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Home » Recipes » Basics

Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam with Chia Seeds (low carb, keto)

By Kim Hardesty

A beautiful, tangy sugar-free blueberry jam thickened with chia seeds and flavored with lime. This blueberry jam is absolutely delicious and perfect for any low carb keto diet.

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Sugar-free blueberry chia seed jam is easy to make and keto friendly.

[Enjoy the updated photos, article, and scaled recipe. This blueberry and lime combination is mouthwateringly good.]

A beautiful homemade jam is one of life's simple pleasures, especially when spread over a warm slice of fresh buttered bread.  Many people these days are eating more healthy and looking for "clean recipes" to prepare at home. As more information about sugar and its harmful effects are coming to light, there has been a push to reduce sugar consumption.

This is not a raw chia seed jam like so many out there. For convenience, it uses frozen blueberries which are simmered to achieve this beautiful color. But don't worry, it's not a long and involved process like making real jams and jellies - it just takes a few minutes. I use my blender to smooth out the consistency of the blueberries and to help thicken the jam.

My sugar-free blueberry chia seed jam recipe has no added sugar and uses chia seeds for their gelling ability and thickening power instead of excess sugar or added pectin. It's one of three sugar free jelly or jam recipes I have on the blog. My keto raspberry jam tastes just like fresh raspberries and the low carb sugar free strawberry jam resembles a freezer jam in taste. Both use gelatin to thicken.

Jars of homemade sugar-free blueberry chia jam on biscuits with limes and blueberries.

How to Make Sugar-Free Jam With Chia Seeds

Chia seed jam is easy one of the easiest jams to make. Using pureed fresh ripe fruit or cooked fruit will vary the intensity of color and flavor. A little lemon juice helps acidify the jam preventing spoilage. Use only enough of your favorite sweetener to give the chia seed jam a nice sweet taste. Grind the chia seeds for a smoother jam or keep them whole for some texture. I find that I have to use more chia seeds if I grind them.

How to Make Sugar-free Blueberry Jam

Honestly, blueberries contain enough natural sugar and pectin that you can simply cook them down to make a jam. I used to do this for my children. The problem for those following a reduced sugar and low carb diet is that this concentrates the sugars resulting in a higher sugar product per serving.

To make this sugar-free blueberry jam and keep carbs low, cook the blueberries until they soften and burst. Add low carb sweetener to taste. The most common sweeteners are Erythritol blends, xylitol, and stevia. Put the cooked blueberries in a blender to break up the skins. Pour the fruit puree into a jar, add chia seeds and stir. Let the jam sit overnight in the fridge to give the chia seeds time to expand and gel.

How Long Does Sugar-free Jam Last?

This recipe calls for lime juice which acidifies the blueberry jam, helping preserve it. Furthermore, the erythritol based low carb sweetener prevents the growth of bacteria. I often make double batches with the unopened jar sitting in the fridge for several weeks. I try to use the opened jar within 2-3 weeks. Make sure to start with a clean jar and always use clean utensils when removing jam from the jar. 

Is Sugar Free Jam Keto Friendly?

Yes, sugar free jam is Keto friendly. While fruit contains natural sugars, lower carb choices like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are perfect for low carb keto jams. Fruit is generally consumed sparingly and since jam is a condiment, only one tablespoon is used at a time. Most homemade sugar-free jams contain 1g carb per serving.

I love this sugar-free blueberry chia seed jam on toasted low carb bread and stirred into yogurt. Try it as a topping for muffins or swirled into cheesecakes. 

Sugar-free blueberry chia seed jam is keto friendly and delicious!

Sugar-Free Blueberry Chia Seed Jam (low carb, no pectin)

A beautiful, tangy sugar-free blueberry jam thickened with chia seeds and flavored with lime. This pectin free jam is absolutely delicious and perfect for any low carb keto diet.
4.78 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Condiments, Dressings and Sauces
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 11kcal
Author: lowcarbmaven.com

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen blueberries (8 ounces)
  • ¼ cup lime juice (2 ounces)
  • ¼ cup erythritol
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • zest from one lime
  • 2 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions

  • Put the frozen blueberries, lime juice, water and erythritol in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a strong simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and lightly puree the blueberries with an immersion blender or a standing blender..
  • Pour into a clean jar and stir in the chia seeds and lime zest. Let the blueberry jam cool before covering and placing in the refrigerator. It will thicken overnight but still be thinner than regular jam.  Makes 1 cup with 1 tablespoon per serving or 16 total servings. 
  • This jam keeps for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. 

