Berry Chia Jam Recipe

This Berry Chia Jam is an easy and healthy recipe, which is made with chia seeds and frozen berries. It’s a healthy twist on the classic, ready in about 10 minutes, plus defrosting and setting time.

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Berry Chia Jam Ingredients

10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ½ cups) frozen raspberries, preferably organic
10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ¼ cups) frozen blueberries, preferably organic or wild
¼ cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons orange juice (about ½ medium orange, juiced)
Up to 4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional), to taste

How To Make Berry Chia Jam

Defrost the berries: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the frozen raspberries, blueberries, chia seeds, and orange juice. Cover the bowl and let the mixture defrost for about three hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Mash the mixture: Once the berries are defrosted and soft, use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the mixture to your desired consistency.
Sweeten and set: Taste the jam. If you’d like it to be sweeter, stir in some maple syrup to your liking. If the chia seeds haven’t fully plumped up, let the mixture rest for another 20 minutes to allow them to absorb more moisture and thicken the jam.
Store: Transfer the finished jam to a jar or airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips

Why use frozen berries? This recipe is specifically designed for frozen berries because they naturally release a lot of their juices as they thaw, which is essential for hydrating the chia seeds to create the jammy texture.
How do chia seeds thicken the jam? Chia seeds are hydrophilic, meaning they can absorb many times their weight in liquid. As they sit in the fruit juices, they form a gel-like substance that naturally thickens the mixture into a jam without any cooking or pectin.
Can I use fresh berries? The recipe notes that to use fresh berries, you would need to cook them down first to release enough juice for the chia seeds to absorb.
Can I use a different sweetener? Yes. If you don’t want to use maple syrup, you could use honey, agave nectar, or even a little granulated sugar, adjusting the amount to your taste.

What To Serve With Berry Chia Jam

This healthy and versatile jam is a perfect topping for many breakfast items and snacks.

On toast, bagels, or English muffins
Swirled into yogurt or oatmeal
As a topping for pancakes or waffles
In a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich

How To Store Berry Chia Jam

Refrigerate: Store the jam in a covered jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 5 days.

Berry Chia Jam Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 60 kcal
Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 10g
Protein: 1g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Is this jam vegan and gluten-free?

Yes, as long as you use maple syrup as your optional sweetener, this recipe is completely vegan and naturally gluten-free.

Why didn’t my jam thicken?

This can happen if the chia seeds haven’t had enough time or liquid to fully gel. Make sure your berries have released plenty of juice during the thawing process and let the finished jam rest for at least 20 minutes to allow the chia seeds to work their magic.

Can I can this jam for long-term storage?

No. The recipe author specifically notes that this is a simple, everyday refrigerator jam and has not been tested for safe water-bath canning. It must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Try More Recipes:

Recipe by MarryCourse: Side DIshCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

kcal

A simple, healthy, and delicious no-cook jam made with frozen berries and thickened naturally with chia seeds.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups frozen raspberries
2 ¼ cups frozen blueberries
¼ cup chia seeds
2 tbsp orange juice
Up to 4 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Directions

In a bowl, combine the frozen berries, chia seeds, and orange juice. Cover and let it defrost at room temperature for about 3 hours.
Once defrosted, mash the mixture with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
Stir in maple syrup to taste, if desired.
Let the jam rest for about 20 minutes to allow the chia seeds to fully thicken the mixture.
Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Using frozen berries is the key to this no-cook recipe.
The jam will thicken as it sits and the chia seeds absorb the liquid.
This is a fantastic, healthy alternative to traditional sugar-laden jams.
Feel free to use all blueberries or all raspberries if you prefer.