Recipe Garden

  • Resources
  • All Recipes
  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Side Dish
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Pancakes
  • Desserts
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Pancakes
    • Desserts
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    Watermelon Jam In Instant Pot Without Pectin (Watermelon Jelly)

    Last Updated : May 30, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

     10.7K   
    10.7K
    Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Watermelon jam or watermelon jelly without pectin is made with fresh watermelon pieces which is so delicious, colorful and easy to make in the instant pot.

    watermelon jam easy

    This watermelon jam recipe requires just 4 ingredients other than the watermelon itself. Use any leftover watermelon fruit to make this small batch watermelon jam which is a delicious summer treat and it almost looks like a watermelon jelly with it's smooth glassy looking texture!

    watermelon jam instant pot
    Contents hide
    1 More Instant Pot Jam Recipes & Fruit Butter Recipes:
    2 How To Make Watermelon Jam In Instant Pot?
    3 Ingredients to make watermelon jam
    4 Step by step instructions
    5 More Watermelon Recipes:
    6 Watermelon Jam In Instant Pot Without Pectin (Watermelon Jelly)
    6.1 Ingredients
    6.2 Instructions
    6.3 Notes
    6.4 Nutrition

    More Instant Pot Jam Recipes & Fruit Butter Recipes:

    • instant pot peach jam
    • instant pot blueberry jam
    • instant pot strawberry honey jam
    • instant pot plum jam
    • mango jam
    • instant pot banana butter
    • instant pot spiced peach butter
    • instant pot strawberry apple butter

    We use fresh watermelon fruit to make this delicious and colorful small batch fruit jam without pectin. This watermelon jam has an almost watermelon butter or fruit butter like consistency.

    watermelon jam instant pot recipe

    It goes great as a topping, fruit spread or side with bread, pancakes, waffles etc.

    watermelon jam with pancakes

    This small batch watermelon jam is made without pectin. It is easy to make the watermelon jam without pectin since we use lemon juice and also a little cornstarch to thicken the jam easily. Watermelon jam has a kind of candy like texture and its sweet and colorful with its golssy & smooth jelly like look!

    watermelon jam small batch

    These are unique treats that you can enjoy during the summer months, and so why not try something new?

    How To Make Watermelon Jam In Instant Pot?

    watermelon jam without pectin

    We use the following ingredients to make the watermelon jam in the instant pot.

    Ingredients to make watermelon jam

    • watermelon fruit 4 cups chopped
    • sugar 1 cup
    • lemon juice 4 tablespoons - I used the juice from a medium sized lemon, make sure to remove the seeds
    • cornstarch 2 tablespoons
    • vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

    Step by step instructions

    Step 1 - Add the fresh watermelon pieces to the instant pot.

    watermelon slices instant pot

    Step 2 - Also add the sugar and lemon juice to the instant pot. Stir the contents very well so the sugar and lemon juice is mixed with the watermelon pieces well.

    watermelon with sugar

    If any seeds are inside the fruits, many of those will float to the top once you stir the contents and you may remove them with a spoon as much as you can.

    Step 3 - Close the instant pot with lid in sealing position and cook in high pressure for 15 minutes.

    Step 4 - Wait for a natural pressure release.

    Step 5 - Once the pressure is all released, carefully open the lid.

    Step 6 - Stir and mash the contents using a potato masher. Also add the vanilla extract, stir in. If there are more seeds, many of those will float to the top and you can easily remove many of those with a long spoon.

    cooked watermelon instant pot
    remove watermelon seeds
    mash watermelon pieces

    Step 7 - Simmer the contents (using saute function) while you keep stirring and mashing in between for about 10 to 12 minutes. Again, any seeds that may float to the surface, can easily be removed using a long spoon throughout the process. A few seeds here and there, are fine!

    At this stage, the watermelon pieces will almost look like jelly like in texture but since its watermelon, there will still be little liquid left in the pot.

    making watermelon jam

    Step 8 - To thicken the liquid, we will make a cornstarch mixture and add it to the simmering contents to easily make the jam. To make the cornstarch mixture, carefully take about ¾ cup of liquid content from the instant pot (may adjust the amount of liquid slightly as needed) and make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the liquid. Make sure to mix well so there are no lumps in the cornstarch mixture.

    Step 9 - Add this prepared cornstarch mixture to the instant pot, quickly stir well with the contents so the cornstarch will evely mix with the contents in the pot.

    preparing watermelon jam instant pot

    Step 10 - Continue to simmer (and mash if needed) for another few more minutes (about 4 to 5 minutes or as needed) until the watermelon jam begins to thicken to jam consistency.

    watermelon jam without pectin
    watermelon jam with cornstarch & sugar

    Step 11 - Press cancel button to stop further cooking and transfer the pot to a cool place so it won't cook further.