Notes

The fat, fiber, and protein in this recipe are "trace amounts". This recipe card only allows numerical entries. The calories are 11 and total carbs are 2 per each serving. 
Nutrition Facts
Sugar-Free Blueberry Chia Seed Jam (low carb, no pectin)
Amount Per Serving (1 tbsp)
Calories 11
% Daily Value*
Carbohydrates 2g1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g
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About Kim Hardesty

Kim is a self taught cook with over 30 years experience in the kitchen. She develops and tests low carb and keto recipes in her California home. She began her low carb journey in 2009 and at the urging of friends, started blogging in 2014. Kim shares delicious low carb and keto recipes no one would believe are sugar-free. Her recipes are featured in newsstand publications and on sites all over the internet.

View all posts by Kim Hardesty | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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  1. Keith

    September 06, 2022 at 3:55 am

    I can't wait to try this recipe. I've been dying to find a schmear for my keto bread, muffins and pancakes. I would just like to know if it would help firm things up just enough to resemble a regular jam if I added, say, a quarter tsp. of xanthan gum. Any thoughts before I end up with a tasty block of blueberries?

    Reply
    • Kim Hardesty

      September 21, 2022 at 4:41 am

      Hi Keith. You can add some xanthan gum, but add it with the sweetener so that it doesn't clump. -Kim

      Reply
  2. Carla

    January 31, 2021 at 10:36 am

    Just tried this recipe over the weekend and was absolutely delighted at how delicious it turned out! And super easy to make too, you are a life saver! Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  3. Dalia Chandler

    December 19, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    You mentioned 2 tablespoons of chia seeds but your recipe doesn’t mention when to add the chia seeds? I don’t use them often so I don’t want to screw things up.
    Also, do I have to use an immersion blender? Will the chia seeds be crunchy if I don’t?

    Reply
    • Kim Hardesty

      December 20, 2020 at 7:18 am

      Hi Dalia. Look at step number three. I mention the chia seeds there. I have found that blending the chia seeds causes them not to gel as well because the magic happens on the outside of the seeds. If not blended, the seeds do soften as they swell, but there is still some texture there - like raspberry seeds but not quite as hard. -Kim

      Reply
  4. Dana

    August 14, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    Can you process in a canner to use at a later date?

    Reply
    • Kim Hardesty

      August 15, 2020 at 8:30 am

      Although the erythritol inhibits bacterial growth, I am unsure if it inhibits it enough to make this recipe safe to can. There is some lime juice in there but again, I am unsure if it is sufficient for canning. I have frozen this jam before. -Kim

      Reply
  5. Laura Rohrbaugh

    July 27, 2020 at 6:33 am

    Easy and delicious! Perfect on a coconut or almond flour muffin.

    Reply
  6. Jamie Shintani

    June 23, 2020 at 5:36 am

    Awesome fresh tasting jam!

    Reply
  7. Eiman

    April 02, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    It's an amazing recipe. Made it yesterday with mixed berries, now I'm having some. The taste and the texture are super awesome.
    Thanks for the great reciepe.

    Reply
  8. Melia

    January 17, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    If I make the blueberry jam using gelatin instead of seeds would I measure the same as the raspberry jam for the gelatin and keep all other measurements the same for the Blueberry jam?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kim Hardesty

      January 18, 2020 at 9:26 am

      Hi Melia. Oddly, I haven't tried this with gelatin. Blueberries have a lot of pectin and just cooking them alone with sweetener will cause them to gel, but it also concentrates the natural sugar in the fruit. I used to do this for my kids when they were small. I would give it a try and see what happens. You can always simmer it longer if it doesn't gel overnight. Resist the temptation to add more gelatin. I did that with the strawberry jam and it was completely solid! Lol. -Kim

