This four-ingredient, super healthy, and quick & easy Strawberry Chia Jam recipe is a great alternative to the usual sugar-laden option.

Growing up, our jam homemade recipes were always delicious -- super jammy and a rich strawberry flavor I can't forget -- but not necessarily healthy. Loads of granulated sugar were added along with the pectin to create the thick-textured jam. In the years since I've tried out low sugar and reduced sugar jam recipes, but nothing has replicated that full strawberry jam flavor like this strawberry chia jam.

Because the chia seeds naturally thicken up, no pectin is needed. Also, thanks to frozen berries, this chia jam has the water content and requisite sweetness to give it a killer mouthfeel and the kind of authentic flavor I haven't tasted in years. No more of that fake sweetener flavor of the sugar-free jams often sold in stores.

Some lemon juice is added in to make the berry flavors sing. The agave or maple syrup used keep the recipe vegan but are still optional if the berries are sweet enough to stand on their own. Oh, and those chia seeds: they thicken up enough to create a spreadable texture, but still camouflage in enough that you can't taste them.

How to Make Strawberry Chia Jam:

1. To get started on your chia jam, place your frozen berries in a medium-size saucepan. Any berry will do -- blueberry, raspberries, mixed berries, you name it! -- strawberry jam is just my all time favorite. I am going to make the blueberry chia jam when I run out of my strawberry jam, though. 🙂
2. Next, drizzle your frozen berries with the agave syrup (optional) and lemon juice.
3. Heat the berry combination over medium-high heat. Once the moisture at the bottom of the pan starts to simmer, turn the heat down to medium-low.
4. Cook the berries over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes and mashing with the back of a wooden spoon, a fork, or even a potato masher. Mash it to the consistency you like. I love my chia jam super chunky, so just go pretty light on the whole mashing part.
5. Remove berries from the heat and stir in the chia seeds. Mix them in pretty well so they are evenly distributed throughout the berries.
6. Let berries and chia seeds sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, stirring periodically so the seeds don't clump, or until the seeds have gelled up.
7. Serve the jam warm -- or at any time it is thick enough for your liking -- or wait until it comes to room temperature.
8. There you have it berry chia jam!

Some Strawberry Chia Jam Q&A!

• How do you hide chia seeds in food? One way to hide chia seeds in food is to blend them down in the liquid. Another way is with a dark colored berry. The strawberries (as pictured) in this jam still show the seeds, but they do nicely blend in as the chia seeds aren't as dark once they thicken.

• How do chia seeds thicken? The chia seeds thicken by absorbing the liquid they are in. Placing the seeds in a warm liquid tends to thicken them up even faster, as they seem to break down and soften the seeds more rapidly.

• Do chia seeds contain pectin? As the chia seeds do get gelatinous when soaked in liquids, it is not pectin that thickens the liquid up, like is used in traditional jam. Here, the chia seeds soak up even faster than they do in say, a chia seed pudding, because of the heat.

• Is strawberry jam vegan? Yes! This strawberry chia seed jam is definitely vegan. This is achieved by using agave syrup (or maple syrup)-- and if your berries are sweet enough, you can even omit the sweetener. The only thing that would make this recipe not vegan is if a non-vegan granulated sugar was used to sweeten it.

• How to store chia jam? Story chia jam covered in the fridge for 7-10 days or in the fridge for up to two months. I bet it won't last that long in either, though! We're using every excuse to eat our jam over here

• What are the nutritional benefits of chia seeds? Chia seeds bring a host of nutrition. It's quite unbelievable. For starters, they have dietary fiber and omega fatty acids -- some of the most per volume of any food. Also, they have high-quality protein and are packed chock-full with antioxidants. And that's not all, either! Read more about chia seed nutritional benefits here.

Strawberry Chia Jam Cooking Notes:

• Mash the berries as much as you like. I love, love, love chunky jam so I only lightly mash mine.

• I prefer frozen strawberries because they have more moisture and plenty of flavor. If you have and want to use fresh berries, however, just add a tablespoon or water to make up for that lost water.

• The chia seeds take about 30-45 minutes to gel up in the hot jam. Feel free to eat any time after. Otherwise, let come to room temperature and then refrigerate.

Recipes to Serve Strawberry Chia Jam with:

• Best Whole Wheat Pancakes
• Blueberry Muffles
• Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto
• Vegan Chia Pudding Parfaits
• Vanilla Spiced Coconut Granola