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You guys, I just made my own jam! And it’s not the traditional jam with the whole canning process. It’s Strawberry Chia Jam that I made in a saucepan and took me only 15 minutes! I made this recipe from the Pretty Simple Cooking Cookbook written by Sonja and Alex from A Couple Cooks! The cookbook is full of 100 vegetarian recipes that are so pretty and so simple – hence pretty simple cooking!
I was so excited to dig in because I absolutely love vegetarian recipes that are easy to make and have accessible ingredients. So the first thing I decided to make was this strawberry chia jam. I know what you’re thinking, you said easy. But this is totally easy, I promise. There’s no canning and waiting process involved!
How to make strawberry chia jam
To start, you basically use fresh or frozen strawberries, throw in some lime juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and simmer it all together.
Next, you’ll add in some chia seeds. What happens is when the chia seeds get heated, those tiny seeds naturally thicken the strawberries into a jelly-like spread.
And what you get, as Sonja and Alex call, it is “supremely simple homemade preserves.”
You can take this basic idea of the strawberry chia jam, and do it it with blueberries, raspberries, cherries or whatever fruit you’d like. I love that they used lime in there because it gives it a nice tangy punch.
And the cool thing is, you can literally eat it within 15 minutes of starting the recipe. If you store it in the fridge though, it will settle even more when it gets cold. But who can actually wait for that when you smell those strawberries simmering for 15 minutes! I spread it on toast with peanut butter STAT. But you an also use it as a topping for pancakes or waffles, or swirl it on yogurt.
I’m borderline obsessed with this strawberry chia jam fabulousness, and can’t wait to make more recipes from the Pretty Simple Cooking Cookbook!
Strawberry Chia Jam Recipe Excerpted from A Couple Cooks | Pretty Simple Cooking: 100 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes to Make You Fall in Love with Real Food by Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser. Copyright © 2018. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Strawberry Chia Jam recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
For more toast recipes:
Strawberry Chia Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen strawberries*
- 2 Tbsp lime juice plus zest 1 large lime
- 6 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- In a small skillet, add the strawberries, lime juice and 2 Tbsp water. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. About halfway through the simmering time, begin breaking down the berries by smashing them with a fork into a chunky but uniform texture.
- Once the berries are broken down, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seeds, and lime zest until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat. Let the skillet sit for about 5-7 minutes until the chia seeds thicken the jam.
- Transfer to a jar and refrigerate; the texture will set even further when chilled.
Notes
- Storage: Stores refrigerated for up to 2 weeks (chia jam is not shelf stable)
- Frozen vs. fresh*: One pound of fresh strawberries can be substituted for 2 cups frozen strawberries, which cuts the simmering time to around half
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I just made this and OMG it’s my new favourite thing. The possibilities are endless with what you could pair this with !! YUMMMM. Thank you
I love that! It really is – so versatile. You’re so welcome!!
As a diabetic I am constantly looking for things to satisfy my sweet tooth. I made this with a touch of liquid stevia and find it brilliant topping for my homemade Greek yoghurt.
I’m glad you were able to make it work for your lifestyle and enjoyed it!
Haven’t tried it cooled yet but it was delicious warm over a brownie! I subbed raspberries and simmered for half the time. Can’t wait to try it on a PB & J!
Yay! So glad to hear it…mmm I know how good it tastes warm!
Muchas gracias por compartir todas tus deliciosas y saludables recetas. Desde que te descubrí en Instagram, no paro de ver tu blog y hacer ya varias recetas. Los cup cakes de chocolate son los favoritos de mi marido. Acabo de hacer la mermelada de fresas!
Hi there! Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup and nix the lemon juice? This looks amazing. Cant wait to make a healthy snack with natural peanut butter, the chia jam on my Ezekiel bread. Thanks
Hi there, yes, you can sub the honey for maple syrup and leave out the lemon juice. I hope you enjoy it!
Just wanted to let you know I’ve been making this consistently since August and it is the best thing. Easy to make and easy to get ingredients. I highly recommend everyone( especially parents who want their kids to have healthy PB and J option for lunch they will never taste the difference. (See my previous post.) It is just as great as a snack with greek yogurt. Thanks again for a great post!
Aww, I’m so glad to hear it! You’re so right…my kids couldn’t even tell the difference with this and it’s a much healthier option. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Amazing! My kids love it.
Yay! So glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing 🙂
When you smell those strawberries simmering, you can’t wait to spread them on literally everything. This was truly delicious!
It was my true pleasure to be your weekend BFF! And I hope we can see each other again soon. You made this strawberry chia jam look seriously GORGEOUS! THANK YOU so much for your kind words about Pretty Simple Cooking! Sending big love to you and can’t wait to see you again!
Awww so great meeting you and spending the weekend together! Looking forward to next time 🙂