This quick and easy blueberry chia jam is super fruity and refined sugar free. Ready in just 10 minutes! Perfect to spread on bread, swirl into your breakfast, or use in baking.
This versatile and simple recipe is great when you have an abundance of fruit to use. We’re currently camping in a forest, and are surrounded by wild blueberries, so we thought it was the perfect time to share this blueberry chia seed jam recipe with you.
If you’ve never made jam using chia seeds before, it’s a really simple process!
There’s just a few ingredients:
Blueberries. We’ve used wild blueberries here in the pictures, which gives a very flavourful and dark coloured jam, but normal blueberries are also delicious. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries.
Maple syrup is used to sweeten the jam.
Chia seeds are what naturally thickens the jam as well as adds a nutritional boost.
You can also add an optional splash of lemon juice if your berries are very ripe or sweet, or just for some extra zing.
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds are the small, oval shaped, grey seeds of Salvia hispanica. They're rich in B vitamins and a good source of protein. They're especially useful for the gelling effect they create when soaked in liquid.
Because of the thickening effect that the seeds have, this chia jam doesn't need added sugar or pectin in order to set.
Did you know chia seeds were a staple food of the Aztecs! More recently they've become available across the globe, and are a really great vegan pantry staple to have at home.
- We recommend getting organic chia seeds.
Step by step
You’ll find the amounts in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick visual guide of how to make chia jam:
Step 1 - Cook the washed blueberries in a pan until they are softened and surrounded by juice.
Step 2 - Stir in the chia seeds, maple syrup and optional lemon juice.
Step 3 - Cook gently for around 5 minutes, stirring the jam as it thickens.
Step 4 - Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.
Variations
Instead of maple syrup, you can use another sweetener such as agave or our vegan honey.
Try other fruits! You can use berries like raspberries and strawberries or stone fruits such as peach, or even kiwi! Slice up larger fruit and remove stones if necessary. You can use one type of fruit, or a mixture. Have fun and experiment!
If you prefer a smoother jam, you can purée it with a blender after cooking.
You can also play around with the flavour by adding a dash of cinnamon, ginger or zest.
Serve it with
Enjoy your fresh chia jam:
- On your favourite bread (we love our Super Seedy Sourdough)
- Swirled into porridge
- Mixed with some vegan yoghurt and our yummy homemade vegan granola
- As the J in our PBJ oat bars
- In our vegan jam tarts or other baking recipes
- And spread generously on our Easy Vegan Scones
Storage FAQs
Because chia seed jam is low in sugars, it doesn’t keep for as long as traditional jam made with sugar.
Store it in the fridge and use it within 1 week.
Yes! To keep your jam for longer, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You can even freeze it in a glass jar, as long as you leave plenty of headroom for expansion, and chill completely before putting it in the freezer. Then, simply defrost in the fridge.
Still got some more berries? Check out our other vegan blueberry recipes!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Chia Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 - 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice optional - use if your fruit is very sweet or for some tang
Instructions
- In a saucepan, gently heat your blueberries (or other fruit) until it softens and is surrounded by its juice. Depending on your fruit this takes around 5 minutes. You can gently mash it with a spoon to help release the juices.2 cups (280 g) blueberries
- Next, stir in the chia seeds, maple syrup (adjust to your taste) and lemon juice if using.2 tbsp chia seeds, 1 - 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice
- Continue to cook gently for 5 minutes, and stir regularly as the jam thickens. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools, but if it still seems very runny, you can adjust by stirring in some more chia seeds.
- Transfer to a clean jar and store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Lana Martin says
Can this be canned for longer storage?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Lana, I am not experienced in canning, but research suggests that chia seed jams are generally not suitable for canning because they raise the ph level and the sugar content is too low. For longer storage, I recommend freezing the jam.
Geraldine Pike says
Hi there Sophy and Paul
Made this chia jam and it is amazing. It has been in my fridge for a week now
and am amazed at how long it last. I made your blueberry scones without the blueberries as i used the jam to have with them. Thanks for the amazing recipes
Would be nice to have a nut cheese to grate onto.