    Step 12 - Once the jam is slightly cooled, transfer the jam to air tight dry, clean glass jars.

    This is a small batch jam prepared in the instant pot and not meant for canning. You can store the glass jars with the jam in refrigerator for about two weeks time.

    Notes: We have used seedless watermelon in this recipe to make the jam.

    watermelon jelly jam

    If you are using watermelon with seeds, make sure to remove the seeds before adding to the pot. There could be some tiny seeds in seedless watermelon too, they are fine and as I explained in the instructions, you can remove many of those seeds while they are floating to the top during the process using a long spon.

    A few tiny seeds that may remain in the jam looked fine to me.

    watermelon jam recipe

    More Watermelon Recipes:

    • watermelon juice
    • watermelon salad without feta cheese
    • watermelon pineapple juice
    • watermelon mint feta cheese salad
    • watermelon blueberry kale salad
    • watermelon strawberry smoothie
    • watermelon strawberry banana smoothie

    Below you can get the recipe for instant pot watermelon jam in detail.

    watermelon jam instant pot
    Print Recipe
    4.75 from 4 votes

    Watermelon Jam In Instant Pot Without Pectin (Watermelon Jelly)

    Watermelon jam using fresh watermelon pieces is so delicious and colorful and tastes almost like candy with jelly like texture.
    Enjoy this watermelon jam on toast, pancakes, waffles etc as a unique, special summer treat which can be made using any leftover watermelon fruit slices during the summer season when watermelon is available in plenty!
    This is a simple small batch fruit jam without which you can easily prepare in your instant pot (not meant for canning).
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    pressure build up and release time estimate20 minutes mins
    Total Time55 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: how to make jam in instant pot, how to make jam without pectin, instant pot jam, instant pot watermelon, watermelon jam, watermelon recipes
    Servings: 32 tablespoons
    Calories: 33kcal
    Author: Parvathy

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups watermelon fruit chopped
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Add the fresh watermelon pieces to the instant pot.
    • Also add the sugar and lemon juice.
    • Stir the contents.
      If any seeds are inside the fruits, many of those will float to the top once you stir the contents and you may remove them with a spoon as much as you can.
    • Close the instant pot with lid in sealing position and cook in high pressure for 15 minutes.
      Wait for a natural pressure release.
      Once the pressure is all released, carefully open the lid.
      Stir and mash the contents using a potato masher. Also add the vanilla extract, stir in.
    • Simmer the contents (using saute function) while you keep stirring and mashing in between for about 10 to 12 minutes. Any seeds that may float to the surface, can easily be removed using a long spoon. A few seeds, here and there are fine!
    • At this stage, the watermelon pieces will almost look like jelly like in texture but since its watermelon, there will still be little liquid left in the pot. Continue to simmer, may need to adjust the heat as needed.
    • To thicken the liquid, we wil make a cornstarch mixture and add it to the simmering contents to easily make the jam.
      To make the cornstarch mixture, carefully take about ¾ cup of liquid content from the instant pot (may slightly adjust the amount of liquid as needed) and make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the liquid.
      Make sure to mix well so there are no lumps in the cornstarch mixture.
      Add this prepared cornstarch mixture to the instant pot, quickly stir well with the contents so the cornstarch will evely mix with the contents in the pot.
    • Continue to simmer (and mash if needed) for another few more minutes (about 4 to 5 minutes or as needed) until the watermelon jam begins to thicken to jam consistency.
    • Press cancel button to stop further cooking and transfer the pot to a cool place so it won't cook further.
      Once the jam is slightly cooled, transfer the jam to air tight dry, clean glass jars. This is a small batch jam prepared in the instant pot and not meant for canning.
      You can store the glass jars with the jam in refrigerator for about two weeks time and in the freezer for few more days.

    Notes

    We have used seedless watermelon in this recipe to make the jam.
    If you are using watermelon with seeds, make sure to remove the seeds before adding to the pot.
    There could be some tiny seeds in seedless watermelon too, they are fine and as I explained in the instructions, you can remove many of those seeds while they are floating to the top during the process using a long spon.
    A few tiny seeds that may remain in the jam looked fine to me.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

    More Instant Pot Recipes

    • peach jam made in instant pot without pectin
      Instant Pot Peach Jam Without Pectin - 3 Ingredients
    • instant pot plum jam recipe
      Instant Pot Plum Jam Without Pectin
    • instant pot mango jam recipe without pectin
      Mango Jam In Instant Pot (And Stove Top) Without Pectin
    • fusilli pasta noodles
      Creamy Fusilli Long Pasta Noodles In Cheesy Sauce (Instant Pot)

    Comments

    1. Kendell says

      August 03, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      So going to try this. But I am wondering why it can't be canned.

