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

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

In jams and jellies, sugar not only sweetens, it is the preservative. So if you don't add the sugar, the jam may quickly spoil. Also, fruits that are sufficiently sweet in their natural state may not be sweet enough once they are processed.

Is it safe to make jam without sugar? ›

It is generally considered safe to consume jam that does not contain added sugar. However, even without added sugar, jam can still be high in natural sugars, as it is made from fruit and fruit juice. Therefore, it is important to consume jam in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

What is a good sugar substitute for jelly? ›

Jam and jelly can be made with no-sugar needed pectin using Splenda® and other non-heat sensitive artificial sweeteners.

Can I use less sugar when making jelly? ›

Jelly can be made with one third less sugar. It is a combination of regular or high methoxyl (HM) pectin and low methoxyl (LM) pectin. Regular pectin needs different proportions of sugar and acid to gel properly than (LM) pectin. More fruit is used for the amount of sugar, so the flavor is less sweet and more fruity.

What is the minimum sugar content for jam? ›

To legally be called a jam, the recipe must contain a minimum of 60% sugars (including natural fruit sugar and added sugar).

What is the minimum amount of sugar in jam? ›

Over-ripe or damaged fruit is not ideal - the jam will not set well and is likely to deteriorate rapidly. The amount of sugar you need to make jam depends on the amount of pectin in your chosen fruit, but generally the fruit-to-sugar ratio for traditional jams is 1:1 (ie. 450g/1lb sugar to 450g/1lb fruit).

How do you 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 did they make jam before sugar? ›

These preserves used honey as their sweetener, though sugar quickly surpassed honey in popularity for making jams. From that point onwards, you can essentially follow the spread of sugar around the world on a map. If a place had sugar and fruit, people would likely combine the two to make a preserve.

What is the safest sugar substitute? ›

Stevia and monk fruit are both naturally derived from plants and some people feel they have a flavor very similar to regular sugar. The FDA says these sweeteners are “generally regarded as safe,” which means they are safe to use for their intended purpose.

What is the healthiest sugar alternative? ›

5 Natural Sweeteners That Are Good for Your Health
  1. Stevia. Stevia is a very popular low calorie sweetener. ...
  2. Erythritol. Erythritol is another low calorie sweetener. ...
  3. Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweetness similar to that of sugar. ...
  4. Yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is another unique sweetener. ...
  5. Monk fruit sweetener.

Which sugar substitute tastes the most like sugar? ›

Overall, allulose is the closest to processed sugar in both taste and texture while holding less calories. Erythritol has a taste very similar to sugar with no aftertaste but can create a cooling sensation in the mouth.

How do you reduce the sweetness in jam? ›

You can use less sugar. I often drop by about 25 percent, especially with marmalade which sets easily. Sometimes you might need to boil it for longer to reach setting point. But adding more pectin is the important thing for setting.

What is the ratio of sugar to jam? ›

(2)Most jam recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar. I usually use a 75 % ratio, or 1 ½ pounds of sugar to every 2 pounds of fruit, unless the fruit is not very sweet, in which case, I adjust accordingly.

What type of pectin is best for low sugar recipes? ›

Low methoxyl pectin, if correctly used, will create a gel in the absence of sugar and acid for those desiring jams and jelly containing less sugar. Low methoxyl pectin can be used for those that want to decrease the amount of sugar used in making jam or jelly.

What does sugar do for jam making? ›

If too much water is present, the pectin cannot form a strong enough gel which results in a runny texture. This is why the sugar is so important, since it is responsible for taking care of the water by chemically binding it and effectively preventing it from reacting with anything else in the jam mixture.

What happens if jam doesn't thicken? ›

If your jam didn't set, it might need more pectin which can be bought in some stores. If you can't find pectin, consider adding some lemon juice with grated zest (rind) and/or some cooking apples which you should first boil in a (very) little water until the flesh softens.

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