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 was wondering if you have a sweet hot pepper recipe
You can add more sugar to this one, to taste, James, is that what you mean?
I love the Simplicity of this recipe, I threw a screwball into this one though, because I used cayenne, poblano, and habanero peppers. A dear friend of mine wanted to try some really hot pepper jelly, the only other thing that I changed up which at the end I did a canning bath so that way my friend could have some jelly for a while down the road.
I love my jelly really hot, too, Thomas, so I’m with you on this one!
Can you can this
Can I double the recipe
I would do two batches, Jan, jelly can be tricky.
I’m glad to see a low sugar pectin recipe for this. I use a similar combination but use half vinegar and half apple juice and prefer it.
Sounds great I’ll have to try that Judy.
Mine turned green and I wanted the yellow color of the jelly
The color will depend on the color of your peppers, Cindy. Next time try more red and yellow peppers ~ there are even red jalapeños!
This is my second time making this recipe with a variety of peppers from our farm share, it is absolutely delicious and so so easy to put together. It has been a huge hit anytime I’ve served it, usually over cream cheese with crackers! Definitely a staple in my house now, thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
can’t wait to try this. I will also make some with my Carolina Reapers
Is this REALLY hot if you leave the seeds in? I like a little heat, but not too much.
Barbara leave the seeds out if you’re not into truly hot food.
I love using pepper jelly in a goat cheese appetizer I serve quite frequently and have been unable to find any lately in the usual places I shop, World Market and Trader Joe’s among them. I can now make my own, as I’m becoming more familiar with canning. Thank you, Sue!
Can I substitute the sugar for Splenda?
Made this for Christmas and it was a big hit. Wonderful recipe.