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This homemade baby jam, made with frozen berries, chia seeds, and fresh fruit juice, is the perfect no sugar jam for babies! Add it to toast, waffles, pancakes, yogurt, and any other yummy treats just like regular jam. Since it’s naturally high fiber and low in sugar, it’s perfect for young children of all ages. Grown-ups love it, too!
No Sugar Added Baby Jam with Frozen Berries
When preparing toast, yogurt or oatmeal for little ones, it can be nice to have a natural way to flavor them up. That’s why we love this chia jam for babies!
Although it can be really convenient to pick up a jar of jam from the store, store-bought jam usually has a very high sugar content, so it’s not the best option for babies. Even sugar-free jam contains artificial sweeteners and other additives and thickeners that aren’t recommended for little ones.
This homemade mixed berry chia jam is the best option. It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, requiring just a little time on the stove, and it has a natural fruit flavor your whole family will love!
Why We Love This Healthy Baby Jam Recipe
- Easy to make: This mixed berry chia jam takes just moments of effort to make. The chia seeds speed up the gelling process, so it’s much faster than making traditional jam with regular sugar!
- Customizable: Although this chia compote calls for frozen berries, you can easily use fresh berries or different combinations of berries. You can also scale the recipe up or down to make however much you need.
- No sugar added: Regular jam has so much sugar, which can lead to tooth decay and other adverse effects. This baby-friendly jam uses natural sugar from the berries and freshly squeezed orange juice and is a much healthier option for your baby’s diet.
baby jam
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Ingredient Notes
- Frozen berries: Use frozen mixed berries or even fresh berries! We like to use mixed frozen berries with cherries added for an extra pop of sweetness.
- Chia seeds: These are essential as they cause the jam to gel together without pectin or gelatin.
- Orange juice: Use freshly squeezed orange juice to dilute the berries and add a little extra sweetness to the jam.
How to Make Chia Seed Jam for Babies – Step-by-Step
- In a small saucepan, heat berries over medium heat, covered, until softened and starting to release juices, about 5 minutes. It may take a little bit longer for fresh berries.
- Once soft, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the berries. Stir in the orange juice and chia seeds until combined.
- Cook uncovered over low heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow jam to cool. It will thicken more as it cools. Stir again and serve or place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- This jam isn’t overly sweet since it’s naturally sweetened with fruit. If you prefer a sweeter jam, you can add a bit of maple syrup or sweetener of choice, but this is best reserved for older children and adults. It’s recommended that babies avoid added sugar until after the age of one.
- If your kids aren’t a fan of the seeds, you can try using ground chia seeds instead of whole ones, or run the jam through a mini blender to give it a slightly smoother consistency.
- If you don’t have mixed berries, you can sub in any type of frozen or fresh berries.
Recipe FAQs
Although jam is made with our favorite fresh fruits and is so soft and easy to eat, it’s actually not a great food for babies. Most jams have a lot of sugar, which can lead to tooth decay in infants and toddlers. It’s actually not recommended for babies to have sugar at all until one year of age.
Instead, make this homemade, naturally-sweetened jam using real berries and orange juice for a sweet treat that will help add extra flavor and nutrients their food.
This homemade jam will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for approximately one week. For longer storage, you can even freeze it up for up to 2-3 months.
Although babies and young children should not have nuts and seeds before they are 5 years old due to the risk of aspiration, this chia seed jam is different. The seeds are gelled together in a liquid, so it’s not likely that baby will inhale the individual seeds accidentally. Always monitor your baby while they are eating to avoid choking hazards.
Storage Guidelines
- Store leftover jam in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for later! You can even freeze it in ice-cube trays or these Souper Cubes (so handy!), then thaw out just one cube of this fruit spread at a time as needed.
Serving Suggestions
This healthy recipe can be used in so many ways! Use it to replace regular jam in any recipe or add it as a fruit spread to your favorite bakes or breakfast treats.
- Spread on toast with nut butter
- Mixed into yogurt (read more about the best yogurt for babies)
- Mixed into oatmeal or overnight oats (try these blw overnight oats)
- Served on pancakes (like these baby cereal pancakes}
- Spread on waffles (like these 3-ingredient protein waffles)
- Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Fill these heart thumbprint cookies
Recipe Variations
- Use different berries: Instead of mixed berries, use all cherries, blueberries, or whichever berry you prefer.
- Add lemon juice: Tart lemon pairs perfectly with berries. You can even replace the orange juice with lemon juice for a tart, flavor-packed jam!
- Fold it into yogurt: Add a dollop to the bottom of a mason jar and add a small serving of plain yogurt over the top. The jam will sweeten the yogurt and make it fun to eat!
- For extra sweetness: Although your baby should not have sugar, older kids may prefer a little extra sweetness. Feel free to add a little maple syrup or you can evenly smash in some softened finely chopped dates for a natural sweetener.
More Similar Recipes
- How to Cut Strawberries for Baby-Led Weaning
- How to Make Mango Puree for Baby
- Mango Popsicle Recipe
- Pressed Fruit Bars Recipe
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Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam for Baby {No Added Sugar}
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries or fresh berries
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat berries over medium heat, covered, until softened and starting to release juices, about 5 minutes. It may take a little bit longer for fresh berries.
- Once soft, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the berries until mostly smooth. Stir in the orange juice and chia seeds until combined.
- Cook uncovered over low heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow jam to cool. It will thicken more as it cools. Stir again and place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
