This easy chia jam is a delicious way to eat more berries on a regular basis. The recipe has been a long time coming. I received an unsettling call from the doctor’s office early last year. Don’t worry, I’m completely fine. I am, however, as neurotic as ever. I’m also a natural-born researcher, so I dove straight into the internet for more information. It’s better to do something than to do nothing, you know?
I opened at least fifty tabs to read the latest research about the cancer-fighting, insulin-stabilizing, life-giving powers of whole foods. Food really can be the best medicine—or at least, the best preventative medicine. I love that blogging allows me to promote whole foods via delicious recipes. I don’t talk much about nutrition since I’m not a dietitian, but here we go!
I zeroed in a fascinating phytochemical called ellagic acid, which is found in strawberries, raspberries and other (mostly red-skinned) fruit. Ellagic acid shows a lot of promise in preventing and fighting cancer, among other rather miraculous attributes.
I resolved to eat more raspberries. I really don’t eat enough fruit as it is. Fresh raspberries posed a problem, though—they aren’t in season year-round, and they’re really expensive when they’re not.
Have you ever spent five dollars on a tiny container of organic raspberries, only to find that they’re moldy when you get home? Majorly disappointing. Plus, I’m only one person, and sometimes fresh fruit gets lost in my refrigerator before I can get to it.
Watch How to Make Easy Chia Seed Jam
One day, I tried defrosting some frozen organic raspberries in my fridge overnight. I piled them onto peanut butter toast the next morning, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Raspberries release a lot of moisture when they defrost, which lends them a natural jam-like consistency. Plus, you can buy a big bag of frozen raspberries for the same price as one little container of fresh berries.
I eventually added blueberries for even more flavor and more potent antioxidants. Then, I added some chia seeds to absorb some extra moisture and make the mixture more jammy. Bonus? Chia seeds offer some extra fiber and some omega-3’s.
Now, my breakfasts aren’t complete without a copious amount of this berry chia jam. It’s so delicious, and I love beginning the day with a couple servings of fruit.
I’m generally not great at advance food preparation, but this berry “jam” could not be easier to make and keeps well for about a week. Just be sure to factor in time for the berries to thaw (about three hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge).
How to Serve Chia Seed Jam
This chia jam is great on toast with nut butter. It’s also fantastic on yogurt (perhaps with granola) and chia seed pudding. Try it on pancakes, waffles and bagels, too.
This jam doesn’t taste like traditional, super-sweet jams because it’s made with raw berries, not cooked, and only contains as much sweetener as you want it to. I generally don’t add any, since it tastes sweet enough to me already.
I’m not sure this recipe will be everyone’s “jam,” (sorry), but I love it and I’m thrilled to hear that it’s been a hit in your kitchens, too.
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! Your feedback and star ratings are so important to me. ♥
Easy Berry Chia Seed Jam
This easy chia seed jam recipe is made with defrosted raw blueberries and raspberries (no cooking required)! Eat more nutritious berries with this healthy jam. Recipe yields roughly 2 ⅔ cups.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the frozen raspberries and blueberries, chia seeds and orange juice. Cover and let the mixture defrost for about three hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator (the front of the bottom shelf in the fridge is the ideal spot for defrosting, since it’s generally the warmest area).
- Once the berries are defrosted and soft, use a potato masher (or the back of a big spoon or serving fork should work) to mash up the mixture to your desired consistency. I like some texture in my jam, so I don’t mash it much.
- Taste, and if you’d like a sweeter jam, stir in some maple syrup, to taste (keep in mind that you can always just drizzle maple syrup or honey onto your jam later, if you prefer). If the chia seeds aren’t nice and plump yet, let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes to let them absorb some more moisture.
- I love this jam on toast/pancakes/waffles/bagels, with yogurt and granola, and in chia seed pudding. Store leftover jam in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.
Notes
Why buy organic? Conventionally grown berries are generally exposed to lots of pesticides while growing, so organic berries really are worth the extra expense (fortunately, frozen berries are cheaper than fresh!). Organic fruit also tends to be higher in nutrients than conventionally grown fruit (wild blueberries are even higher than regular blueberries).
Change it up: You can use all blueberries or all raspberries in this recipe, but I love to use half of each. I don’t enjoy strawberries nearly as much, but they’ll work. This recipe is really designed for frozen berries, since they naturally release so much of their juices as they thaw. To use fresh berries, you would need to cook them to release enough juices; see this recipe for guidance.
On canning: I am not a canning expert and have no idea if this recipe can be canned safely, so please don’t do it. It’s designed to be a simple, everyday recipe.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
