How many of us have dreamt about a churning chocolate waterfall; a meadow full of candy; a candy (Everlasting Gobstopper) that not only changes colors and flavors when sucked on, but also never gets any smaller or disappears; or a carbonated beverage (Fizzy Lifters) that give you flight? Such were the dreams of children of all ages after the 1971 release of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory a movie that is more popular in syndication than it was after its release. Albuquerque has its own version of a magical place where dreams are actually fulfilled. It’s called Heidi’s Jam Factory.
To New Mexicans, the terms “Heidi” and “jam” are inextricably tied. Heidi’s Raspberry Farm in the village of Corrales has been producing incomparably fresh and wonderful jams since 2000. The raspberries from which those jams are made are USDA Certified Organic, using a limited amount of sugar to let the berries speak for themselves. Raspberry jams are ameliorated with such additional organic ingredients as crushed red chile, fresh ginger and dried culinary lavender. In recent years, Heidi’s has also expanded beyond raspberries, adding strawberry jam, wild blueberry jam and apricot jam to a wonderful repertoire. All of these jams are made in small batches.
These fabulous jams pair deliciously with cheeses and as glazes on meats. They enliven ice cream, pancakes, waffles, French toast and yogurt. New Mexicans can find jams at local growers markets as well as in stores throughout New Mexico. Additionally jams are available in some stores in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and even Washington, D.C.. Heidi’s can ship its jams anywhere in the country through its website.
In 2023, Heidi’s diversified its offerings with the launch of Heidi’s Jam Factory on Vassar (between Comanche and Candelaria). As its name implies, Heidi’s is a jam factory in which batches of deliciousness are produced and distributed. For those of us whose tastes divurge from candy, Heidi’s Jam Factory is a showpiece for ice cream, a temple of terrific flavors of which not even Willy Wonka could have dreamed. Heidi’s Jam Factory is ensconced in an industrial area where it resides in a two-story edifice. On the first story, you’ll see refrigerator cases displaying so many flavors of ice cream, you’ll be hard-pressed to choose just one or six. You’ll want to try them all. Seating is available both on an expansive patio and indoors.
Thankfully Heidi’s has an option for those of us with propensities similar to Augustus Gloop (the gluttonous character in Willy Wonka). While cones and cups are limited to two scoops, with a flight of flavors, you can sample four flavors (or four of one type if you’re not the experimental sort). These are creatively unique flavors made in-house with the highest quality ingredients. New flavors are available to try every month. Seventeen tubs were available during our inaugural visit. In addition to ice cream, the menu offered a baklava sundae and affogato, two scoops of ice cream and espresso. Several toppings are available for your ice cream.
28 March 2025: While my Kim’s tastes don’t go much further than vanilla and chocolate, my cravings expand to the wild side (sushi ice cream anyone?). Of immediate appeal to me was Heidi’s adobe road ice cream (red chile swirl, candied peanuts, chocolate chips), more proof that New Mexican chile improves the flavor of everything. This ice cream is unlike any rocky road you’ve ever had. The red chile isn’t especially piquant (likely due to the near-frozen texture of the ice cream), but it is mind-blowingly delicious. Both from a textural and flavor perspective, it hits all the right notes. It’s an ice cream you’ll dream about. Top it with the honey brittle for even more deliciousness.
28 March 2025: Originality and ingenuity meet in the brown butter piñon ice cream. It’s the richness of brown butter and the woodsy, nutty flavor of New Mexico’s favorite pine tree nut. Then there’s the matcha mint chip ice cream, a light, refreshing, almost herbal flavor pairing. Of course, you can’t go to Heidi’s without sampling the raspberry ice cream, bursting with the tanginess of fresh raspberries. If Heidi made alfalfa ice cream, it would probably be delicious, but raspberries are her signature and they transform other food items into pure delicious magic.
12 April 2025: Wikipedia defines affogato (or more fully affogato al caffè ) as “an Italian dessert comprising a scoop of gelato or ice cream, either plain milk-flavored or vanilla, topped with espresso.” Infinite possibilities opened up when our server asked if I wanted something other than vanilla on my affogato. My brain churned (you could almost see smoke) in deep thought. Inexplicably (or predictably if you know me), I chose what was probably the most discordant flavor, an ice cream that included black pepper. Acidity and bitterness of the espresso did not pair well with the acerbic strength of the black pepper. It wasn’t a good match. By itself, the ice cream would have been fine.
23 May 2025: Though I may not have enjoyed the affogato (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa), Heidi’s offers an opportunity for redemption with every visit. Alas, a flavor you may fall in love with may be off the rotation the next time you visit. Such is the case with the fabulous baklava ice cream which our delightful server informed us wouldn’t be on the menu in June, 2025. Neither will the equally phenomenal pecan green chile caramel ice cream. Not that your intrepid restaurant blogger will ever repeat a flavor. Baklava ice cream is replete with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla and is mixed with crisp walnuts and flaky phyllo dough so that the flavor and texture of baklava is in every bite. Even if you don’t like baklava, you’ll love this ice cream.
Heidi’s Jam Factory may not have a waterfall churning raspberries, but it does feature some of the best and most unique ice cream you’ll ever have.
Heidi’s Jam Factory
3427 Vassar Drive, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 898-1784
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 23 May 2025
1st VISIT: 28 March 2025
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BET:Affogato, Adobe Road Ice Cream, Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream, Brown Butter Piñon Ice Cream, Raspberry Ice Cream, Baklava Ice Cream, Pecan Green Chile Caramel
REVIEW #1461
Next time you go, try the blueberry creme fraiche – it’s fabulous. In the summer, they have a wonderful raspberry lemon sorbet – tart and not overly sweet. My favorite, though, is the yuzu black sesame caramel.
Thank you, Lee Ann. Blueberry creme fraiche does sound wonderful. Did you have it atop your ice cream?
Yeah nobody likes sorbet
My first exposure to raspberry jam in NM was when I was up north of Mora visiting the Cleveland Roller Mill. There at the mill the Salman Ranch had a small shop selling it. Must have been back in the ’80s or ’90s. Quite tasty, but haven’t seen it much lately in the metro.
Heidi’s Jam is sold at their factory/ice cream shop, and some of the natural foods stores like Sprouts sell it too.