With this Easter Glitter Jam, a single moment decides whether the shimmer works: the edible gold glitter must only go into the hot mixture after cooking and blending, and even then only briefly at a low speed. Anyone who cooks the glitter along with the jam sugar ends up with a matte orange jam without any sparkle at all. We explain exactly this sequence step by step here.
We have been making this jam for our Easter brunch for years, and it is always the first thing the children reach for. The base is classic and straightforward: apple, carrot, mango, orange juice, lemon juice and 2:1 jam sugar. The magic happens right at the end with a tablespoon of edible gold glitter. That one addition turns a good breakfast jam into one that genuinely catches the eye when the sun comes through the window and hits the jars.
Easter Glitter Jam with the Thermomix® (Bunny Breakfast)
Ingredients 0 / 7 ✓
- 250 g apples
- 150 g carrot
- 200 g mango flesh
- 300 g orange juice
- 20 g lemon juice
- 500 g 2:1 jam sugar
- 1 tbsp edible gold glitter
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Chop the fruit.
Quarter, peel and core the apples. Peel 150 g carrot and cut into pieces. Place the apples, carrots and mango in the mixing bowl and chop for 15 sec / speed 5, then scrape down with the spatula.
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2
Cook.
Add the juice and jam sugar and cook for 15 min / 100°C / speed 2.
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3
Blend.
Blend the jam for 30 sec / speed 6 to 10, gradually increasing the speed, then do a set test.
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4
Fill into jars.
Add 1 tbsp edible gold glitter, mix for 5 sec / speed 3, fill into sterilised jars, seal and leave upside down for 5 minutes.
Tip: Edible glitter is available in many colours and can also be used for drinks or baked goods.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the glitter only goes in after cooking
Edible gold glitter is made up of thin layers of approved food colouring, often on a carrier of gum arabic or cornstarch. At 100°C combined with the acidity from lemon juice and orange juice, this carrier dissolves within a few minutes. The result: the glitter does not become harmful, but it disappears completely from view. A shimmering jam becomes a completely ordinary jam. That is why the glitter in the Thermomix® always belongs in the final step, after blending, for 5 seconds at speed 3. No more. Speed 5 or higher breaks the glitter flakes into micro-particles that spread evenly and therefore become invisible as well.
The second reason for adding it late: during blending at 30 sec / speed 6 to 10 the blades are so fast that they break everything apart. The glitter would also disappear at this stage. We therefore wait until after blending, once the consistency is set, and only then fold the glitter in gently.
The ratio: 600 g fruit and vegetable, 500 g sugar
The ratio in the recipe is deliberate: 250 g apples, 150 g carrots and 200 g mango give a combined fruit weight of 600 g. To that we add 500 g of 2:1 jam sugar. This 2:1 ratio is exactly what is stated on the jam sugar packet. Anyone using 1:1 jam sugar needs to increase the quantity to 600 g, otherwise the jam becomes too sweet and the carrot flavour disappears into the background. The carrot is the reason this jam makes sense at a bunny breakfast: it brings sweetness without acidity, adds colour and gives the jam a thicker consistency than pure fruit puree.
We use freshly squeezed orange juice (300 g) when we have the time. Carton juice also works, but the flavour drops off noticeably. Fresh-pressed is the sensible middle ground. For the lemon juice (20 g), half a medium lemon is enough. The juice is not there for flavour but for pectin activation. Without it the mixture will not set reliably.
What often goes wrong on the first attempt
Three things come up again and again when people show us their results.
Glitter stirred in together with the jam sugar. Classic mistake. Anyone who adds the gold glitter in step 2 cooks it at 100°C for 15 minutes. The result is a completely normal, slightly cloudy jam. Our fix is the sequence from the recipe: cook first, then blend, then add the glitter. Full stop.
Carrots cut too coarsely. The carrot needs a head start during the initial chopping at 15 sec / speed 5. If the pieces come into the mixing bowl too large, small hard carrot bits remain in the finished jam. We cut the carrots into pieces no larger than 2 cm before they go into the mixing bowl. Then everything is finely chopped after 15 seconds.
