Popular Bonne Maman Preserves Flavors Ranked From Worst To Best

If you've ever wondered what type of preserves to buy at the grocery store, you know it can be quite the jam. Bonne Maman, those gingham-topped jars available in grocery stores across the country, are synonymous with quality. The charming French-made brand offers a robust lineup of fruit preserves. Whether you're layering it onto a croissant or sneakily spooning it generously onto a bed of peanut butter, Bonne Maman makes it easy to romanticize your breakfast routine.

But with so many flavors lining the grocery shelves, which ones actually deserve a coveted spot in your pantry? To answer that question, I taste-tested some of Bonne Maman's most popular preserves, chosen based on wide availability and fan-favorite status. I didn't get limited-edition novelties or fringe flavors, rather I stuck to the jams you're most likely to see in stores.

Each of the preserves was tasted plain to get a sense of its true, unadulterated flavor, and on lightly toasted baguette: the ultimate jam proving ground. I judged the preserves based on taste, texture, sweetness-to-acidity ratio, and how much each flavor made me want to immediately eat another bite. Many rose to the occasion, while others left me wondering what all the fuss was about. Here's a definitive ranking of popular Bonne Maman preserves from forgettable to fantastic.

I took a whiff of this jar of jam and was delighted at the fresh smell of damson plums that filled my eager nostrils. Damsons are a bit more tart to eat than the average plum, which I thought would make them a perfect candidate for a sugary jam. But these preserves did not grace my toast with the bold fruit flavor I had hoped for.

Plum jam should have a sophisticated tartness to round out the jam's sugar content, but this jar brought nothing of the sort. It's not necessarily unpleasant, but it's little more than a sticky jar of sugar with the gentlest hint of plum flavor. The texture is too smooth for its own good, with only the occasional bit of plum skin floating around, which doesn't provide enough to chew on. It's a pity that all that gorgeous summer fruit that went into making this jar of preserves wasn't able to shine through.

This is the jam you buy if you want something that's little more than background noise for toast. But if you're here for fruit-forward flavor, you'll be disappointed. In fact, I'd only recommend it if you don't really like fruit. But if that's the case, then why are you buying jam at all?

Here in the Northeastern United States, there's nothing like eating a wild blueberry from a bush in July. They're tiny bursts of joy that pop between your teeth with a sweet, tart, earthy, floral flavor. But Bonne Maman's Wild Blueberry Preserves struggle to capture that same magic. The color is a gorgeous inky purple that hints at rich complexity, but the flavor leans too heavily into sugar without enough tartness to balance it out.

The texture is monotonous, with the delicate blueberry getting lost (very literally) in the sauce. You might spot the odd fruit bit here and there, but it's not a full-bodied fruit experience. It might play well on pancakes in place of maple syrup. On toast, though, the texture doesn't offer much beyond a smear.

Where this jam might shine is in baking. The deep hue would make a dramatic swirl in muffin batter since blueberries can affect the color of your bakes. And the sweetness might thrive against the tartness of a bowl of Greek yogurt, but if you're eating it straight on toast, expect a sugar rush. It's not bad, but it's definitely not living up to the wild part of its name.

Eating Bonne Maman's Four Fruits Preserves contains a star-studded cast of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and red currant all together in one jar. But this blend feels like a group project where strawberry did all the work. The moment you pop the lid, the sweet strawberry smell hits you like a déjà vu of diner jam packets. A gentle hint of raspberry peeks through here and there, and if you squint, maybe a ghost of red currant, but the cherry is a total no-show.

The flavor isn't bad, but it doesn't deliver on the promise of a four fruit medley. Instead of a bold, harmonious blend, the flavors get lost in each other, softening into a sort of sweet, slightly tart background hum. The texture is smooth and spreadable, with a few raspberry seeds thrown in for crunch, which I do appreciate.

If you're indecisive, this might seem like the best of all worlds, but you're better off picking a single-fruit jam with a point of view. These four fruits could be lifting each other up, but instead they're tearing each other down.

Apricot preserves aren't usually front and center on the jam shelf, but when stone fruit season rolls around, apricots deserve their golden moment, and I was excited to crack this jar open. The flavor is warm and sweet with a mild tang, but it could use a bit more acidity to really sing. There's a faint floral note, almost honeylike, which feels very on-brand for apricot.

