This Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry Jam is the perfect healthy alternative to conventional jam! It’s made with 3 healthy, natural, whole-food ingredients and it’s quick and easy to make!
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*I originally posted this recipe in April 2015. I’ve updated it today with new photos, but no changes to the recipe.
Limiting refined sugars is such a tough job these days because almost all processed foods contain refined sugar in some form. On my journey to healthy eating, jam is one of the foods I completely eliminated from my diet almost immediately because it’s so high in refined sugar. 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 in the taste department, but this Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry Jam REALLY does!!
This Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry 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 word 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.
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 jam or strawberry recipes? You’ll LOVE these:
- Easy No Bake Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
- 3-Ingredient Blueberry Chia Seed Jam
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- Best Ever Strawberry Pudding Cake
- Easy No Bake Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Kitchen Products I recommend:
Recipe Video
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.
Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry Jam
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
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.
Anne says
i love chia seeds! I've never made jam with them though I will have to try it! stopping by from healthy eating habit! [email protected]
Chrissie says
Thanks Anne! I hope you give this recipe a try!
Linda says
Can I use raspberries or other fruit? I am not really a strawberry fan.
Chrissie says
Feel free to use raspberries or blueberries – just adjust the amount of honey as neither of these fruits are quite as sweet as strawberries! 🙂
Karen Serna says
Just made the jam
and it came our fabulous! I thought the honey would overpower the strawberry flavor. That wasn't the case. All you taste is yummy strawberries! Thank you for posting this recipe.
Chrissie says
So glad to hear you are enjoying it!!
Jackie says
It looks like it will be delicious and quick to make and good for Xmas gifts thanks happy holidays
The Busy Baker says
Yes! That’s such a great idea!!😍
SuzyQ says
Hi! Wondering how much jam this makes? Approximately 2 cups? I am going to be canning another big batch of jam so I would like to process this so it is shelf stable. Thanks!
Chrissie says
It yields about a cup and a half to 2 cups. I hope you enjoy it!
Erica says
Did it work to can it?
Chrissie says
I’ve never canned it, so I can’t comment on that process unfortunately. Sorry!
Lise-Anne says
I think it’s dangerous to can anything with honey bc of botulism…?
Regardless, going to try this today 🙂
Looks excellent!
Chrissie says
Thanks! I wouldn’t suggest canning this recipe as it is a freezer or fridge jam. Hope you like it!
Kathy says
So you can freeze this jam? I knoe in fridge it ladts for 2 weeks. How long with it last in freezer?
Chrissie says
Yes, this jam freezes well for up to a couple months.
Judy says
Pasteurized honey is safe
Beth says
Hi. Canning products with Chia seeds is not recommended for shelf stable products due to lack of testing from USDA. This would be a fantastic freezer jam!
Anonymous says
Can i use maple syrup instead of honey
Chrissie says
Yes you can, although you made have to add a little more or a little less to your tastes!
Jessica says
How long does the jam last?
Chrissie says
The jam lasts for several days in the fridge, but it’s also possible to freeze it. 🙂
Tracy says
Specific suggestions for freezing?
Chrissie says
Be sure to freeze in a freezer-safe container and leave lots of room at the top for the jam to expand as it freezes. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy as normal!
Pamela says
Can this recipe be canned.
Chrissie says
I believe it could be canned, however you’d have to follow proper canning procedures to make sure it stays properly preserved 🙂
Naomi says
Do you think this would work with frozen berries? I have plenty of those during this off-season.
Chrissie says
Yes it does work with frozen berries, however just be sure to cook off all the extra liquid that is produced with frozen fruit!
Nancy says
do the Chia seeds make this a very seedy jam or do they soften during the cooking process?
Chrissie says
The chia seeds soften quite a lot and they blend in very nicely with the texture of the jam. It doesn’t have a very seedy texture.
cara says
Where can we buy chia seeds?
Chrissie says
Any grocery store with a healthy food section should have them, or at your local health food store!
Amanda N says
Chia seeds are pretty much everywhere- even Wal-Mart. 🙂
Eva says
I purchase mine at Sams Club or Costco. You can also purchase online via Amazon.
Courtney says
How do you freeze this jam? In jars?
Chrissie says
I like to freeze it in those plastic jars you can buy for freezer jam. Stores like WalMart carry them, and probably also most grocery stores – especially during canning season.
Lacy says
What kind of seeds do you get
Chrissie says
Chia seeds are available from your local grocery store with a health section, or from any health food store.
Amanda N says
Can you do this recipe with grapes?