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        August 03, 2020 at 9:52 pm

        Hi Kendell, I do not think instant pot jam is safe to be canned. We also use cornstarch in this jam recipe, an ingredient which is not meant for canning I believe. You can store this in the refrigerator for few days and in the freezer for some more time. Hope you like it! Thank you.

        Reply
    2. Kendell says

      August 06, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      I made this. I ran into a problem. I didn't have a potato masher so after the pressure cooking, I put in into the blender then back into the pot for the sauté part. Everything was going well until the cornstarch. I followed what was recommended but it wouldn't smooth out, so I dumped that into the sink and did the tried and true cold water and cornstarch. As a result, I lost 3/4 cup of the juice and replaced it with water so I think that affected the flavor a bit. It's still good, but not very watermellony but still yummy. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        August 06, 2020 at 7:00 pm

        Hi Kendell, Thank you for your feedback! It is important to make a smooth mixture of cornstarch without lumps before adding it to the instant pot, or it can affect the texture. I am sorry you lost some of the watermelon fruit, since the cornstarch didn't mix well.

        With regards to the flavor part, the flavor comes from the lemon juice and vanilla extract we use in the recipe since the watermelon flavor itself is not so strong when you cook it. Thanks again for stopping by, hope you will get even better results next time 🙂

        Reply
      • Jessie says

        May 06, 2021 at 2:09 pm

        The issue with adding the cornstarch to the watermelon juice is that the watermelon juice from the pot is hot. Cornstarch does not mix well at all with hot liquids, it needs to be cool which is why many recipes that use cornstarch say mix with cool water then add to the dish. Putting the juice in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes so it is cool will probably help. That's what I did.

        Reply
        • Recipe Garden says

          May 06, 2021 at 5:35 pm

          Hi Jessie, Thank you 🙂 It's important that cornstarch need to be mixed well with the liquid without any lumps. If you find it difficult to mix it properly with the hot liquid, it's always better to stick with the method of mixing with cold water (though it may increase the amount of extra liquid) to make the process easier. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this, much appreciated!

          Reply
    3. Susan Brown says

      August 16, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      This is DELICIOUS! I can’t tell you how surprised I was. I love watermelon, but the one my hubby picked out wasn’t the best. I hate wasting, so I looked for a recipe. This came up and man am I glad. I even put some on a piece of toast and told my husband to try (he’s the type to eat the store bought stuff before homemade). He said “wow this is good….really good”! I will definitely make this more often. I didn’t have any lemons and used lemon juice. Everything else was just like the recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        August 16, 2021 at 11:27 pm

        Hi Susan, Thank you so much for the feedback! Much appreciated 🙂 I agree, this is such an easy way to use any leftover watermelons. I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed the jam. Thanks again!

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      July 18, 2022 at 11:36 am

      How do I make this without the insta pot?

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        July 18, 2022 at 11:47 am

        Hi Kim, you may make this on stove top as well. Just use a good, large sized saucepan that can hold the watermelon, sugar etc and cook until it's soft. Then you can simmer the contents while you stir it often, and you can add the cornstarch to thicken it. However, the contents may splatter as you simmer it, so it is a good idea to use a large saucepan and also use long spoons to make it more safer and easier. While using instant pot, the advantage is that the manual work is lesser. Hope this helps. Thank you.

        Reply
    5. June says

      July 12, 2023 at 3:20 pm

      Help! I made this and it turned out watery, orange and it tasted like pumpkin. I followed the recipe. What went wrong and can I fix it?

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        July 12, 2023 at 5:53 pm

        Hi June, I am sorry to hear it didn't turn out good for you. If it turned out orange color and tasted like pumpkin, I wonder if you used a different type of watermelon than regular ones. Also, it is important to use fresh, good quality watermelon to make jam or it could affect taste and texture. With regards to the watery texture, we use a cornstarch slurry to thikcen the jam which is explained in the recipe. If necessary, you may slightly increase the amount of cornstarch as needed to thicken the jam. f you want to change the flavor, I think adding one teaspoon of vanilla extract may be good. Hope this helps. Thank you.

        Reply
    6. Lois Sheppard says

      June 13, 2024 at 5:27 pm

      Can you make this in regular canning pot?

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        June 14, 2024 at 7:51 am

        Hi, I haven't tried but I guess you can if you are familiar with the process! If you try, please let me know. Thank you!

        Reply
    4.75 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Popular Posts

    • pancakes without baking powder
    • Mini Corn On The Cob In Oven
    • how to toast bread in oven without toaster
    • mung beans cooked

    AMAZON ASSOCIATE DISCLOSURE

    Recipe Garden is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Categories

    • All Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Corn Recipes
    • Curry Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Pancakes
    • Pasta
    • Resources
    • Salads
    • Side Dish
    • Snacks
    • Soup
    • Vegetables

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Resources

    Resources

    All Recipes

    Recipe Index

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 RECIPE GARDEN

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.