Name: Raspberry Jam Recipe With Chia Seeds
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients: 12 oz frozen raspberries (about 3 cups of raspberries); 2 tbsp chia seeds; Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or to taste); 2 tbsp honey (or to taste)

If you have a child who loves pb & j sandwiches, then this recipe is for you. This quick and easy, 4 ingredient raspberry jam recipe with chia seeds is loaded with fruit and fiber but lower in added sugar making it the perfect spread to include in a back to school lunchbox or tasty topping for a creamy bowl of oatmeal.

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As with most kids this time of year, my son is heading back to school which means I’m up every morning packing his lunchbox and loading him up with healthy back to school snacks.

While there are plenty of heart back to school lunch ideas out there, my toddler still always gravitates to the pb&j sandwich. Knowing that this will be the lunch request, I started to put a few dietitian swaps on his classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich to sneak in nutrition where I can.

One swap I made is to always serve his sandwich on a whole grain bread option that is full of fiber and has minimal added sugar. Next, I try to choose a peanut butter that has minimal ingredients. Finally, I added fruit and fiber to his sandwich with this easy raspberry jam recipe with chia seeds.

Frozen raspberries, tart lemon juice, chia seeds, and a touch of sweetener like honey or maple syrup are all you will need for a quick and easy jam recipe that your entire family will love.

Let’s get to the recipe!

What is a raspberry jam recipe with chia seeds?

Traditional jam recipes will have ingredients like fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and a thickener like pectin. While I do love a traditional jam, I wanted to make a jam recipe that checked the boxes on flavor, fruit, and fiber to ensure my son gets extra nutrition in a way that tastes delicious.

What makes this raspberry jam recipe different than others is the subtle addition of protein packed chia seeds. Raspberries themselves are already high in fiber, stirring chia seeds into your jam recipe will add extra fiber, plant based protein, healthy fats, while also thickening your recipes texture

There are certainly other nutritious ingredients like flax seeds or hemp seeds that you could add but I find that the combination of raspberries and chia seeds is the best pairing for a boost in nutrition without a noticeable change in flavor or texture for your jam recipe.

Because, c’mon, we can make all the nutritious changes that we want to a recipe but we still need our toddlers to eat it at the end of the day.

How to make raspberry jam with chia seeds:

Ingredients:

Frozen raspberries: I recommend using frozen raspberries instead of fresh raspberries for this recipe because frozen raspberries will give off more liquid as the thaw and helps balance out the texture as the chia seeds thicken your recipe.
Note: If you wanted to make this recipe with a different type of fruit, simply swap your frozen raspberries out for another frozen fruit!
Honey: Feel free to use maple syrup as your sweetener instead. If you want to make to make a jam recipe with no added sugar, skip the honey or maple syrup!
Lemon juice: This will add the perfect amount of acidic flavor to your raspberry chia jam.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds will add healthy fats, fiber, and plant based protein.

That’s it! .

Instructions:

Step 1:

Add your raspberries, lemon juice, and honey to a saucepan over medium heat. If you want to make this recipe sugar free, skip the honey.

Step 2:

As your frozen raspberries begin to soften, mash them with a potato masher (feel free to use a fork if needed) to create a smooth consistency. Continue to smash your berries and stir them for 8- 10 minutes.

Step 3:

Once you see your raspberry mixture begin to bubble, add in your chia seeds. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir for 15 minutes. Chia seeds thicken recipes, so don’t worry if your jam seems too runny at first. Set aside and allow your jam to cool completely.

Store your raspberry chia jam in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If needed, feel free to add a touch of water to thin out the consistency so that it is easy to spread and include in your recipes.

What Does Chia Seeds Do For Raspberry Jams?

Chia seeds are one of my favorite ingredients to add to jam recipes because they add:

8 grams of carbohydrates with 8 grams of dietary fiber. It’s recommended that women consume 25 grams of fiber per day and for men to consume 38 grams of fiber per day so adding chia seeds to your recipes is one way to help you reach those goals.
Healthy fats like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
5 grams of plant-based protein per serving.
A broad range of phytonutrients like flavonoids and phenolic acids which are disease fighting compounds found in mostly plant foods

Beyond their nutrient addition, chia seeds thicken recipes and can be a good substitute for traditional jam ingredients like pectin (a polysaccharide found in fruit) which is typically used as the thickener.

How To Use Chia Seeds To Thicken Jam With Raspberries:

Chia seeds are a great ingredient to use to thicken sauces, oats, and jam with raspberries and the best part is that it really requires no effort on your part!

Chia seeds naturally absorb liquid that they are submerged into and can absorb up to 30x their weight of liquid. Simply mix them in and watch them work. Here are a few tips on how to use chia seeds to chicken jam with raspberries:

Choose frozen raspberries instead of fresh raspberries because the frozen raspberries will give off more fruit juice as they thaw. If you do want to use fresh raspberries, I recommend adding some water (or extra lemon juice if you want it really tart) to your jam recipe.
Start by heating your frozen raspberries in a saucepan over medium heat first to allow the fruit juices to release.
Combine the raspberries and chia seeds after your raspberry juice is bubbling and then allow them to simmer together to soften the outer shell of the chia seed.
Set your jam aside and allow it to cool completely. As your jam recipe cools, you will notice the chia seeds thicken up the texture and make it look more like a traditional jam so do not worry if you think it seems runny at first.
Note: Your raspberry chia seed jam will continue to thicken in the fridge as the chia seeds continue to absorb the raspberry juice. If needed, you can thin it out with a little bit of water!

If you are worried about your child not liking the texture of chia seed jam, you can try stirring in ground chia seeds instead which have more of a powdered texture!

How Long is Chia Jam Good For?

You can store this chia ham in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! It’s a quick and easy recipe to have on hand for busy school days.

Other chia seed recipes you will love:

Looking for other ways to use chia seeds in recipes? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:

Creamy Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Get the recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Chia Seed Pudding (Blended!)

Get the recipe

Salted Caramel Medjool Date Protein Balls

Get the recipe

The BEST Blackberry Baked Oatmeal

Get the recipe

Yield: 1 cup

Author: Lauren Twigge