A delicious sugar free alternative to jam made from chia seeds, raspberries, honey and vanilla.
Lately my fussy eater has developed an obsession for jam. She has always loved jam on toast but now it has spread to jam on crackers, jam on yogurt and jam on her morning porridge.
When she got through the last jar of jam I bought in less than two weeks I vowed to find a healthier alternative. The particular brand of jam I was buying was 60% sugar.
After working so hard the last couple of months trying to reduce the kids’ sugar intake, was I undoing all of our good work by heaping this sugary jam onto her breakfast every morning? Probably!
Chia Seed Jam
Luckily I found a good alternative in the form of Chia Seed Jam. I talked a lot about my delight in discovering chia seeds in this recipe for Mango Coconut Chia Pudding.
So I won’t go into lots of detail here, suffice to say that I am even more in love with these little superfood seeds than ever.
I have to say I am so so surprised how well my fussy eater has taken to her new jam. She has eaten it on toast with no complaints.
She did seem to notice the difference when I mixed it in with her porridge but I simply added a little extra honey and she was very happy to eat it all up.
Ingredients
I only used 1 tablespoon of honey in this chia jam but feel free to add more if you would like it sweeter. It can be added either at the cooking stage or later on too. Also, I used white chia seeds but black would work just the same.
Without loads of sugar to preserve it, this chia seed jam will not last as long as normal jam.
But it’s so quick and easy to make that I’ve been whipping up a batch at the start of every week.
If you liked my Raspberry & Vanilla Chia Seed Jam recipe, please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!
PrintRaspberry & Vanilla Chia Seed Jam
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Jam
- Cuisine: European
Description
A delicious sugar free alternative to jam made from chia seeds, raspberries, honey and vanilla
Ingredients
- 225g (1.5 cups) raspberries (if using frozen raspberries, allow them to defrost first)
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Put the raspberries into a saucepan over a medium heat on the hob. Mash the raspberries as they begin to heat up. If they are not very juicy you can add a little water to help them break down.
- When the raspberries have broken down to a saucy consistency add the honey and vanilla and stir until combined. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool a little before add the chia seeds.
- Transfer the jam to a jar and allow it to cool completely. Once the jam has reached room temperature transfer it to the fridge for an hour to set.
- Store in an air tight jar in the fridge for up to one week.
If you like this recipe check out how I used the Chia Jam in these Oat Thumbprint Cookies!
Donna says
So good!!! Lovely to find a recipe for a sugar free jam. Can’t wait to try it in the cookies on your blog.
★★★★★
Kara says
Just finished making it and even before it’s cooled and in the fridge it’s delicious! I know because I looked the pot clean… 🙂 Substituted agave for the honey because that’s what I had in the pantry. Also, used black chia seeds. I can’t wait to see what this tastes like when it’s finished setting AND in the thumbprint cookies. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thanks so much Kara! I love this jam too. It’s so easy to make and the kids can’t tell the difference from normal jam!
jackie says
I am diabetic so I have to calculate carbs…I was wondering how much this makes up so I can figure out how much each serving is. It kind of looks like it is a pint jar which would make it 2 cups, but it is hard to tell in the picture. Thanks
★★★★★
onlinepharmainfo.com says
When liquid is added to chia seeds, they swell up and create a gel making them a perfect superfood substitute for pectin in chia seed jam. Used in this recipe with sweet raspberries and rich vanilla bean, chia also adds to the substantial texture desired in fruit jam.
Ivana says
Tried it, loved it!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
So glad you liked it!
claire says
Hi. Probably an obvious q, but do you mean vanilla as in pods or vanilla as in liquid (extract)? Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Claire, its the vanilla liquid extract!
Anna says
It’s not sugar free if it contains honey!! Natural sugar and natural honey are made of the same stuff, only in a different form. Clever idea though, I’ll give it a try 🙂
Jess says
This looks delicious! I cannot wait to make it:) I was wondering if it would be alright being in the pantry if I sealed it in an airtight jar?
