The Easiest Berry Chia Jam
This easy chia seed jam recipe is made with defrosted blueberries and raspberries (no cooking required)! Eat more nutritious berries with this healthy jam.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
This easy chia jam is a delicious way to eat more berries on a regular basis. The recipe has been a long time coming. I received an unsettling call from the doctor’s office early last year. Don’t worry, I’m completely fine. I am, however, as neurotic as ever. I’m also a natural-born researcher, so I dove straight into the internet for more information. It’s better to do something than to do nothing, you know?
I opened at least fifty tabs to read the latest research about the cancer-fighting, insulin-stabilizing, life-giving powers of whole foods. Food really can be the best medicine—or at least, the best preventative medicine. I love that blogging allows me to promote whole foods via delicious recipes. I don’t talk much about nutrition since I’m not a dietitian, but here we go!
I zeroed in a fascinating phytochemical called ellagic acid, which is found in strawberries, raspberries and other (mostly red-skinned) fruit. Ellagic acid shows a lot of promise in preventing and fighting cancer, among other rather miraculous attributes.
I resolved to eat more raspberries. I really don’t eat enough fruit as it is. Fresh raspberries posed a problem, though—they aren’t in season year-round, and they’re really expensive when they’re not.
Have you ever spent five dollars on a tiny container of organic raspberries, only to find that they’re moldy when you get home? Majorly disappointing. Plus, I’m only one person, and sometimes fresh fruit gets lost in my refrigerator before I can get to it.
Watch How to Make Easy Chia Seed Jam
One day, I tried defrosting some frozen organic raspberries in my fridge overnight. I piled them onto peanut butter toast the next morning, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Raspberries release a lot of moisture when they defrost, which lends them a natural jam-like consistency. Plus, you can buy a big bag of frozen raspberries for the same price as one little container of fresh berries.
I eventually added blueberries for even more flavor and more potent antioxidants. Then, I added some chia seeds to absorb some extra moisture and make the mixture more jammy. Bonus? Chia seeds offer some extra fiber and some omega-3’s.
Now, my breakfasts aren’t complete without a copious amount of this berry chia jam. It’s so delicious, and I love beginning the day with a couple servings of fruit.
I’m generally not great at advance food preparation, but this berry “jam” could not be easier to make and keeps well for about a week. Just be sure to factor in time for the berries to thaw (about three hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge).
How to Serve Chia Seed Jam
This chia jam is great on toast with nut butter. It’s also fantastic on yogurt (perhaps with granola) and chia seed pudding. Try it on pancakes, waffles and bagels, too.
This jam doesn’t taste like traditional, super-sweet jams because it’s made with raw berries, not cooked, and only contains as much sweetener as you want it to. I generally don’t add any, since it tastes sweet enough to me already.
I’m not sure this recipe will be everyone’s “jam,” (sorry), but I love it and I’m thrilled to hear that it’s been a hit in your kitchens, too.
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! Your feedback and star ratings are so important to me. ♥
Easy Berry Chia Seed Jam
This easy chia seed jam recipe is made with defrosted raw blueberries and raspberries (no cooking required)! Eat more nutritious berries with this healthy jam. Recipe yields roughly 2 ⅔ cups.
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ½ cups) frozen raspberries, preferably organic
- 10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ¼ cups) frozen blueberries, preferably organic or wild
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (about ½ medium orange, juiced)
- Up to 4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional), to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the frozen raspberries and blueberries, chia seeds and orange juice. Cover and let the mixture defrost for about three hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator (the front of the bottom shelf in the fridge is the ideal spot for defrosting, since it’s generally the warmest area).
- Once the berries are defrosted and soft, use a potato masher (or the back of a big spoon or serving fork should work) to mash up the mixture to your desired consistency. I like some texture in my jam, so I don’t mash it much.
- Taste, and if you’d like a sweeter jam, stir in some maple syrup, to taste (keep in mind that you can always just drizzle maple syrup or honey onto your jam later, if you prefer). If the chia seeds aren’t nice and plump yet, let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes to let them absorb some more moisture.
- I love this jam on toast/pancakes/waffles/bagels, with yogurt and granola, and in chia seed pudding. Store leftover jam in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.
Notes
Why buy organic? Conventionally grown berries are generally exposed to lots of pesticides while growing, so organic berries really are worth the extra expense (fortunately, frozen berries are cheaper than fresh!). Organic fruit also tends to be higher in nutrients than conventionally grown fruit (wild blueberries are even higher than regular blueberries).
Change it up: You can use all blueberries or all raspberries in this recipe, but I love to use half of each. I don’t enjoy strawberries nearly as much, but they’ll work. This recipe is really designed for frozen berries, since they naturally release so much of their juices as they thaw. To use fresh berries, you would need to cook them to release enough juices; see this recipe for guidance.
