorite: hot pepper jelly + cream cheese + crackers.
I love to place a small jar of it on a charcuterie board, cheese plate, or antipasto platter, next to some soft goat cheese, Brie, or sharp cheddar.
It wakes up a plain turkey sandwich, and if you haven’t had a grilled cheese and hot pepper, you’re missing out.
Don’t overlook it as a gift ~ the jewel-like color makes a jar of pepper jelly especially pretty.
Refrigerator and freezer storage
This is a refrigerator jelly, not a water-bath canning recipe. Let the jelly cool, cap the jars, and store them in the refrigerator. It will last 2-3 weeks.
For longer storage, freeze the jelly, leaving some room at the top of the container for expansion.
If you’re looking for shelf-stable pepper jelly, use a recipe that has been specifically tested for water-bath canning.
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Easy Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 jalapeño peppers
- 12 oz assorted colorful bell peppers, weighed after trimming
- 2 cups white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1.75 ounce box SURE-JELL Less or No Sugar Needed Pectin
Instructions
- Wash the jalapenos and trim the stem end off. For a milder jelly, remove the seeds and pale inner ribs. I recommend using the whole peppers, seeds and all. Give them a rough chop and then pulse them in the food processor until they are finely minced. Be careful, the fumes will be strong, and make sure to wash your hands well after working with hot peppers. Put the peppers into a heavy bottomed pot.
- Wash and trim the bell peppers, and remove the inner ribs and seeds. Give them a rough chop and pulse them in a food processor until finely minced. You may want to do this in batches, because I find you get a more even chop if you don’t crowd the bowl. Add the bell peppers to the pot with the jalapenos.
- Add the vinegar and sugar to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a full rolling boil, then add the pectin. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Ladle the hot jelly into clean jars and let cool. Cap and refrigerate. The jelly will thicken as it cools and even more as it chills.”
- If your pepper bits float to the top, you can give the jelly an occasional stir as it cools to distribute them more evenly.
- Serve with plenty of creamy goat or cream cheese, and crackers or grilled slices of baguette.
- Your jelly will last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator, and can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
More hot pepper jellies to try
Apple Hot Pepper Jelly
Sweet and spicy apple pepper jelly is irresistible with cream cheese and crackers, and makes a thoughtful host gift, too!
Extra Hot Pepper Jelly
Extra hot pepper jelly is a versatile condiment for hot pepper lovers, it livens up everything from charcuterie platters to grilled cheese!
Rosé Wine Hot Pepper Jelly
Rosé Wine Hot Pepper Jelly ~ a simple sweet/hot wine jelly that turns cheese and crackers into a gourmet experience. This pretty homemade hot pepper jelly makes a unique host gift!
My Favorite Hot Pepper Jelly Recipes
Summer is hot pepper jelly making season, and there’s a jackpot of hot peppers in the farmers markets and grocery stores right now ~ maybe your garden is exploding with them! Cook up some of these sweet and spicy hot pepper jellies to enjoy now, and stash some away for fall and holiday entertaining.
Sweet Hot Red Pepper Jam
My easy red pepper jam is everybody's favorite appetizer. Perfect as a condiment or glaze, this festive jam also makes a great holiday gift.
I have recently made two batches using your recipe. My second batch I tried something different and added red food coloring…. it turned out so pretty! I am planning on giving these for Christmas gifts! I also canned both batches of mine using a hot water bath.
Thanks for the recipe!
May I ask how long you processed it for? Thanks!
I canned mine in a bath as well. I put it in 10 minutes and they all sealed beautifully. It was my first time canning.
Yay!
How long dI’d you water bath the jars please?
Sue, I just made your pepper jelly! It was so easy and fast. I used a bag of mini peppers (red, yellow and orange) and a green pepper. It looks beautiful. Thanks so much .
Yay, glad it was a success — I just had to buy some hot pepper jelly the other day because I haven’t made a batch in a while.
Thank you Sue! Bingo, I’ve finally found somewhere on the net the best recipe for Hot Pepper Jelly. I’m a Hot Pepper Jelly freak, and have been making if for over 25 years. I’m in the habit of cutting sugar in half in virtually every recipe I make, and compensate for that with adding more pectin. But when the no or low sugar pectin came out a few years back, I was so happy about that….finally! I find that commercial jams and jellies taste more like flavored sugar then anything else.
I make mine exactly the same as you do with great success, except I use Habenaros instead.
I’m all for the habanero substitution, Wayne!
Hi,
I’ve been looking at a lot of recipes for hot pepper jelly, and yours is the one I like best, but I have one big problem: I am so confused by what you mean by no-sugar pectin. Is that Pomona pectin? I’m thinking it’s not Sure jell. Is it possible for you to tell me which brand you used? Also, have you ever tried canning it, and what were the results? I would love to give some as presents. Thanks.
I use this pectin, Irene: http://www.amazon.com/Sure-Jell-Premium-Pectin-recipes/dp/B007EZ8W8Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1442536235&sr=8-3&keywords=sure+jell+no+sugar
It’s Sure Jell Low or No Sugar Pectin.
Great. That’s easy to find. Have you processed yours in a water bath, and did you like the results if you did?
Many thanks.
I have not processed this, I’m afraid, Irene. I use it as a refrigerator or freezer type jam.
I have processed mine in a water bath a it turns out awesome. But you still need to let it cool before you can it. Also before you add the bell peppers to the pot make sure to use paper towels to soak up extra moisture. But this recipe is phenomenal. I’m making it as I type this haha
I was wondering if it would be safe to add pineapple to this recipe ? thanks for any help
I’m not sure, Venus, but I did find this recipe for you for Pineapple Hot Pepper Jelly: http://www.food.com/recipe/pineapple-pepper-jelly-133862. It has quite a big of sugar but I think it needs that for canning safety.
Thank you 🙂
I bought Pomona Pure Pectin (1.1 oz packges) w separate calcium packet included – please advise 🙂 can’t wait to make this!!
THANK YOU!!!
Hey Sue We love hot pepper jelly. This recipe was really easy pretty and taste great. However it just is not jelling very well. It has been in the fridge over night. Any suggestions? There seem to be quite a bit of liquid in tbe bell peppers when i minced them. So i thought maybe that had something to do with it or my pectin i used did not say on the box no sugar needed. This is the only 2 things i could think of.
The type of pectin is important, Jamie, and that was probably it. There are a bunch of different kinds, and each one works differently. If you decide to give it another try, be sure to find one that specifies no sugar.
I was wondering if you can do a hot water bath on these jars like canning jam and you wouldn’t have to refridgerate.
I am watching the type of sugar I consume and wanted to know if you can substitute agave syrup for part of the sugar content?
I don’t know is the short answer. But here is a link that suggests you can, and tells you how to substitute it for the sugar in jams : http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/making-jams-jellies-with-agave-syrup. Hope that helps!
Planning to try making some different hot pepper jellies this summer… it will be the first time I attempt jelly. Is the pectin you used powder or liquid? I’ve heard others say it’s best to use exactly the type specified in a recipe for best results. Thanks!
I use powdered pectin, Heather.