This is the BEST strawberry jam. It’s tangy, all natural, vegan, and so easy. In just 15 minutes you have homemade jam: no canning tools required!
Did you know you can make strawberry jam in just 15 minutes? Yes, and it’s not just any old jam. It’s the most delicious strawberry jam you’ve ever tasted! You’ll want to spread this sweet-tart glistening red jelly on just about everything: toast, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes. Or just eat it off a spoon: we won’t judge! Alex and I make this healthy strawberry jam all the time and love that there’s no canning equipment required. It uses chia seeds to make the gel-like texture, and maple syrup to make it just sweet enough. Ready to get started?
What’s so great about this jam?
When I think strawberry jam, I think about a big bunch of canning equipment. I grew up watching my parents make their “famous” apple butter with the professional canning methods. Canning has had a resurgence today, but this recipe is the exact opposite. Here’s what’s great about this jam:
- It’s quick! You can make this easy strawberry jam in a flash, and it keeps in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
- It uses chia seeds instead of gelatin. The magic of this recipe is that you don’t use gelatin like a standard jam. Chia seeds act as an all natural way to make fruit into jam! If you’ve never made a jam with chia seeds, it is literally life changing. Because it uses chia seeds, it’s a plant based / vegan strawberry jam too.
- It’s naturally sweet. This strawberry jam is naturally sweetened using maple syrup. It doesn’t have loads of refined sugar like traditional jams and jellies!
Ready to get started?
How to make strawberry jam in 15 minutes…with no canning equipment!
Step 1: Cook frozen berries with lime juice for 10 minutes.
Place 1 pound of frozen strawberries, lime juice, and water into a saucepan (see the recipe below for quantities). Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries are fully broken down. Break down the berries by smashing them with a fork into chunky but uniform texture.
Step 2: Stir in the chia seeds and allow to thicken.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the chia seeds, maple, lime zest and vanilla. (PS Here’s how to zest a lime!) Let the mixture sit for 5 to 7 minutes and watch the magic happen. Voila! The strawberries naturally thicken into a strawberry jam.
Step 3: Pour into a jar and refrigerate.
Pour the strawberry jam into the jar and refrigerate it. It will thicken even more once it’s cool. You can eat it right away, but it’s best after cooling for about 1 hour. You can store it for about 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge!
10 ways to serve strawberry jam
There are so many ways to use strawberry jam! This one tastes so good, you won’t have difficulty finding ways to use it. But if you’re looking for ideas, here are our favorite ways to eat it:
- PB&J: Make some nut butter and toast up some homemade bread.
- Oatmeal: Spread it on our best oatmeal, instant oatmeal, or Instant Pot oatmeal.
- Biscuits: Spread on our buttermilk biscuits.
- Bagels: Bagels with cream cheese + strawberry jam? Yes please.
- Waffles: Top fluffy gluten free waffles or cornbread waffles.
- Pancakes: Imagine this on top of banana oatmeal pancakes!
- Wraps: Spread on some peanut butter and strawberry jam, then roll it up and slice into pinwheels (like these).
- Crackers: Spread almond butter and jam on our homemade crackers.
- Muffins: Slather onto these healthy banana bread muffins.
- Cornbread: Spread onto our best cornbread or easy vegan cornbread.
This strawberry jam recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Print
Easy Strawberry Jam
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
This is the BEST strawberry jam. It’s tangy and sweet, all natural, and so easy. In just 15 minutes you have homemade jam: no canning tools required!
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen strawberries (3 cups whole berries)*
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, plus ½ tablespoon zest (2 small limes or 1 large)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chia seeds
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the strawberries, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries are fully broken down. About halfway through the simmering time, begin to break down the berries by smashing them with a fork into chunky but uniform texture.
- Once the berries are broken down, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, chia seeds, and lime zest and stir until combined, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Let the skillet sit about 5 to 7 minutes until the chia seeds thicken the jam. Transfer to a 16-ounce canning jar and refrigerate; the texture will set even further when chilled. Stores refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*You can also use fresh berries to make this strawberry jam: this cuts the cook time in about half. We like to use frozen berries and keep fresh berries for eating. But you could use fresh berries if you’d like!
- Category: Jam
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: Strawberry Jam, Chia Jam
More jam recipes
If you’re into jam, we’ve got lots more ideas! Here are our favorite jam recipes:
- Rhubarb Jam Chia seeds naturally make rhubarb into a thick rhubarb jam, tangy and sweet with maple syrup, and brightened with orange.
- Cranberry Jam Made with chia seeds instead of gelatin, this tart jam is quick and easy to make, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
- Tart Cherry Jam with Chai Spices Quick and easy to make, this jam stars sweet tart cherries and is scented with chai spices.
Last updated: January 2020
Hey, guys, could I use flax seeds as opposed to chia seeds as a thickener for the strawberry jam? Thank you.
I did a quick Google search and looks like Flax Jam is a thing! We haven’t made it before, so can’t advise on how it would work. I’d suggest searching for a flax jam recipe online since I’m not sure if the same ratio for chia seeds would work. Good luck!
Can I replace the maple syrup with honey?
Yes!
I love this recipe! I even use the jam in my morning smoothie sometimes. Very easy to make and it tastes great. To the cooks- I tried giving the recipe a 5 star rating but when I clicked on the stars there was no option to choose any. The recipe went from 4.5 to 4.3.
So glad you enjoyed it! The rating is an average of all people who’ve rated it. Thanks for the 5 :)
I made this last night with fresh strawberries (reducing the cooking time a bit, as you suggested). Delicious, thanks for sharing this wonderful, healthier recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Genius idea!!!! Guilt free jam! Just made some—couldn’t be easier! Making some bread right now, looking forward to a PBJ sammy!
★★★★★