On canning: I am not a canning expert and have no idea if this recipe can be canned safely, so please don’t do it. It’s designed to be a simple, everyday recipe.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi loved your berry chia pudding! Wanted to mention, the top shelf in a refrigerator is the warmest spot. Heat rises. Thank u 4 ur site!
Great point, N wa. Thanks!
I’m sure this has been asked but I couldn’t find it when I scrolled back. Can I use fresh berries? and can I can this to save for later? we have a blueberry farm, we just bought, and I am looking for more ideas for blueberries.
Thanks!
Yes, definitely! I’ve used fresh berries for this and it’s worked out beautifully.
Just made this with blackberries we picked this afternoon. Added a quarter cup or so of water, plus a couple of teaspoons of stevia and ended up more than doubling the fruit. It’s come out lovely – really thick and fruity but not too sweet.
That sounds absolutely delicious, Chilli! Fresh blackberries would be amazing in this.
Thank-you Kate, this recipe is exactly what I was looking for! I found you on google when searching for a similar recipe I had a couple of years ago but lost… somewhere. I live in Australia and always buy the frozen berries which are just what you say so available, and not as expensive as the real deal in off season. I usually do blueberries, and sometimes mixed. Don’t like strawbs. Then there was the added sugar thing, I never added it before, (Type1diabetes) All the others I looked at had added sugar of some sort. Feeling Happy now! must rush into the kitchen and make some! ❤️
I made this jam with about a cupful of frozen cherries and added about 3 cupfuls of frozen mixed berries and 3 tablespoons of chia seeds. I defrosted the fruit, then vitamised it and added the chia seeds and popped it into the jars. Add more chia seeds if too wet. It was unbelievable – was the best jam I’ve ever had. I gave a jar to one of my foodie friends and she wouldn’t believe it was only made with 2 ingredients and no sugar (cherries adding the sweetner). It begins to water up after about 7 days so tuck in! I’m making it for Christmas gifts.
What a great idea for gifts! Beautiful and delicious. Thank you so much for your comment and review.
I tried this recipe with reduced honey and blended feijoa fruits. It’s a great addition to porridge and granola bowls in the morning! Thank you, Kate!
You are welcome, Natalie!
SO easy and so delicious. I love it with my porridge or granola in the morning. I always make a big batch then pop them into jars and store them in the freezer!
That sounds like a great combination! Thank you, Evie for your review.
How could something so simple and easy be so good? I made this last night and I’ve been putting it on everything (I’ve even been sneaking spoonfuls plain, lol).
I know, right?! Thank you for your review, Michelle.
Thanks! I modified it a lot based on our preferences but I put 2 cups of frozen whole strawberries into a container and left them on the counter with 2TBS of chia seeds for about 3 hours. I mashed them up and added 2TBS local honey and stirred it all together. It’s delicious! I may add more chia seeds. We will be using this for almond better and strawberry jam sandwiches. Thanks!
Glad this recipe inspired you! Thank you, Kina for sharing.
Can you use ground chia seeds for this recipe?
Hi Bri- I don’t use ground chia seeds much, or if at all. I prefer whole seeds for the texture and ability to soften with the added liquid. I wouldn’t recommend for this recipe. Hope this helps!
The jam is amazing! I shared it at work and everyone else loves it, a coworker said she imagines it on top of vanilla ice cream. I imagine too! I had it on top of your almond butter, it was dry, not sure if I blended it long enough…on top of lentil bread toast. Very delicious, thank you!
Vanilla ice cream and jam sounds delightful! Thanks for sharing, Sherry. I love hearing from you!
Hi again Sherry! I just read your comment again, and it does sound like your almond butter needed more time in the blender to loosen up. I often give mine a rest for about 10 minutes and then blend again—it goes from slightly dry to ultra creamy like magic. :)
Oh thank you, I’ll give it another try! You feel like you’ve done enough and figure, I guess this is as good as it gets.
Sherry
Thank you so much for this healthy and quick version of making jam. I’ve passed this on to my FB group ‘Super Quick Plant-Based Recipes’. I think my group will love this and your site!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you have shared it :)
I loved it. It was amazing!
Thank you so much, Taylor! Thanks for trying it and commenting. :)
Delicious. Thank you for sharing a terrific — and easy — recipe!
You’re welcome!
OK, Kate, call me a crudgmudgeon, but…..I always look forward to your recipes and am rarely disappointed. But when I look at the comments to see how your readers liked the recipe and if they made any changes, all I see is: “This recipe looks great.” “Can’t wait to try this recipe”, etc., etc. I want feedback AFTER they have actually made the recipe. This isn’t exclusive to your blog but seems to be the norm with most cooking blogs. To all you Kate fans, please try the recipe first before commenting so you can actually rate it and give tips about how you substituted an ingredient or that it was perfect as written. Oh, by the way, my two standard poodles also love Cookie and your blog (and your fabulous cookbook that is chock full of outstanding recipes).