Texture-wise, these preserves are very chunky. You might love it if you want your jam to feel rustic and homemade, but I found myself wrestling massive apricot pieces onto my toast like I was laying bricks. Some bites were hefty with huge chunks of apricot, which made for an inconsistent piece of toast.

Still, it's a rare flavor that doesn't lean on berries or citrus, and for that alone it deserves a spot in the fridge. Use it in a glaze, a tart, or with soft cheese, and it's totally in its element. But if you're smearing it on bread, I hope you've got a sturdy slice.

Blackberry preserves might not be the flashiest jar in the Bonne Maman lineup, but don't underestimate this deep purple sleeper hit. At first, I found it a little underwhelming, with my first bite tasting like generic sweet jam. But when I scooped a little deeper, I was rewarded with real, robust blackberry chunks that popped with flavor and texture. When those pieces show up, it's magically juicy, but you've got to go digging for them.

Blackberries are hardier than most jam fruits, so the fruit chunks in this jam hold their shape and bring a welcome chew. The seeds add texture and remind you this came from an actual fruit and not a flavor lab. The balance of sweet and tart is decent, but without the fruit chunks, it skews a little too sugary.

That inconsistency is the only knock here. One bite is perfection, and the next feels like filler, so it's a bit of a gamble, but when it pays off, it's worth it.

Fig season is famously fleeting, so getting to enjoy fig flavor from a jar is like bottling a very classy sunset. A fig is not a fruit that shouts, and neither does the jam. Instead, Bonne Maman's Fig Preserves lean into subtlety, murmuring in soft, honeyed tones with just a hint of earthiness.

The texture features real chunks of white fig soft enough to smother into the crisp nooks and crannies of a torn baguette, and seeds that offer the delightful grainy crunch that fig lovers are always after. It's complex and sweet without being cloying. That said, if you're expecting bold fruit fireworks, this jar might feel underwhelming. The fig flavor is elegant and restrained, but it would get steamrolled in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Instead, pair it with cheeses like brie or manchego or use it as a glaze for salty roasted meats. If it's finesse and subtlety you're after, then this is the jam for you.

A good jar of peach preserves should taste like biting into the darling of stone fruit season itself: juicy, tart-sweet, and sunshine-bright. Bonne Maman's Peach Preserves have a luscious peach flavor that doesn't feel artificial or overly sugary. There's a gentle tartness that keeps things interesting and prevents it from slipping into bland syrup territory.

The texture is definitely on the chunky side. You get generous peach pieces, which is great, but sometimes they're a little hard to wrestle into your toast and you'll get a bite that's too peachy followed by one that's not peachy enough. At least you don't have to learn to pit a peach without tearing the whole fruit apart.

Whether you slather it on warm biscuits, layer it into yogurt, or sneak a spoonful straight from the jar (guilty), this preserve is a peachy keen choice. It's sweet, just tangy enough, and makes a great addition to barbecue ribs or a pork tenderloin. Without enjoying the staple status of the more classic berry flavors, this preserve might be the most underrated jar in the lineup. Breakfast toast has never tasted more like a summer vacation.

Despite its high sugar content, orange marmalade doesn't have the sweetest reputation. It's bitter, it's bracing, and it definitely doesn't pander to those who prefer a simple, sweet jar of preserves. But if you're the type who loves the weirdly wonderful world of intense flavors, this jar might be your jam (or your marmalade rather). Bonne Maman's Orange Marmalade is made with orange peels, bursting with bright, citrus flavor and a characteristically bitter aftertaste.

The texture is delightfully rustic, with visible slivers of peel that offer some gentle roughage among the glossy, golden base. The flavor is beautifully balanced: just enough sweetness to smooth the edges, just enough bitterness to wake you up in the morning. Brits love this spread so much that Buckingham Palace was drowning in marmalade after Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022.

Marmalade isn't for everyone, and it doesn't aim to be. But if you appreciate grown-up flavors or need a counterpoint to rich, buttery carbs, this is the jar you want. Try it on scones, with cheese, or even in a glaze for roasted meats. Paddington Bear may have been onto something.

Bonne Maman's Cherry Preserves deliver a bright, bold flavor that sets it apart from the berry crowd. It's got that natural cherry tang that's fruity, a little sour, and just acidic enough to cut through the jam's sweetness and keep you coming back for more.

