On September 11th at 5pm PST, I will be participating in a Google + Hangout for Chia Seed with Bob’s Red Mill. I hope you will join us! Enter to win two bags of Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seed and be sure to try this delicious low carb Raspberry Chia Seed Jam.
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.
Chia seed has 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. Indeed, chia may be the original “Super Food”. 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.
With a pedigree like that, it’s little wonder chia is the new darling of the health and fitness community. Although I can’t say if it is as powerful as some people claim, I don’t doubt it’s an incredibly health addition to anyone’s diet. It’s packed with anti-oxidants, Omega-3’s and other nutrients, and it’s high in fiber and low in carbohydrate. All of that was enough to inspire my Grain-Free Hot Cereal, which has actually fueled me through some grueling long runs.
And it’s absolutely hilarious, the way it gums up with the addition of water. That fact alone is enough to make me want to cook with chia. This particular quality makes it 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 vegan recipes. But when I started to see chia seed jam on the foodie blogosphere, I stopped dead in my tracks. It’s absolutely the perfect way to gel up fresh jam, and it’s certainly a lot easier and faster than traditional jam. 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!
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam - Sugar-Free
Make low carb jam almost instantly by using chia seeds to jell the berries. It's fast, easy and delicious. No added sugar.
Ingredients
- 12 oz frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener or other erythritol
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, erythritol 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.
Recipe Notes
Serves 20. Each serving has 4.5 g of carbs and 2.8 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 1.7 g.
I’ve made chocolate pudding with chia
Do you grind the chia seeds first??
No, you don’t have to grind them. They are digestible in their whole form.
I’ve made a jello-like dessert with fruit juice and chia seeds. Cooking with them is almost like a science experiment that can’t go wrong.
I love Chia Seeds in my Protein Shakes and plan to make pudding
Love this raspberry and chia combo! Will have to try this! 🙂
I like to make hot cereal and pudding with chia.
Looks delicious!
I’ve never cooked with chia seeds, but gosh this jam looks so marvelous! Bet it would be great with some bread (maybe baked with chia seeds in it :-))
Tried this with some nectarines (half pureed and cooked, and half just chopped and added last at the end of cooking), and it was delicious. Great idea using frozen fruit! Especially since the summer fruit season is winding down…this raspberry jam looks awesome. Carolyn, have you, or has anyone else has tried grinding the seeds to make a smoother consistency? Yum. Want some to top flax pancakes.
Love chai seeds! 🙂
We use the seeds in smoothies or puddings.
I’ve never tried Chia seeds, but have been very curious about them.
I use them in smoothies and have used them in gluten free bread. But it has been a while since I baked with them. Need to get back to that.
ooooooo, Raspberry Chia jam would be amazing! Now all I wanna do is go pick some raspberries!
That looks scrumptious!! I can’t wait to try it. Raspberry jam is my all time favorite. Thanks for the giveaway! xx
I have been wanting to try chia seeds but haven’t yet. I will be making raspberry jam in the next week or so and this would be a great way to start!
Been wanting to try chia seeds and eat healthy…the jam looks soo good!
I wonder whether you could press the chia through a fine strainer and keep the gel but remove the seeds…? I make what I refer to as Crunchy Chocolate Pudding with chia seeds, and it is wonderful. Can’t wait to try the jam, as my peach tree is groaning under its fruit and is just becoming ripe. Yum!
I was wondering about that too, whether there was a way to get the gel without the seeds.
FYI, I tried pushing my jam through a strainer, thinking it would let the gel through and keep the seeds behind… NO dice! After a long time pressing the jam, barely anything had come through the strainer. I then tried the fine plate on my food mill, which succeeded in removing Some of the seeds, but not nearly all. Oh well, the nutrition is probably in the seeds anyway.
I bet the seeds that you’re complaining about are from the raspberries!!!
I use black chia seeds in my green smoothies as boost of healthy fats and protein!
I put chia seeds and flaxseed in my whey protein shake every morning, whir it up in the Vitamix with ice cubes and get a thick frosty shake, almost like a soft serve ice-cream.
I also add them to practically everything that I bake, they add a bit of extra crunch to cookies and muffins, waffles etc.
LOVE chia seeds.
I love to use chia seeds. They are also really great ground up and put in venison meatloaf. It adds moisture.Carolyn your recipes are great.
