Brandied Cinnamon Apple Preserves (Low Sugar Recipe)

These homemade apple preserves combine tender slices of apple with cinnamon and a hint of brandy in a lightly sweetened syrup. They’re delicious on toast, biscuits, or pancakes, and fancy enough for gift giving.

We use Pomona’s Universal Pectin to make these low sugar apple preserves, so the flavor of the apples shines through instead of getting buried under a mountain of sugar.

If you have an abundance of apples, this is a nice change of pace from applesauce and apple butter. The finished preserves have tender slices of fruit suspended in a lightly spiced syrup, making them as pretty as they are tasty.

I’ll walk you through choosing the right apples, preparing the preserves, and canning them for pantry storage.

Choosing the Best Apples for Preserves

For this recipe, you want firm, crisp apples that hold their shape during cooking. We’re not aiming for applesauce or apple butter.

Some good varieties include:

• Gala
• Granny Smith
• Braeburn
• Honeycrisp
• Jonagold
• Fuji
• Ida Red
• Winesap

You can use one variety or a combination. Mixing sweet and tart apples gives the finished preserves a little more depth of flavor.

Avoid soft, mealy apples that are likely to fall apart during cooking. Save those for homemade apple butter or applesauce.

One pound of apples equals roughly three medium apples, so you’ll need about six medium apples for this recipe.

If you’re working with apples from your own trees, don’t worry if they aren’t picture-perfect. Small blemishes are easy to trim away. Just make sure to use sound fruit and discard any apples with mold or rot.

Ingredients and Equipment

This recipe is adapted from Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin, which is my go-to book for low sugar fruit spreads.

You’ll need:

• 2 pounds crisp, hard apples
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons calcium water (included with Pomona’s Pectin)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin (see recipe note below)

You’ll also need a large saucepan, a small mixing bowl, canning jars with lids and rings, and a boiling water bath canner if you plan to preserve the jars for pantry storage.

Why Use Pomona’s Universal Pectin?

Most conventional pectins require quite a bit of sugar to get a good set. Pomona’s Universal Pectin works differently. It uses calcium to activate the pectin, allowing you to make preserves with much less sugar. This is handy when you want to taste the fruit instead of just the sugar.

Each box of Pomona’s Pectin includes a small packet of calcium powder. Mix the calcium powder with water according to the package directions to make calcium water. (Get Pomona’s Pectin here.)

For this recipe, you’ll need two teaspoons of the prepared calcium water, not two teaspoons of the dry calcium powder.

You can store leftover calcium water in the refrigerator for future batches, following the manufacturer’s storage instructions.

What About the Brandy?

The brandy adds a little extra flavor and complements the cinnamon and apples.

The brandy I used came from a stash of liquor handed down from my in-laws many years ago. Properly stored hard liquor lasts a REALLY long time, so there’s no need to buy a new bottle if you already have some tucked away.

The finished preserves have a hint of brandy flavor, but they don’t taste overwhelmingly alcoholic. Some alcohol may remain after cooking and processing, so these aren’t an alcohol-free preserve.

How to Make Brandied Cinnamon Apple Preserves

Since it is an apple preserve, we’re keeping the apples in slices. Remember, it’s always best to have your equipment ready before your start processing your fruit.

Step 1: Prepare the Apples and Canning Equipment

Prepare your jars, lids, and rings according to current canning guidelines. Fill your boiling water bath canner and begin heating the water.

Wash, peel, and core the apples. Cut them into quarters, then slice each quarter lengthwise into several uniform slices. Try to keep the slices roughly the same thickness so they cook evenly.

Peel apples, remove stems and cores, and quarter them. Slice each quarter into several uniform lengthwise slices. If you like, you can save your stems and peels to make homemade apple scrap vinegar.

Step 2: Cook the Apple Slices

Combine the apple slices and 1¾ cups water in a large saucepan.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for three to five minutes Stir occasionally.

You want the apples to soften slightly while still holding their shape. They’ll continue cooking as you finish the preserves.

Step 3: Add the Spices, Brandy, and Pectin

Add the cinnamon, brandy, lemon juice, and prepared calcium water to the apples. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the sugar and pectin powder. Mixing the pectin with the sugar helps prevent clumping when you add it to the hot fruit.

Bring the apple mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat.

