This Sugar-free Keto Blackberry Chia Seed Jam takes just 10 minutes! It's a low-carb alternative to traditional jam and needs no processing or special equipment. Made with Monkfruit sweetener and fresh or frozen blackberries, this easy jam recipe is Keto, Paleo, and Vegan.
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❤️Why this sugar-free chia seed jam recipe is a winner
- Quick to make. Jam in 10 to 15 minutes? As unbelievable as it sounds, you can make this Quick Sugar-Free Blackberry Chia Seed Jam that fast.
- No refined sugar. Besides being absolutely delicious, it has no refined sugar. If you're avoiding weight gain from spikes in your blood sugar and trying to reduce sugar in your diet, this is your jam!
- It's a low-carb alternative to traditional jam.
- It's almost magical! The chia seeds will soften, create a gel, and work almost magically to set the jam in about 10 - 15 minutes, very much like sugar and pectin do in a traditional jam recipe.
- Chia seed jam is a healthy alternative to traditional jam. The Ancient Mayans and Aztecs knew about the health benefits of chia. These little seeds have made a comeback in modern civilization in recent years. Chia seeds are rich in Omega-3, antioxidants, protein and fiber. They make a healthy addition to smoothies, overnight oats, baked oatmeal, pudding, and bars, like these Chocolate Cherry Chia Oatmeal Bars.
🛒 Ingredients
- blackberries: fresh or frozen
- lemon juice: freshly squeezed is best.
- 0-calorie sweetener: my favourite is Lacanto Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol
- chia seeds: you can use either black or white chia seeds to make this jam.
🥄 Instructions
So easy!
- Combine 2 cups of berries and a little lemon juice and put in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for a few minutes until the berries begin to break down.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of sweetener.
- Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, stir, then remove from the heat and let stand. The chia seeds will soften, create a gel, and work almost magically to set the jam in about 15 minutes, very much like sugar and pectin do in a traditional jam recipe.
- I use Monkfruit sweetener with erythritol to keep this jam low-carb. If you're not following a ketogenic diet, you can use honey or maple syrup. The amount you'll need will depend on the sweetness of your berries. If they're super sweet, you won't need any!
Why are blackberries a good choice for jam?
I chose blackberries for three reasons. First, they have a very low carbohydrate count. Secondly, because they have recently been considered by some to be a new "superfood!" Just look at the nutritional benefits of blackberries!
Blackberries
- are rich in Vitamin C
- are an excellent source of fiber
- contain high levels of antioxidants
- are an excellent source of Vitamins K and A
- may even promote brain health
And the third reason? They grow wild here in late summer and we can fill buckets with fresh berries every time we go for a walk or a bike ride!
Common Questions
You can keep it for a week or two in the fridge, or you can freeze it. I usually make four small jars and freeze two of them.
Jams made with chia are not suitable for canning. This post explains why: Chia Jams Not Safe for Canning
If you're following a ketogenic diet for health reasons, or for weight loss, you'll know that sugar of any type (granulated, honey, maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, etc.) is very high in carbohydrates.
You'll also know that the carb count of most fruit is too high for this diet as well, but that small amounts of blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries are fine.
🍽 Serving suggestions: more ways to use jam
- If you're on a diet that excludes grains or gluten, sometimes you might miss having a slice of toast and jam or a peanut butter and jam sandwich.
- We like these Low-Carb Keto Mini Buns as a grain-free substitute for bread products.
- You can also mix this Keto blackberry jam with yogurt, or layer it with yogurt and grain-free granola to make a quick and easy breakfast parfait.
- When you're baking for the holidays, use this chia seed jam to fill thumbprint cookies!
Make someone happy today with a jar of this Sugar-Free Blackberry Chia Seed Jam!
📖 Recipe
Quick Sugar-Free Blackberry Chia Seed Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups blackberries or raspberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons low-carb granulated sweetener such as monkfruit with erythritol
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Mash berries with lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer just until the berries have softened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sweetener and chia seeds. Let stand for 10 minutes or so until the chia has swelled and thickened the berry mixture.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze in air-tight containers.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with extra information.
Tammy
Does this recipe work well when multiplied while making? ( or is it best to make individual batches?)
Elaine
Hi Tammy, I haven't tried that, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work in this case. Let me know!
Dawn
I’ve got this on my stove right now! Can’t wait! The links in the content and in the comment response to why not to can with chia lead to a red currant jam recipe. Could you share the updated link? I’m curious. Thank you!
Elaine
Hi Dawn, Thanks for letting me know. It looks like that article has been deleted. I've read that chia seed jam doesn't preserve as well as traditional jam because it is thickened with chia instead of pectin and sugar. However, there seems to be conflicting information about this topic. Have a look at this article on Super Healthy Kids about canning and preserving strawberry chia seed jam. https://www.superhealthykids.com/strawberry-chia-jam/ Hope this helps you!
Diana
1st time ever making jam. Can I freeze this in the jelly jars?
Elaine
Yes, absolutely! Enjoy!
