This Easy 3-Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam recipe is the perfect healthy homemade jam made with chia seeds and fresh fruit. Only 3 healthy, natural, whole-food ingredients and it’s quick and easy to make!
Limiting refined sugars is such a tough job these days because almost all processed foods contain refined sugar in some form. On our family’s journey to healthy eating, conventional jam is one of the foods I completely eliminated from my diet almost immediately because it’s so high in refined sugar and low in nutrients.
I grew up with my mom and grandmothers making jams and jellies every spring and summer for our family to enjoy all year around and because I was spoiled with homemade jam, I had no problem giving up the store-bought stuff.
I’m so excited to be sharing this Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry Jam with you today, because it’s become one of our family’s favourite snacks. My husband’s favourite treat is a slice of homemade bread slathered in nut butter and jam, so giving up jam like I did just wasn’t an option for him.
And since I didn’t want our little ones filling their bellies with all that refined sugar, I knew there had to be a better option. I was skeptical that any jam recipe I found could compete with conventional jam in the taste department, but this Easy 3-Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam REALLY does!!
This Easy 3-Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam is made from only 3 ingredients: strawberries, chia seeds and honey! That’s it! No refined sugar, no gelatin, no pectin. Just healthy, simple ingredients packed with nutrition. The chia seeds do all the hard work of creating a jam-like texture, and the honey brings just enough sweetness. I’ve been making this delicious recipe for years and I was originally inspired by this recipe and this recipe.
If you’re looking for a plant-based recipe that doesn’t call for honey, feel free to add maple syrup or even agave nectar in place of the honey in this recipe.
To make this healthy jam at home, you’ll need (affiliate links):
- a large pot
- a silicone spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- a cutting board
- a sharp knife for chopping
- a blender or an immersion blender (optional)
To make this strawberry chia jam recipe you’ll need:
- fresh strawberries
- chia seeds
- honey (or use maple syrup or agave nectar for a vegan version of this recipe)
Time needed: 40 minutes
Follow these steps for the BEST healthy jam recipe with chia seeds!
- Cook the fruit and honey first.
Cook the fruit and honey in the pot until boiling.
- Mash the fruit once it’s hot.
Mash the strawberries as they come to a boil.
- Add the chia seeds after boiling.
Add the chia seeds to the hot fruit and reduce the heat.
- Simmer on low.
Cook on low for 15 minutes after adding the chia seeds.
- Blend to remove chunks, if desired.
If you like a smoother jam, pulse the jam in the blender just to remove large chunks. Or, you can mash the jam in the pot with a potato masher.
- Let it cool.
Add the jam to a jar and let it cool before storing it in the fridge or freezer.
Is this jam shelf-stable?
No. It does not contain enough sugar to become shelf stable. Please follow food safety guidelines, and prepare the recipe as directed.
Is it safe to can chia seed jam?
No, we do not recommend canning this recipe as the sugar content is too low for it to be shelf stable. We recommend storing it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Can I freeze this healthy jam?
Yes. This jam can be frozen in an airtight container or in a freezer jam jar for up to 6 months.
Can I make this jam with other types of fruit?
Yes! If you like this jam, you’ll love our Healthy Chia Seed Peach Jam, our Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Raspberry Jam, or our 3-Ingredient Blueberry Chia Seed Jam.
Can I use chia seeds instead of pectin?
No. It’s best to follow a traditional jam recipe if you’re using pectin, and to follow a chia seed jam recipe if you’re making jam with chia seeds. You should not use chia seeds and pectin interchangeably in jam recipes.
I hope you enjoy this jam as much as our family does! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite jam flavour? I’d love to know!
Looking for more delicious recipes like this? You’ll LOVE these!
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this fruity spread recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
- 3 tbsp honey add 1 more tablespoon if you like your jam very sweet, or other vegan honey substitute
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Recipe: Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the strawberries. Add the honey and place on the stove over medium heat.
- As the strawberries begin to soften over the heat, stir them around in their juices and the honey.
- Once the berries have softened to the point that they’re starting to fall apart, use a potato masher or fork to break them up even more.
- Let the mixture come to a slow boil, stirring almost continually. Once you see some big bubbles break the surface, add the chia seeds.
- The chia seeds will help the jam achieve a gelatinous texture while also adding fibre, protein and healthy Omega-3 fats.
- Continue stirring the mixture over low heat for about 15 minutes, and then remove the pan from the stove.