I’m allergic to flax and I use chia in place of flax.
I make a blueberry pear breakfast compote with chia seeds.
I LOVE chia seeds. I put them in my granola recipe. I want to try this jam recipe with chia seeds. Looks wonderful.
I am going to try with blueberries!
I’m with Brian in thinking this would be fantastic with some chia seed bread. I always forget to pick some up and try to bake something with it. Love this jam idea, Carolyn!
I enjoy making pudding with chia seed, and I add them to my smoothies as well.
I eat chia seeds everyday! (: Maybe I should try this recipe out.. chia in homemade jam. Sounds delicious and glooopy 😉
Used chia seeds in all kinds of recipes and making “oatmeal.” Thanks for the opportunity to win. Jam looks great!
I sprinkle chia seeds on my salad every day for lunch!
I’ve had some chia, but wasn’t sure what to do with it….Now I know! Yeah!
I love chia seeds! I’ve been having a cold chia seed cereal a few mornings a week and i sprinkle them in my stir fry!!
I tried strawberry jam with chia seeds. Did not use quite enough seeds. Will try with my fall raspberries!
We put chia seeds in EVERYTHING!
We have never tried Chia Seeds, but would love to!
I so miss jellys i will have to give this a go
This looks delish! I’ve never had chia seeds before, so I think this will be a perfect recipe to try them in. 🙂
I am new to the Gluten Free/Sensitive Community and also to cooking from scratch. I’ve seen alot of recipes that call for Chia but have not had the opportunity to use it.
I used this as a filling in a gluten-free, sugar-free jelly doughnut.
This looks wonderful! I love all of your recipes, but will most definitely have to try out this one!
I’ve made chia jam before for some strawberry nut bars and I was eating it with a spoon! So yummy!
I’ve used chia seeds in pudding (made with coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a little honey) and have added them to smoothies.
Roseanne, this sounds enticing. Would you please give me your recipe for puddin.
Roseanne, this sounds enticing. Would you please give me your recipe for pudding?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I want to!
I’ve mostly only used chia seeds in granola or to make chia seed pudding. It’s a great idea to use them in jam, too!
I like to put some in green tea that I’ve iced, so it makes a kind of tea smoothie, and I love using it in no-bake energy bites… Chia seeds are awesome!
I’ve always wanted to try chia but have not been brave enough…but I LOVE jam and jelly so this might be a good one to try out.
Be brave! Chia is pretty tasty stuff!
This looks amazing. Do I have to go to a special grocery store like Whole Foods to find Chia seeds or could I find them at a local supermarket?
I’m in Fl and my Publix had a container, the Badia brand (22oz) for $15 🙂
I bought some chia after seeing lots of recipes. Wouldn’t you know, this is the first I’ve seen since I got it!
Haven’t tried it yet, but really want to make some chia pudding.
I’ve been wanting to try a chia seed jam forever, love the color with raspberry!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have sooooooo missed jam!
I love chia! I like making pudding.
This looks great. I don’t think the “crunchiness” of the chia seeds would stand out with the raspberry seeds. Would frozen raspberries work okay?
Yup, frozen berries is what I used too. And that’s exactly it…I figured the raspberries had pretty crunchy seeds, so the chia would go almost unnoticed.
I use it all of the time with vanilla coconut milk for chia pudding and to thicken my overnight oats.
ch ch ch chia!
I have been using chia seeds on and off for about 4 years now…crazy it has been that long. Normally I throw them in smoothies, sometimes into bake good just for fun.
I put chia seed in whole wheat bread frequently and sometimes in hot cereal.
I use Chia in so many things, but my favourite is my Chia Nut Cereal 🙂
I made a watermelon frosty with Chia
I used Chia seed in an agave lemonade.
Love chia seeds! I put them in my oatmeal
Ever since you said that you used it in cereal, I’ve been wanting to try it that way, but I just put it in plain cranberry tea. It was like bubble tea.
I have only just started using them, but I like them stirred into my oatmeal
I have used chia seeds as an egg substitute when making muffins.
I made this a while back and love it. This is the only thing I have now instead of store bought jam or marmalade. It is the best thing ever!!
I’ve used chia seeds in smoothies, granola bars and pudding. 🙂
I just love these products, hope to win!
I eat chia almost every morning in my low-carb breakfast “cereal.”
