Store-Bought Jam is Laiden with Sugar. Here are 7 Sugar-Free Recipes (2024)

Our busy schedules can make it harder to enjoy our favorite fruits, but there is one way to let those summer fruits be a part of your daily diet: delicious homemade jam or jelly!

What’s not to love about the thick, sweet spread over toast or combined with your favorite yogurt and oats? I’ll answer that for you: nothing!

So, leave that sugary store-bought stuff for another time (or never). This is the season to load up on fresh fruit that you can use to stock up your kitchen with homemade jam! Here I’ve got a list of 7 sugar-free homemade jam recipes for you! Let’s get right to it!

Want more amazing homemade recipes?

Try this tasty hummus one…

1. Truly Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam

For some odd reason, there are a lot of homemade jam recipes that claim to be sugar-free, but they always suggest adding some kind of sweetener to the mix. Let me ask you this, when you bite into a fresh strawberry, do you feel the need to add a sweetener?

You shouldn’t, because the thing about fresh fruit is, it’s already sweet! In my opinion, sweetener doesn’t need to be added when making homemade jam.

That being said, it does take a bit longer to cook since there is no sugar or natural sweetener added to coagulate, but the end result is outrageously delicious and worth it!

2. Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam

Here is a great addition to your low carb diet that is so ridiculously easy to make you won’t believe it! Blueberries are high in vitamins, antioxidants and they have a moderate amount of carbs. I love adding frozen blueberries to a bowl of yogurt to give it that burst of flavor.

They’re so sweet on their own that the thought of adding sweetener to this recipe is a little disheartening. All you need are blueberries, lemon, some water, and a couple pinches of xanthan gum as a thickener. Easy peasy!

3. Sugar-Free Apple Chia Jam

Apples are by far my favorite fruit, and that’s because of their incredible versatility! The amount of recipes you can cook up with apples is crazy big! I won’t list them off for you (that could be an entire list on its own) because today we’re talking about the refreshing taste of apple chia jam!

I highly recommend homemade chia jam if you’ve never tried it before. It’s so much healthier than the jams you can buy at the store. The one downside is chia jam can’t be kept for too long because of the lack of sugar.

Make sure to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it should last you up to one week. However, after the first taste, I’m betting it’ll be gone before then.

4. Low-Carb Sugar-Free Raspberry Jelly (Jam)

How does a sugar-free raspberry jam that fits into a low-carb keto or paleo diet sound? Too good to be true, right? Wrong!

This is a pectin-free jam that’s thickened with gelatin and is super easy to make. It’s hard to keep jam around when you’re on a diet because of the gross amount of sugar that gets tossed into each jar, but a little work can go a long way for both your health and your craving for fruit spread in the morning.

A perfect sugar-free spread for low carb breads or muffins to keep your diet stable and you happy!

5. No Sugar Apricot Jam

I’m sure you’re already yelling at me that none of these sugar-free jams are truly “sugar-free” because of the sugar in the fruits themselves. And that’s true, but the point is that none of these jams are getting extra sugar added to them. These are as sugar-free as you can get with fruits!

This apricot recipe is so simple that you’ll be hitting yourself because you haven’t been using it for years. Make sure before you buy your pectin that it reads on the box that, “No sugar needed.” Other than that, this is definitely one of the easiest homemade jam recipes on this list.

6. Sugar-Free Chia Jam

Who has the time it takes to make jam with all the sugar that recipes call for anyway? And buying sugar-free jams in the store is a crap-shoot since most companies substitute sugar for artificial sweeteners. This is a hassle-free, sugar-free homemade jam made with chia seeds and your favorite berries.

The creator of this recipe even gives the different amount of carbs that each berry will add to your jam. The best part, you don’t even need to add any berries! That’s right, you can have a completely sugar-free homemade jam using only 4 ingredients! Now that’s easy!

7. 5-Berry Sugar-Free Jam

This 5-berry homemade jam recipe is clear of any extra sugar or artificial sweeteners, the way jam should be. I’m sure you’re wondering what the 5 berries are that make up this homemade recipe.

That would be strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and dried açaí berries. An easy recipe to follow and the whole process takes about 35 minutes from start to finish. After that, you’ll be enjoying the tastiest jam you’ve ever had!

