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
Matcha Chia Pudding
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam - Sugar-Free
Ingredients
- 8 oz frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon 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.
Paula says
Good afternoon,
Can I replace the swerve with stevia liquid? If I can, how much do I use?
Kind regards
Paula
Carolyn says
You can but I can’t guide as to how much… they differ a lot in sweetness and I really don’t use it much anymore. But you should be able to taste and adjust as you go.
Laurie says
Let me start by saying I love your recipes!
I just made this this morning with strawberries and omg amazing, I am not a jelly/jam person but saw that it was made with chia seed instead of gelatin, I had to try. I love it and will definitely be making it often.
Thank you for all your hard work to make ours easier!
Carolyn says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Teresa says
Do you think this would work with rhubarb in place of the raspberries?
Carolyn says
I am not quite sure. Rhubarb is far more fibrous so it’s going to have a different texture.
Mara Whited says
Could this be done with strawberries?
Carolyn says
Absolutely!
Dawn-Marie says
Can you make this without adding any sweetener? I find raspberries sweet enough on their own and would rather not add a sweetener if I don’t have to! (Just not sure if that affects how it sets or not.). Thanks!
Carolyn says
Sure!
Melanie Selent says
I love this jam and am so grateful for it!! Is there a way to freeze this effectively small portions?!
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I haven’t tried.
Lois Moore says
I always, always havea jar of this jam in the fridge! It is so delicious and easy to make! Sometimes i use different berries and sometimes i combine whatever berries I have on hand, this is an amazing recipe!!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much!
Lisa C says
Can you make this jam without the chia seeds?
Carolyn says
No, because chia is what makes it gel properly.
Stella Carrasquillo says
Can I use fresh raspberries?
Carolyn says
Absolutely!
Maggiesara says
I was so skepticle about this — I really dislike the texture of the chia pudding I’ve had in the past, and I have traumatic memories from the Old Days of low-caring (I’m an OG), making “jam” with xantham gum, and it turned out slimy and horrible. BUT this is fabulous. I used BochaSweet rather than Swerve, and it worked perfectly. Blintzes for lunch, yay!
Maggiesara says
Goops, low-CARBING
Anu says
What a lovely, simple recipe! I made a batch of this to use in your 2-portion Victoria Sponge cake and used a mix of fresh and frozen raspberries as that’s all I had, but it still turned out wonderfully. I also used ground chia seeds and I prefer that to the texture or whole chia seeds (it’s just a mouthfeel thing), and had no problems with the jam setting. This was fantastic in your Victoria Sponge and will be lovely with breakfast waffles tomorrow.. yay! I will be making this often, thank you so much for yet another marvellous, foolproof recipe.