Growing up, strawberry jam was, well, my jammmm haha. I loved it in the morning on my toast with butter, plopped onto oatmeal bowls for added flavor and sweetness and even for my lunches (or lazy dinners) paired with some peanut butter. I used to eat it quite often but never thought to look at the label and see what exactly was in the jam I was eating– specifically how much sugar and preservatives were in the jam!

Homemade chia seed jam is the perfect preservative to store bought jam because you know exactly what is going into it and it’s made with more love, right? No preservatives, no refined (or excess) sugars and no canning necessary!

This recipe requires 4 simple ingredients — berries of your choice, chia seeds, lemon juice and coconut sugar (or a sweetener of your choice) — that’s it!

How To Make Chia Seed Jam

Step 1: If you are using fresh berries, roughly chop them before using. Add the berries to a small pot over medium heat along with 3 tablespoons of water.  Cook until the berries begin to break down and become syrupy in texture, about 12-14 minutes. Use the back of a spatula or a potato masher to mash the fruit, leaving it as smooth or as lumpy as you like.

Step 2: Once the berries have broken down, stir in the coconut sugar and cook the mixture for 2 minutes more.

Step 3: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the chia sees and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Step 4: Allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken. The longer it sits, the thicker it will get! Transfer the chia seed jam to an airtight jar or container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Done!

A few notes:

• Transfer the chia seed jam to an airtight jar or container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• I used a mixture of strawberries and blueberries for this jam, but you can use any mixture of berries of your choice. Blackberries and raspberries would be great in this!
• You can also use a liquid sweetener of your choice in this recipe instead of coconut sugar if you prefer.
• This jam can be frozen if you would like to make a big batch at once. We just suggest placing the jar or container that it is in in the refrigerator to thaw overnight before using.

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!