Using just 3 or 4 ingredients you can have a wonderful batch of sugar free strawberry jam. This jam is a healthy alternative that tastes great with toast and biscuits.
We love jams and jellies, and making our own batch of homemade sugar free strawberry jam here and there has been a great summer favorite for a few years now.
It's always so much fun to do, but this year I decided to go sugar free, and the results were FANTASTIC.
Check out my recipe for Sugar Free Blueberry Jam (using frozen blueberries) and see more reasons to love making your own jams.
Why This Recipe Works
- More uses for fresh fruits. Using fresh berries while they're on sale and in season is a great way to stretch the budget, but even frozen berries will work too!
- It's easier to make than you'd think! Making your own sugarless strawberry jam is truly easy and doesn't require much work at all. Mostly just standing over a pot, watching and stirring.
- You can have a batch in minutes. While it does require a bit of patience to get the jam to the perfect consistency, it actually only takes about 15 minutes.
🥘 Ingredients
Strawberries- You just need 1 pint of freshly washed, hulled, and quartered strawberries.
Water- Only a small amount may be needed.
Chia seeds- Instead of using pectin or other thickeners, we choose chia seeds because they're incredibly healthy. Packed with fiber and omega 3's, you're getting hidden nutrients in every bite.
Lemon juice This is what's needed to help preserve the jam so that it can last about a week or two in the fridge.
Sweetener- You can use maple syrup or honey as a sweetener for your jam. I recommend honey, but if you have real maple syrup (not the cheaper flavored corn syrup stuff), it will work great too.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make sugar free strawberry jam with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Wash and hull your fresh strawberries before cutting them into quarter-sized pieces.
Add your strawberries to a medium-sized saucepan and cook for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the berries are pretty soft.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Stir.
Mash strawberries with a potato masher until your desired level of chunkiness.
Stir in the chia seeds and honey before returning the pot to the stove.
Cook for about 5 more minutes while stirring consistently to prevent sticking.
Set the pan aside, turn off the heat and allow the jam to cool before handling. At this point, you can take a small spoonful and sample the jam to see if you would like to make it sweeter or not.
If so, add in more honey now to get it to where you want it. Don't mind the chia seed texture, as they will soften.
Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 4 hours before using.
🍴 Recipe Tips
This no sugar strawberry jam can be made to fit your desired level of chunkiness. If you like your strawberries bigger and more like preserves, don't mash as much as you would for a smoother jam consistency.
The longer the chia seeds sit in the jam the more they expand and help to thicken the jam. While they might look like added strawberry seeds you can make them into a finer texture by running them through a food processor until finely ground and then adding them into the jam.
Your jam might be slightly thin as it comes out of the pot, but store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours, and it will thicken up wonderfully.
💭 FAQs
Because this chia strawberry jam recipe contains lemon juice your jam will last up to 2 weeks if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge. You can get it to last up to several months if stored in the freezer, just thaw before using.
Yes, you can make this jam with frozen strawberries, and if you do, you can omit the added water as the frozen berries will have plenty of moisture in them already.
This recipe is not canning friendly. This is what is often referred to as a "freezer jam" meaning that it is meant to be kept stored in your fridge or freezer for up to a few weeks, whereas canned jams can last indefinitely.
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📖 Recipe
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fresh Strawberries ($2.54)
- 1 Tablespoon Water ($0.00)
- 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds ($0.28)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice ($0.01)
- 1 Tablespoon Honey (or Maple Syrup) ($0.14)
Instructions
- Wash and hull your fresh strawberries before cutting them into quarter sized pieces.
- Add your strawberries to a medium sized saucepan and cook for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat, until the berries are pretty soft.
- Remove from heat and add in lemon juice. Stir.
- Mash strawberries with a potato masher until your desired level of chunkiness.
- Stir in the chia seeds and honey before returning the pot to the stove.
- Cook for about 5 more minutes while stirring consistently to prevent sticking.
- Set the pan aside, turn off the heat and allow the jam to cool before handling. At this point you can take a small spoonful and sample the jam to see if you would like to make it sweeter or not. Is so, add in more honey now to get it to where you want it. Don't mind the chia seed texture as they will soften.
- Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 4 hours before using.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- This no sugar strawberry jam can be made to fit your desired level of chunkiness. If you like your strawberries bigger and more like preserves, don't mash as much as you would for a smoother jam consistency.
- You can make this jam with frozen strawberries and if you do you can omit the added water as the frozen berries will have plenty of moisture in them already.
- The longer the chia seeds sit in the jam the more they expand and help to thicken the jam. While they might look like added strawberry seeds you can make them into a finer texture by running them through a food processor until finely ground and then adding them into the jam.
- Your jam might be slightly thin as it comes out of the pot but store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours and it will thicken up wonderfully.
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