Chrissie says
I can’t say as I’ve never tried this. I doubt it, since when making grape jelly you use the juice only and pectin to create the gelatinous texture. It’s probably best to stick to a fruit that you’d use whole in jam, rather than jelly.
Brenda says
I made concord grape jelly once…delicious..but the amount of sugar was staggering..I wish this recipe worked for grapes.
Chrissie says
Unfortunately it doesn’t work for recipes using on the juice from the fruit (to make jelly) – but you can also use other berries in this recipe and it will work great!
Sabina says
I just made jam with blackberries (just the juice), agaive nectar and chia seeds and it worked well. Maybe double the amount of. His seeds?
Linda Ritchie says
hi…I am going to try this for sure….I wondered if you could add cia seeds to rhubarb jam to for thickening…
thanks for you help
Chrissie says
I can’t speak to how it would affect rhubarb, but I would assume it would react the same way as with the berries. You’d have to adjust the sweetness with more honey, since rhubarb is more sour than berries 🙂
Neza says
It’s just a suggestion. Put the honey when the strawberries and chia seeds cool down. It’ s not good to overheat the honey.
Chrissie says
Great suggestion! However to achieve the proper texture, it’s best to add the chia seeds in the early stages.
Sandie says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this amazingly easy recipe with whole ingredients!!! Made it tonight but switched out the strawberries for raspberries and it is scrumptious 😊!
Chrissie says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
Mandy says
Will the heat not affect the health properties of the honey and chia seeds? Can I cook the strawberries and cool it down a bit before adding the honey and seeds?
Chrissie says
It’s possible that the heat will, however 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 🙂
Candace says
I grow and can my strawberries do a single jar isn’t very efficient. It would be helpful to know if this is a recipe that can be processed for use later.
Chrissie says
This is a fridge/freezer jam. Of course you can make and freeze a large batch! 🙂
Supino says
To preserve the jam would I not need to use sugar as well as honey as when making normal jam? When i process/pasturise my jams they normally have a shelf life of 2years due to the fruit to sugar content.
Chrissie says
I can’t speak to that as this recipe is a fridge/freezer jam. If you want to can it you’ll probably have to change the recipe like you suggested.
Eva says
I’m positive I need some of this in my morning oatmeal!!!!! LOL! Can this be frozen too?
Chrissie says
It can be frozen, absolutely! Enjoy!
Eva says
Oh my … have my brain going now …. bet you could do this with just about any berry too. Blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries. Mmmmm. Have you tried with other berries?
Chrissie says
I’ve made it with blueberries with great success! Enjoy!
Maggie says
This is my all time favourite jam. Incredibly easy and delightful fresh strawberry taste. I made a double batch, followed recipe exactly, put one jar in the fridge and one in the freezer. On removing the freezer jam I noticed it was a little bit thicker which made it absolutely perfect !!! Not too sweet, a little tart, wonderful, thankyou !!!
Brenda says
If I use blueberries or blackberries how much sugar would I need?
Chrissie says
If using other berries I’d add several more tablespoons of honey to taste.
Katie says
I typically make strawberry freezer jam. I don’t cook it. I have used chia seeds in recipes and smoothies. I hadn’t thought to use them in place of pectin. I wonder if the consistency would be too far off if I didn’t cook it. With freezer jam you just add pureed strawberries to sugar and pectin and stir for three minutes. Then you let it sit for a few minutes (I think 10). I’m not really familiar enough with the chia seeds to know if that would work with them to get the right consistency or if they would need to be cooked. I’ll have to give it a try though. I’ve only been using 1/3 the amount of sugar it calls for in my current recipe and we don’t notice the difference. It keeps in the freezer really well.
Chrissie says
The chia seeds will help it thicken up even if you don’t cook it, but cooking the berries helps to reduce the water content and concentrate the flavour. I always cook my jam when I make this recipe, so I can’t really comment on how it would turn out without cooking. Good luck!
Misty Wurst says
Could I do this with peaches…has anyone tried?
Chrissie says
I’ve never tried with peaches, so I can’t comment on exactly how it would work. Sorry!
Judi says
Wondering if one could use stevia & drop the honey in this recipe. Or, at least reduce the amount. I’m sure you could reduce it but not sure about deleting it totally.
Chrissie says
Yes, you can reduce the honey. I’ve never tried adding stevia, but I’m sure it would work since it doesn’t have an effect on the texture.
Virginia says
Has anyone tried replacing the honey with Agave Syrup? Same ratio?
Chrissie says
Yes, it works roughly the same!
