Healthy jam that tastes great…really? The perks of this no-sugar recipe, however, extend beyond the obvious health benefits. The flavor may be varied according to preference and what’s on hand. It’s a small-batch recipe that can be whipped up quickly and there’s no need to process in boiling water. Frozen fruit is fair game, making it an excellent year round option. And when it’s time to add the honey or sweetener of choice, you can taste for sweetness, adjusting to your exact liking.
Truth be told, I make most of my jam recipes just like my grandmother did, and they are not low in sugar. My family and I still enjoy these jams regularly. Standard recipes for canned jams and jellies rely on pectin to thicken the fruit and make it jell. Pectin, though, is very sour, so it must be offset with sugar–a good bit of it. The sugar also helps to preserve the quality of the fruit when canned.
Because I have gotten requests for low-sugar options–and because my kids do eat a lot of PB&Js–I started experimenting with jams that use heart-healthy and highly absorbent chia seeds as a thickener. This virtually tasteless super food allows the natural sweetness of the fruit to shine. Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are my usual picks for this type of jam. The pictured batch, however, uses blackberries and a peach.
The recipe below offers a variety of options, but the basic formula for just over one cup of jam is the following: 12 ounces of fruit, 3 tablespoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds.
A funny thing… The first time, I made this jam with all blackberries that were rather tart. I asked my kids to sample it at a point where the jam tasted good to me but was still on the tart side. I was certain they would want it sweeter, but they loved the tarter version. It was a good reminder to me that not everything must be extra sweet for my kids to enjoy.
An added note: An all peach version, for example, would allow the tiny, black seeds to be visible. Some kids may object to this before they even taste the jam. Berry versions (or a mix of fruit) mask the chia seeds completely.
Yields 1+ cup.
- 1 cup blackberries (see notes for fruit substitutions)
- 1 peach, peeled, pitted and diced
- 3 tablespoons honey (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- Optional: 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice and/or the zest the whole lemon or lime
-
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blackberries, peach, and lemon juice and zest, if using (or substitute fruit of choice, amount directed below).
-
As the mixture begins to boil, mash the fruit with the back of a fork until it breaks down. This should take 5 minutes, give or take a few minutes depending on the type of fruit used.
-
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the honey, starting with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Taste, and add more honey (or sweetener of choice) to your liking.
-
Add the chia seeds and stir to incorporate. Let the jam set for about 5 minutes to thicken. Cool and transfer to a jar or air-tight container and refrigerate.
-
The jam will keep for approximately 2 weeks in the fridge and may be frozen.
- This is a very flexible recipe.The trick is to start with 10-12 ounces of berries–a mix, if desired–chopped if large. As done in the above version, the berries may be mixed with fruits like peaches, apricots, or nectarines that have been peeled, pitted and finely chopped for a total of 10-12 ounces of fruit. (Frozen fruit works well and doesn’t have to be thawed. Do dice the larger pieces though; partially thawed fruit is easy to cut.)
- You may swap the honey for maple syrup or your sweetener of choice. To account for personal preference and varied sweetness among fruits, I recommend tasting as you add the sweetener. If you add lemon or lime juice, you may want a little more sweetener. (Using the zest alone will provide a hint of citrus flavor without added tartness.) Fresh summer fruit may require a little less sweetener than frozen fruit.
- If you prefer a soupier jam–perhaps for a sauce or to blend into a dressing–simply adjust the amount of chia seeds down slightly, perhaps starting with 1 tablespoon. When varying the amount used from the recipe above, just be sure to allow at least 5 minutes before adding more. This will provide time for the chia seeds to swell, absorb the excess liquid, and thicken the jam. For a thicker mixture, you may add slightly more chia seeds.
Sounds yummy AND healthy! Where do I find chia seeds?
Hi Trudy,
Chia seeds can usually be found in the organic aisle of the grocery store and sometimes in the bulk area. Health food stores and smaller markets often carry them also. (Locally, they can be found at Stauffer’s, Giant, Rhubarb’s and Lemon Street Market.) They look a lot like poppy seeds. Enjoy!
Costco has had them – but, sporadically.
Thanks, Ouida!
