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GET IT NOWYou’d never guess this is a sugar free jam! It’s fruity, sweet, spreadable, and bursting with fresh berry flavor. I love slathering it over toast or for topping my healthy desserts. Plus, it’s so easy and stores beautifully, so you an easily make a big batch for later. Whip up this sugar free strawberry jam with me in just around half an hour!
Why You Need My Sugar Free Jam Recipe
- Sweet, fruity, and thick – This sugar free jam is spreadable and packed with real fruit. I think it tastes so much better than store-bought jams and jellies! I I made my favorite flavor (strawberry), but have other options for you below.
- 3 simple ingredients – Plus an optional one. My recipe is quick and easy!
- No added sugar – I call this is a sugar free, keto jam because I don’t use any sugar to sweeten it. Technically yes, you get a trivial amount of sugar from the berries, but none of the processed stuff.
- 100% natural – You won’t find any gums, gluten, artificial sweeteners, or artificial colors here! With just 3 grams net carbs, no added sugar, and chia seeds as a natural thickener, it’s a delicious option you can feel good about.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free jam recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Berries – You’ll need to slice them, so fresh ones are easiest, but frozen will work if you thaw them enough to slice. I love sugar free strawberry jam the most, but have also made this recipe using raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You could even use cranberries or cherries.
- Chia Seeds – These little guys thicken your jam naturally, instead of sugar or pectin. I use the whole seeds, but you can use ground chia seeds if you prefer a smoother texture.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to sweetener for jams because it’s natural, tastes like sugar, and most importantly, won’t crystallize in the fridge… which is important since you’re unlikely to eat all the jam at once. Notes on substitutes:
- Powdered allulose works great for the same consistency, but you might need a bit more.
- Erythritol and most brands of monk fruit or stevia will crystallize, so I don’t recommend them.
- Sucralose doesn’t crystallize, but it’s artificial so not great, either.
- Lemon Zest – Optional, but it adds a bright flavor and brings out the sweetness of the berries. You can also use a splash of lemon juice instead, which acts as a natural preservative.
How To Make Sugar Free Jam
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Heat the sliced berries. Cook them into a saucepan or small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they release a lot of juices and soften.
- Mash them up. You can use a spoon, fork, or potato masher.
- Adjust the sweetness. Check to see if your sugar free jam is sweet enough for you. If not, add more Besti to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Thicken it. Stir in the chia seeds, and lemon zest (if using). Let it cool to thicken, then transfer to jars with lids and store in the fridge.
My Recipe Tips
- Want to slice your berries super fast? I love this strawberry slicer.
- I recommend a stainless steel saucepan. It won’t stain or react with the acidic fruit, so your jam keeps that fresh, vibrant strawberry flavor. I use this saucepan!
- You can chop your berries instead of slicing if you like. This will make smaller chunks in your jam than slices, but I find many of the slices break down into smaller pieces anyway.
- Don’t want to use a sweetener at all? You can make this an unsweetened jam if your berries are sweet enough, but I always add powdered Besti to mine. It tastes like sugar, dissolves effortlessly, and doesn’t crystallize when you store your jam (unlike other sweeteners).
- Expect a simmer, not a boil. Boiling will be too harsh on the berries.
- Want a thicker jam? Just stir in an extra 1-2 teaspoons of chia seeds. Keep in mind the jam will thicken more when you refrigerate it.
- Prefer a super smooth texture? Just puree with an immersion blender or in a small food processor (I just got this one and love it for jams, pesto, nut butter, and more). You can even strain it through a fine mesh sieve, or make my sugar free jelly recipe instead.
- Your sugar free jam will thicken more in the fridge. You’ll need to store it there anyway, so just refrigerate for a few hours before enjoying if you want it thick.
Ways To Use It
You can enjoy this sugar free jam in the same ways you’d use regular jams! Here are my favorite ways:
- Bread – You can’t beat a classic toast or PB&J! I usually have some keto bread or low carb bagels in my freezer, but when you don’t, 90 second bread (pictured above) saves the day.
- Sweet Breakfasts – Skip the syrup top your almond flour pancakes, cottage cheese pancakes, or coconut flour waffles with my sugar free strawberry jam. So good!
- Yogurt & Oatmeal – Add it to your oatmeal (or overnight oats), or stir it into keto yogurt or coconut yogurt for a fruity boost. Layer with healthy granola (or low carb granola) for a parfait!
