Normal women romanticize exotic vacation spots, dates with George Clooney, and a world in which brownies don’t contain calories. I romanticize canning. I have yet to work up the nerve to try the real-deal (canning that is—George, I’m available when you’re available), and until I do, I’m perfectly content with this easy, no-can 3 Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam.
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In an idyllic life, I long spend days preserving fresh summer produce; to fill mason jars with sacred summer flavors, then stow them safely for a dreary morning in February.
It sounds industrious, wholesome, and wise.
In real life, five hours of yard work on Saturday nearly killed me, I find chickens to be rather smelly, and I refuse to live more than 15 minutes from a Trader Joe’s.
Thank goodness for strawberry chia jam. It allows me to savor all of the benefits of homemade jam, without the fuss of actually canning it.
Refined Sugar-Free Strawberry Chia Seed Jam – Easy and Delicious!
When you make your own jam, you can use the freshest, sweetest fruit available, control the amount and kind of sweetener (store-bought jams are often saturated with refined sugar), and above all, experience the deep, pure fruit flavor of scratch-made jam.
While traditional canning requires scrupulous attention to detail, intense sterilization, and a dedication to quantity that intimidates me, this strawberry chia jam demands only three ingredients, 30 minutes (much of which is hands off), and makes as small or large a batch as you please.
Making strawberry chia jam is as simple as heating and mashing the fruit with a bit of honey, stirring in the chia seeds, then letting it cool. That’s it. We be jammin’ (sorry).
As the jam rests, the chia seeds thicken and remind me of little speckly strawberry seeds. In addition to being cute, they’re loaded with fiber (a whopping 5 grams per tablespoon), giving the chia jam an extra nutritional benefit.
It’s also a great way to use up any overripe berries you have lurking in your refrigerator, and you can swap the strawberries for other summer fruits you love or have on hand. My next project is blueberry chia jam, if for no other reason than I impulse bought the two-pound value berry box at Trader Joe’s last night.
How to Serve Chia Seed Jam
- On Toast. I’ve been enjoying this strawberry chia jam on toast for easy breakfasts, snacks, and even desserts. Chia seed jam PB&J anyone?
- With Yogurt or Oatmeal. Mixing this jam into a bowl of yogurt or oatmeal takes a simple breakfast to the next level with a Yogurt Parfait.
- On Waffles or Pancakes. Slather some on Strawberry Shortcake Waffles or Vegan Pancakes for a breakfast the entire family will love.
- On Biscuits. Nothing satisfies quite like a plate of fluffy, buttery Drop Biscuits with homemade jam.
More Strawberry Recipes for Breakfast or Dessert
- Strawberry Crisp
- Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Strawberry Bread
- Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Muffins
3 Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam
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Ingredients
- 24 ounces strawberries or fruit of choice, fresh or frozen (if the fruit is large, slice it into pieces first)
- 2-4 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or agave (I used honey)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Optional add ins:
- Aged balsamic vinegar (good with berry jams)
- Ginger or cinnamon (good with stone fruit jams)
- Vanilla extract or almond extract
- Orange or lemon zest
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the fruit and 2 tablespoons honey. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to liquefy (about 5 to 10 minutes for berries, longer for firmer fruits). Once the fruit is liquidy, bring it to a gentle boil and let cook until it breaks down and becomes saucy, about 5 minutes. Mash lightly to reach your desired consistency (I kept mine fairly chunky).
- Taste the jam for sweetness. If you desire more, stir in additional honey a few teaspoons at a time, until you reach the desired taste. Stir in any optional mix-ins.
- Stir in the chia seeds and let cook one minute. Remove the pan from the heat, stir once more, and let sit for 10 minutes. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools. (If it seems very thin, add 1 to 2 additional teaspoons of chia seeds, stir, then let sit 10 additional minutes.)
- Transfer the chia jam to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
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I am in love with this jam! Last month we were in D.C, with friends and summer goals came up, and I kid you not, I said, “I want to make jam and can it”, and everyone looked at me like I was insane. They don’t get the foodie in me, lol. I have made a similar blueberry jam with honey and it was SO good – next I will for sure need to try chia seeds!
i need to get on this chia jam soon..before strawberries disappear.
