Let’s face it—regular jam or jelly is pretty much all sugar. In most cases, you’ll find sugar or high fructose corn syrup listed as the first or second ingredient.

That’s not the case with this chia seed jam recipe. Cooking the berries brings out their natural sweetness while chia seeds help create that jelly texture, so you can ditch all the sugar and still have a sweet spread for your toast, pancakes, oatmeal and more. On top of being much lower in sugar, you also get lots of beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, healthy fats and even some protein.

This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make. Just add all ingredients to a saucepan and let simmer until the berries are softened and it starts to thicken. You can easily make this jam without any additional sugar, but feel free to add a little maple syrup if you’d like a sweeter option. If you’re looking for a lazy version, try microwaving frozen berries and stirring in chia seeds when you need something quick.

Chia Seed Jam

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen berries (blueberries are my favorite)
2 tbsps chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Instructions:

In a medium pot, stir together the berries, chia seeds, vanilla extract and maple syrup until combined.
Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries break down and the mixture thickens slightly. You can lightly mash berries if you prefer a smoother consistency.
Remove from heat and pour into an airtight container (i.e. sealed mason jar) and let cool in the refrigerator.