- Dessert Topping – A dollop of jam is the perfect topping for my healthy cheesecake, keto cheesecake, or almond milk ice cream. You can also make thumbprints in my almond flour cookies and fill them with sugar free jam to turn them into thumbprint cookies!
- Dessert Bars – Double my almond flour pie crust recipe, and press 2/3 of the mixture into a square baking dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then top with sugar free jam and crumble the remaining dough on top. Bake again for 10 minutes.
Sugar Free Jam (Strawberry)
Make 100% natural sugar free jam with just 3 ingredients! My easy recipe is sweet, thick, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Place the strawberries into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the strawberries release a lot of liquid and soften.
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Mash the strawberries with a spoon or potato masher. If you want super smooth jam without strawberry pieces, use an immersion blender to puree the berries.
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Remove from heat. Taste to check if the jam is sweet enough. If not, stir in more sweetener to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Stir in the chia seeds and lemon zest, if using. Allow the jam to cool for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
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For even thicker jam, add an additional 1-3 teaspoons chia seeds if you like. Note that it will thicken more when refrigerated.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you slice your berries quickly, get the right flavor and sweetness in your jam, and adjust the consistency (smooth, thick, or chunky).
- Storage: Keep your homemade jam in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Besti is a natural preservative, so it lasts a long time! You can also freeze it for up to 3-6 months.
- Canning: Due to the low pH of chia seeds, I don’t recommend canning this sugar free jam recipe. Sorry!
- Larger batches: My recipe makes 1 cup total. You can easily double or triple it if you like, as long as your saucepan is large enough. It will take longer for the berries to cook down with larger batches.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sugar Free Jam
93 Comments
Jane King
1I have made this several times and loved it each and every time. My drawback is it disappears soooo quickly.
Pat
0Perfect recipe. I only make a half batch. Always delicious and very easy to make.
Wholesome Yum D
0Pat, so glad it’s been an easy go-to for you! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Beverly
0Is the recipe the same if your wanting to use other berries or fruit (is apricot as well as the other berries listed)? Also do you have a recipe for Guava or Mint Jelly? Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Beverly, Yes, you can use other berries. Other fruit would also probably work but the ratios might be different. Let me know if you try something else. I don’t have a recipe for guava or mint jelly, sorry!
Dorothy Beckner
0Why did you not post my review? Aug 2025
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dorothy, Was it for this recipe? I don’t see any reviews from you for this recipe, but I do for lots of others and really appreciate you writing them. They mean a lot to me and I’m sure they help other readers, too. If you made this jam recipe, I’d love to hear how it went for you!
Amy
0This turned out great. I used frozen strawberries that weren’t very sweet, so I added extra Besti sweetener. Very good recipe!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m glad you liked it, Amy! Smart adjustment with the sweetener.
Roberta
0Can this be frozen?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roberta, Yes, absolutely! I have storage instructions in my notes above, including freezing.
Elizabeth
0This recipe is delicious. I will keep making it using different berries.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Elizabeth! I’m so glad you liked it.
Dawn
0Hi, how long will this jam keep in the fridge?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dawn, I have storage info above. 🙂 If you use Besti to make this sugar free jam, it’s a natural preservative so your jam will last up to 2 weeks.
Mary DeAngelis
0Amazing idea for chia seeds to be used. !! I used frozen mixed organic berries and lemon juice. Cinnamon helps to naturally sweeten too!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Mary! I’m glad you liked this jam.
Shiann
0I used this recipe by weighing 1 pound (or multiples) of cranberries and frozen cherries. SO GOOD!! I’ll be buying a lot more fresh cranberries in November!
Emely
0Hi, I’d like to use pectin for gel and lemon juice to increase the acidity. My goal is to hot water can the jam. Do you have a suggestion on the amount of each? Can I use the same amounts as found in a regular jam recipe? Thanks for your help. Love your recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Emely, My recipe doesn’t have those ingredients, so without testing I can’t say how much of each. Probably a similar amount to a regular jam recipe, but I’m not sure. Let me know if you find something that works — maybe other readers are wondering the same thing.
Laura Barber
0Grind your chia seeds!!!
Dominique Coetsee
0Why?
Lorraine Farrell
0This is the second time making this recipe. Love it!
This time I’ve added a small apple withe the strawberries, ?
Lynniepooh2
0Dearest Maya, I just felt the need to say THANK YOU for turning me into a cooking junkie. All fun aside, this jam is JAMMING! I used blackberries instead of strawberries and its sooooo goood!! Its very simple and quick to make. Cant wait to try it out tomorrow after it has had time to sit in the fridge. I started with 4 stars so walked back to have another taste and changed it to 5 stars. Thanks again!!