I don’t like my sweets too sweet, so no sugar jam is perfect for me, it lets the fruit really shine through. I also loved that you added the chia seeds to this, it sounds really delicious! Pinning!
Thank you, Lisa. Chia seeds really do make a great thickener.
Thanks for this wonderful alternative to sugary jams. Can Chia seeds be ground and, would they still have the same effect? Some folks can’t eat seeds.
Hi Rose,
You may grind the chia seeds and they would have the same effect. The seeds do soften, however, so the consistency is different than most seeds. (But it wouldn’t hurt to grind if you want to be sure!)
Thanks, I’ll try and, let you know. Some folks can’t eat seeds because of health reasons and, this is a great alternative.
This is a great recipe for making small batches of jam in little time. Healthy AND delicious! Thank you!
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed!
Pingback: 25 Last Minute Edible Holiday Gifts
How long does this last?
It should last a week or more in the fridge.
I am going to try this recipe using strawberries and rhubarb. How long would you say this jam can stay in the freezer?
Hi Christina, You could freeze this for a couple of months in a standard freezer (or up to a year in a colder chest freezer). I think strawberries and rhubarb would be a delicious combination. The tartness of the rhubarb will likely require a little more honey to achieve the same level of sweetness. I would just taste and adjust to your preference.
Do you have any recipes that have only fruit juices as sweetener?
I don’t, Dennis, but I wouldn’t hesitate to fiddle with this recipe. If you simply omit the honey and add a modest amount of juice, it will likely work out quite well. I would add according to taste and cook the mixture down a little longer because of the added liquid (remembering that it will thicken as it cools). An option would be to add an extra spoonful of chia seeds to thicken, but you might not need it. I really think this could work quite well!
I just made strawberry chia jam added a half packet of splenda stevia and it’s delicious
I’m done with store bought jelly
This was very easy to make
I’m delighted that this was a hit and appreciate your terrific feedback, Gary!
How would a banana added to the fresh strawberries work out?
I finished the whole jar I made last night. I liked it more than just eating plain strawberries
This is a great dessert
That’s a great question. My guess is that it would taste delicious but wouldn’t hold up well over time. That wouldn’t matter, of course, if you eat it quickly. If you try, I’d love to know how you make out. So glad the first batch was a success!
Try a pear!
Would it be ok if you wanted to do it in a hot water bath to preserve it for longer?
I haven’t canned this variety of jam, Debra, but think the pH would be at a level that would make it safe.
Hi there, I made this last night and was so excited about the texture. I can’t eat fruit these past several years, so couldn’t taste the jam. But sadly my husband says it has absolutely no flavour whatsoever. Used all organic wild blackberries, dried peach, coconut water, lemon juice with rice syrup and maple syrup. I think I might add a lot more lemon juice and see if it brings a bit of flavour. Definitely will try again as we are moving countries, and I had stocked the house up with foods for winter (we’re in Australia), so now we are madly trying to eat all our winter stored food in a few weeks!
I’m sorry your husband didn’t enjoy this and am wondering if your blackberries may have been the culprit. The flavor of this recipe relies on the natural flavor of the fruit, enhanced by a bit of sweetener. If you add more lemon juice, the jam will be tarter. If the blackberries are especially tart to begin with, you may just need a little more honey. I hope this helps!
I made this with all blackberries, adding a little more honey to account for their tartness, and the results were outstanding. Great texture and flavor. Thank you!
Great news, Rebecca. Thanks for letting me know!
Can you water process this recipie to keep longer?
I haven’t processed this recipe myself, Mandie, but the pH level with most fruits should make it safe. As an option, you could try freezing a batch.
Hello IAM wanting to make sugar free jams, that can have a long shelve life, how do I go about creating this???
Hi Helen, I think your best bet would be to freeze them.
I had a glut of fresh fruit so pureed it and froze it as I was going to use it for smoothies but didn’t. How could this be turned into jam? Same process? Love sugarless jam – usually buy it but would prefer to make my own.
I think it would definitely work, Debby. You might have to tweak the amount of chia seeds for your desired level of thickness, figuring that one cup of pureed fruit is slightly more than one cup chopped. Also, I think I’d still simmer the fruit to break it down a little more, but you could try a raw batch to see how you like it.
