Bonne Maman advent calendar 2025

I tried 24 different jams and spreads in the days leading up to Christmas.

This was my first year doing the Bonne Maman advent calendar, and I’m so glad I did. I got another copy for my family, and we texted every day to chat about the flavors.

In order to be consistent, I ate every spread on a single piece of Dave’s Killer Bread “White Bread Done Right” toast (I gave the other piece to Ash). Some of these spreads would definitely be better suited to crackers or ice cream (or just straight from the jar to your mouth), if I wanted to maximize enjoyment, though.

  1. Wild blueberry Maple

    Tangy and sweet. Reminded me of IHOP, but in a good way.

  2. Fig Cardamom

    Warm and subtle. Both flavors were understated.

  3. Plum Pear Star Anise

    Plum forward. Feels complex. The other flavors are hard to uniquely identify, but definitely add something! This time I remembered to lick the spoon. Enticing when consumed directly.

  4. Cherry Violet Leaves

    I’m not super familiar with Violet as a flavor, but I can tell something is happening besides Cherry. The cherry flavor is rich and mouthwatering.

  5. Apple Caramel Cinnamon

    I can taste everything!! It’s so good. Like apple pie meets jam. Different consistency than apple butter.

  6. Apricot Lavender

    Wow. Tastes distinctly of both things. Super flavorful. Good pairing.

  7. Caramel Coffee Spread

    Absolutely divine. Sweet and bitter. Never had anything like this before.

  8. White Nectarine Peach Lemon Verbena

    A bit tart. Fresh and fruity. I liked it! Perhaps a lot of things going on here, but it does come out nice.

  9. Madagascar Vanilla Caramel

    An absolute banger. A rich vanilla flavor elevates this creamy caramel.

  10. Wild Blueberry Lychee Rose

    The lychee is the focal point here for me and really ties it together. I’ve never had lychee jam. Yummy!

  11. Pineapple Rum Vanilla

    Tastes like everything on the label! A bit weird as a jam. Makes me want a tropical cocktail or a pineapple upside down cake.

  12. Redcurrant Raspberry

    Bright, tart, and flavorful!

  13. Apricot Honey

    Tastes as described. Particularly appealing directly off the spoon. Still good on the toast. Very strong on the honey.

  14. Mango Ginger

    Pungent! Almost more ginger than mango. I like it (I like ginger candy, for context), but I’d prefer a little more mango flavor.

  15. Orange Guava Lime

    Yum! I love this one. I would love this so much of it was a soda. Perfect flavor combo. Surprising as a jam though. Very flavorful. The guava is really enticing.

  16. Orange Yuzu Grapefruit

    Tangy! Quite a bit for a jam. A bit weird on toast, but good flavor.

  17. Pear Mandarin Cinnamon

    The cinnamon feels lost, but otherwise I enjoy this. Mandarin is the primary flavor for sure, but it’s tempered.

  18. Cherry Pink Peppercorn

    Nice cherry flavor. Pepper is subtle and hits the tongue later. Well balanced.

  19. Mandarin

    More bitter than I expected. Not bad, though.

  20. Peach Blackcurrant Sichuan Pepper

    I’m sadly not getting the Sichuan pepper. Otherwise it’s a tasty jam.

  21. Strawberry Passion Fruit

    The strawberry flavor was great. I couldn’t identify the passion fruit by name, but a 2nd flavor was obviously contributing in a fun way.

  22. Raspberry Lychee

    A solid, balanced pairing. I thought it was a nice improvement on raspberry jam, which I’ve grown slightly less fond of recently.

  23. Rhubarb Strawberry

    I could eat this whole jar with a spoon. Good on toast too though. Yum.

  24. Caramel Salted Butter

    Absolutely incredible. A decadent finale.

I painstakingly kept and cleaned all 24 jars. I don’t know what I’ll do with them yet (Bonne Maman has ideas though), but they are so adorable.

By the way, did you know that Bonne Maman means “good mom” in French?