Berry Chia Vanilla Jam

Name: Berry Chia Vanilla Jam
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 cups berries of choice (fresh or frozen); 3 tablespoons chia seeds; 2 tablespoons maple syrup, (more or less to taste); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A quick and easy berry chia vanilla jam. Made with 4 ingredients, one pot and ready in 20 minutes. Try it with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or a mix of several berries! This recipes results in just over 1 cup of jam.

Berry season is upon us! And so I’m sharing my favorite way to use berries all year long: Berry chia jam.

Chia jam is an easy alternative to traditional jam, using basic ingredients you likely have at home. Plus, you can make it with frozen or fresh berries! It’s a great way to use large amounts of fresh berries during summer and frozen berries all year long.

How to Make Chia Jam

This berry chia vanilla jam is made with just 4 ingredients and requires only 20 minutes. Here’s how you make it:

Add the berries (fresh or frozen) and maple syrup to a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Mash the berries.
Add the chia seeds and vanilla, turn down the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

It doesn’t get much easier than this.

How to Use Chia Jam

You can use chia jam as a substitute for regular jam in most recipes, but here are some ideas:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies
On top of banana bread or regular toast (with peanut butter!)
Cherry Coconut Overnight Oats (Try it with different jam flavors!)
Eat it by the spoonful

Looking to make chia jam with other fruits? You can find my cherry chia jam here. You can also try this jam using different berries, such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries or raspberries. The batch shown in these photos was made with raspberries.

Berry Chia Vanilla Jam

Course Breakfast

Cuisine gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

3 cups berries of choice (fresh or frozen)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons maple syrup, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Add the berries and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat.
If the berries are frozen, let them thaw in the saucepan, stirring frequently. Once thawed (about 5 minutes), mash them with a fork or potato masher, leaving some whole for texture if desired. If the berries are fresh, you can mash them immediately.
Stir in the chia seeds and vanilla extract. Let simmer covered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the chia seeds have absorbed the liquid, stirring every few minutes. Remove from heat once the jam has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste and add more sweetener as needed.
Store in a jar or container in the fridge for up to one week. Enjoy on top of toasts, stirred in oatmeal, chia pudding, ice cream and more!

Notes

The maple syrup is optional in this recipe, but recommended, especially if your berries aren’t overly sweet.

Try this recipe with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries (or a mix). You can also try my cherry chia jam.

If trying this recipe with strawberries, I suggest processing the (thawed) berries in a blender or food processor before adding them to the saucepan. Leave some texture if desired. Strawberries take longer to break down and this will make the process faster. This is suggested, but not necessary.

If you make this berry chia vanilla jam, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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View Comments

Colette McLaughlin says:

2022-07-17 at 6:53 am

I make this recipe often. I've done it with just strawberries, but I mostly do it using the Our Compliments Jumbleberry Fruit Blend, which is a mix of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. I love it!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2022-07-18 at 10:10 am
  
  Thank you Colette! I'm happy that you love the recipe. It sounds delicious with that mix!