I’ve made chia in puddings in a jar with fruit. Yummy
Yes – I mixed it with almond milk. I am definitely trying your recipe!
I’ve made similar with blueberries before, can’t wait to try this one!
just made it. Not as “jelled up” as the blueberry, but very yummy. I just ate it in a bowl, with some plain kefir and cinnamon on it. Very good. I used a more powdery sweetener tho vs. something granular, that might have been part of it. But the blueberries stay more chunky and frz raspberries don’t.
I use it in yogurt every day
I love chia seeds in my whole juices! 🙂
That looks great – I haven’t tried them yet. I sure wish I had invented the Chia Pet!!!
That jam looks Really good!
I’m definitely trying this. I’ve tried a couple of the no sugar added versions of jellies & jams available in grocery stores and they are not up to par 🙂 This looks delish!
I was just explaining what the heck Chia is to my neighbor last night. As soon as I get a call from my dad about it (which could happen at any time) I think it is official that everyone knows about it. I have only used it in drinks. This seems like an obvious idea. I’ll have to tell my neighbor;)
Haha, if your dad knows about it, everyone must know about it. That made me giggle!
Before I ever went ‘low carb’, I have used chia to thicken my sausage gravy. It’s delicious I now make chocolate pudding and thicken sauces. I also take a tablespoon of chia every morning in water, for my health.
I use Chia Seeds in everything..oats/overnight oats, smoothies, salads, healthy cookies, etc. Love them!!!
We like them in overnight oats!
I can’t wait to try this! What a great addition to the breakfast at our B&B! Thanks for the chance to enter!
I can’t wait to see your chia seed hangout – love the idea of chia seeds in jam. Great way to get chia seeds into breakfast.
I love chia seeds! I have been using them as eggs for baking, in my oatmeal, and muffins, breads, topping eggs and avocados! Great tasty crunch!
What a great recipe! I have raspberries almost ready for picking and I know what I will be doing with most of them!
I’ve only stirred them into yogurt and cereals, but I think I’ll check out the Hot Cereal recipe. And someone commented about mixing it with tea to sort of make a kind of bubble tea, that sounds interesting!
I love chia! I’ve used it in “chia pudding” and as an egg replacer.
Ooooooh. Soudns super yummy!!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe out :0)
How timely! I just bought some Bob’s Chia this weekend to try to make some GF bread similar to Udi’s Millet and Chia.
I love to use chia in chia puddings!
I’ve had Drink Chia drinks and loved the meyer lemon flavor, but have yet to make anything on my own. This will be my first. I LOVE raspberries and this is so easy. I can’t wait.
I recently picked up a bag mixed of chia, flax, cocoa, and unsweetened coconut. I sprinkle it on yogurt.
I’ve yet to try chia all on its own. This jam looks yummy. Thanks!
you are a genius! can’t wait to try!!!
what size is a serving???
Hi. At the top of the recipe, it specifies how much it makes (about 1 and 1/4 cups) and that a serving size is 1 tbsp.
I love using chia seeds on top of cereal or granola and yogurt!
I’ve never tried chia seeds…the vision of growing a chia pet in my stomach keeps creeping into my head, but your jam looks SO good, Carolyn!
This looks delicious, love the photographs! I have tried simple chia pudding (chia seeds + coconut milk) but have never tried any other recipes with chia seeds. Definitely want to try this, and also a chocolate mousse, NOMMM. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I’ve never tried them, but definitely want to!
I just made Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat pancakes and added a couple tablespoons of chia seeds…that’s how I found out that the bag is almost empty
I have chia seeds in my overnight oats almost every morning. I like the thickness it gives.
I use chia seeds in breakfast oatmeal – keeps me going for hours
I use them in everything!
How do you make the bun you show in the picture?
It’s just my Almond cake baked in a muffin top pan.
I use “chia eggs” in many baked goods and for thickening.
I mainly use them in the no carb cream of wheat for breakfasts, especially now that it will get colder
I always sprinkle it on my breakfast – whether thats yogurt and fruit or porridge! Love the extra crunch it gives 🙂
I really like making Chia Seed Coconut Milk pudding.. it makes a great breakfast. All you do is add Chia seeds to coconut milk and sometimes I like to add a tiny bit of vanilla to it too! Without cooking it thickens up and the chia seeds become similar to tapioca pearls in texture. A small serving gives you lots of energy!
Also, I make my own Kombucha tea, and add LOTS of chia seeds to it!
