I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share a chia jam recipe here! Chia jam is incredibly simple to make and a staple that we keep on hand to add to our yogurt bowls, toast and so many other ways. Strawberry chia jam is made using frozen strawberries, chia seed and a touch of blood orange juice – we’re keeping the red vibe with the blood orange, but this recipe is also super adaptable. Read on for how to customize your easy homemade chia jam!

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What is chia jam?

Chia jam is unique because it uses the chia seed, which can absorb 10x its weight, to give the gelling power to create a fruit jam. You can use fresh uncooked fruit that you simply mash or blend, or cooked fruit (like we do here). Chia seed is a staple ingredient in my overnight oats. The chia seeds help to absorb liquid and leave you with a thicker, delicous product.

Chia seeds comes in two varieties – black chia seed and white chia seed. Black chia seed is much easier to find, but if you love a more clear looking product, go for white chia seed!

Chia seed can also be blended into a fine powder, leaving you with a smoother jamt.

Why is chia jam a healthier option?

There are two main reasons why chia jam is healthier – the first is that it has way less sugar in it. In fact, I add no sugar into mine. In the recipe I do show an option to very lightly sweeten with honey, but the amount is way less than you’d find in regular jam.

The second reason chia jam is a healthier option comes from the chia seed itself. Chia seeds are fiber rich, protein packed, offer up omega-3 fatty acids along with essential minerals. These tiny seeds are nutritious and good for ya!

How to customize your homemade jam

In the strawberry chia jam recipe we use frozen strawberries, chia seed and blood orange juice. Feel free to use fresh fruit if you have that on hand.

You can totally substitute in other fruits for different flavors!

Helpful Article: How to prep and store fresh strawberries to make them last longer

customize your chia jam | strawberry chia jam recipe

Fruit jam flavor combos

Looking to change up your chia jam flavors? Here are some fun combos:

Blackberry and cherry
Strawberry and rhubarb
Strawberry and cherry
Peach and orange
Nectarine and lime
Raspberry and blueberry

No matter the flavor combo you choose, you will want to have a citrus of some sort to help retain the bright color. We’re using blood orange juice here today, but orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice or lime juice all work great. If you omit the citrus, your color may change and you also miss out on giving the jam a nice bright pop of flavor.

homemade easy strawberry chia jam recipe how to

Ingredients needed for chia jam

frozen strawberries (or fresh)
blood orange juice
chia seed
optional: honey

Tools

How to make chia jam

To make chia jam begin by placing your frozen fruit in a medium pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium to begin defrosting and cooking the fruit down. Once the fruit is defrosted and beginning to soften, lightly mash the fruit. If you like a chunkier jam, only mash a little. If you like a smoother jam, mash a lot. You only need to cook the fruit down a couple of minutes when it comes to a soft boil.
Once the fruit is cooked and mashed to your liking, remove from heat. Add in the blood orange juice and chia seed. If you are adding honey, add that here as well. Stir to combine and pour into jam jars. Let the jam sit on the counter for 10 minutes, and stir it again. Place in the fridge to set and cool.

Homemade strawberry chia jam in yogurt bowl with granola

How to use strawberry chia jam

We use chia jam mostly for yogurt bowl (they’re such an easy breakfast!). Homemade granola + whole milk plain yogurt + strawberry chia jam is DELICIOUS friends. Chia jam is a great alternative, or addition, to fresh fruit in a yogurt bowl.

Here are a few favorite granola recipes:

Other ways we like to use chia jam is of course in a PB & J sandwich, in baked goodies (think jam topped thumbprint cookies) and it could even be added to smoothie for some fruity sweetness. My kids also like to just eat it, which is fine because it’s full of goodness!

Love jam? Check out these more traditional low sugar jam recipes as well:

Easy homemade strawberry chia jam - customize your chia jam

Easy Strawberry Chia Jam Recipe

Ready to make your own easy strawberry chia jam? Let’s get to it!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Easy Strawberry Chia Jam

Strawberry chia jam is made using frozen strawberries, chia seed and a touch of blood orange juice – we’re keeping the red vibe, but this recipe is also super customizable and naturally sweet!

Prep Time5

Cool Time10

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast, chia seed, jam, low sugar

Author: Heather

Ingredients

4 cups frozen strawberries
1 tbsp blood orange juice
¼ cup chia seed
1-2 tbsp honey (optional)

Instructions

To make chia jam begin by placing your frozen fruit in a medium pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium to begin defrosting and cooking the fruit down. Once the fruit is defrosted and beginning to soften, lightly mash the fruit. If you like a chunkier jam, only mash a little. If you like a smoother jam, mash a lot. You only need to cook the fruit down a couple of minutes when it comes to a soft boil.
Once the fruit is cooked and mashed to your liking, remove from heat. Add in the blood orange juice and chia seed. If you are adding honey, add that here as well. Stir to combine and pour into jam jars. Let the jam sit on the counter for 10 minutes, and stir it again. Place in the fridge to set and cool.