- If you enjoy jam with small chunks of fruit in it, then you’re done! Simply pour the mixture into a mason jar and cover it tightly with a lid.
- If you’d prefer jam with a smoother texture, feel free to add the mixture to your blender and pulse it a few times before pouring it into a mason jar. Or, use an immersion blender and pulse only a few times.
- While the jam is still hot it may seem more fluid that you would expect. The chia seeds need a bit of time to do their work, so let the jam cool to room temperature in the jar and then put your jar of jam in the fridge for a few hours and it will achieve the perfect texture.
- Enjoy on toast, gluten-free crackers or scones, over yogurt or even ice cream.
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
This jam keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but beware: since it doesn’t contain any preservatives, has a low sugar content, and hasn’t undergone the proper canning process it must be kept refrigerated or frozen. We do not recommend canning this jam as it does not have a high enough sugar content to be shelf stable.Freezer Instructions
This jam can be frozen for up to 6 months.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
It’s perfect and delicious. Thank you
This myth about sugar being necessary for jams to last really needs to die. This type of foods are preserved by acid, not sugar. Sugar is for texture and colour. I’m off to make a batch of this and yes, I will absolutely can it. Again: it’s the acid in the fruit that prevents long-term spoilage after the preserve has been sterilised!
This is the best chia seed jam recipe I’ve found. It’s simple, easy, and doesn’t use lemon which I feel is bitter. I keep some chunks of strawberries after using my immersion blender and use it for topping on my ice cream. I’m hoping to try other fruits as well and it will work as well.
Looks yummy, We’re so happy you enjoyed our recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Made this for my 1YO to use as a toast spread and he LOVES it. will definitely be making it for him on the regular
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
This sounds wonderful! But I would never use that much jam in 2 weeks by myself. Do you think I could freeze it in an ice cube tray, then place the cubes in a freezer proof bag and thaw out a little at a time?
For sure! That is such a great idea.
I made this the other day, and after reading the comment recommending to add extra chia seeds I decided to try it with an extra tablespoon. It turned out great! I will definitely be making this regularly. Thank you!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Looking at the nutrition info – it says 1 gram of trans fat?? Where does the trans fat come from?
There’s actually 0.036 grams of trans fats in the whole recipe (that are rounded up) and they come from the chia seeds.
I am going to have to try this out.
Let us know how it turns out!
Is the nutrition info for 1 jar or 1 serving? What is the size of 1 serving? Is the 456 calories per serving?
One serving is 2 tbsp and has 38kcal. The whole recipe (1 jar) has 456 kcal.
I made this recipe, however I personally have found 4tbsp {I made 2lb} of strawberry jam, I would only add 1-1:5 tabsp of Chia seeds, I also chose to not add organic honey, but I used Ciconut Sugar, and fresh basil leaves from my garden’ I shall make the next batch with fresh rosemary and maybe try with a little organic honey, here we have Palm honey {not to be cnfused with Palm oil} our palm trees here in the Canary Islands are totally different..This honey is very sweet but an absolutely fantastic flavor.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Those sound like great additions. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Hi. I’m goning to make this jam. Sounds perfect. Just want to use sugar instead of honey. How much sugar do you suggest? (I want it to be as healthy and low-sugar as possible)).
Thanks
Marzie
Just add the same amount of sugar as honey, and then add a bit more to taste if desired.
This looks delicious! Can pure maple syrup be substituted for the honey? Thanks!
Yes it can! Happy cooking ☺️
Hi! this recipe adds the Chia seeds in step 4 after mashing With a potato masher and bring to a boil.
However the video chose them added right at the beginning along with the strawberries and honey.
Then in your comments, I see the following:
“I have found that not adding the chia seeds in early enough causes them not to create as much of a gelatinous texture as is needed for this recipe. The earlier you add them the more jam-like the consistency is 🙂”
Can you help clarify?
Good question! Whether you add the chia seeds right at the beginning or just as the mixture comes to a boil (before you boil it for 15 minutes) won’t make much difference. They key is to add the chia seeds before the jam cooks down and not after the 15-minute boiling period. Some readers were suggesting to add the chia seeds right at the end (after boiling), which means the seeds don’t absorb as much liquid and become as gelatinous as they should. I hope that helps clarify things for you!
This was so easy to make and is wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it! ☺️
What an excellent recipe! Delicious as well as healthy too! Definitely on my list to do. Just waiting for the strawberries in my area. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Samira!!