Chia jam for babies – recipe and serving suggestions

This nutritious chia jam for babies is made using just three ingredients, with no added sugar. It’s a baby friendly alternative to traditional jam (which is packed with sugar; delicious, but not very suitable for early weaning!).

Read on for the recipe, along with a range of serving suggestions suitable for baby led weaning.

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Ingredients in baby friendly chia jam

This recipe uses just three ingredients (with an optional sweetener): 

• Raspberries (we usually use frozen, which are cheaper than fresh but still tasty and nutritious) 
• Chia seeds
• Vanilla extract
• Optional – if you do want to use a small amount of sweetener, maple syrup is a good choice. Honey should not be given to children under one, so only use that for older children

Unlike traditional jam, this chia jam provides some excellent nutrition for babies. Chia seeds are a rich source of minerals, including calcium. They are also an easy way to get a fibre and protein boost. The raspberries provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Whilst normal jam does contain plenty of fruit, much of the nutritional benefit is lost due to the large amount of sugar added.

Equipment needed

Making chia jam is very straightforward – no specialist equipment required! You will simply need:

• A small saucepan and something to stir with.
• An air tight container to store the chia jam. Unsurprisingly, a clean old jam jar is perfect for this!
• You may also find an ice cube tray helpful if you want to freeze any portions. I use a silicon mini muffin tray* for this.

Five ways to serve chia jam for babies

Raspberry chia jam is very versatile, and there are lots of ways you can use it for baby led weaning. The following ideas are all free from dairy, egg and soy, with gluten free and nut free options:

• It’s great simply spread on toast. You can use a dairy free spread, such as Vitalite, and top with the chia jam. Or, once you have introduced peanuts, it is delicious with smooth peanut butter. Choose one with no added salt such as Meridian*. Cut the toast into strips to make it easy to pick up.
• Jammy puff pastry pinwheels are really easy to make if you use a ready rolled puff pastry sheet. Jus rol contains no dairy, egg or soy, and they also make a gluten free version. To make them you can follow the process in my dairy free pinwheels post, choosing chia jam at the filling stage.
• For a nutritious & tasty breakfast, you can stir chia jam through porridge. Check out my post all about dairy free porridge for the basics of how to make it and more toppings inspiration.
• Yoghurt sundaes are a fun way to serve dairy free yogurt, and chia jam works very well as one of the layers. For toddlers and older children, I suggest putting out a variety of toppings (e.g. chopped fresh fruit, raisins, cereal pieces such as rice puffs) in small bowls, and letting them assemble their own sundae!
• Vegan custard with raspberry chia jam stirred through makes a very appealing pink custard! This is good for babies and also for fussy toddlers. You can either choose a ready made custard or go for a homemade recipe – check out my vegan custard post for all the options.

How to store chia jam

Chia jam needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Unlike normal jam, it doesn’t have the sugar content for long life storage; it’s best used within a week in my experience. However, it does freeze well. I’d suggest freezing it in small portions, for example in an ice cube tray.