Lisa koolsbergen
0To store do you have to sterilize the container or is it ok to put in a jar with lid after cooled? Really enjoyed the recipe
Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, This recipe needs to be refrigerated, so you don’t have to sterilize your jars. It’s not suitable for canning.
Patricia DeMuth
0Made this jam and it’s really good, definitely needs some sweetener tho, but it thickened up really well!!! So happy.
TJ
0This was excellent and so easy. To make it even easier I didn’t bother slicing the strawberries. Instead I removed the tops then put them in the food processor. I pulsed them a bit until they were in small pieces. This made it so much easier. I didn’t have to slice and I didn’t have much mashing to do once they started cooking. I also got a smooth result without having to use an immersion blender. I highly recommend this recipe! Thank you.
Tami Pacumio
0Can this recipe be water bath canned for longer shelf stability?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tami, No, I don’t recommend canning this sugar free jam due to the chia seeds in it.
Holly L.
0I make this all the time. I do strawberry and raspberry and it’s so good. Very simple to make. I don’t use sweetener or lemon just berries and chia seeds.
Leslie
0I freeze it in ice cube trays or small chocolate molds. Then store in a Mason jar for easy portions. Delicious! Thanks for all your recipes and products!
Tara Howard
0This recipe is a life saver!! It seems like most prepared Keto friendly sweet sauces are not pleasing for my palette. I bought the ChocZero Strawberry Jam and can’t stomach the aftertaste (my sister used to use Sweet & Low as a Sweetner so she does not find the taste intolerable – so the jam did not go to waste). Every sweet recipe of yours that I have tried thus far is EXCELLENT and I am not sure if it is the Besties Sweetners that make them wonderful or the ability to tailor the amount of sweetness, BUT I LOVE this jam. I just had the batch I made last night on my Yeast Keto White Bread (again your recipe) and it is MARVELOUS. Thank you so much for making this lifestyle change liveable!❤️❤️
Pye
0Hi Maya. Has anyone ever canned the strawberry jam? If so, how did it turn out?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pye, Please don’t can it. Chia seeds aren’t suitable for canning, sorry.
Cheryl
0Hi, if this was stored in the freezer to get longer shelf life up to the 3 mths, when taken out to use do you have to unthaw the whole thing for one time use, or can it be unthawed a little to use what you desire then put back in the freezer? I know typically foods shouldn’t be re-froze so just wondering.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, I generally don’t recommend thawing and re-freezing foods. If you want to be able to remove smaller portions, I like and recommend these trays, so you can take out and thaw a little at a time.
Leslie
0I freeze it in ice cube trays or small chocolate molds. Then store in a Mason jar for easy portions. Delicious! Thanks for all your recipes and products!
Char
0This recipe was a hit with my church weight loss group Daniel Plan. Easy, Fun, Delicious, Economical and Nutritious too! Have you priced Sugar Free Jams?? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Char, I am happy to hear you and your church group enjoyed the jam!
Barbara
0This recipe was so easy and super delicious.. next I’m trying raspberries!!!
Kristyn
0Love the chia seeds in this jam! My family loves it & I love that it’s sugar-free! We will be using it on tons of things!
Natalie
0Amazing jam!! We love this on toast! I will be stocking up!
Amy L Huntley
0Homemade Jam is the absolute best and I love that this is sugar free too! You can’t even tell that it is sugar free.
Claudia Thibodeau
0How would you make apple jelly ??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Claudia, I’m sorry, I don’t have a recipe for apple jelly yet.
Shannon
0How long can this be stored before it goes bad??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shannon, It depends on the storage method. I have multiple options listed above.
Max
0Can I use psyllium husk instead of chia seeds?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Max, I have never tried that, so I’m not sure. It might alter the flavor. Please let me know how it goes if you try it.
Leslie Ellins
0I love all your recipes. You make me think Keto “outside the box”. Thanks so much!
I tried this last weekend and was thrilled with the finished product. It was even better after it sat in the fridge a few days. The strawberry flavour just seemed to POP after sitting a bit. Paired with your English Muffin recipe it was awesome!
I have made them 6 at a time and baked in those muffin top silicon molds. I have never tried them in the microwave, but I am sure they would work as all your recipes are fabulous. I purchased a one year subscription to your Easy Keto app just so I could have easy access to your recipes.