Thank you, Theresa for commenting. :) I love to hear from you and appreciate all types of reviews. Of course I like to hear experiences with the recipes, but also that people are excited to try them.
I’m hooked on this stuff! I ended up putting it in the blender at the end of the process because the blueberries I bought were too large for mashing. Love the consistency. This is the first time I’ve tried chia seeds. Thanks for introducing me to new foods and tastes!
I love that, Janet! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the review.
Excellent! With alterations: delete orange juice, increase chia seeds to 1/2 cup. I did not use maple syrup. We serve it over Greek plain yogurt. Good over ice cream, too!
Thanks for sharing, Vickie!
I made this recipe “as is” and loved it! Decided to make it with all raspberries and substituted lime for the orange juice and loved it even more! Great way to change up my typical fruit, cereal, yogurt breakfast each day.
Sounds like a delicious change! Thank you, for your review Amy.
I LOVE the jam. Thank you so much and it couldn’t be easier. I didn’t add any maple syrup since I love tart flavors. I also made your almond butter and just had a delicious snack. Can’t thank you enough, this will be a staple in our house from now on.
That’s a great combination, Christina! Thanks so much for sharing and for your review.
So easy, delicious and healthy. I’ve only tried it on steel cut oats, but I’m sure it’d be great on just about anything. Thank you, Kate, for sharing the simple things too.
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking time to tell me what you thought.
I’m not a fan of maple syrup at all. Could I substitute honey for maple syrup in this recipe?
It’s optional so you don’t need it, but honey may work too.
Can you give me please the correct meassures to try to make your recipe as 8 ounces are 1 cup, not 10-12 ounces 2 1/2 cups, which would make 12 ounces 1 1/2 cups and please tell me if it would be still then a 1/4 Cup for the chia seeds. I think something went wrong.
Hi Errol, The instructions and ingredients are correct.
I can’t wait to try the recipes
Let me know what you think, Laura!
Hi, I made a blackboy, blueberry (frozen),apple and chia seed jam with sugar and honey mixed. Best jam I’ve made. Chia seeds are a great thickener for all sorts of recipes. Next time will add the juice and forget the sugar. Like your ideas for frozen berries as we buy these all the time. Thanks for a great jam.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Rochelle.
Forgot to mention recipe: 8 cups mixed fruit:eg 7 cups blackboy peaches and1 cup frozen fruit): 3/4 cup chia seeds: 1 cup sugar (any kind) and 2 to 4 Tbs honey depending on sweetness: fruit spices: lemon juice. Chop roughly or mash half way through cooking and cook on 80 degrees for 15 minutes and 100 degrees for further 15 minutes in microwave stirring every ten. Yummy sweet and thick.
Sorry forgot to add 2 grated apple with above black boy and blueberry jam. Thanks Kate
Thank you, Rochelle!
Can’t wait to this. I love jam but too much sugar in boughten jams. I do make my own when I have extra fruit; so will make this recipe and let you know. I use chia seeds and always have those on hand, so I’m anxious to make a batch. Thanks.
Yes, please let me know what you think!
Hi there! I make something very similar to this except I take a cup of frozen blueberries and heat them up, then mash them, then stir in a tablespoon of chia seeds. I’m wondering why it’s better to use raw fruit? I’m gonna try this for sure.
This is the perfect jam I have been looking for. I will post an update once I make it. We are canners and I will try canning this and get back to you on how it goes.
I thought for chia seeds to give their full potential they needed to be ground?
Chia seeds in their full form still provide great nutrients!
Made this last night and put it on my plain greek yogurt this morning. So good! Super easy to make and it makes quite a bit. I saw another recipe with strawberry chia jam on here and I can’t wait to test that one out too! This will definitely become a regular recipe in my kitchen. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ashley!
DELICIOUS! I made my whole family try it, and they loved it too! Love how versatile this recipe is.
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that, Paige.
I just made this jam up using strawberries and haskap berries. It was a big hit and everyone left after Father’s Day breakfast with some as we all loved it! I am sure this jam will freeze up fine and will post an update on this once I freeze some and let it sit for some time. I have been looking for a recipe that would thicken and not be full of sugar. This is a fast easy recipe with unlimited variations!
Thanks for sharing, Knitski! I appreciate your review.
This jam froze fine and it was in the freezer for about a week. Too popular to leave in the freezer any longer!
Hi, does this jam turn into some compote looking thing or more like jelly?
Hi Ima, I’m not not sure what you mean?
Love this jam recipe I make it for presents!
Thank you!
You’re welcome! I love the idea for this for presents.
I made this using frozen mixed berries. I ate it mixed in with your Chia seed pudding- perfect combo. I can’t wait to try this on oatmeal, toast, yogurt….
Good on all of those things, Hilary!