Set test skipped. After blending, always do a set test: place a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, wait one minute, then draw your finger through it. If a clear line holds, the jam is ready. If it runs back together immediately, cook for another 3 min / 100°C / speed 2 and test again.
Filling the jars with the upside-down trick
We fill the hot jam directly after mixing in the glitter into four sterilised 250 ml jars. Sterilised means: prepare the jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes or in the oven at 120°C beforehand. Seal immediately, then leave upside down for 5 minutes. The hot jam sterilises the inside of the lid, and as it cools a vacuum forms that draws the lid inward. That is how we can tell later whether the jar is truly sealed: the lid should be slightly concave and should not click when you press it.
When the jars are left upside down, the glitter distributes itself differently through the jam once more. We turn the jars the right way up after 5 minutes and leave them to cool standing upright. This way the glitter stays suspended finely in the jam and does not collect at the top.
Variations for other occasions
Silver glitter for Christmas: Instead of gold we use edible silver glitter and replace the mango with 200 g of pear. It works exactly the same way but feels cooler in tone.
Pink glitter for birthdays: With a raspberry and carrot jam (replace 200 g mango with 200 g raspberries) and pink edible glitter, the same method becomes a birthday breakfast treat. Note: pass the raspberries through a sieve before cooking, otherwise the seeds are unpleasant between the teeth.
Without glitter as a plain fruit and carrot jam: The base recipe also works without the gold glitter as an everyday jam. Carrot and apple are the stars of the recipe anyway, and the mango flavour makes this spread something you simply cannot find in a supermarket.
Shelf life and storage
Unopened, the jam keeps for at least 12 months in a cool, dark place. We store our jars in the larder, not the fridge. Once a jar is opened it belongs in the fridge and should be used within 3 to 4 weeks. The glitter remains visible throughout the shelf life as long as the jar was kept sealed. In opened jars it gradually distributes more finely over the weeks and becomes a little more subtle, but it remains visible.
Freezing is possible in principle, but is not necessary for a properly sealed jam. Anyone who does want to freeze it should use plastic containers with lids rather than the preserve jars. Glass can crack when freezing the sweet mixture, because the high sugar content causes it to set unevenly.
Giving it as a gift at Easter brunch
This jam works as a gift for three reasons: it is homemade, it looks unusual, and it tastes clearly of real fruit rather than sugar with flavouring. We stick on labels with the date and a short suggestion (for example, “Best on fresh brioche”). For more of an Easter feel, jam labels with rabbit or egg motifs work well. Anyone giving away several jars can pack them in a flat basket with a little hay or straw as padding. That looks more fitting than wrapping paper.
For the Easter brunch, our homemade breakfast ideas with the Thermomix® also go beautifully alongside: we usually make this jam together with fresh brioche or a classic plaited bread. A Thermomix® quark and oil rabbit-shaped roll brings the bunny theme from the breakfast table right onto the bread. Anyone who prefers something more savoury combines the glitter jam with salted butter on a farmhouse loaf. It sounds unusual, but it works: the saltiness balances the sweetness and the mango element adds a warm note.
What others do differently
Also pairs well with: Butter, pancakes and waffles.
In other recipes the glitter often appears during cooking or is added with the jam sugar. We consistently follow the sequence: blend first, then add the glitter at 5 seconds / speed 3. Rather than passion fruit juice we use orange juice, as it has a rounder flavour that works better for children. We deliberately keep the jar size small at 90 to 230 ml so the jam works as a gift for godchildren or an early brunch. A label with the fill date is, for us, part of it. A variation with two layers of fruit, for example strawberry at the bottom and mango and carrot on top, we leave out: layers run together during cooking and are not stably visible in the jar.
Anyone looking for more inspiration for the Easter table will find further matching recipes for breakfast, brunch and sweet gifts around Easter here on our site.
