Orange marmalade substitutes
Orange marmalade substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Apricot preserves plus grated orange zest
Same amount as the orange marmalade
Plus 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest per ½ cup
In a recipe, marmalade is doing three jobs at once: sweetness, sharp citrus aroma, and a pectin set that makes a glaze cling and shine instead of running off. Apricot preserves stirred with the finely grated zest of an orange is the best all-round swap at 1:1 and is what many bakeries already use for glazing. Any other citrus marmalade, lemon, lime, grapefruit or three-fruit, swaps 1:1 with no adjustment at all. For a glazed ham or a chicken glaze where you want shine and orange flavour but not bitterness, apple jelly plus 2 teaspoons of orange zest and a tablespoon of orange juice per half cup is closer than it sounds. The one thing you cannot fake is the bitterness of Seville or bitter orange peel, so if the recipe leans on that edge, expect a rounder, sweeter result.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- glazed ham
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of orange marmalade | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apricot preserves plus grated orange zestglazed ham | Same amountPlus 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest per ½ cupWorks | Works |
| 2 | Lemon, lime, grapefruit or three-fruit marmaladeany recipe calling for marmalade | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Apple jelly with orange zest and juiceshiny fruit tart glaze | Same amountPlus 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice per ½ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Peach or pineapple preservesglazed ham | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Quick orange glaze from juice, sugar and zestduck and chicken glazes | ½ cup orange juice plus ¼ cup sugar plus the zest of 1 orange, reduced to about ¼ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Honey or brown sugar with orange zest (least-best option)savoury glazes where marmalade was minor | ¾ the volume of the marmalade, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons zestYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Apricot preserves plus grated orange zest
similar taste and texture
Apricot preserves have almost the same thickness and sugar level as marmalade, so a glaze made with them sets and shines identically. The difference is flavour: it tastes rounder, fruitier and noticeably sweeter, with none of the bitter peel edge, and the colour goes amber rather than orange. The zest puts the citrus aroma back. Grate it fine and include a little of the white pith just under the skin, which is where a trace of the bitterness lives.
- Best for
- glazed ham, cake and tart glazes, chicken and pork glazes, thumbprint cookies
Warm and strain it if the recipe needs a smooth glaze. Add the zest off the heat so the aroma survives.
Lemon, lime, grapefruit or three-fruit marmalade
similar taste and texture
Any other marmalade is the same product with a different citrus, so the set, the shreds of peel and the bitter-sweet balance all behave exactly the same. Lemon marmalade is the closest and sharpest, grapefruit marmalade is the most bitter of the lot and can dominate a delicate cake, and three-fruit marmalade is essentially orange marmalade with extras. In a savoury glaze nobody will be able to tell.
- Best for
- any recipe calling for marmalade, duck and pork glazes, marmalade cake, steamed puddings
If using grapefruit marmalade in a sweet bake, cut it half and half with apricot jam so the bitterness does not take over.
Apple jelly with orange zest and juice
different taste, similar texture
Apple jelly is the neutral, glassy option: almost no flavour of its own, a clean firm set, and it melts into a clear lacquer. On its own it reads as sweet shine and nothing else, so a glaze made with plain apple jelly tastes flat where marmalade tasted bright. The zest and juice fix most of that. It will never be bitter and it has no peel shreds, so it is the wrong choice if the marmalade was meant to be visible in the finished dish.
- Best for
- shiny fruit tart glaze, ham glaze, cocktail meatball sauce, brushing pastry
Red currant jelly works the same way if that is what you have, but it turns the glaze pink.
Peach or pineapple preserves
different taste, similar texture
Both behave like marmalade in the pan and both are common in American glaze recipes. Peach is soft, floral and very sweet, so a glazed ham made with it tastes gentler and more dessert-like. Pineapple brings its own acidity, which actually gets you closer to marmalade's sharpness, and it is excellent on pork and ham. Neither has any bitterness, and both are a little looser, so reduce the glaze a minute or two longer to get the same cling.
- Best for
- glazed ham, pork chops and ribs, sweet and sour sauces, grilled chicken
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice per half cup to sharpen either one.