Gradually add the sugar-pectin mixture, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Bring the preserves to a rolling boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.

Step 4: Fill and Process the Jars

Ladle the hot apple preserves into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the jar rims, and apply the lids and rings until fingertip tight.

Place the jars in the boiling water bath canner, making sure they’re covered with one to two inches of water. Process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed.

When processing is complete, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and wait five minutes before removing the jars. Set the jars upright on a towel or cooling rack, away from drafts.

Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check the seals, remove the rings, and label and date the jars.

Store sealed jars in a cool, dry, dark location. Refrigerate any jars that fail to seal and use promptly.

This recipe makes approximately four to five half-pint jars.

Altitude Adjustments for Canning Apple Preserves

If your altitude is higher than 1000 feet above sea level, adjust boiling water processing time as listed below.

Altitude Feet                     Increase Processing Time

• 1,001-  3,000                           5 minutes
• 3,001-  6,000                         10 minutes
• 6,001-  8,000                         15 minutes
• 8,001-10,000                         20 minutes

Adapted from Fresh Preserving – High Altitude Canning Adjustments.

Apple Preserves FAQs

For those who want to adjust the recipe.

Can I use other sweeteners?

Pomona’s Universal Pectin allows you to use less sugar than traditional pectin recipes. Some alternative sweeteners that retain their sweetness during cooking may also work.

If you prefer a less processed sugar, such as turbinado or sucanat, pulse it in a food processor a few times to break down the large granules. This helps it dissolve more easily.

For shelf-stable preserves, check Pomona’s instructions for appropriate sweeteners and quantities.

Can I Make Apple Preserves Without Brandy?

For an alcohol free version, you can omit the brandy and substitute apple juice. The flavor will be a little different, but the apples and cinnamon still make a lovely combination. If you like, you can add 1/2 teaspoon brandy extract with the apple juice.

Can I Make These Preserves Without Canning Them?

Yes! If you don’t want to get out the canner, you can make a small batch to enjoy fresh.

You can also leave out the pectin and calcium water to make a spiced apple topping instead of a thick preserve. It’s delicious spooned over vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, or pancakes.

Keep uncanned preserves refrigerated and use them promptly, or freeze them in suitable containers for longer storage.

What’s the difference between apple jam and apple preserves?

Both jam and preserves contain fruit, unlike jelly, which is made from fruit juice.

Jam typically contains crushed or finely chopped fruit, giving it a relatively uniform texture. Preserves feature whole fruit or larger pieces. For an example of preserves using whole fruit, see strawberry vanilla preserves.

How to Serve Apple Preserves

These preserves are good enough to eat straight out of the jar, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy them.

Try them:

• Spooned over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.
• Spread on warm biscuits or homemade bread.
• Served over vanilla ice cream or cheesecake.
• Stirred into oatmeal or plain yogurt.
• Paired with sharp cheddar cheese on a snack board.
• Tucked into a basket with homemade bread or other treats for a simple homemade gift.

For gift giving, dress up the jars with a little ribbon and a handwritten label. Show off those pretty apple slices!

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More Ways to Use and Preserve Apples

One of the things I appreciate about apples is their versatility. Depending on the variety and condition of the fruit, you can eat them fresh, bake with them, preserve them, or store them for months.

If you still have apples to use up, here are a few more ideas.

Make the Most of What You Grow

Growing food is satisfying. Knowing how to store it, preserve it, and put it to good use makes your harvest go even further.

At Common Sense Home, we share practical tips for gardening, food preservation, cooking from scratch, and building a more resilient household. Our goal is to help you make the most of what you have, one manageable project at a time.

A Well-Stocked Pantry Starts with Everyday Skills

Putting up a few jars of apple preserves might not seem like a big step toward preparedness, but it’s one of many useful skills that add up over time.

Learning to grow, store, and preserve food helps reduce waste, stretch your grocery budget, and make your household a little less dependent on outside supplies.

Food is the foundation of my preparedness approach, because it’s something we use every single day.

In Common Sense Preparedness: Building Resilience for Uncertain Times, I share practical ways to build a more resilient household, starting with food and expanding to water, home and shelter, hygiene and sanitation, and a prepared state of mind.

This article is written by Laurie Neverman, author of Common Sense Preparedness. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering. This was her summer job through most of high school and college.

Originally published in 2020, last updated in 2026.