      Reply
  9. Jill Ann Rutherford

    May 02, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    Question: Does this make 2 pint jars and do you add 1 TB of chia to each jar?
    Printed out half a dozen recipes already, can't wait to try them! Jill <

    Reply
    • Kim

      May 02, 2019 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Jill. The recipe makes about 1 cup of jam. I was also shooting raspberry jam that day - in the other jar. -Kim

      Reply
  10. Toni

    March 19, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    Wow if you like lime this is for you....next time I am omitting it altogether

    Reply
  11. fabiana

    July 02, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    hi! I was wondering i you can make it with cherries instead of blueberries or maybe mixed berries? i bought cherries at a farmers market but the kids are not eating them fresh they say is sour. I don't want them to go to waste.any suggestions? sugar free if possible

    Reply
    • Kim

      July 03, 2018 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Fabiana. I bet you could make it with cherries. I would partially chop the fruit with a food processor before starting - not into a liquid, but small pieces. I don't know how much chia seeds you will need. If it doesn't gel to where you like it overnight, then add another tablespoon and see what it's like several hours later. -Kim

      Reply
  12. Mary

    June 04, 2018 at 4:26 am

    Thank you so much for these wonderful recipes that you publish. I was wondering if I can preserve these using the traditional canning methods to keep jars on hand through the winter? Can these be frozen and pulled out as needed? Thank you in advance for your reply.

    Reply
    • Kim

      June 05, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      Hi Mary, great questions. I have never tried canning or freezing the jam recipes I have shared. I only make small batches and we finishes them in about 10 days (I have two school aged children). I'm sorry I can't be of more help. -Kim

      Reply
  13. Elizabeth

    May 26, 2018 at 10:07 am

    Kim, this jam looks amazing. Also, do you a recipe for the biscuits shown in the photos above? They look amazing too. Thanks for all your hard work. I love your site.

    Reply
    • Kim

      May 27, 2018 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Elizabeth. The jam is pretty good. I just made those biscuits on the fly and they were pretty terrible! Look at the roll recipe I have (type "roll" into the search box) and that one is pretty good. -Kim

      Reply
  14. Rachel

    April 29, 2018 at 10:45 am

    I happened to have lots of fresh blueberries on hand and I found your scrumptious looking recipe for blueberry jam. May I substitute frozen blueberries in the recipe with fresh ones? Would anything in the process change? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kim

      April 29, 2018 at 2:21 pm

      Yes, Rachel. I have used frozen blueberries before. -Kim

      Reply
  15. Joi

    December 26, 2017 at 9:07 pm

    I really want to make this blueberry jam and have all of the ingredients except instead of chia seeds I have ground chia seeds...would that still work? and if so would I need to adjust the measurements?

    Reply
    • Kim

      December 26, 2017 at 9:12 pm

      Joi, the ground chia seeds work, but you need a little more to thicken it properly, try 1 1/2 teaspoons. If it doesn’t thicken overnight, add a little more and let it sit overnight again. I like the whole chia seeds better than the ground because the ground chia seeds add a chia flavor. You can also cook the blueberries longer and it will thicken naturally because of the pectin. As a last choice, you can add 1 teaspoon of gelatin bloomed in 1 tablespoon of water to the jam to thicken it. I hope this helps. -Kim

      Reply
      • Carol

        June 05, 2018 at 12:03 pm

        In the recipe, you say 2 tablespoons of whole chia. But in your response above, you say you need to use more if it's ground, like 1.5 teaspoons. But 1.5 teaspoons is LESS THAN 2 tablespoons....so now I'm confused. Can you clarify?

        Reply
        • Kim

          June 05, 2018 at 12:13 pm

          Yes, Carol, sorry for he confusion. I meant to add 1.5 teaspoon MORE to the 2 tablespoons. I hope this is more clear. -Kim

          Reply
  16. Randy Frost

    December 06, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    As a carb counter and not a calorie counter, I find it disappointing that you put up a calorie count for each recipe, but not a carb count. If the calories in your jam all come from carbs, those of us who are diabetic and VERY strict carb counters need to know that or at least what the actual carb count is without doing the research ourselves into the ingredients and performing the math to derive a carb count per tablespoon.