Quick orange glaze from juice, sugar and zest
similar taste, different texture
Simmer the juice, sugar and a couple of wide strips of zest for eight to ten minutes until it coats a spoon, then fish out the strips and stir in the grated zest. This gives you the most authentic orange flavour of any option here, and if you slice the zest into fine shreds and leave them in it even looks the part. What it lacks is pectin, so it stays syrupy rather than setting, and it will run off a cold cake. Use it while warm, on warm food.
- Best for
- duck and chicken glazes, pan sauces, brushing over a warm cake, carrots and roasted vegetables
A quarter teaspoon of cornstarch slaked in a little cold juice will thicken it if you need it to hold on cold food.
Honey or brown sugar with orange zest (least-best option)
different taste and texture
Worth being honest: this is a stopgap, not a substitute. Honey is sweeter than marmalade by volume and has a strong floral flavour of its own, so use less of it and expect the dish to taste of honey. It has no pectin and no fruit, so a glaze made with honey will thin out and run, and in a cake or a filled cookie it will soak into the crumb instead of staying put. Reach for it when the marmalade was a background sweetener rather than the point of the recipe.
- Best for
- savoury glazes where marmalade was minor, salad dressings, sweetening a sauce
Do not use this as a thumbprint cookie or Linzer filling; it will boil out of the pastry.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave the marmalade out?
It depends on what it was doing. In a glaze for ham, duck or chicken, marmalade is most of the flavour and all of the shine, so leaving it out means the meat comes out plain and matte; use apricot jam or even brown sugar with orange juice instead. In a marmalade cake or a filled cookie it is a structural part of the recipe and cannot be omitted. In a marinade or dressing where it was one of eight ingredients, you can skip it and add a little sugar or honey to compensate.
Is orange jam the same as orange marmalade?
Not quite. Marmalade includes the peel, which is what makes it bitter and gives it those translucent shreds, while orange jam is made from the flesh only and is simply sweet and orangey. Orange jam substitutes for marmalade at 1:1 and is a very good swap, just rounder and less complex. Stir in a teaspoon of grated zest per half cup if you want the bitterness back.
What is the best marmalade substitute for a glazed ham?
Apricot preserves are the standard swap and the one most cooks would not notice, at 1:1, ideally with a teaspoon of orange zest and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard stirred in. Pineapple preserves are the second choice and suit ham especially well. Apple jelly plus zest works if you want shine without much fruit flavour. Whichever you use, brush it on for the last twenty minutes only, because the sugar will burn over a longer bake.
Can I use marmalade instead of apricot jam as a tart glaze?
Yes, and it is a common professional choice. Warm it with a splash of water and strain out the peel first, or the shreds will sit on top of the fruit. Marmalade sets a little firmer than apricot jam, so brush it on thinly while it is still hot.
How do I make marmalade less bitter in a recipe?
Cut it with something sweet and neutral: replace a third of the marmalade with apple jelly or apricot jam. Adding a pinch of salt also blunts perceived bitterness. Straining out the peel helps too, since most of the bitterness sits in the rind rather than the jelly.
Tips for substituting orange marmalade
5 tips- For a smooth glaze, warm the marmalade or its substitute with a tablespoon of water and push it through a sieve. This removes the peel shreds, which char and turn bitter under a hot broiler and look untidy on a tart.
- Bitter orange marmalade, sold as Seville marmalade, is much sharper than the sweet breakfast marmalade in most cupboards. If a British recipe specifies Seville and you only have sweet marmalade, add a teaspoon of lemon juice per half cup to close about half the gap.
- Marmalade in a filled cookie or pastry needs to be thick or it will bubble out. Simmer it down by a third first and let it cool before spooning it in.
- In a savoury glaze, marmalade burns quickly because it is mostly sugar. Brush it on in the last fifteen to twenty minutes of roasting rather than at the start, or the surface will blacken before the meat is done.
- Homemade marmalade is a preserving recipe, and its sugar and acid levels are what make it safe to keep in a sealed jar. Do not reduce the sugar, swap the citrus for a low-acid fruit, or change a tested canning recipe. Follow guidance from the National Center for Home Food Preservation instead.