The Case For Putting Jam On Your Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast sandwiches combine the best components of the most important (or maybe not) meal of the day in one handheld portable provision. A typical breakfast sandwich may include a fried egg topped with crispy bacon, melty cheddar cheese, and a hearty schmear of avocado held together by a crispy yet tender English muffin. Basic upgrades can include using a buttermilk biscuit, doubling up on pork, or adding a dollop of mayo for added richness. But you're no basic breakfast buff, and your morning meal deserves a hint of something bursting with as much personality as you. Enter jam — the underrated but totally necessary breakfast sandwich spread. 

For starters, sweet and savory flavors just work together (see: trail mix, chicken and waffles, candied bacon). By introducing the tangy, sweet, and fruity taste of jam into an umami-packed breakfast sandwich, you deepen and expand its flavor profile for a more well-rounded and satisfying meal. Because salt is a flavor enhancer and exists in most elements of a breakfast sandwich, be it cured bacon or eggs fried in pesto oil, it further amplifies these full-bodied, synergistic flavors. And with its sticky, gooey, and spreadable texture, jam also enhances the mouthfeel of a breakfast sandwich by countering the crunchy toast and charred meat. Plus, jammy toast is commonly served alongside breakfast platters that feature the same ingredients you'd put on a sandwich. Seeing that you're probably already eating the individual components of a jam-kissed breakfast sandwich on Sunday mornings, combining them so you can enjoy each sweet, savory, and salty ingredient in one bite makes all the sense in the world.

If you aren't quite convinced that jam belongs on a breakfast sandwich, you'll be hooked once you realize just how customizable it can be. The fruit spread comes in many shades of flavor, giving you agency over the final fruit-forward feel of your breakfast sandwich. Consider which variety is your ... jam before introducing it to your go-to breakfast sandwich.

Berry jams are your most trusted option. Bright, tangy, and endlessly versatile, these jams cut through salty layers of bacon, sausage, and melty cheese like a tart charm. Stone fruit jams like peach or apricot bring a softer, sun-soaked sweetness that pairs nicely with ham, turkey bacon, or anything involving brie and a biscuit. Fig jam leans rich and earthy, and makes an ideal companion to charcuterie-inspired fixings like prosciutto, sharp cheese, and peppery arugula. Feeling funky? Jalapeño jam brings sweet, Southern-inspired heat that marries well with a breakfast sandwich tethered to spicy cheddar biscuits. Equally unique, tomato jam brings a ketchups-cooler-cousin vibe to a breakfast sandwich — perfect for those who like Heinz on their scrambled eggs.

Whether its scratch-made and bookended with home-baked biscuits or plucked from Costco's freezer aisle, jam is an easy way to upgrade the flavor of any breakfast sandwich. Trust us, your taste buds (and brunch guests) will thank you.