I love chia tea
I haven’t tried yet but I’ve been really wanting too.
Another great looking recipe from Carolyn. I haven’t used chia yet but plan to starting with this jam recipe. Thanks
I made chia tapioca pudding, and I also used them in smoothies a couple times.
Tried a recipe with chia seeds to make blueberry jam. After about 3 weeks in the fridge, it began to get really watery. I put some in the freezer and when I put it down in the fridge, it really, really got watery. Did I do something wrong or does it have a short shelf life?
It definitely has a shorter shelf life so should be made as needed.
I use Chia weekly in my veggie/fruit smoothies! I usually do a mix of flax and chia but chia seems to fill me up longer!
Actually I have never cooked with chia before, and I don’t think i have tried it but I would like to. Is it similar to poppyseed?
Not at all, really. It doesn’t taste the same and it gels up when you add liquid, so it’s a funny ingredient but it’s healthy and delicious.
I love chia. I use it in smoothies, puddings, as egg replacements- and sometimes I just eat a big spoonful! Thanks for the giveaway!
I made some yummy chia pudding
I love making jam with chia seeds! I actually just mash the berries, mix in some chia seeds and leave in the fridge overnight. Delicious!
LOVE chia seeds and the new Bob Red Mill’s packaging. So catchy 😉
Oh, this is a great idea for jam recipes! I’ve been reluctant to make low-carb jam because of having to specially order pure pectin with no carb-y additives whatsoever, but now I don’t have to do that. I can’t wait to try this with peaches, apricots and blueberries. Thanks!
Looks delicious!!
Haven’t tried it yet, but this has piqued my interest!
I love chia; I mostly put it in blender drinks
Wow, what haven’t I done with chia? I’ve put it in overnight oats, made chia pudding, added it to shakes, etc.
You really can do anything with this stuff. It’s a life saver!
Never, ever tried them – where have I been? But I do remember ch-ch-ch chia pets 🙂
I use chia in my smoothies, it makes a great addition!
Have not tried chia yet but am anxious to try!!
I love chia – and mostly we make chia pudding.
I have had chia in drinks, I just bought some the other day and look forward to using it in some recipes.
I’ve made a chia seed pudding before with a sample packet of chia I had gotten. I loved it, and want to try out more recipes!
I make breakfast cereal every morning with chia. It is delicious! I’m excited to try making jam.
I’ve tried a few desserts with chia and they were great. The jam sounds so yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Chia seeds! I’ve been consuming them regularly or the past few months. Nothing fancy yet. Just sprinkle on peanut butter. I’m definitely going to try the recipe with the frozen strawberries I have on hand. Also will try the ety-sweet-stuff for the first time. Thanks!
yum! i added some cinnamon and great lakes gelatin. very happy!!! thank you!!!!
I just started using chia seeds and have been throwing them in my smoothies 🙂
What an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing!
This sounds so yummy. And I have raspberries and chia seeds on hand! Yum!
Just made some blueberry jam with some chia seeds today! I’m running out! 🙁
I have not yet tried Chia seed. I am excited to try them and this great recipe.
I use it in overnight oatmeal.
I use chia seeds to thicken up my muesli.
2/3 c rolled oats
2 T chia seeds
1 c milk
Let soak in fridge overnight. Sweeten with raisins, maple syrup, whatever floats your boat.
I bet the chia seed jam in the muesli would be amazing!
I LOVE chia! I put them in my smoothies and sometimes make chia avocado chocolate pudding 🙂 YUM!
I’ve heard a lot about chia seed but I’ve never tried them!
I would love to try chia seeds. What do they taste like?
Never cooked with chia seeds…would love to try them!
I add it to my morning oats!
Could you ‘can’ this using a hot water bath?
I am trying to learn how to can jellies.
Thanks
No, not really. It wouldn’t have the right amount of preservative for canning. Sugar acts to deter bacteria in canning. There are some great pectins that allow you to go sugar free or low sugar, but you have to be careful to add enough acid to inhibit bacterial growth. Pomona’s is the best, IMO, and walks you through the process. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T33F3I/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004T33F3I&linkCode=as2&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20
Who won, who won, who won? 3 winners right? Do tell, inquisitive minds and hopeful winners want to know!
