Blueberry Chia Jam

Our Homemade Jam has 4 simple ingredients, and only takes 15 minutes to make. 
Enjoy as part of a healthy breakfast by spreading our jam on toast, spooning it over a bowl of greek yogurt, or stirring through overnight oats for a healthy start on busy mornings. 

Jump to:

• What you'll need
• Ingredients
• More on the health benefits of chia seeds:
• Equipment
• How to make the jam
• Substitutions & Variations
• Storage
• Recipe tip
• Other tasty toast toppers
• Recipe
• Comments

What you'll need

Ingredients

• Blueberries - You can use fresh blueberries or frozen ones to make this recipe. 
• Chia Seeds - The chia seeds are a natural thickener, and give our jam it's gel-like texture like traditional jam. They are also incredibly good for you, and a great way to add in some healthy fats to your diet. I've written a whole section below on the health benefits of chia seeds, so take a look if you're interested.
• Lemon Juice - Use fresh lemon, not the bottled stuff. Feel free to add some lemon zest to the jam as well for a more summery vibe. 
• Maple Syrup - We only lightly sweeten our jams, and the tastiest way to do this is with maple syrup. Added sugar. Liquid sweetener like Agave syrup. Refined sugar. 

More on the health benefits of chia seeds:

Chia seeds are highly nutritious, fiber-packed, and versatile, offering significant benefits for heart health and digestion. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, plant-based protein, antioxidants, and essential minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium, which aid in reducing blood pressure, managing blood sugar, and strengthening bones. 

Our Healthy Blueberry Chia Jam is a tasty way to add those heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids (which are also great for brain health and nerve function), in to your families diet. Omega 3's lower triglycerides, help manage arthritis, improve mental health, and are vital for fetal development. They also help reduce inflammation, and improve eye health. 

One of our favorite lunches for a picnic is to have this blueberry jam in a sandwich with a heart measured spreading of peanut butter. And considering the staggering anount of health benefits associated with chia seeds, there's no reason not to make this recipe!

See the recipe card for more detailed nutritional information. 

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Wooden Spoon

How to make the jam

Add the blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice to a saucepan.

Cook on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the blueberries begin to soften and breakdown. Stirring often to help the blueberries release their juices.

Add the chia seeds to the saucepan and stir well.

Then using the back of the wooden spoon, squish the blueberries down to help release some more of the juices.

Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the jam sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool before transferring the jam to a glass jar for storing..

The jam will thicken a little more whilst it's cooling, thanks to the gelatinous properties of the chia seeds (see photo 6 above).

Hint: Once you have made your jam, taste it before storing. If you prefer a sweeter jam, now is the time to add a little more maple syrup. Try adding 1 more tablespoon of maple syrup, stir well and taste again. Once you're happy with it's sweetness, store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Substitutions & Variations

Here are a few other suggestions of how to jazz up your jam:

• Flavours- You could add vanilla extract and/or cardamon to your blueberry jam to give it a delicious twist. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract, and/pr ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamon to the saucepan at the same time as the chia seeds. 
• Wild Berries - Wild blueberries contain twice the amount of antioxidants and 50% more fiber. They also contain up to 30% less sugar, and have a more intense flavour profile, often noticably tangier. They are sold frozen, and they aren't as easy to get hold of as regular blueberries. If you're in the UK, you can buy them online from Ocado.

Storage

You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Just be sure that the lid is tightly screwed on when stored to preserve it's freshness for as long as possible. mason jars. 

You can store the jam in the freezer for up to 3 months, allow to fully thaw before using. Once defrosted, use within 1 week. 

Recipe tip

Texture - If you prefer a smoother jam, use a potato masher to squish the blueberries. Or for anyone with a child that has texture issues, whizzing the jam in a Food processor may be a good option. 

Quantity - You can easily scale this recipe to make a big batch. 

Other tasty toast toppers

Recipe