YASMIN NAIK
0I made this with stawberries and bluberries, since I didn’t have enough. It turned out delicious. I substituted a 1/4 tsp of Xanthum gum instead of chia ( I have a chia pudding almost everyday). I spread it on my plain keto cheese cake, sublime from plain lol.
Chelsea Wilhelm-Maskis
0How long will this keep in the fridge?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chelsea, I have storage instructions listed above. 🙂
Laurie
0Is there anything I can use instead of lemon zest? If not, where can I find it, exactly what is it?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laurie, Lemon zest is the outside yellow peel from the lemon. You can use a small grater or microplane to extract your own zest from a lemon, just be sure to only use the yellow skin and not the white pith underneath the skin. The pith is very bitter and can overpower the recipe.
Elizabeth
0Is it possible to strain this as I don’t care for the seeds sticking n my teeth?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Elizabeth, Yes, absolutely! You’ll want to use a blender to puree the berries, then you can push them through a sieve to remove the seeds. Enjoy!
Denise
0Has anybody tried this using ground chia seeds? I detest that chia seeds stick in my teeth but would love to get a Keto-Friendly jam just don’t want the whole seeds
Denise
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Denise, Yes, you can use ground chia seeds.
Nancy Wright
0I think this sounds great! Looking forward to trying this summer with homegrown strawberries and blueberries too. Thanks so much!
Yadira
0Made it very easy and very yummy; perfect with my keto toast!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Brianna
0This is just what I was looking for! Thanks for all the great recipes 🙂
A couple questions – Do you think this recipe could be canned, like sealed in the jars and stored on the shelf, since it’s cooked?
I usually make Freezer jam for the year when I go strawberry picking- is there a reason it would only last 3 months?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Brianna, Chia seed jams are not safe for canning. There are a couple of resources online that can explain why in more detail, but basically it has to do with the ability for seeds to grow certain strains of bacteria even after being canned. This jam tastes best within 3-6 months in the freezer, but it’s safe to freeze it for longer and if you’re used to longer freezing times, you’ll have no issues with this one. I hope this helps!
Brianna
0Good to know, thanks for your response!
Sarah G
0Very easy to make, one question tho. How long can it be stored? Is it best in the fridge or counter top?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sarah, Please store your jam in the fridge or freezer. I have times listed above. Enjoy!
Sherry Richter
0Just wondering if the chia seeds can be ground for smoother jam?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sherry, Yes, ground chia seeds work great!
Lori
0I’m a bit of a freezer jam freak due to not using sugar but other sweeteners. I don’t mind seeds from berries and vary using ground chia seeds, pectin or gelatin to thicken. I just made an apple pie freezer jam with gelatin (half batch) from another site, swapping out the sugar for an erythritol blend. I noticed Wholesome Yum’s keto apple pie has no apples and the apple muffins have one diced apple in the whole batch thus needing extract to carry the flavor – that’s it for apples. Adding a refrigerator-jam/freezer-jam page, including strawberry/chia, to be spread on the keto bread of one’s choice would allow folks to have many flavor profiles they may be missing or think they can no longer have. Particularly seasonal fruits for which the serving size must be kept to a minimum so that a tablespoon works out just fine. So more jams, please?
Joyce Hutchison
0If you want to add sweetness, what would you use? I am diabetic.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joyce, I recommend using Besti powdered sweetener like the recipe says. It’s diabetic friendly, and unlike most sugar substitutes, it dissolves well and won’t crystallize.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lori, Thanks for the great suggestion!
Patricia Ballek
0Made this last week yummy.
Elizabeth
0This is so yummy! I make this every week. It is great in yogurt or porridge. I also use a variety of frozen berries. It is great during the winter months or any time I year.
Jaimie
0I just made this today and am in LOVE! It is SO GOOD! This is the first time in 4 months on veto that I’ve had strawberry jam. Now I’m going to want it on everything! Its as so easy, too!
Zuzana
0This is so quick and easy. I never make any jams. Have to change that
Yang
0Perfect for the strawberry season coming! I am saving this to make soon.
Kari
0There’s nothing like homemade jam, and I’m so excited to try your sugar free version! Also super excited that it freezes well so I can make big batches!
Guy
0Love how simple this is! There’s really no need to add sugar when you use fresh strawberries so I can’t wait to make this summer!
Renee D Kohley
0Such a fun way to use seasonal strawberries! We will pick them locally end of June here so I can’t wait to make some jam!