Ciara Attwell says
It might be Jess but to be safe I would keep it in the fridge. Because it doesn’t have the sugar content and preservatives in normal jam it goes off a lot quicker.
andrea says
Just wondering if this be frozen. …
Ciara Attwell says
If it can be frozen? I haven’t tried it myself so can’t say yes for definite unfortunately
Carolyn Cupitt says
I was wondering if you could blend up the berries first or once they are nearly cooked blitz them in the blender. I am going to try it when I get myself some chia seeds.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Carolyn, yes could can blitz the berries after you cook them, especially if you prefer you jam not to have too many bits in it.
Dana G says
I was wondering if anyone has calculated the net carbs for a serving? {Please forgive me, if it is posted here already but I am just not seeing it) BTW- Looks delicious!!
Ciara Attwell says
Hi, I don’t calculate carbs for any of my recipes but I’m sure it could easily be done with an online calculator. Hope you like the recipe if you try it!
Stacey Guilliatt (Nobody Said It Was Easy) says
Pinning this, looks great & easy! #tastytuesdays
Ciara Attwell says
Thank you Stacey
Jennifer hall says
I wonder if you can make this with frozen strawberries too. I don’t have any raspberries on hand today. love the recipe. I hope you have a blessed filled day.
Ciara Attwell says
Yes you certainly could. I would let the strawberries defrost slightly before putting them in the saucepan and them allowing them to defrost completely and cook!
Jennifer hall says
thanks so much for the reply. looking forward to trying it.
APARTMENT2504.WORDPRESS.COM says
did i seriously just find a recipe for sugar-free jam. wowwww my life is finally complete. this looks os good i havent had jam in years
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
You must try it immediately so! Hope you love it!
Karen |Lushious Eats says
I love how easy and healthy this jam is! Pinned! 🙂
Ciara Attwell says
Its so good Karen. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Monica says
I can’t wait to make this at home!! Will the recipe work with other berries like blackberries and strawberries(I’m thinking the strawberries won’t break down as easy)….and what if I used multiple varieties of berries in the same batch? Thanks for posting. Jams at the store are so full of sugar, it’s terrible…finding a healthy and easy alternative like this is perfect.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Monica. I’ve tried using strawberries and that works just as well. But my tip would be to use a potato masher to break them down. You may have to add a little water to the strawberries too, as this will help. I’ve not tried a mixed berry jam yet but I see no reason why it shouldn’t work!
Honest mum says
Just gorgeous and I will definitely be making this-adore your styling and food photography: effortlessly beautiful. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thanks Vicki. Hope you enjoy the jam!
susan @happyhealthymumma says
arh I love Chia seeds and I am just starting to give my 15 month old some jam now….he licked it off and left the toast! so I did feel a bit guilty feeding him all that sugar! so I will definitely try this! #tastytuesdays
Ciara Attwell says
Ha ha! Hopefully he will love it then!
Vicki Montague says
I love your photos! They always draw me in. I have read about doing jam with chia seeds. I really must try it and since I am working in the kitchen right now I might just have a quick go now!!!!
Alison says
Jam is one of those things that is on my list to try. This looks lovely, really like the vanilla addition
Ciara Attwell says
Thank you Alison. I put vanilla in everything. I love it!
Rachael A says
Wow what a beautiful looking jar of jam! Love the addition of the vanilla – I want to eat it now!
jenny says
I love jam so this would be a must in my recipe book, pinning it now. Thank you so much for sharing it and your amazing food photography is great. #tastytuesdays
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thank you Jenny. I hope you love the jam as much as we do!
Monika @ MY FOOD AND HAPPINESS says
Your pictures are beautiful! I love the fact that the jam is naturally sweetened with honey only. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thank you Monika. I’m so happy to have found an alternative to the sugary jam I was buying before.