Chia seed jam seems too good to be true, but it’s real!

I’ve read recipes over the years and heard of chia seed jam, and I can’t believe it took me this long to try it. It’s seriously so easy to make and so good for you.

The best part is that you can control the amount of sugar and other ingredients to create a jam that’s delicious and still healthy. Chia seeds are full of protein, fiber and omega-3’s, and when you combine them with the antioxidants & nutrients in the fruit you’re getting an extra healthy and delicious combination.

You can make this chia seed jam with just about any fruit—I’ve found that berries or pitted stone fruit work best. Stone fruits are fruits with a central stone, like cherries, apricots and nectarines.

I’ve been eating mine on my gluten-free almond flour bread for breakfast (and snacks and sometimes lunch and ok maybe dinner) the past week and can’t get enough.

The hands-on time for this chia jam recipe is only about 10 minutes, the rest is just easy peasy.

Easy Cherry Chia Seed Jam Recipe

Prep time: less than 10 minutes
Total time: about 30 minutes
Makes about 10 ounces

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of fresh cherries, pitted (frozen work too) – 1 pound is about 2 cups
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons raw honey (more or less to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Method: Place the prepared fruit, lemon juice and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer 15 minutes until it bubbles and breaks down; use a potato masher or fork to mash the fruit to your desired consistency.* Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds until well combined, then let it sit at least 15 minutes to allow the chia seeds to gelatinize. I like this jam best stored for a few hours in the refrigerator—the longer it sits the more jammy it gets. It will keep in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator up to 10 days.

*You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water but I typically don’t; the fruit will release a lot of it’s own juice. If you like a really smooth jam you can puree the fruit mixture in a blender, but I always just use the potato masher.

This recipe is really flexible: you can also use maple syrup instead of honey, or just leave out the sweetener all together if your fruit is extra sweet. Frozen fruit works too, you don’t even need to defrost it. The lemon juice is also optional, but I find the acid really goes a long way to enhancing the flavor of your jam. Just remember the formula of about 1 pound (~2 cups) of fruit to 2 tablespoons chia seeds and you’ll be able to create any flavor of jam you’d like.

Happy Jamming!