Linda says
I made this recipe last night and doubled it to make a bit more. I only used 3 TBS chia seeds that I ground first. It was perfect. I have tried other recipes but this was hands down the best!
Chrissie says
So glad you loved it so much! Thanks!!
Tina says
Does this recipe come out 0k if i double or triple? I have a lot of strawberries. Cant wait to try this.
Chrissie says
Absolutely! I almost always double the batch 🙂
Ashly says
Would you have suggestions for making this with a sugar substitute? I’d like to make some for my mom and she’s on the keto diet.
Chrissie says
A sugar substitute would work as long as it doesn’t alter the texture of the jam. I don’t personally have experience with this, but the honey only lends flavour here and not texture, so replacing it wouldn’t affect the jam too much.
Natalie says
Do you use this jam in your other recipes? Could it work in a jam tart or cake?
Just wondering if it would affect the consistency or structure of the bake. I’m planning a Bakewell Tart and would like to keep the sugar down where possible, but don’t want to lose the structural integrity with sloppy jam!
Chrissie says
I’m sorry, I can’t say how this would perform in a Bakewell Tart as I’ve never used this jam in a recipe like that. However, it does set up pretty well and isn’t any sloppier than the store-bought jam that’s available. Good luck!
DJ says
I’m surprised this says keep for a couple weeks, all the other chia jam recipes using similar ingredients say keep up to 5 days. And with food safe rules that seems appropriate. I wouldn’t eat this past 4 days personally!
Jaime Coey says
I plan to make jam with peaches from our tree. Will Chia be ok still? This is my first go at homemade jam, so should I adjust any of the measurments. Can’t wait to try it.
Chrissie says
I can’t comment since I’ve never made this jam with peaches. Sorry!
Bobbie says
I was looking at the nutrition label, although the numbers are per serving I did not see a serving size, i.e. tbsp, tsp.
Chrissie says
One serving is about 2 tablespoons.
Linda Durbin says
I love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. It’s going on my on my recipes to try list!
The Busy Baker says
Glad to hear you like it so much! Let us know how it goes!🙂
Tiffany says
Hi! Thanks for the great recipe! Fo you think I could use flaxseeds (ground) in place of chia seeds?
Chrissie says
Flax seeds don’t create as much of a gelatinous texture as the chia seeds do, so the end result won’t be the same.
Lorrena White says
Thanks for recipe, I also added a little cinnamon, have to say, it is fabulous.
Chrissie says
So glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Jane says
I don’t have any strawberries at this time but lots of mangoes. I made the recipe with mangoes and it turned out great. The onl change I will make next time is to use only 2 tbsp of honey.
The Busy Baker says
Happy to hear it turned out delicious with mangoes too!!🙂
Albert says
I already made it and it’s delicious,thank you.
How long does it last when refrigerated?
Thank you!
The Busy Baker says
You’re welcome Albert! It keeps for a couple weeks in the fridge.🙂
Maria says
Made it from my own strawberry garden:)) Great tasting jam!! Thank you ☺️
Chrissie says
So glad you liked it! 🙂
The Busy Baker says
You’re welcome Maria!🙂
K says
Hello! I’m a bit unclear on what’s allowed with homemade freezer/fridge jams. Can I freeze this, take it out when I want to use it, return it to the freezer, etc?
This recipe sounds great, I can’t wait to try it!
Chrissie says
Once the jam has been frozen and you remove it from the freezer to enjoy, store it in the fridge and use it within 2-3 weeks. It’s called freezer jam because you need to store it in the freezer instead of on a shelf at room temperature.
Ashley says
I made this recipe except it’s already made and I need it sweeter? Anything I can add even though it’s already made?
The Busy Baker says
The overall sweetness of the jam depends a lot on how sweet and ripe your strawberries are. You can add some honey to taste in the jam at the end to make it as sweet as you like. Enjoy! 😊
Kevin says
Hi.
Love the recipe because it has no sugar. Under Nutrition, is that 453 calories for two tablespoons?
Thanks.
Kevin
The Busy Baker says
Hi Kevin, the whole jar is 453 calories!
Samira Gupta says
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
The Busy Baker says
You’re welcome Samira!!
Joyc says
This was so easy to make and is wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing.
The Busy Baker says
Thanks for feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it! ☺️
Laurie says
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?
Chrissie says
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!
Monica says
This looks delicious! Can pure maple syrup be substituted for the honey? Thanks!
The Busy Baker says
Yes it can! Happy cooking ☺️
Marzieh says
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
Chrissie says
Just add the same amount of sugar as honey, and then add a bit more to taste if desired.