Easy sugar free raspberry jam! You will be astonished how quickly this chia seed jam comes together. It’s delicious and healthy, and perfect for spreading on your favorite keto baked goods. Instructional video included.
This sugar free chia seed jam recipe was first published in September of 2013. I haven’t changed the recipe at all, but I’ve updated the photos and added a new video!
If you follow foodie trends, chances are high you’ve heard of chia seeds. If you follow health trends, chances are high you’ve heard of chia seeds. And if you follow running trends, chances are high you’ve heard of chia seeds.
You would essentially have to pay no attention to trends, eat only junk food and never get off your couch to not have heard of chia by now. And even if that were the case, you probably have still heard of chia, because it was made famous by the commercials for ch-ch-chia pets. Remember those? Ah yes. Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s discuss those funny little black seeds and why they are so trendy in food, health and fitness.
What is Chia Seed?
Chia seeds are tiny little black seeds from the Salvia hispanics plant native to Mexico and Guatemala.
It’s been on the radar of many a healthy foodie for a while now, but I daresay that it gained some serious fame with the book Born To Run. I am quite certain that the sale of chia seeds saw a significant spike after it was published, as runners of all abilities stocked up, hoping for a competitive advantage from the unassuming black seed.
In the book, chia is described as having nearly magical properties, giving seemingly inhuman strength and energy to the ultra-runners of the Tarahumara. Although it seems new to many of us, Mesoamerican peoples have been consuming it for thousands of years, both as food and as medicine. And according to many sources, Aztec warriors fueled themselves exclusively on chia and water before battle.
Who doesn’t want a little of that in their lives?
How to Cook with Chia Seed
But besides all of the purported health benefits of chia, it’s fascinating to see how chia behaves in cooking and baking.
Take a tablespoon of chia seeds and add some water and you will see what I mean. Within a few short minutes, it becomes a gelatinous mass, like jelly or pudding. It’s slightly hilarious how quickly it gums up. The chia seed shell begins to dissolve and the high soluble fiber content absorbs huge amounts of liquid.
It’s rather like a weird fun science experiment.
This particular quality makes chia very useful in a number of recipes that require a jelly-like consistency, such as pudding. It also makes a great replacement for eggs in egg-free or vegan recipes.
Perfect for Easy Sugar Free Jam
But when I started to see chia seed jam on the foodie blogosphere, I stopped dead in my tracks.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Traditional jam takes hours to make, cooking the berries and adding the gelatin, along with copious amounts of sugar. And you can’t just replace the sugar with keto sweeteners, because sugar helps inhibit mold and helps the jam gel properly. Seems counterintuitive but it’s true. So when you make sugar free jam, you have to add more acid in exact quantities and you have to use special pectins.
But chia seed jam gels virtually instantly and those little chia seeds don’t really care what kind of sweetener you use. Of course, it won’t preserve like traditional jam that’s been cooked and canned, but it’s so easy to whip up, you can do small batches to keep in the fridge.
I had to give it a try, sugar-free of course, and I mixed mine with raspberries. I figured raspberries have so many seeds anyway, the addition of a few tablespoons of chia seed would go practically unnoticed. It was delicious and I’ve used it in so many recipes since. A great way to enjoy a little keto friendly jam!
Keto Chia Seed Recipes
Keto Rosemary Parmesan Crackers
Keto Blueberry Coconut Smoothies
Chia Seed Wraps
Matcha Chia Pudding
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam - Sugar-Free
Ingredients
- 8 oz frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries, sweetener, and water. Bring to a boil and cook until berries are soft enough to mash with a fork. Mash to desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds. Let cool. Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to set.
- Keep refrigerated. The jam will last up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Actually used some fresh raspberries, and mostly blueberries that were starting to get a little passed fresh. A few were starting to wrinkle or shrivel
a bit. I did get ahead of myself and put all ingredients in saucepan instead of adding chia after heating. Which didn’t mess with the delicious outcome of this jam at all. Will definitely share recipe with my friends!
Easy recipe, great taste! Will definitely try other fruits – I started with strawberries. Thank you for this recipe!
This is a great alternative to sugar-laden jam. For those interested, I have filled an ice cube tray (roughly 1 tbsp), frozen it, popped them out and kept them in a freezer bag. I simply thaw before use. Works great, jam lasts longer than a week.
Thank you for this! I want to make my own jam but as 1 person knew I couldn’t use it in a week.
This is a great recipe for any berry fruit. I have enjoyed making this with huckleberries. My question is, can this process be used and then persevered by canning? I would adhere to the sterilizing process of the jars and lids.
Will this raspberry/chia jam freeze?
I would think so.
Have you ever made a jalapeño jam/jelly? I didn’t find a recipe on your site…would this work as a guide to try? Hard to find a recipe without pectin in it but afraid to waste 10 peppers if this doesn’t work! Thanks!
I have not tried, sorry.
Ahhh! I came here looking for your advice on jalapeño pepper jelly, too. ????