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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I’m a bit confused here. The top left corner of the recipe says 16 servings. Near the end it says 20 servings at 1.7 net carbs and at the very bottom the nutritional fact box says 1 serving of 1 tbsp is 1 net carb. Which one is accurate?
Sorry, those notes were from the older recipe. I’ve updated it. So it is 16 servings and each serving is 1 tablespoon.
Carolyn,
For those that prefer a “seedless” jam, like moi, I used ground chia seeds. It was delicious. I made strawberry jam, too!
You are a genius!
Thanks for sharing this keto low carb jam! Im planning to start my keto journey and this will definitely help in the process! More keto-friendly recipes please.
NOw that looks amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
This sounds so delicious to keep on hand! Perfect for toast for breakfast.
Chia seeds in jam! Such a good idea!
I tried it and it was so good! So easy to make too!
I love raspberry jam, and now love that there is a keto version! Chia seeds are just kind of magic
I tried chia seeds in a couple of recipes and got a terrible stomach ache each time. Has anyone else had this problem? The worst time was a brownie recipe with chia.
loove chia
When I went low carb I figured I would have to give a Katniss Everdeen three finger honor salute, waving a honored and heartfelt goodbye to my good friends, raspberries and jam. This recipe noped that idea all over the place and girl you can totally eat jammed me until Tuesday.. It’s so good, plus it’s packed with healthy fiber, it’s crazy easy to make, and wicked fast. I mean, it’s like jam Christmas. So go hook yourself up and tell me I was right later.
How long will the jam last in the fridge?
Thanks
About a week.
Hi Carolyn. I have made your jam with whole chia seeds and of course it’s great. Daughter loves it on her coconut flour pancakes! But I picked up by mistake a packet of milled chia seeds any idea if these would work just as well please?
Good question! I have never used them. I think so?
In the photo above, the teacake or muffin that the jam is on looks delicious. What is it and do you have the recipe?
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.
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.