Homemade natural nut butter and chia jam spreads are wholesome toppings for a tasty breakfast addition!
Are you looking for a wholesome and fun way to add some excitement back to breakfast time? If you haven’t tried making nut butter or jam, then you are missing out! It’s simple and only takes a few minutes to prep these delicious spreads so you can grab and use it at any time and add to your favorite breakfast item.
The best part is you get to customize the spreads with natural and nutritious ingredients like fresh fruit and chia. I can’t wait to show you my guide on how to create personalized spreads, let’s go!
The first step and probably the hardest one is deciding on what nut or fruit you want to choose. The options are endless, but I would recommend going for the ripest fruit you can find in the market. I picked strawberries and grapes, as well as peanuts and almonds to make variations of the spreads.
To make homemade nut butter I recommend a strong blender or food processor that can handle the high sheer of the process. In just a few minutes you can create a super creamy and smooth peanut butter similar to what you would find at the store!
Essential Nut Butter Tips
- Go skinless- For the creamiest nut butter, buy nuts that have the skin removed. I like roasted unsalted peanuts or blanched almonds. However, I enjoy the flavor with the almond skins, so I buy them roasted. Cashews yield the silkiest nut butter, but give different nuts a try!
- Customize- You can create a simple nut butter with just nuts, or if you like a super creamy nut butter the coconut oil helps with the texture. Adding sweetener is optional, but honey is the best emulsifier to help keep things smooth. Add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for a tasty twist!
- Prevent blender burn out – You will notice that the motor and blades get hot as it’s working hard to break down and smooth out the thickened nut butter. Give the unit a few minutes to cool down between each processing step. I’ve also added the blender cup in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling.
I’ve been a big fan of using chia seeds for creating a thickened “jam” instead of using pectin. It’s a much quicker process, and you can incorporate a superfood packed with fiber and omega-3 fatty acids for an additional nutritional benefit. The fruit, sweetener, lemon juice, and chia seeds go right into the blender for a few seconds to create a puree.
When chia seeds are given about 20 minutes to swell, you will see it magically thicken the mixture. If you are not eating it right away you can refrigerate overnight, and it will be ready the next morning, or you can cook for a few minutes for an instant jam!
Now that the natural nut butter and chia jam spreads are ready, it’s time to build a better breakfast!
One of the best ways to create a complete breakfast is to pair wholesome foods together for a power-packed meal. One filling breakfast solution to help sustain you or kids all morning is bagels. On those busy mornings, being able just to open up the fridge, grab, toast and top a bagel is a big time saver. It’s so easy, tasty and nutritious!
How will you create a winning breakfast combination for you or your family? What spreads will you try topped on your favorite crunchy and chewy bagel? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments section below.
How Do Chia Seeds Work to Create a Jam?
Chia seeds may not look like much, but these mighty tiny seeds are packed with nutrients like omega-3-fatty acids, antioxidants, easily digestible protein, calcium, iron, and fiber to help provide long-lasting energy. The fiber is the way the chia seeds can create a thickened “jam.” When the chia seeds combine with a liquid, they instantly start to swell and absorb water, almost 9X it’s weight which is incredible! In the process, a gel-like layer on the outside of the chia seed naturally thickens the liquid mixture. This gets even thicker the longer it has to hydrate and swell. The chia jam will never set like a pectin-based jam, but it provides a similar consistency. (Source: Superfood Kitchen By Julie Morris)
Homemade Chia Jam and Nut Butter
Ingredients
Chia Jam
- 2 cups strawberries, or grapes
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, more to taste
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
Nut Butter
- 2 cups peanuts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, add more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Instructions
Chia Jam
- Remove any leaves or stems from the fruit. Add fruit, honey, lemon juice, and chia seeds to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a small saucepan and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
- Turn on heat to medium and cook the chia jam mixture for 3 minutes, stirring as needed. Taste and adjust with more sweetener or lemon juice as needed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate to chill. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Nut Butter
- Add nuts and salt to a bowl of a food processor or blender. Process about 1 to 2 minutes, or until crumbs form. If you like a chunky nut butter take out ½ cup and add back in later. If the machine and nut butter feel hot after processing, allow them to cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of honey and 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil and process for 1 minute until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use. Refrigerate if not eating right away.
Equipment
Notes
- Use raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and apricots.
- For a chunkier puree, process until the fruit is just broken down but pieces remain, this will take only a few seconds.
- You can skip the cooking step and refrigerate the jam for at least an hour or overnight to make it thicker.
- You can use any roasted unsalted nuts like almonds, cashews, and walnuts.
- For the smoothest nut butter use skinless nuts. It's okay to keep the skin, but the texture will be a little different and slightly thicker.
- Add spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg when processing the nuts to add more flavor. Start off with a small amount, about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon and as more as desired.
- The jam can be stored in a container for 1 week in the refrigerator.
- The nut butter can be stored in a container for 2 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
gregor andersson says
I’m going to make the chia jam today, allowing it to cook. I will be following your directions, yet I hope to get an answer to my question that follows because I would not want to ruin a batch.
Can I let it set overnight and then cook it?
Jessica Gavin says
I think it would thicken overnight with the chia seeds. Any reason why you are heating the jam?