2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam --  Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam is a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

As I share recipes from week to week, I have a pretty good sense that speedy dinners with readily available seasonal ingredients will likely be well received and cooked often.  Who doesn’t need another easy, healthy meal to add to the weekly dinner rotation, right?

With other recipes, I’m not so sure what the reception will be.  Sometimes I want to say “Please, please, please try this because the photo might not look that great but it really is!”  Or “Maybe the recipe looks long but that’s just because I’ve included a bunch of options and a list of helpful tips to ensure success!”

Still other recipes are solid but fill a niche that I think will be appreciated by a certain subset of readers.  Though they may not have mass appeal (Super Healthy Nut & Seed Bread, Socca, and Kimchi come to mind), I consider them worth sharing.  I especially love when readers outside of that anticipated target group branch out and give them a try.

A few years ago, I shared this recipe for naturally-sweetened homemade jam⇩⇩, that (bonus!) does not need to be canned, for the many readers who requested a sugar-free or low-sugar homemade jam.  Little did I know how popular it would become.

No-Sugar Chia Jam does call for honey or maple syrup but can be made with a variety of fresh or frozen fruits.  (Hint: Berries tend to work best because they break down quickly and easily.)

Now more commonly known as chia jam, I still make it often, usually with all berries these days (fresh or frozen) for breakfast favorites like toast or PB&J Breakfast Chia Pudding.⇩⇩

PB&J Breakfast Chia Pudding -- This healthy, prep-ahead breakfast makes me feel great and is surprisingly satisfying.  Feel free to use your favorite jam in place of the chia jam recipe and customize with your favorite fruits and toppings.

However, as little sweetener as there is in that recipe, especially when compared to standard canned jelly and jam preparations, I’ve received many comments and emails from readers who want a jam option that is sweetened entirely by fruit and 100% juice.

So while this 2-ingredient chia jam may sound slightly odd to all of those who swear by classic strawberry jam, peach jam, or good old Smucker’s grape jelly, here it is!

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam --  Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

With just two easy ingredients, it sure isn’t difficult.  The simple key to success is to choose a juice with a flavor you enjoy, because that’s what the jam will taste like.  Neutral flavored and über healthy chia seeds serve as thickeners for a jam that you can feel really good about slathering on your morning toast or layering in that chia pudding!

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam --  Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam --  Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam

Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

Ingredients

For a small batch

  • 1-1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup 100% grape juice (I like Concord grape juice… Welch's or Knudson’s are good options)

For a bigger batch

  • 6 tablespoons (72 grams) chia seeds
  • 1 cup 100% grape juice

Instructions

  1. Place the chia seeds in a small bowl or jar, pour the juice over top, and stir well.  Wait 5 minutes and then stir again, breaking up any clumps that may have formed.
  2. Cover and refrigerate, preferably overnight or at least an hour or two, to allow the chia seeds to absorb the liquid.  (If for any reason you’d like to adjust the thickness, simply add an extra drizzle of juice or a sprinkle of seeds. If adding seeds, you’ll need to give them some time to plump up.)

2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam --  Two easy ingredients create a sugar- and syrup-free alternative to the ever-popular chia jam!

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6 responses to “2-Ingredient No-Cook Chia Jam”

  1. I LOVE YOUR EASY TO USE WEBSITE OF RECOPES THAT ARE EASY TO PRINT OUT FOR USE. I WAS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR A SITE THAT DISPLAYED SUGAR-FREE JAM AND/OR JELLY AND CAME ACROSS THIS WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF RECIPES. I HAD A LARGE FRUIT YEAR AND CANNED APRICOTS, ITALIAN PLUMS, CONCORD GRAPES, PEARS, APPLES, AND NECTARINES, AND MADE MANY DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS FROM THEM ALL, INCLUDING FUIT NECTAR AND FRUIT JUICES THAT I NEED TO FIND A USE FOR. THANK YOU FOR THIS WEBSITE AND FOR SHARING.
    REGARDS, CHARLES

    1. Charles, Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and how wonderful that you had a banner year with all of your fruit. What a treat! I’m delighted you found my jam recipes - and perhaps you’ll find a few others to try as well!

  2. The grape juice and chia sounds easy. I love recipes with minimal ingredients. Thank you!

    1. My pleasure, Barb, and hope you enjoy!

  3. Hi Ann;
    I’ve been using chia seeds for several years and last Summer my one daughter made chia seeds with mango. She added just enough of her homemade coconut milk to give the extra liquid she needed for the seeds to fluff up. Another delicious option for the jelly. My daughter in Colorado found your P&J recipe by going into your web, made it, loved it and told me about it the same week you published it and I had also made it. We both love it!
    Thanks,
    Dorothy

    1. The mango-chia combination with coconut milk sounds wonderful, Dorothy. If your daughter has measurements, feel free to share them for readers who might like to try. Also, I’m delighted that you both enjoyed the PB&J chia pudding. Thanks so much for your comment!