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Store-Bought Jam is Laiden with Sugar. Here are 7 Sugar-Free Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it safe to make jam without sugar? ›

Even pectin can be optional, for reasons I'll outline below. Canning sugar-free jam is so simple that I often recommend it for newbies. Honey-sweetened jams are versatile, tasty, and healthier than store bought versions or sugary homemade jams.

What happens if you put less sugar in jam? ›

Less sugar may allow for greater bacterial growth. As a result, process times may be longer for these low-sugar or no-sugar jams and jellies. Some pectin products include preservatives to reduce bacterial growth, as well as to preserve color.

What happens if you don't add sugar to jam? ›

If you don't add the required amount of sugar, your homemade jam will become a runny mess. Kitchn suggests that if you do want sugar that's a little less sweet, actively seek out a jam recipe that is advertised to taste less sugary. Additionally, sugar helps to preserve your jam.

What is the best sugar substitute for making jam? ›

Alternative sweeteners for sugar-free jams
  • Stevia. Stevia is a natural product derived from a plant, just as sugar is. ...
  • Splenda. Splenda® (aka sucralose) provides sweetness. ...
  • Aspartame. Aspartame is not recommended for a quality reason, which is simply that its sweetness is destroyed by heat: ...
  • Saccharin. ...
  • Honey. ...
  • Sweet One.

How long does homemade jam last without sugar? ›

Homemade jams made without sugar and processed by canning in a hot water bath will last about half that long – about one year – when stored in cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Once opened, use those jams pretty quickly, in about six weeks, to guarantee freshness.

How to thicken jam without sugar? ›

Add pectin.

Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam. Test for thickness and add another tablespoon if needed.

How to make store-bought jam less sweet? ›

To try out this two-ingredient trick, add just a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, then taste the jam. If it's still too sweet, try adding another squeeze of lemon juice, but hold back on any more salt, since the salt can ultimately make it taste even sweeter, which we don't want.

Is there a healthy jam? ›

Best: Smucker's Low Sugar Strawberry Preserves

"It has half the calories of regular jam (25 versus 50) and just 5 grams of added sugar," says Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD. Smucker's also offers a low-sugar concord grape flavor if you prefer grape jelly instead—perfect for a PB&J for you or your kids!

Is reduced sugar jam OK for diabetics? ›

Diabetics can enjoy fruit jams in moderation, especially those that are sugar free or low in processed sugar. For instance, our raspberry-flavored 99% sugar free jelly provides the natural sweetness and flavor of fruits like raspberry, rowanberry, and lemon without any added sugar content.

Can you add more sugar to jam? ›

I usually add somewhere between 40 and 70 percent of the weight of the fruit, depending on what kind of fruit it is. If it's a low-acid, low-pectin fruit like ripe strawberries, then I'm going to have to add more sugar, closer to the 70-percent level.

Can you reheat jam to add more sugar? ›

If you want to fix a whole batch at once, pour the contents of all the jars into a pan – remove lids carefully if they haven't been on the jars for very long and you want to re-use them. Add more sweetener. Bring the mixture to a good boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes.

What is a healthy alternative to jam? ›

Preserves are the closest thing to consuming whole fruit. They contain chunks of the actual fruit, making them richer in fiber and nutrients. As with jam, though, the sugar content can vary based on the brand or recipe. In terms of health benefits, preserves generally come out on top due to their whole fruit content.

What is a healthy substitute for jam? ›

Instead of processed jams or jellies, choose a homemade fruit compote or fruit salsa. A fruit compote is essentially fruit that has been chopped and cooked down to form a delicious gooey topping. Fruit salsa is simply cut fruit, usually marinated in an acid like lemon juice and served cold.

Can I use stevia instead of sugar for jam? ›

Can I use Stevia that measures like sugar as the sweetener when making jam or jelly with Pomona's Pectin? Yes, Stevia that measures like sugar (cup for cup Stevia) can be used just like sugar in all of our recipes.

Is homemade jam healthy? ›

While jam can be a healthy addition to your diet, it's essential to choose the right kind and consume it in moderation. Prioritize fruit-rich, no-added-sugar versions for the best health outcomes.

Why do you need jam sugar? ›

So, jam sugar swoops in to save the day and provides the extra pectin needed to help you make jam that's not too runny or too solid. Regular sugar, on the other hand, is just sugar. It doesn't have any added pectin or acid, so it can't make jam on its own nearly as easily.

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