Chia seeds are something every dairy-free foodie should know about. Why? Because they are rich with Omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber and protein, and boast 179 milligrams of dairy-free calcium per 1 ounce serving (about 2 tablespoons). They’re also quite functional, since they quickly gel when water is added. In addition to smoothies, I use them to thicken desserts, like vanilla chia pudding, and to make this incredible dairy-free chia jam.
The Best Dairy-Free Chia Jam and How to Enjoy It
The little seeds you see in dairy-free chia seed jam are the chia seeds. They soften when liquid is added and take on the appearance of fruit seeds, but they are easier to eat. I’m not shy about slathering this homemade jam on, because it’s lower in sugar and heavier in healthy ingredients than your average jellies. Here are some serving suggestions I recommend for this chia seed jam recipe:
- Swirl it into oatmeal or dairy-free yogurt.
- Use it as the filling in Jam Muffins.
- Dollop it in the center of thumbprint cookies or danishes. I use it to make my Strawberry Danish Scones, a recipe in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. It should also work well in these Breakfast Buns.
- Drizzle it over dairy-free ice cream.
- Spread it on top of dairy-free muffins, pancakes, or waffles for a breakfast-style frosting.
- Make healthier PB&J sandwiches.
- Count on it as the middle layer in jam bars. I use it in my Chia Berry Crumb Bars recipe, which is also in
- Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
- And of course, enjoy it on bagels or toast! Below is my current favorite for breakfast.
Alisa’s Dairy-Free Breakfast Toast
My dairy-free chia jam recipe is delicious as a solo spread on bread, but it’s also amazing on my current favorite breakfast toast:
- Spread a layer of your favorite peanut, tree nut, or seed butter on slices of dairy-free toast. I like to use Silver Hills Bakery Sprouted Bread (for me) or Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Bread. (for gluten-free family members). Both are also nut-free and soy-free.
- Top the nut or seed butter with a layer of my dairy-freechia jam (recipe below).
- Slice a banana (I like ones that are firm and still a wee bit green), and place the slices over the dairy-free chia jam.
- Sprinkle on a nutritious dairy-free granola. On the toast pictured, I used the 5-minute Speedy Skillet Granola recipe from my dairy-free (gluten-free friendly) cookbook, Eat Dairy Free. But my Basic Dairy-Fee Granola is also amazing, when you have baking time.
Special Diet Notes: Chia Jam
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, optionally vegan (see the Sweetener Options), paleo-friendly, and vegetarian.
Dairy-Free Chia Jam
Homemade chia jam is an obsession of mine. It's delicious, fast to whip up, so easy to customize, and provides great dairy-free nutrition. .
Ingredients
Method
- Place the cherries or blueberries in a blender or food processor and pulse about 5 times to break them up.
- Scrape the frozen cherries into a saucepan. Add the honey and place the pan over medium heat.
- Bring the cherries to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. It should thicken just a bit and start to look syrupy.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.
- Stir in the chia seeds until well distributed.
- It will thicken quite a bit within 10 minutes. But transfer the mixture to a jar or other airtight container and refrigerate for a thicker jam. It will be fully set in about 2 hours. If it sets up too thick or too thin, see the Chia Note below.
Nutrition
Notes
Fruit Note: I like to use wild blueberries or dark sweet cherries, both of which are typically sold frozen. Despite the name, dark sweet cherries don't contain any added sweeteners. You'll need a 12-ounce bag for this recipe. If you opt to use another type of cherries, you might need to adjust the sweetener and lemon juice, to taste. You can use regular blueberries, but wild blueberries have more antioxidants and are more intensely flavored.
Raspberry, Blackberry, or Strawberry Option: Substitute raspberries, blackberries, choped strawberries, or a combination of these berries for the fruit. You can puree and strain the berries to get the hard, tiny berry seeds out, or use as is if you like the seeds. Chia seeds soften in the berry liquid, but the berry seeds do not. Increase the sweetener to 1/3 cup, the chia seeds to 2 1/2 tablespoons, and the lemon juice to 2 to 3 teaspoons, to taste. Sometimes I double the vanilla with these berries.
Superfood Option: Substitute one frozen acai pack (100 grams) for 3/4 cup of the berries. See the Chia Note below if it sets up too thick or too thin.
Jelly Option: If you want a smooth jelly-style jam, you can puree the chia seeds with the fruit. For the smoothest finish, pre-grind the chia seeds in a spice grinder until powdered. Then blend them with the fruit and other ingredients until smooth. This version will thicken very quickly.
Sweetener Note: Honey is my personal preference for sweetening dairy-free chia jam, but agave nectar or regular cane sugar are seamless substitutes. Some people do like to use maple syrup, which also performs well. I'm just not a big fan of maple flavor in jam. I haven't tested this recipe with a sugar-free sweetener. They often don't perform well when you are creating a syrup.
Chia Note: You can easily adjust the thickness of this jam. Simply add more chia seeds if it doesn't set up enough. They will absorb liquid even if the mixture is chilled. But if you add a few too many chia seeds and it sets up too much, just whisk in a splash of juice (for flavor) or water.
This recipe is adapted from my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
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