Name: Easy 3 Ingredient Chia Jam
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups fruit, fresh or frozen*; 2 tbsp water**; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp chia seeds; optional: 1 tbsp maple syrup (for additional sweetness)

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Looking for a healthy jam recipe? Make your own easy 3 ingredient chia jam without sugar or sweetener! Use any fruit, fresh or frozen, and have a sugar-free jam that’s ready in 10 minutes.

Please note this post was originally published in 2019. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same!

Sugar-free jam! With no sweeteners, no gelatin, and tons of protein (thanks chia). Sounds too good to be true?! It isn’t! I know I’m totally late to the party with this 3 ingredient chia jam, but now that I’ve made it into the door of the party, I’m not leaving any time soon. I only wish I had discovered this recipe when my first two kiddos were starting out on baby-led-weaning, because this jam is PERFECT for babies!

This recipe can easily be made with any fruit, although I find that raspberry, blueberry and cherry comes out the best.

Hattie’s favorite flavor is raspberry 😉

Side story: Etienne went out to Banff this past weekend for a bachelor party, and when he came back I interrogated him. He laughed, and said you know you’re married to a foodie when all of your wife’s questions pertain to where you ate and what you had. Hah! Seriously though, it was the only details I was really that interested in.

Ok back to the jam.

Is 3 ingredient chia jam healthy?

Yes! Really healthy! For one, chia seeds are incredibly healthy for you. They are very low calorie, high in fiber and protein, and contain healthy omega-3 fats. PLUS chia seeds are high in antioxidants!

Besides the chia seeds, this jam uses 2 cups of fruit, and only a bit of lemon juice. You can add a bit of honey or syrup as a sweetener, but I usually don’t find it necessary.

Plus, if you’re following a keto or low-carb diet, this jam totally qualifies, as long as you use berries that are lower in carbs, like raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.

How do chia seeds thicken jam?

When added to a fruit “compote”, the chia seeds soak up the liquid, swell up, and create the “jammy” texture.

Is 3 ingredient chia jam safe for babies?

Yes! It’s perfect for putting on a piece of toast along with some peanut butter for your babe, or swirled into a bit of plain yogurt to sweeten it up. My only caution would be that too much fiber isn’t a great idea for babies, as it can cause some stomach discomfort. Start with just a little bit at a time for your wee one!

As I mentioned above, raspberry is Hattie’s favourite. The boys really liked the cherry, and I personally loved the mango one. If using frozen mango chunks, I would cut them up a bit with a knife or food processor before heating them up, as the bags of frozen mangoes usually have extra large pieces.

This jam LITERALLY takes 10 minutes, plus a bit of time to let it cool, obviously. But it’s SO easy, I’ve been making it almost weekly. I’ve been loving it in the morning, swirled into some yogurt and mixed with granola.

Speaking of granola, I made my cherry almond granola yesterday with dark chocolate covered raisins, and I swear, it’s my best batch yet!

Happy Monday!

If you’re looking for a few other recipes with a short list of ingredients that are great for your babe or kids, be sure to check these out:

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Easy 3 Ingredient Chia Jam

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5 from 14 reviews

Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 cup 1x

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Description

Make your own easy and healthy 3-ingredient chia jam without sugar or sweetener! Use any fruit, fresh or frozen, and have a sugar-free jam that’s ready in 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups fruit, fresh or frozen*
2 tbsp water**
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chia seeds
optional: 1 tbsp maple syrup (for additional sweetness)

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Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the fruit, 1-2 tablespoons water (see notes), and the lemon juice. Allow the fruit to break down and release liquid, letting it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, using a fork or a potato masher to mash up any large chunks of fruit***.
Remove from heat, and stir in the chia seeds. If you like your jam a bit sweeter, add the maple syrup at this point and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes, letting the chia seeds soak up the liquid. Once cooled completely, transfer the jam to a mason jar or other hard plastic or glass container. Store the jam in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Notes

*You can use any fruit, but I found the best to be raspberry, blueberry and cherry. I would keep it to the standard jam flavours (strawberry, raspberry, etc). I haven’t tried this with something like banana, but I don’t imagine it would turn out very well.

**If using fresh fruit, add the water. If using frozen, you may only need 1 tbsp as frozen fruit releases much more liquid.

***If using frozen mango or strawberry with very large chunks, be sure to mash up the chunks as best as you can. See blog post above for more details!