I’ve been busy in the kitchen lately. We stocked up on all sorts of fruit and vegetables and sometimes we forget they’re there until they’re about to go bad. This leaves me finding creative ways to use it up before it goes to waste. This is the situation I found myself in when I discovered almost 2 pounds of strawberries at the back of the fridge. Thankfully I’ve really been craving some PB&Js and making jam is incredibly easy. This recipe is an easy vegan strawberry chia jam.
Strawberry chia jam is a vegan jam that is made with just three ingredients: strawberries, chia seeds, and maple syrup. More than likely you have ingredients in your home to make this without even leaving. You can use fresh or frozen berries, but realize if you use frozen it’ll likely take you a bit longer to cook them down unless you defrost prior. Either way, this stuff is great because you control exactly how much sugar goes into it. Many store-bought jams and jellies contain ABSURD amounts of sugar, which is a major turnoff.
What you’ll love about this vegan strawberry jam?
- It’s got less sugar. Feed this to your children guilt free knowing it’s got significantly less sugar than any prepared jellies at the store. It’s also got higher fiber, which is an added bonus!
- Vegan. Many jams and jellies use ingredients that are not vegan friendly, so this is friendly to vegans and plant based diets.
- Three ingredients. It doesn’t get much better than that!
- Easy to make. Seriously all you do is cook down the strawberries, stir in the sweetener and chia seeds, and blend if you want.
How to make this vegan jam?
- Wash and cut up strawberries. I usually quarter them to make them cook down faster but you can decide how small you want.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the strawberries stirring very frequently to prevent them from burning.
- Once they’ve softened and a lot of juices have come out, grab a fork or potato masher and squish them down.
- Stir in the maple syrup and taste. Add additional sweetener to get it sweetened to your taste.
- If you want thinner jam, blend with an immersion blender.
- Remove from heat, spoon into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds.
- Allow it to set in the fridge for about 20 minutes and it’s ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for one week.
Easy Vegan Strawberry Chia Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and chopped can substitute frozen
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash strawberries and remove tops. Quarter with a knife.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the strawberries to the skillet and allow them to start breaking down.
- Stir for about 10 minutes to prevent burning to the pan.
- Once they are softened, mash with a fork or potato masher.
- Stir in the maple syrup and taste. You may want to start low and taste to ensure you don't over sweeten. Add more until it is sweetened to your liking.
- Stir in the chia seeds and spoon into a bowl.
- If you want smooth jam, puree with an immersion blender, otherwise it'll be more chunky.
- Place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to thicken. It is ready to use at this point! Otherwise it'll store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Breakfast Recipes
This jam would go great topping for the dishes linked below!
Easy sweet potato pancakes
Vegan Mashed Sweet Potato Bowl
Thanks for reading! Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
-Cassie