This jam is fantastic, I have been making it for quite a while now and experimenting with different combinations of fruit. Most recipes recommend that you cook the fruit first which I did initially but we prefer it uncooked and I now use ground chia seed (using a coffee grinder), we prefer the texture to whole seed. I also make an orange marmalade which is nice, sometimes adding some chopped glace ginger. I use my hand blender to chop the fruit which makes the job so much easier than mashing. Blueberry and cherry makes a nice jam using 1 cup of each fruit. Blackberry and apple is also a nice combination. This recipe is vast improvement on any cooked commercial or homemade jams which so high in sugar. I give it 5 stars plus.
I was so excited to read this recipe finding a healthy replacement to put on my pancakes, until I first read “organic raspberries”, which negated all the research that you have done on “whole foods”. I’m a plant scientist for Snow college and I can promise you that buying organic is a complete waste. I understand your trying to appeal to an audience of organic, but I just wanted to add the evidence that science has shown. Thanks for the recipe! If you would like more information on the subject feel free to email me.
Hi Jackson, I appreciate your opinion. Based on my experience, research and other information I do disagree. Feel free to buy your food as you see fit. However, I’m excited you do enjoy the recipe!
This looks so good and the big plus, it’s easy to make. I do have one question. I have to avoid acidic foods as much as I can. Can this be made without adding juice? Thanks Jackie
Hi! You could try water or another juice that would work well for you. It would likely impact the flavor most.
Thanks Kate
I love all your recipes and this jam is fantastic! I blitzed it at the end for my 4 year old so it was smoother. So simple. So yum! I’m never buying jam again!! Your banana bread is a staple in our house too! It’s the best!!
Thanks for commenting, Kristen!
I have a loads of blackcurrants in my freezer, which I would like to make some jam. Will I be able to freeze the jam once made, and how long will it keep for in the freezer .
Hi Kate, I’ve just found this and we don’t have any juice and due to lockdown can’t access any. Do you recommend an alternative or is alright to exclude it? Thanks heaps!
Hi Deney! Do you have an orange on hand or other citrus? You could use that to juice and it will work.
Love this Jam!! So easy to make and a great healthy treat.
Thank you!
You’re welcome, Gail!
Hi Kate!
I’ve been making this recipe for a while now, and keep it in a tightly sealed jar. I have found that after about five days or so, it almost seems to begin to ferment, and get slightly fizzy. Have you experience this, and it it okay to eat at this point? I don’t see any other variations in taste or smell, and no mold or anything. Thanks!
Hi Shelby, That to me sounds like it’s going bad. I wouldn’t eat it. I appreciate your feedback! It keeps longer for me, but I will make a note in the post that there may be some variation in storage time.
Can’t wait to try this. Can I use lemon juice instead of orange?
Hi! Sure, that’s a great alternative, Erin.
Great, thanks! Turns out I still don’t care for raspberry seeds, but I love the recipe in general so I’ll make it with all blueberries next time! :)
This is such a great and truly “easy” way to not only make Jam, but also to get a lot more fruit in my diet without all the sugar. Have made this several times and topped yogurt/granola or included in my overnight oats.
Thank you for sharing, Eliisa! I’m glad you loved it.
I was looking for this recipe without sweetener and your idea sounds great to me. Will give it a try.
First, let me say that I almost NEVER make comments on recipes — so the fact that I am even doing this is testimony in itself. Secondly, this jam is a game changer for me. Yummy, healthy, easy —-just what I needed. I eat it with oatmeal, with granola, on toast, on waffles. Thanks a whole bunch for sharing!
Hooray! I’m delighted you enjoyed this jam that much, JoAnn. I appreciate your review.
So delicious!
I used to put a bowl of frozen berries out each night to eat with my yogurt and granola the next morning. I’d have to defrost them if I’d forgotten, and this was never really delicious.
I am so happy I’ve discovered this recipe! It’s delicious (I can’t stop snacking on it!), so easy and healthy! A million times better than what I was doing before!
Thank you so much!
Sounds delicious, Alyssa! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad this one has changed your morning yogurt for the better.
Hi. I’ve been making chia berry jam for awhile now and I find it works beautifully without thawing the fruit first. In fact thawing the fruit often results in runnier jam.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kim! I’m happy that works for you.
Love this jam! It is a staple in my fridge now and I am making a fresh batch right now. First ate it on your Chia Pudding, then yogurt, cottage cheese, toast, pb&chia jam, and as an addition to cut up fruit. Then I had an epiphany! Chia jam Popsicles! They are yummy! And they don’t dribble everywhere. Now I am thinking of freezing some chia jam cubes to add to summer libations like lemonade, iced tea and wine! Kate, you have created a monster!!
Made raspberry jam didn’t have chia but used tapioca and honey turned out great had it on my toast this morning
Sounds delicious, Jean!