This sounds delicious, going to make tomorrow. Thank you
Hope you enjoy!
Has anyone tried this using Concord grapes only? Thanks!!
Hi Jessica, I love Concord grape jam but have not used them in this recipe. That said, I have made jam with just Concord grape juice and chia seeds. I use a ratio of 1-1/2 tablespoons chia seeds to 1/4 cup of juice.
Thank you!
I don’t want anything to add sweeteners – no sugar, no honey, no apple juice no artificial sweetners – I just want he taste of apricots they have all the sweetness I need. Why is this so impossible to source?
I would experiment with cooking down the peeled apricots and thickening with chia seeds to taste. Depending on how juicy they are, you could add just enough water instead of using juice, honey, etc. I mention experimenting with Concord grape juice and chia seeds in a comment above. You could basically follow the same method by creating a liquidy base of the apricots. The more you can accomplish this with just the fruit (and limited water), the sweeter your jam will be. Hope this is helpful!
Might psyllium husks be a less visible substitute for the chia seeds in paler jams?
I think it’s definitely worth trying, Teresa. Thanks for the mention and please comment if you try!
Is there any substitutes for the chia seeds .. it is not available where I live?
I’ve been pondering this question and am hesitant to recommend anything in their place, Mariem. Flaxseed meal is often used interchangeably with chia seeds, but I don’t think it would work quite as well in this recipe. If anyone else has experimented with options to chia seeds, perhaps they will comment.
Can you replace the honey with stevia?
You certainly could use stevia, Melissa. Just add to taste.
Could his be canned using water bath
I haven’t canned this jam, Norma, but it should work. Most of the fruits you would use for this (strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc.) would have pH levels acceptable for canning.
I LOVE this. I make it often with frozen fruit throughout the winter and fresh berries all summer long. It’s the perfect way to use berries that are a little overripe, too. Thanks for a great, healthy recipe!
So glad this has become a go-to, Kendall. I also make this jam regularly and love making good use of fresh berries that are a little soft…and frozen berries work so well, too!
Has anyone tried this with just banana and chia? I love banana jam
Hi Jodi, I think it would taste great but would likely brown quickly. You’d probably do well by making small portions and using promptly.
I’m going to do my first attempt at making jam with your recipe using a fruit here in the Philippines called Lansones (similar to lychee). Is there anything that could be done or added to make it last longer?
I’d love to know how it works with that fruit, LT. I’ve kept this in my fridge for pushing two weeks and have successfully frozen it as well.
Thank you sooooo much for this recipe! When I picked some blackberries and announced I’d be making jam, my husband specifically requested it be sugar-free. A Google search and a few clicks later, I found this page and it worked wonders. I loosely measured the ingredients (I tend to judge by sight and taste) and it has set perfectly and the lemon is a must in my opinion – really brings out the flavour. I’m looking forward to making my strawberry and coconut jam now sugar-free 😀
Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, SherRa. I’m especially glad you weighed in on the lemon, as I tend to go back and forth on that. So glad you search brought you here!
Hi I would like to know if this could be made without honey or any other sweetners, because i have diabetes and can not have these? Thank you
Hi Dalya, The chia seeds provide most of the thickening power, so you could definitely try this without the sweetener. I’d omit the optional lemon juice and use fruit that’s as naturally sweet as possible. If you start with tart raspberries, for example, the final product may not suit your tastes. If you try, I’d love to know how you make out!
Just found this recipe and was wondering if arrowroot would work as a thickener ? I’ve just recently learned it’s a thickener for sauces/gravies and & such. Apparently it would only take a tiny bit (1/2-1 tsp in this recipe).
Hi Mary, I’ve used arrowroot fairly often (although not in this jam), and I think it could work well. I’d guess it will take about a teaspoon, but better to start on the low side. If you try, I’d love to know how you make out.
If you sterilize your jars and lids in the oven at 100degC, then place the still hot jam in the jar and place the lid on immediately, they will cool and form an air tight vacuum sealing in the flavor. They will last for months in the pantry not needing refrigeration.
Thanks for your comment, Kevin. That sounds like the way my grandmother used to can jam. Nowadays, the hot water bath method is recommended for greater food safety, but I ate lots of her jellies and jams that were preserved that way!