This easy no cook chia jam makes a healthy low sugar alternative to standard jam! It is packed full of goodness with the fruit of your choice and nutritious chia seeds. No cooking required - just leave in the fridge to thicken! Chia jam is much lower in sugar than normal jam and you can also easily make it refined sugar free. This makes it perfect for kids and of course it is gluten free too!
Chia jam isn't jam as we know it in the traditional sense, so it requires no lengthy cooking over a hot stove, no added pectin and no added refined sugar! In addition the nutritious chia seeds are packed full of omega 3's, a good source of calcium and fibre.
Sounds good to me!
Chia jam is not only healthy and tasty but very versatile. It be enjoyed as a healthy fruit spread but also can be added to porridge, muesli, smoothies or to your favourite dessert. I like to make a couple of batches and then freeze portions in ice cube trays to take out as needed for adding to porridge or smoothies.
I usually like to make chia jam with berries - raspberries being my personal favourite. Strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, peaches and apricots also all work well!
For the chia jam in these photos I decided to try a new fruit and have used slightly tart, beautiful red Chilean guavas - see below.
I am very fortunate to currently have an abundance of Chilean guavas growing on a tree in my garden. Not being one to waste food, I have put these little gems to good use in my chia jam and have frozen a couple of batches to keep for smoothies.
Chilean guavas are tangy but slightly sweet - so they go perfectly in this jam and give it an absolutely stunning colour!
There are a few different ways to make chia jam and if you have a search on the internet you will find recipes that require cooking the fruit and chia seeds.
I prefer this no cook method, it is so quick and easy - you can't go wrong!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, if you are looking for other recipes with chia seeds you may like my Chia Seed Porridge with Cinnamon Pears and Feijoas or Creamy Coconut, Chia, Acai & Strawberry Layered Smoothie.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
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Have a lovely week!
Hope
Love Food Nourish Nutrition Info at a glance
- Chia seeds are a good source of omega 3 essential fatty acids making them anti-inflammatory and great for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
- Chia seeds are a good source of calcium and magnesium making them beneficial for healthy bones and a healthy nervous system. They are also a source of copper, manganese, phosphorous, iron and zinc.
- Chia seeds are an excellent source of fibre and can help with a digestive regularity. The soluble fibre in chia seeds can work as a prebiotic which can help support the growth of probiotics in the digestive system.
- Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants, they have been shown to inhibit up to 70% of free radical activity.
Serves 16
Hope Pearce
Yields Approx 1 cup - 16 Tablespoons
Healthy and delicious chia jam, no cooking required and only 5 min to prepare
1 hr, 5 Prep Time
1 hr, 5 Total Time
Save Recipe5 based on 4 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 cups fruit (defrosted if using frozen berries)
- 2 Tbspn chia seeds
- 2 Tbspn warm water
- 2 Tbspn maple syrup or honey or
- 7 drops of liquid stevia (if making sugar free)
Instructions
- Add the fruit, chia seeds, warm water and sweetener of your choice to a high powered blender. Blitz until you reach the consistency you desire (I like mine quite smooth so I blitz until the fruit is blended). Check the taste and add more sweetener if desired.
- Put the chia jam covered, in the fridge for 1 hour to thicken. Then use as required on toast, bagels, waffles, add into smoothies, porridge or desserts.
- Can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container or frozen for up to 4 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition information is an approximate only. The above nutrition is calculated using raspberries, chilean guava which I used in the photos is not in the nutirition database. This recipe can be used with a variety of fruit please see notes above.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Source:
Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Dietary Wellness. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24811150