This chia jam is heavenly! We’ve been using it for everything! On top of creme brulee to peanut butter sandwiches. My kids love it! And it’s really hard to please them!
i’m not sure if it was the addition of a bit of gelatin but my jam lasted for weeks, unbelievably good!
Great idea!
I’m so glad I discovered this recipe. Just made some and it’s so good, I’ve missed jam so much! Recently discovered chia seeds as they’re really not very common here in the UK but I have no idea why because they’re amazing! I’m intolerant to sugar so this recipe was brilliant for me and it still tastes like real jam. Very much looking forward to my peanut butter and jam sandwich later. Thank you for putting this together 🙂 x
This looks so yummy! Could I use the same proportions and sub in blueberries or strawberries or other fruits for the raspberries?
I believe you can. I’ve never tried it but I know Bob’s Red Mill has a recipe for blueberry chia jam on their packaging for chia.
Love the chia jam! Does anyone know the shelf life in the fridge for the jam?
I’ve kept mine in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Thanks for the info; Had a little left over that had been in fridge for 3wks. Took a chance & ate it and was fine. Just delicious!
This is just awesome stuff! I have made it several times with blueberries as well. I recently branched out and roasted a couple of mangoes to see what would happen. The results were delish. I roasted two large mangoes and got about 2 cups of pulp, so I adjusted the ingredients accordingly and cut down on the Swerve, because of the sweetness of the mango and the result is a lot like lemon or lime curd. We call it mango butter. I stir it into yogurt, muffin and pancake batters and use it on PB&Js. I am going to add ginger and nutmeg to my next batch, thinking it would be great with gingerbread.
Wow, roasted mangoes! Sounds amazing!
Très intéressant! Ça l’air délicieux!
Merci pour la recette 🙂
I thought I had commented, but I can’t find it… so if this is a double I am sorry. Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe! I made it just the other day for the first time and I am amazed at how delicious it is. I am a little giddy over it and it will be making a regular appearance. Sometimes I just eat a spoonful and giggle to myself at how wonderful it is. I’m not ashamed. 🙂 Thanks again!
It’s not a double comment and thanks!
If I missed this question in the comments, I am sorry.
But I was wondering if anyone had used liquid sweetener? Would it work the same way? Guess if it didn’t gel or something I could always pass it off as raspberry syrup! 🙂
I think liquid sweetener would be fine because it’s really the chia that gels it.
Love this!! On tasting, it wasn’t quite as sweet as I wanted, so I added a dropper-full of liquid stevia, and it’s perfect for my taste!
Had it with cream cheese pancakes this morning.
I couldn’t see that anyone had asked it, so what are you serving it on in these pictures? Summer sort of low carb English muffin? And if you made it yourself, do you have a link to the recipe?
It’s just muffin tops made from this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/01/almond-crusted-butter-cake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html My kids love them (sometimes I do vanilla instead of almond extract) and I can get about 18 muffin tops out of the recipe so it lasts a good while.
I Have tried Chia seeds to make pudding, I did something wrong as it did not thicken enough it was more like a thinner thick shake. I will attempt it again as the flavor was great and filling. I am trying to eat more gluten free foods for my heart health and sugar free my husband is diabetic.
I injoy you recipies. Thank YOU
Dot
I’ve just come across this, which may be a way forward for low carb jam / marmelade making:
http://www.thekitchn.com/jam-makers-tip-save-lemon-seeds-for-homemade-pectin-194003
The seeds cannot possibly have a super-high carb content, can they? (Probably, but worth putting it out there!)
Very interesting and worth a try!
Yummy. Made it with strawberries. Having it with toast & ricotta cheese- just about in heaven. Thank you again Carolyn.
I have been studying your site for hours. This is on my list to make tomorrow with the muffins.
I just made this again today.. love it on Low Carb ice cream
Doesnt the erythritol crystalize once jam is cooled? I made rasberry jam one time and it looked fine but all the erythrotil hardened to its original state. Too bad cuz the taste was awsome
Cooled meaning once set in the fridge
I didn’t have any recrystallization in this jam.
I want to make a Cheesecake with a Cranberry Swirl. Do you think the Chia Seed Cranberry Jam could be baked and still hold its shape? I have Bunco in Feburary and plan to serve this then
It should be good. Really let it gel and don’t use any parts that are more liquidy, if that makes sense.
In the photo above, the teacake or muffin that the jam is on looks delicious. What is it and do you have the recipe?