Introduction to Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
All you need is three ingredients plus water to make this sugar-free strawberry jam. We’re giving this one 5 stars when it comes to taste, convenience, and time efficiency for sure. Pop your jelly into jars and save it for later!
Traditional jams are full of sugar, but since we can’t have that on keto, we’re gonna show you how to make a simple sugar-free strawberry jam.
Fall is right around the corner, and I don’t know about you guys, but there is something about a good jam recipe that makes me feel like a kid again. I don’t know one person that has never tried peanut butter and jelly sandwich in their childhood, it was my absolute favorite!
This sugar-free recipe for strawberry jam is an awesome alternative for ketogenics, those on a low-carb diet, or even for diabetics. No sugar needed!
We love using it in the morning with our Keto Protein Pancakes or smear it on low-carb, keto bread. Honestly, it does last about two weeks if you keep it in the fridge, but it’s so good it usually won’t even last that long. I don’t remember the last time it took us more than three days to eat all of it.
Is Sugar Free Jam Keto Friendly?
Depending on what you make it with. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries have considerably less sugar than other fruit. They’re also high in fiber, and if you do the math, whatever food has a higher fiber content also has a lower net carb content.
Rule of thumb? More fiber, less net carbs.
Because we’re not using real sugar here, this recipe is good for those who are on keto or any other low-carb diet. You’ll still get a very similar taste without the unnecessary additives and significantly reduce insulin spikes caused by sugar in a regular, traditional jam.
Regular jam is usually filled with high fructose corn syrup, pectin, and tons of sugar. We took a look at one of the most popular strawberry jams out there, and per serving (1 tablespoon) they contain 9g sugar. That’s a lot! And not worth the guilty pleasure.
To put it into perspective, you can put around 15 grams of jam in a tablespoon. If 9 grams out of that is added sugar, that means 60% of the jam you get in the store is made up of sugar. This is why making your own low-sugar jam using a keto sweetener is the only way to go.
How Can I Use Sugar Free Strawberry Jam?
If you’re not one of those people who likes to eat it straight out of the jar (don’t judge me), there are plenty of recipes you can use jam with.
- Smear it over low-carb pancakes for breakfast or as a snack
- Our Keto Crepes are seriously meant for this jelly. Whip up some cream, put berries on top, and you’re all set
- Add it to Greek yogurt and ketogenic cereal recipes
- Use it in our Keto Thumbprint Cookies
- Pour a tablespoon or two over low-carb ice cream
- Add it in baking or use it whenever you’re making low-carb cheesecakes
How Do I Make Sugar Free Jam?
It’s a really, really simple recipe! All you need are strawberries, water, gelatin, and a keto sweetener.
Prepare your ingredients and tools
To make this sugar-free strawberry jam recipe you will need:
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup Swerve sweetener
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup hot water (do not bring to boil)
Also, prepare these kitchen tools:
- A medium-sized pot
- Potato masher
- Two cups
- Glass jars
Prepare strawberries
Wash strawberries thoroughly and take out the stems. You can simply cut it or hull it using the straw method.
Then, cut them up into quarters.
Bring to a boil
Place quartered strawberries, 1 cup of room temperature water, and Swerve sweetener to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer quickly until strawberries have fully broken down and start releasing fruit juice.
Then, wait until most of the liquid evaporates and your mixture will start to naturally thicken up a bit.
Use a potato masher
To break strawberries apart after you have already cooked them for some time, use a potato masher. It’s so much easier than using a spoon or spatula since it will save you prep time.
If you’re using frozen strawberries, you can probably reduce cook time by a few minutes since they are already mushy once defrosted. Remove from heat once done.
Bloom gelatin
Sprinkle gelatin granules over a cup or a small dish filled with 1/4 cup of hot water. Make sure you are not using boiling water. Leave it for a few minutes to bloom.
Return to stove
Return your sugar-free strawberry jam to the stove and add bloomed gelatin with the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for about two minutes until it thickens up to a jam-like consistency.
Transfer to a glass jar
Transfer hot jam to jars. Be careful not to burn yourself! Wait for it to cool down and place in the fridge. Store it for up to two weeks.
Common Questions
Although this recipe only has a few ingredients, if you don’t follow our tips correctly you may end up with a clumpy or runny jam. To avoid making any of these mistakes, check out these commonly asked questions.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
We used fresh strawberries because that’s what we had on hand. You definitely can use frozen strawberries but the cooking process would be a little different.
In this recipe, we added water with the fresh strawberries, but when it comes to frozen ones we would recommend you add half of a cup instead of a whole cup because they contain more water inside.
Can I use a different low-carb sweetener?
In this recipe, we used Swerve. You can use it as a 1:1 replacement for sugar. It consists of erythritol, oligosaccharides, and natural flavors and it’s a wonderful replacement for sugar in general. It also doesn’t have any calories.
We don’t really recommend using other sugar replacements since we haven’t tried them in cooking and these can be tricky on their own.
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, 1 cup of water, and sweetener.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the strawberries have fully broken down. Assist by mashing while it cooks.
- While the berries cook add the gelatin to the 1/4 cup of hot water to bloom.
- When the strawberries have cooked down remove from the heat. Add in the remaining 1/2 cup of water and bloomed gelatin.
- Return to the stove and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the cooked jam into glass jars and leave to cool.
- Will last in the fridge for about two weeks.
Notes
In order to increase storage life, you can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice during cooking.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 78
- Calories from Fat: 9
-
% Daily Value*:
- Fat: 1g (2%)
- Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 11mg (0%)
- Potassium: 347mg (10%)
- Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)
- Fiber: 5g (20%)
- Sugar: 11g (12%)
- Protein: 3g (6%)
- Vitamin A: 27IU (1%)
- Vitamin C: 133mg (161%)
- Calcium: 40mg (4%)
- Iron: 1mg (6%)
- Fat: 1g (2%)
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course and Cuisine
- Course: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Keyword: Sugar-free strawberry jam
