Berry Chia Jam

This berry chia jam requires 4 simple ingredients and is the perfect replacement to sugar laden store bought jams.

I love a good slice of toast with peanut butter, nut butter, or even some dairy-free cream cheese and jam. But what I don't love is all of the sugar in store bought jam and jelly.

Have you ever looked at the sugar content in store bought jam? They can have upwards of 10 grams of sugar in one tablespoon! And some have sugar listed as the first ingredient, which means there is more sugar than fruit…yikes! No thank you, I do not want a slab of sugar with my toast. So, enter this berry chia seed jam!

How To Make This Chia Jam Recipe

1. COMBINE BERRIES, LEMON JUICE, AND MAPLE SYRUP: To start, add the berries, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup (maple syrup is totally optional if you want to add a little bit of extra sweetness) to a small sauce pan.
2. HEAT BERRY MIXTURE: Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fruit begins to break down and is soft enough you can mash it.
3. MASH HEATED FRUIT: Remove from heat. Using a pastry cutter or potato masher, mash the fruit together. You can leave some small pieces of fruit, or fully mash.
4. ADD CHIA SEEDS: Add the chia seeds and mix together; the chia jam will thicken as it cools. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a jar.
5. POUR JAM INTO A JAR: Pour into a glass jar, or other airtight container. Store in fridge.
6. LET JAM SIT/COOL: Allow jam to fully cool and thicken in refrigerator before enjoying.
7. ENJOY!

Keeping This Jam Clean

This is an easy recipe with simple, real food ingredients. There's not a lot to consider when keeping this clean. However, I do recommend organic berries. Strawberries are on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list (meaning they contain the highest amount of pesticides). The other berries aren't on the Dirty Dozen list, but don't appear on the Clean Fifteen list either, so they still can contain a fair amount of pesticides/chemicals.

Can I Use Any Kind of Berries?

Yes! For this specific berry chia jam recipe I used strawberries and raspberries (my two favorites), but you could use any combination of berries. I would stick with berries though, and not another type of fruit.

How Long Does This Last?

This will last for about a week in the fridge.

Can I Freeze This?

Absolutely! I have frozen some in the past and it was just as good frozen and then thawed. I wouldn't freeze for longer than 3 months.

What Goes Best With This Chia Jam?

I love this on toast with any sort of nut butter, or with some dairy free cream cheese (or regular if you're not dairy free). It would be amazing on a biscuit, added to the top of some homemade oatmeal, or scooped on some vanilla ice cream.

I also love it with gluten-free thumbprint cookies! Perfect for when the holidays roll around.

If you're looking for a good, clean gluten-free/dairy-free bread, check out AWG Bakery (not an affiliate link). I love their bread. It's made from all real, clean food and tastes amazing! I usually order 4 loaves at a time and keep them stored in the freezer.

Why I Love This!

SUGAR FREE OR REFINED SUGAR FREE - you can completely omit the pure maple syrup, but even if you add in it, your jam is still refined sugar free, and much better than store bought options.

EASY AND NO CANNING - this seriously takes 10 minutes to make and no complicated canning methods are needed.

GREAT FOR FREEZING - go head and double the batch and freeze some for later!

I Think You'll Like These Recipes Too!

Homemade Gluten-free Teriyaki Sauce (soy free + gluten free)
Easy, Homemade Taco Seasoning (gluten free)
Coconut Whipped Cream (dairy free)
Kale Pesto (dairy free)

If you make this berry chia jam recipe, please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below and/or share a photo on Instagram and mention @CleanPlateMama!