healthy strawberry jam recipe for making a jar of no cook gluten free jam that is whole food plant based pink napkin

Easy Raw Homemade Jam  – this is a how-to for making strawberry chia seed refrigerator jam – a fast and healthy fruit spread recipe that needs no cooking!

In this recipe article, we’ll explore the reasons why this particular strawberry chia seed jam is a healthy recipe.  I’m super excited about this part because this is one fruit spread that has nothing to hide!

After giving you the full scoop on why this recipe makes a healthy strawberry chia seed jam, we’ll dive straight into making easy, raw, homemade jam using strawberries and chia seeds in the refrigerator. 

If you’ve never made jam, strawberry chia jam is a beautiful place to start, not just because it’s easy and always turns out great, but because it tastes so good!

I can say that genuinely because strawberry chia jam is where I’m starting my jam making journey, too!

What kind of recipe writer would leave you with an easy to make, terrific tasting, healthy strawberry jam recipe without sharing some suggestions on how to use it? So, in this recipe article we’ll list a few of the ideas that came to us while working on this lovely chia jam recipe.

Last but not least, and since we happen to be wild about healthy strawberries, and fruits and berries in general, we’ve also come up with a few dishes for you featuring fresh or frozen fruit.

scene of healthy strawberry jam recipe being made with drips of brown pure maple syrup and tiny chia seeds and strawberries on marble surface

What Makes this Strawberry Jam Recipe Healthy?

There are three things that stand out about this Chia seed refrigerator jam recipe.

First, it’s comparatively low in sugar, and it’s sweetened only by the fruit and a small amount of pure maple syrup – there’s no refined sugar.

Second, there’s both whole chia seeds and ground chia in this recipe. We’ll unpack the fascinating topic of ground chia seeds in just a minute.

And in addition to being beautifully high in vitamin C and fiber, strawberries have been shown to reduce or remove the progression of one type of cancer.

a small steel measuring spoon and a tiny clear glass bowl full of chia seeds on a white and gray marble background with other ingredients on the side

Ground Chia Seeds

According to Dr. Greger, author of How Not to Die and How Not to Diet, the secret to obtaining the health benefits of chia seeds may be that you have to grind the chia seeds into a powder.

While belly fat may not magically disappear by eating chia seeds as some bloggers and ads might suggest, chia seeds have been a part of our diet for thousands of years, and, like any plant-based food, they offer valuable nutrients. We’re thankful to have that understanding and to include chia in our ingredients for this easy raw homemade jam.

Chia seeds provide fiber, antioxidants, plant protein, B vitamins, and minerals.

A teaspoon of chia seeds has about fifty calories and does seem to help curb appetites when ground. And many of the nutrients in chia seeds are also more accessible by the body when the chia is ground. Omegas are an essential nutrient available via ground chia seeds.

One way to use ground chia seeds is to mix them with water to replace eggs in baked goods.

Another way to use ground chia seeds is to mix them with chopped fruit and make yourself some chia seed jam as we’re sharing in this recipe! 

plump ripe and juicy red organic strawberries with green leafy tops

Strawberries

As you might notice, I often like to share the nutritional value of ingredients we use in our recipes such as this healthy strawberry jam recipe. After watching a video or two on chia seeds, I found a study about the effect strawberries have on cancer attacking the esophagus.  

The esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. Many people die within a year of diagnosis of this cancer because of how this type methodically progresses and eventually spreads.

Since this type of cancer grows in a well-defined, easy to assess manner, researchers have used it to test the ability of berries to reverse the progression of the disease. 

It’s important to note that the reason they used strawberries in their research is that they are an incredibly nutritious fruit.

After monitoring patients with precancerous lesions for six full months of eating over a pound of fresh strawberries per day, the disease’s progression was reversed by 80 percent.

At the beginning of this research, no participant had a normal esophagus. By the end of the study, most lesions decreased from moderate to mild or disappeared. 

And get ready for the best news of all. At the end of the study, half of those who ate the high dose of strawberries walked away disease-free!

If you’d like to know more details about this research, you can look up and watch a 5-min video called Strawberries versus Esophageal Cancer on NutritionsFacts.

And to learn more about the specific nutrients found in strawberries, we suggest reading this article.

scattered whole strawberries lead to a jar of raw jam with a spoon in it with a measuring spoon on the side and chia seeds

How to Make Chia Seed Refrigerator Jam

As you may know, making refrigerator jam is a quick jam making method that’s as old as the hills. (Oh, dear, I do believe I just sounded like my folks.)

In our recipe, we’re adding a fun modern spin on the timeless practice of preserving berries for quick use.

By the way, it’s always a special pleasure to share a recipe that’s so straightforward.