The texture is smooth but not too smooth, with bits of fruit that remind you this is a preserve, not a jelly. The flavor is strong enough to use in more than just breakfast: It'd also be great whisked into a vinaigrette for a sweet salad dressing or brushed over pork chops as a quick marinade. It would also shine as a surprising twist in baked goods like linzer cookies or hamantaschen, where the jam needs to hold its shape and stand up to pastry. I can also personally attest to this jam's strength in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This is one of those jams that doesn't rely on nostalgia or popularity. If you're cherry-curious but worried it'll be too syrupy, don't be. It's bright, tart, and deserves a spot in your fridge year-round.

If jams had a greatest hits album, this would be the opening track. A jar of Bonne Maman's Strawberry preserves is a classic for a reason. It's sweet and there's a light acidity that keeps it from becoming too sugary or cloying. The flavor is pure, ripe, fresh, and vibrant, like a strawberry picked at its peak.

Texturally, this jam leans on the smooth side with just a few soft fruit bits, but what it lacks in crunch, it makes up for in spreadability. It glides onto bread with zero resistance and snuggles up into the gaps in a piece of toast with ease.

This is the kind of jam you put on a piece of rye toast with a generous hunk of butter when you're craving that diner flavor. It's also right at home in yogurt parfaits, cake fillings, or spread on top of a fluffy stack of yeasted buttermilk pancakes. It's not the flashiest jar on the shelf, but it's reliable, nostalgic, and completely delicious. Sometimes, the crowd favorite is popular for a reason.

Blueberries and raspberries and blackberries, oh my! Instead of stepping on each other's toes, this jam band of berries plays in perfect harmony, with each distinct berry flavor lifting up the others. The result is a preserve that's more than the sum of its parts.

The blueberries lend a mellow sweetness, the raspberries offer a bright acidity, and the blackberries ground it all with their deeper, almost winey undertones. The blackberries also do the heavy lifting when it comes to texture, stuffing the sweet sauce with juicy lumps of fresh fruit. Raspberry seeds give the jam a little crunch, but it's still smooth enough to spread without tearing your toast apart.

It's sweet but not sickly and tart enough to keep the flavor bold and interesting. This super versatile flavor would be great slathered on Dutch baby pancakes or baked in an oat crumble. If you're an indecisive berry-loving breakfast fanatic, your toast will never be the same.

Raspberries are among the most delicate berries. Easily bruised and quick to rot, eating a perfect raspberry isn't exactly an everyday occasion. But if you want the tart, juicy taste of raspberries to last well beyond summer, Bonne Maman's raspberry preserves deliver the best that these fragile little fruits have to offer.

Lots of crunchy little seeds dot the jam's perfectly spreadable body, which add a satisfying bite and remind you this isn't some factory smooth jelly. There's a natural brightness that balances the sugar perfectly, making it the most dynamic, balanced jam in the lineup.

This is also one of the few jams strong enough to stand up to peanut butter, with a bold, vibrant, flavor intense enough to cut through even the thickest earthy smear of roasted peanut flavor. But still this jam is delicate enough to dab on the end of a flaky, buttery croissant. If you're only going to buy one jar from Bonne Maman, make it this one. It's top-tier, no-notes, eat-it-straight-from-the-jar good.

To figure out which Bonne Maman flavors were worth ranking, I started at the grocery store. I spoke with a buyer at a local market who confirmed that while Bonne Maman offers loads of preserves, a core group of flavors consistently outsells the rest. Based on that conversation, I selected 12 of the most popular and widely available flavors. These weren't niche or seasonal offerings; they were the jams most shoppers actually buy.

Once I had the jars lined up, I developed a consistent method for tasting. Each preserve was first tested on neutral, lightly buttered bread (baguette, lightly toasted with unsalted butter). This allowed for a real-world taste test to see how the jam behaved in its natural habitat. Did it spread well? Did the texture hold up? How did the flavors mingle with butter and bread?

Then, each preserve was tasted on its own, straight from the spoon, to isolate its flavor, sweetness level, and overall fruit character. I paid close attention to how much each jam resembled the fruit it claimed to be, how balanced the flavor was, and how interesting it was to eat. The best jams had an interesting texture, a bright dash of acidity, and, of course, a fruity punch.