    Not really bitching at you, more of a whine. LOL

    Randy Frost

    Reply
    • Kim

      December 07, 2017 at 8:56 am

      Hi Randy. That was just me forgetting to add the carbs to the nutrition label. The fat, fiber and protein come up as TRACE AMOUNTS in my recipe program and I can not add words to the recipe card on my blog. Anything listed as zero doesn't even show up. The TOTAL CARBS per serving is 2. I always list the net carbs above the recipe card (usually in purple). I will add the missing information now. Thanks for letting me know that there was information missing from the nutritional label. Have a nice day. -Kim

      Reply
  17. Camdace

    November 19, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    I'm going to try this substituting lemon as that is what most of my older recipes call for in blueberry cobbler, pies and such. Have you ever done it with lemon juice and lemon zest?

    Reply
    • Kim

      November 19, 2017 at 6:47 pm

      I just used the lime to be different. It was very good, but lemon is classic. I would start with less lemon juice than stated and increase per your taste. -Kim

      Reply
  18. Coo

    November 03, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    AWESOME! I made Keto Kristies Biscuits topped with Creme Fraiche AND THIS DELICIOUS JAM! I have to confess I goofed and added the chia seeds at the same time as everything else and was pleasantly surprised at how the little buggers thickened it. Learned something new!

    i need to thank you for your posts, you have such good recipes. Being new to Keto, the Keto recipe community has been a blessing. You guys are literally saving my life, as my motivation is reversing Type II Diabetes. I started my Keto journey about two months ago, have lost 15-20lbs BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I shaved 7 points off my A1C got it down to 6.7 and cut the Metformin from 2000 per day to 500. My goal at next A1C is to "pre-diabetic"! A million thanks, GOD BLESS YOU!

    Reply
    • Kim

      November 04, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      I'm glad you liked the jam, Coo! Congratulations on improving your numbers and health. Thank you for such a nice comment and rating. Have a great day. -Kim

      Reply
  19. Tammy

    October 20, 2017 at 1:11 am

    What is the net carb count?

    Reply
    • Kim

      October 20, 2017 at 7:15 am

      Hi Tammy. My nutritional calculator said it was trace carbs per tablespoon. I have no idea how close that is or isn’t to 1. My recipe card will only accept numbers for the categories, not words. I count it as 1 net carb. I always put a sentence above my recipe cards which tells the net carbs per servings. I hope this helps. -Kim

      Reply
    • Kim

      October 21, 2017 at 6:11 pm

      Hi Tammy. I have it listed in the recipe and above the recipe. It is 2 net carbs per tablespoon. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim

      Reply
  20. Yeng

    September 12, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    Can you add guar gum or xanthan gum to thicken it?

    Reply
    • Kim

      September 12, 2017 at 8:16 pm

      Great question, Yeng. I haven't tried it. Can you eat gelatin? You could try 1 tsp of gelatin. If you are vegetarian you can try the gums, but I find them a bit slippery. -Kim

      Reply
  21. Katie

    August 05, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    How long is this jam good for? I'm trying to figure out how large of a batch to make.

    Reply
    • Kim

      August 05, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      Hi Katie. I tell people 7-10 days for food safety, but I've kept it for a total of 14 before. One thing to think about is if you double the recipe, you may need to cook it just a little longer to get more water out. It will never be super thickened like a Polanar All Fruit, but will be thick enough to be used as a spread like on a peanut and butter sandwich. If it doesn't set up enough overnight, add more chia and let chill it overnight again. It tastes very good. Enjoy. -Kim

      Reply
  22. Debra

    August 02, 2017 at 12:06 pm

    Could stevia be used instead of erythritol?

    Reply
    • Kim

      August 02, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      Of course, Debra. Depending on the water content in your berries you may need to add a little more chia seeds. Let it sit overnight and then judge if it needs a little more. It is thick, but not as thick as a traditional jelly or jam. Enjoy the jam, it tastes great. -Kim

      Reply
  23. Matt

    July 21, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Kim

      July 21, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      I hope you like it. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim

      Reply

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