I think I especially enjoy sharing easy recipes like this easy, raw, homemade jam with chia seeds because I know it’s doable, whether cooking is your ‘jam’ or not! 

Forgive me; the cornball in me had to say that at least once.

Many jam making methods suggest cooking the fruit to reduce the fruit’s water content to aid in the thickening process. If you’ve browse through many chia jam recipes, you’ll find that’s usually the method.

But wait – maybe there’s no need to heat up that stove!

It’s been my experience that cooking the fruit is unnecessary when using chia seeds to thicken the jam. Chia seeds expand when they come in contact with liquid, which is one reason we include chia seeds in this method of making easy raw homemade jam.

There’s no need to reduce the liquid by cooking because the chia seeds soak up the liquid.

Want to know my favorite part of this recipe next to the fact that it requires no cooking?

I love that this recipe has you in and out of the kitchen in minutes! 

Even though I enjoy cooking to the point of taking the time to write about it, I appreciate a quick delicious return with minimal time and sweat investment, just like the next person.

To make a batch of chia seed refrigerator jam, you’ll only need about fifteen minutes at the most, and there is no cooking required!

food processor bowl full of chopped strawberries with a white plastic spatula with a pink cloth napkin or tea towel snuggled against the side

4 Easy Steps to Make This Strawberry Chia Jam Recipe:

  • First, you rinse your fruit, drain in a colander, remover all leaves and trim blemishes and add to the bowl of your food processor.
  • Next, add the remaining ingredients.
  • Then, chop the fruit until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
  • Scoop or pour your chia jam into a super clean jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
repurposed glass jar holds raw jam with fresh whole strawberries on the side

5 Naturally Sweet Ways to Enjoy Your Easy Raw Homemade Jam with Chia Seeds

Since making that first test batch of chia jam, I’ve been finding all sorts of uses for these little batches of gorgeous looking, fantastic tasting, quick-preserved, refrigerator jam.

Give that same old same old bowl of oats something to get excited about by plopping a scoop or two of strawberry chia seed jam, or any flavor, right on top.

Of course, as you can imagine, chia jam is also a mighty tasty way to dress up a slice of morning toast or plop a drop of strawberry chia seed jam on a favorite plain cookie or bagel.

Make those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches healthier by using natural organic peanut butter with no added sugar and a smear of low-sugar, high-protein easy raw homemade jam with chia seeds.

Dare I mention how wonderfully spectacular plain plant-based yogurt becomes with the addition of chia jam? When you dress up plant-based yogurt with a pretty little swirl of healthy strawberry chia jam, it tastes, and looks, amazing!

Or use your chia jam to make a quick and fresh-tasting salad dressing. Just mix it with a bit of good quality balsamic and a touch of tahini, and bam, your low-fat salad will make the best-dressed list!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea; chia seed refrigerator jam is entirely useful!

scattered green leafy tops of strawberries and whole berries surround a jar of homemade low sugar fruit spread

More Healthy Plant-Based Recipes That Celebrate Strawberries and Other Fruits and Berries

Since we’re on the subject of being useful, here’s a handy list of dishes that feature a variety of healthy, fresh, frozen, and even dried fruits and berries!

This gathering of recipes made my jaw drop when realizing how often I choose to cook with fruit. As it turns out, I use fruit regularly in both sweet and savory recipes! The easy raw homemade jam in this recipe is just the beginning of an extensive amount of fruity recipes!

I think I owe a shout out to Dr. Greger for that one. I’m always looking to check off beans, greens, and berries from his nutritious list to get my daily dozen! Here’s a link to that daily dozen checklist, which shows how to get the nutrients you need when eating plant-based. Woot woot!!!

One of my favorite Dr. Greger suggestions is on this video where his advice is this simple:

If you eat poorly one day, due to travel or other circumstances, eat better the next!

That kind of thinking helps folks succeed.

So often, we view things as all or nothing when it is healthier to think of nearly every situation in terms of being a journey.

Keep that longterm goal in plain sight, and then do your best each day to reach it.

Honestly, this is a beautiful, delicious, and powerful way to live! And why did I include the word powerful? The word powerful came to mind as I recognize that a healthy vegan lifestyle is a choice that I make by setting my intentions and actions on wanting to live a full, healthy life. For me, wellness is the ultimate goal that’s worth the day to day decisions to get there.

jar of homemade strawberry fruit spread with chia seeds and strawberries on gray and white marble and a pale pink cotton napkin

Healthy Breakfast Recipes:

Savory Meals for Lunch or Dinner:Blackberry Basil Bowl with Balsamic Dressing

Pretty Nutritious Desserts and Snacks:

Decidedly Healthier Drinks:

metal measuring spoon with scattered chia seeds all around and a strawberry or two and a jar of chia jam and a pink napkin and gray background in distance

Thank You for Exploring How to Make Jam!

