Blueberry Chia Jam is only four ingredients and ready in less than 10 minutes! Bursting with sweet blueberry flavor and anti-inflammatory chia seeds!
Hello friends! I have a fun recipe today that I’ve wanted to share for years with you guys. It’s my blueberry chia jam!
I haven’t made it in a while, but I figured it was time to bring it back. It’s SOOOOOO easy to make and a fun nutrient-dense swap to most jams and jelly options. Confused about the difference? I have a whole post on jam vs. jelly, and if it’s healthy, click here to read.
Plus, if my mom asks me one more time if I know how much sugar is in the jam preserve I buy for KJ, I swear! I don’t think it’s excessive (or I wouldn’t buy it), but this blueberry chia jam is definitely less sugar and higher in nutrients, plus it doesn’t come with a label for anyone to pester me about. Win-win.
Dietitians are not the food police. It’s y’all who food police the Dietitians. Just saying.
I love making chia seed pudding, chia seed post-workout gels, and throwing them in smoothies or overnight oats, but making chia jam is one of my favorite ways ever to use chia seeds!
Never heard of chia jam? Well, chia seeds (yes, like cha cha cha chia) are packed with healthy fats that fight inflammation in our bodies. They are also rich in fiber and absorb 12 times their weight in liquid. You can make jam with chia seeds instead of other thickeners like pectin because they naturally create an electrolyte gel when they contact liquid.
Most recipes I’ve seen over the years only call for 1-2 teaspoons of chia seeds, but I like to load my blueberry chia jam with 2 full tablespoons for the ultimate nutrition punch, plus the best jam-like texture.
How to Make Blueberry Chia Seed Jam
I like to use frozen blueberries because they create more liquid as you heat/defrost them, but fresh ones work as well. The small-sized frozen blueberries you see in the picture above are wild blueberries (frozen from TJ’s). That’s why they are tiny.
Like I said, frozen or fresh blueberries work! Literally, mix all the ingredients together, heat, smash, and then stir while the chia seeds absorb the blueberry syrup liquid. That’s it! The texture should be jam-like when you take it off the stove, but it will even further gel up in the fridge while it cools.
It literally only takes 10 minutes! Now let’s talk ingredient swaps:
Blueberries – yes, you can swap just about any other berry or fruit.
Honey – for vegan, you can swap any other sweetener, or you can omit it entirely.
Lemon Juice – you can omit this as well. I had it to help preserve it a bit longer.
Chia seeds – do not omit them, but you can use any kind. I used black chia seeds in this recipe, but you can use whatever type of chia seeds you’d like.
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
Blueberry Chia Jam
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen blueberries or fresh
- 2 tbsp honey or any other sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a small pot on medium heat, stir while you allow the berries to defrost.
- Once the berries are defrosted, use a potato masher to begin smashing the blueberries. Once all the blueberries are pressed, the mixture will have a ton of liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil on high, then lower the heat to medium-low to simmer.
- Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the mixture is thickened. If the mixture starts to burn, turn down the heat to low. The mixture should resemble a semi runny jam-like texture when done. You can eat it now, but most people prefer it chilled. It will also gel up further as it cools.
- Remove from heat and place in a mason jar or other jam container and place the container in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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