I am seriously crushing on this gorgeous jam! I mean, only 3 ingredients?? 30ish minutes to make? I’m sold. This is exactly what my toast is missing this morning!
girlllll, i’m literally posting pretty much the same thing on Friday :) great minds! chia jam is so perfect for summer!
Your alter ego sounds awesome. Mine is a casually rich and philanthropic lifestyle guru who just does good stuff for everyone and never gets tired. Dreams are fun!
So is this jam. It looks so perfect. Who needs a can? Jars are healthier and prettier!
Three ingredients? Now, you are speaking my language. Also, so stoked for strawberry season!
Hey again, farm-dwelling Southern Belle. I’ve always wanted to do a chia jam. And it’s this easy? What am I waiting for?!
Yummy!! This sounds really good!!
I have that dream too! We can go two-for-one and just open up a farm a little closer to some mountains around here.. I’ll be looking for places :D This looks awesome – my husband is obsessed with chia seeds, and I just bought a huge flat of strawberries recently.. tried to turn them into jam, but they ended up a syrupy mess! It was so disappointing. This recipe would have really done the trick!
I’ve been too chicken to try canning too – so I am all about the chia seed ones! Yay for strawberry season. I wish I had this to slather on my english muffin I just had for breakfast!
I love the idea of chia jam! And strawberry is right up my alley!
This looks soooo good! Strawberry jam is my favorite, and I’d love to try this homemade version!
So.. I see that you are cutting strawberries like me:) My family told me that I’m wasting strawberries, but it’s easier for me that way. I was thinking about chia jam recently. I have to give it a try. Looks so delicious!
I’ve never done the full-on canning myself either, and actually have only made homemade jam a handful of times. I don’t know why since it’s clearly easy as can be, and anything homemade is 100% better than store-bought. Beautiful!
I’ve been wanting to experiment with blueberries and chia jam! Does the texture stay “jammy” after defrosting if you freeze it?
Dani, it does! Just let it thaw in the fridge overnight and you will be in business.
Erin, I love this jam!!! I need to try adding the chia seeds!!
This is totally my kind of jamming since I feel the same way about canning. Love this chia jam. It’s gorgeous!
Crazy, I just canned strawberry jam yesterday all afternoon…in a super hot kitchen. But chia jam is definitely something I can get on board with. Trying this out soon!
Super sweet recipe! Trying this out soon!
As someone who thought it was a good idea to can 120 jars of apple butter for her wedding…I’m going to advise you to stick to chia jamming. SO MUCH EASIER and less stressful. And just as delicious.
Erin – We just picked strawberries this past weekend and I have a bunch still. I think I know how I’ll use them. :)
Chia seed jam is the best! And I totally hear ya on the canning. I really want to get into it (I’ve even bought the jars and a magazine), but still seems quite intimidating! But until then, yay for quick jams!
Yum yum – I never thought to add balsamic with my strawberry jam – love this tip :) I love chia jam :) I just made strawberry cherry – so good!
So much love for this recipe, Erin! Chia jam is the best! I love how this is a healthier version of traditional jam too – it sounds so mouthwatering. What a perfect, summery creation!
So making this super easy jam! And definitely adding in some balsamic – I’ve got some awesome lychee flavoured aged balsamic that will work wonders with this.
Dear Erin, This strawberry jam sounds wonderful. Now with summer here, we always have a jar of homemade berry jam. It’s wonderful to have on hand. xo, Catherine
Shoot looks like you got ahead of me in line for a date with George! But I will just be passing the time with this strawberry jam…perfect with the over abundance of strawberries I have at my house. What can I say, at least this babe is craving fruit rather than ice cream!
What a very new chia recipe i have here. You guys are amazing creator. I’m a very skeptical kind of person when it comes to creating new dish. For the record, i failed almost every single time i tried to make new recipe. Back to the jam, i really love how you mixed strawberry with chia. Chia are super healthy and strawberry is the fruit from heaven. Together they make a perfect math. Thank you much for being a inspiration to home cook out there!
Thank you so so much Myrtice!