We enjoy expressing our appreciation to you for choosing to visit us to discover new plant-based and gluten-free recipes.

It’s a pleasure to know that while we research ingredients and test out methods for new recipes, you’re studying and testing our recipes and including them in your life! Sincerely, that’s an honor that we treasure.

Happy Eating!

a homemade jar of a healthy strawberry jam recipe with whole strawberries sitting around the jar with spoon of the jam held over the jar
three whole strawberries on a marble board and a clear glass jar full of vegan chia seed refrigerator jam

Easy Raw Homemade Jam with Chia Seeds

  • 10
    Prep:
  • 0
    Cook Time:
  • Yield: 20 Servings
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Making a quick jar of no-cook chia jam is a delicious way to capture the fresh flavors of warm weather and sunshine! We use strawberries in our low-sugar chia jam, but you can use whatever fruit you like, fresh or frozen.  So, gather that fruit, stir in those chia seeds and let the glorious, no-cooking required, fruit spread magic begin! This recipe makes enough for about twenty, two tablespoon-size, servings.

Ingredients

  • two cups of fresh or frozen strawberries - Defrost berries when using frozen. 
  • 2 to 4 tbsp of pure maple syrup  - You could also use a little date syrup, agave, or another liquid sweetener of  preference.
  • 2 tsp of ground chia seeds - We use a spice or coffee grinder like this one for ingredients such as chia seeds, flax seeds, and spices as needed.
  • 2 tbsp of whole chia seeds  
  • 2 tbsp of warm water, or less, if berries seem plenty watery
  • an optional 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract - Using a bit of vanilla is optional but super-useful when berries are especially tart.

Instructions

  1. After washing, draining, and trimming the tops off of your strawberries, add them and the sweetener you are using to a food processor. Pulse until you arrive at the texture you prefer. Optionally, you may also use a blender -  or mashing the berries with a good old potato masher will work when you apply a little elbow grease. This is a very forgiving, do-able, chia jam recipe!
  2. Once the fruit is nearly to the texture you prefer, add in the ground chia, whole chia seed, and water, if needed. Give it another short pulse or two to combine and then give the mixture a taste. Adjust the sweetness to preference, and if you like, add in a dash of vanilla. Add a bit more syrup or even blend in a pitted date if you enjoy a sweeter jam.  Likewise, if your chia jam seems too sweet for your liking or perhaps you prefer a little pucker in your fruit spread, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. While you do not have to grind a portion of your chia seeds, we suggest doing so for the added nutritional benefits described in the recipe article above.  If you prefer, you could opt to grind all of your chia - the ratio is up to you.  We use a grinder like this one.
  3. Transfer your chia jam to a container with a lid. We use a humble repurposed clear glass jar which always makes us smile. If you used the ground chia seeds, your jam will likely be ready to enjoy right away. If you skipped the ground chia part, you might need to chill your chia jam in the refrigerator for about an hour to allow it to thicken a bit before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you have ended up with a batch of sour-tasting berries, using a bit of vanilla is a super-easy way to tame the tartness without adding a ton of sweetener.
  • The cool thing about this method of making jam is that you can use nearly any fruit! When using a sour or tart-tasting fruit, you may need to add more sweetener than if you were to use mangos, which is typically sweet.
  • This chia jam recipe uses no pectin, so it doesn't keep as long as regular pectin jams. But that's no big deal; you're bound to go through your jar of this jam in no time!  If you need ideas for polishing off your chia jam in a timely fashion, check out the list of suggested uses shared in the recipe article.
  • Storing your chia jam in jars you've collected is an attractive and practical method for keeping chia jam in the fridge. A valuable thing to remember about whatever container you'll be using is making sure that it is clean so that your jam stays fresh for as long as possible.
  • If you've gone deep into this process and ventured into making multiple batches of this chia jam at once, store whatever you won't use within a week in the freezer in a sealed, freezer-safe container. You chia jam with keep well when frozen for up to a year! When you need more jam, thaw small portions at a time.  Chia jam kept in the fridge usually lasts for up to about a week or so.

Nutrition

% DV

Calories Per Serving: 19
  • Total Fat 0.6 % 1 %
  • Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0 %
  • Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
  • Sodium 0.3 mg 0 %
  • Carbohydrates 3.5 g 1 %
  • Fiber 1 g 4 %
  • Sugar 2.1 g ---
  • Protein 0.5 g 1 %
  • Vitamin A 0 %
  • Vitamin C 15 %
  • Iron 0 %
  • Calcium 1 %

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