Debbie Trahan
This recipe was quick and easy! My husband loved the flavor and did not know the chia seeds were in there! I think next time I might add some Psyllium Fiber as well. Have you tried this and should I adjust any liquid?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Debbie, That's great to hear that your husband loved this jam. I haven't tried it with psyllium. If you do, I'd love to hear your results. The last time I made this jam, I used raspberries. To get rid of the seeds, I blended it in my Vitamix. It came out more like "jam butter" but it was delicious and there were no annoying seeds. I suspect that the blender pulverized the chia seeds as well, resulting in a thicker jam.
Jill Fisher
I'm wondering if I could adapt this recipe to make seedless blackberry jam for my kids. What if I cooked blackberries briefly as you mentioned in your recipe, puree in blender, strain out seeds with sieve, add chia seeds and blend once again with lemon juice and honey if needed (my kids love chia seed chocolate pudding if I puree in blender after adding chia seeds.) We just discovered wild blackberries beginning to ripen on our property so excited to find this recipe during a time of sheltering in place! Also, would bottled lemon juice work as well as fresh?
Flavour & Savour
That sounds like a great idea, Jill. I know some kids don't like the texture of seeds, so I'll bet they'll love this once you strain and blend it. Bottle lemon juice usually works fine, but sometimes it imparts a metallic flavour. I use an organic bottled lemon juice in some recipes that works for me. Enjoy! Let me know how your jam turns out!
Jill Fisher
I made some seedless Blueberry Chia Jam with our frozen wild blueberries from last year! I couldn't wait to try the seedless idea with blackberries (they're still ripening). We all LOVED it on biscuits this morning! Made a beautiful thick spreadable jam, but honestly after one try I contemplated eating it with a spoon and calling it Blueberry Pudding! I sweetened with 2 1/2 TBSP local honey as our blueberries are on tart side. Amazing how fast it set-up when blending chia seeds in blender! Better yet, I love the idea of making healthy jam with only four fresh ingredients: wild berries, lemon juice, chia seeds, and local honey!
Flavour & Savour
Hi Jill, What a treat for you and your family! I'm like you--love using wild berries and local honey. Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out! And thanks for your 5 stars, too.
Judy
I am excited to try your recipe. Is it possible to use frozen fruit in this recipe?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Judy, Yes, absolutely. I use frozen blackberries that I picked in the summer. Enjoy!
Kay
Would strawberries or blueberries work for this recipe? I know it would change the carb count you have listed but just wondering if I could switch up the berries? Thanks for this recipe!
Flavour & Savour
Hi Kay, Absolutely! Any berries will work beautifully with this recipe. Enjoy!
Gayle
Have you tried canning with monk Lakanto?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Gayle,
I haven’t tried canning with it. I’m not sure how it would react. It’s a great substitute for sugar in baking and smoothies and anything else I used to use sugar in, but I haven’t tried canning with it. Thanks for your question!
Rebekah Elisabeth Van Vlack
This looks great!! Is there a way to can this instead of freezing it?
Flavour & Savour
I wish there was! However, jams made with chia are not suitable for canning. This post explains it well: https://www.thespruceeats.com/chia-james-not-safe-for-canning-1327440 Hope you like the jam anyway!
Jill
I love this quick and easy recipe! I do have one question because I am a newbie at this… How do you tell when the berries are soft enough? After mashing them, it’s difficult to tell. Can you give me an idea of how long to simmer them?
Elaine
Hi Jill,
Thanks for your question! Once you bring the berries to a boil, they'll begin to break down a little so that they're no longer whole. Simmer them for 3 - 5 minutes. Sometimes it's good to have a few larger pieces of berries in your jam, other people like it to be smoother. Your choice!
Tara
This looks really good, I plan on making it tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure that a serving is 1 tablespoon and the recipe makes 96 servings? With 2 cups berries it would be 96 teaspoons or 32 servings at 1 tablespoon.
Flavour & Savour
Hi Tara, Thanks so much for catching that typo. This recipe makes 1.5 cups of jam from 2 cups of berries. 1.5 cups is equivalent to 24 tablespoons, so I think I had made a typo. In any case, I have corrected and recalculated the nutritional information. Enjoy the jam!
Jackie
Congratulations on your 500 posts, Elaine! My recipe file is fatter because of you. 😁
Perfect timing for this recipe There are still some juicy blackberries on our bushes and you did mention peanut butter and jam, didn't you?? One question: is it possible to buy the monkfruit sweetener locally? Thanks!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much, Jackie! Yes, the monkfruit sweetener is available in local stores or from Amazon. I use either Lacanto with monkfruit and erythritol or Swerve. Enjoy the jam!
Karen Mosier
Instead of chia seeds, could u use jalapenos to spice things up? When would u add them if so. Thank you.
Flavour & Savour
Great idea to add jalapeños, Karen! I think I would add them just after you bring the mixture to a boil. Let them simmer in for awhile. However, you won't be able to add them instead of the chia seeds. The chia seeds act to thicken the jam and cause it to gel, just like pectin does in jam made with sugar. Hope this helps!