Fresh new way to use chia. Thanks, Erin! As for the 2# box of blueberries, I hear you. We went olallieberry picking a few years back and went a little overboard, coming home with over 7# of them. I could have used this recipe back then! For now, I’ll use the strawberries I just froze before they turned and opt for the balsamic add-in idea.
I have made your amazing and simply elegant recipe with red raspberries and, just last night, with very ripe strawberries. Thank you for introducing me to the magic of chia seeds in transforming consistency! I omitted the honey in these batches and look forward to adding spices in the future. I appreciate having a homemade, unsweetened option for fruit topping on English muffins, plain yogurt, or even just atop my spoon!
I bet this was amazing with raspberries Amy! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you. I love eating it with a spoon too!
Hi Erin
I was suggesting to my daughter to add chia seed to her drinking water to keep her hydrated now that she is about to hit the exam block for the semester here in Australia and she mentioned a great jam receipe using chia …what next I immidiately requested and read it , made it and had it hot on my toast …Devine !!
I also share all of your dreams of farm , chicken machine and vegetables …all organic . While I have acres of land in Fiji …I am in Brisbane and am always in transit which makes it hard to establish a life style .Hope your dream comes true …keep sharing .
Warm Regards
Sushma
Sushma, it’s so nice to virtually meet you! Thanks for this sweet note, and I’m so pleased you enjoyed the chia jam.
Your Chia jam was wonderful. I told my “yuppie” children about it and they can’t wait for me to bring them a jar.
I am making more today.
Thank you
Janet, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this so much, and I hope your kids love it too!
Just started making a half batch of this with some fruit that is overripe for eating…strawberries and blueberries are simmering away right now, can’t wait til it’s done! Love the simplicity of this, I plan to save all my overripe fruit to make small batches of jam!
Update: made the jam, sampled the jam, can’t stop sampling the jam…leaving my house now, have to save some jam for tomorrow…love it!
Whoooo hoooo! I’m so excited to hear that Marina. Enjoy every bite!
If I used ground Chia seeds do you think it would be a drastic change to texture ?
Hi Bree! I’ve never used ground chia, so I can’t say for certain. That said, because the jam’s texture is so dependent on the whole chia seeds plumping, I’d stick with the whole to be safe.
Can this jam be made as is first and then processed like regular jam so it can be used all year ?
Hi Sherry, I’m not an authority on canning, so you’ll want to do some research about whether it’s safe to can chia seed jam. Jams intended for processing also have specific ratios of fruit and sugar and/or pectin, so you’d probably want to find a recipe that’s specifically meant to be canned. For this particular recipe, to be safe, I would stick to refrigerating it or freezing it for longer-term storage as noted in the instructions.
Does using chia change the flavor at all?
Hi Kerry, chia seeds do have a taste, but it’s pretty neutral. It won’t taste exactly like a traditional strawberry jam but is still delicious!
Love this! So surprised at how easy it was and quite frankly… That it worked! Such a lovely alternative to all the refined sugar in the store bought option. This is definitely going to be on my favourite recipes list! Thanks :)
I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a winner! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this awesome review. :)
This is what is showing as the YIELD: 1 to 1/2 cups…is it a half a cup to a full cup or a cup and one and a half cups? Just want to make sure I understand correctly. Love your selection of recipes to share.
Hi Claudia! It can actually yield a range, depending upon your fruit and how long you let it cook down. I believe 1 1/2 cups is closer to the final amount (I apologize, it’s been a while since I made this, but I’m 99% sure that is right!).
Hello Erin. I ran out of store bought jelly and been too tired to go to the supermarket. I had a package of strawberries in my fridge and Chia seeds. So, your recipe sounded perfect. I just made the strawberry jam and it was easy to make. I am happy to know that I can now make my own jam rather than buying the preserved sugary store bought jelly. Thank you, again, for another recipe keeper!
Doll, this makes my day. Thank you!
Hi Erin! Nutritional information please along with serving size. Thank you so much!
Hi Cathe, I began adding nutrition info to my recipes in 2016, but unfortunately it’s too time consuming to go back and calculate it for previous recipes. An online calculator like MyFitnessPal will do it for free—I hope that can be a helpful resource for you!
I love this jam. I make it at least once a month. It’s so easy and delicious!
Great to hear, thank you Stephanie!