This easy recipe for Berry Chia jelly requires just two ingredients and can be made start to finish in less than 10 minutes. It’s highly customizable to your preferences – choose your berry, choose your texture, choose your tartness. No added sugar makes this homemade jelly much healthier than anything you can buy at the store.
This past January, we gave up added sugar cold-turkey for an entire month. After January, I just kind of…kept going. I liked the way I felt without a daily dose (or three) of added sugar. I have more energy, fewer cravings, less frequent bloat and foggy brain in the mornings. I still make exceptions for things like Moose Tracks Cake on special occasions, but dessert is no longer part of my daily routine.
Giving up added sugar in January – and continuing to live without it in my daily diet – was much easier than I expected, partly due to finding yummy alternatives to common culprits of high added sugar, like this Berry Chia Jelly.
When you give up added sugar, you have to become an Expert Label Scanner. You can identify the added sugar content in a nutritional label within seconds. And one thing you learn quickly is how many unassuming packaged foods are actually loaded with added sugar, some of them things you wouldn’t expect, like soup.
The jams and jellies you buy at the store are actually some of the worst offenders when it comes to added sugar! Fruit is already sweet on its own, but many companies feel the need to add even more sugar into their jelly to satisfy our sugar-addicted palates.
But the truth is when you take that added sugar out…you don’t really miss it. Making refined sugar free homemade jelly like this Berry Chia Jelly allows you to really enjoy the full flavor of the fruit itself, without the extra sugar overwhelming it.
This Berry Chia Jelly is awesome because 1) It is SUPER easy, 2) it is highly customizable, and 3) it’s extremely healthy. You can use any berries you want – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, mixed berries. Whatever you favorite berry jam flavor is, go for it! For this post, I made a mMixed Berry Chia Jelly with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, but I’ve also made a straight Raspberry Chia Jelly and that was delicious too.
Aside from the frozen berries, all you need is chia seeds. You have the option to add vanilla extract (for depth of flavor) and lemon juice (for extra tartness), but to be honest, neither of those makes a hugely noticeable difference.
Because it’s made with just two ingredients, both of which are superfoods, Berry Chia Jelly is a nutritional powerhouse. Both fresh berries and chia seeds are packed with antioxidants and fiber. Chia seeds also contribute a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber. Suffice to say, Berry Chia Jelly is a sweet addition to breakfast or snack-time that you can feel good about.
Your Chia Jelly will be ready to eat about 10 minutes after you decide to make it. What happens next is really up to you. Berry Chia Jelly is very versatile! It can elevate so many different things.
How to use Berry Chia Jelly:
- Make a nut butter sandwich
- Put it on oatmeal
- Stir it into yogurt
- Blend it into a milkshake
- Layer it into a parfait
- Swirl it into overnight oats
- Eat it on a spoon (why not?)
The possibilities are endless. And because this Berry Chia Jelly is so healthy, there’s no need to slow your roll – go full steam ahead and put Berry Chia Jelly on everything.
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This easy recipe for chia jelly requires just two ingredients and can be made start to finish in less than 10 minutes. It’s highly customizable to your preferences – choose your berry, choose your texture, choose your tartness. Enjoy on toast, oatmeal, yogurt, and more.
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen berries (any kind)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Pour frozen berries into a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
- Heat berries, stirring occasionally, until the berries start to break down, soften, and release their juices.
- Add in the chia seeds, vanilla extract (optional), lemon juice (optional), and stir.
- Mash berries using a spoon, fork, or potato masher to remove chunks. If you prefer your fruit spread on the chunkier side – more of a jam than a jelly – stop here.
- To make chia jelly, transfer mixture to a high-powered blender. Blend on medium-high for approximately one minute or until smooth.
- Pour chia jelly into a glass jar. Store in refrigerator. Jelly will keep for 1-2 weeks (if it lasts that long!).
