This cranberry chia jam recipe is filled with seasonal flavours like cranberries, orange zest and the sweet flavor of pears and honey.

Whether you need something to serve with a holiday dinner, breakfast or an easy hostess gift, this homemade jam is simple to make.

I love cranberry recipes in the Fall and Winter like these No-Bake Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes and this Easy Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie because the colour of the vibrant deep red berries evokes the holiday spirit!  If you’ve never made your own jam, this is a great recipe to start with.

Why you’ll love this easy recipe

• Quick & Easy: Make this in under 30 minutes with just 7 simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.
• Healthy: This easy jam comes together with the addition of chia seeds and is a healthier alternative to sugary jams and store-bought cranberry sauce. Plus cranberries are high in vitamin c!
• Make-Ahead:  This jam is so versatile and it freezes well too. So, you can make this chia jam ahead of time and just take it out of the fridge or freezer when you need it.

Ingredients needed to make this simple jam recipe

Cranberries: I like to use fresh cranberries because a bag of cranberries is so readily available in the Fall and Winter; but in a pinch use frozen instead

Pears:  Pears provide some natural sweetness to this recipe; you can use green or red Anjou, Bartlett or even Bosc pears in this cranberry chia jam recipe

Honey:  Honey adds a nice touch of sweetness to balance out the tart cranberries; you can substitute with pure maple syrup if desired.

Seasonings: A touch of cinnamon and a pinch nutmeg round out the flavours.

Orange zest: Zest from an orange goes so well with cranberries!

Chia seeds: When warmed, chia seeds act as thickener to this jam so don’t skip it.

How to make this delicious recipe

1. Mix together the water, cranberries, chopped pears, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is bubbling and cranberries are starting to pop, turn to low-medium heat and stir in the chia seeds.
3. Cook stirring frequently until desired texture is reached – you want the pears to be very soft and cranberries to start breaking down / bursting, about 15-20 minutes. If you prefer a more ‘smooth’ mixture, use a potato masher to crush the ingredients in the pan and then let the mixture cool fully.
4. Once cool, store the jam in your fridge for 1-1.5 weeks in a glass jar or freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Defrost frozen jam in the fridge before enjoying. 

How to enjoy this homemade chia jam

• With turkey: I like to use this cranberry chia jam as an updated version of homemade cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table with turkey dinner! 
• Baked brie: Use this cranberry pear chia jam as a topping for baked brie cheese. Preheat the oven to 375F; place the brie cheese in a parchment paper lined baking dish; top the brie with about 1/3 cup of the jam; and then bake it for about 15-20 minutes until the brie is just starting to bubble.
• Cheeseboard: Use this cranberry jam as a wonderful addition topper for cheese on a holiday cheeseboard.
• Granola: Pair this cranberry pear jam it with my Coconut & Almond Granola and yogurt for a delicious breakfast.
• Breakfast: Use as a topping for french toast, pancakes or simply spread on your morning toast or english muffin with almond butter or peanut butter – yum!

Expert tips

• You can use green or red Anjou, Bartlett or even Bosc pears in this cranberry chia jam recipe.
• This Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam makes a lovely gift! You can fill 4 small mason jars with the jam and then add little holiday gift tags. Just make sure to store the jam in the fridge until you’re ready to gift.
• I use black chia seeds in this recipe but you can use white chia seeds if desired.
• You’ll find the familiar bags of fresh cranberries in the grocery store or local market during the Fall and Winter season.
• Have leftover cranberries in the fridge? This cranberry-pear chia seed jam is a good way to use them up and enjoy them!
• There isn’t too much sugar at all in this recipe so it’s a great low sugar option.

Common questions

How to store

Once the jam is fully cooled, store in an airtight glass jar or container in the fridge for 1-1.5 weeks. Alternatively, freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Defrost frozen jam in the fridge before enjoying. 

More cranberry recipes to make from the blog

• Easy Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars (for the holidays)
• No-Bake Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes
• Winter Cranberry Aperol Spritz

Print

Easy Cranberry & Pear Chia Seed Jam (low sugar)

Cranberry & Pear Chia Seed Jam is an easy jam for the holiday season! Serve with baked brie, turkey dinner or gift a jar for the holidays.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen works also if needed)
• 3 green or red Anjou, Bartlett or Bosc pears, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (leave the skin on the pears)
• 1/4 cup honey (substitute with maple syrup if desired)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• zest from half a large navel orange
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

• Mix together the water, cranberries, chopped pears, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is bubbling and cranberries are starting to pop, turn to medium-low heat and stir in the chia seeds.
• Cook, keeping at a simmer and stirring frequently until the pears are very soft and cranberries have burst, about 15-20 minutes. Let the mixture fully cool.
• Once cool, store the jam in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-1.5 weeks or freeze for future use.

Notes

• This Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam makes a lovely gift! You can fill 4 small mason jars with the jam and then add little holiday gift tags. Just make sure to store the jam in the fridge until you’re ready to gift.
• Have leftover cranberries in the fridge? This cranberry-pear chia seed jam is a good way to use them up and enjoy them!
• You do not need to peel the pears before making this jam as the skin on the pears does soften and cook down as the jam simmers at a gentle boil.

Photography by: Kaeleigh Pugliese

The post Easy Cranberry & Pear Chia Seed Jam (low sugar) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

This is one of those recipes where I got really creative using my kitchen tools. I grabbed the ice cube tray which turned out to be the perfect vessel for these chocolates.

This recipe is super simple, only takes a little bit of your time and you end up with a really cute gift for the loved ones in your life.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Kitchen Equipment: ice cube tray, parchment paper, baking sheet
Servings: 14-16

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
4 marshmallows, cut in quarters lengthwise
red food colouring
1/4 cup white chocolate chips (for decorating)
red, pink or white sprinkles (for decorating)

Instructions:

First, melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a small pot on low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture fully melts and then take off of the heat.

Transfer the melted chocolate to a small mixing bowl and mix in drops of red food colouring, one drop at a time until you reach your desired shade of pink.

Cook’s Note: I used 5 drops of red food colouring to get the colour of pink that I wanted.

Fill in the bottom of your ice cube tray with the pink chocolate (using up about a third of your melted chocolate).

Then, layer in one piece of marshmallow, pressing gently when you lay the piece in the tray.

Fill in the ice cube tray with the remaining chocolate and tap the tray gently on the counter to even out the chocolates.

Put the tray in the freezer for a half-hour to set the chocolates. Then, if you are going to decorate your chocolates, prep a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

After a half-hour, take the ice cube tray out of the freezer and let sit for 5 minutes.  Then gently wiggle the ice cube tray and tap the tray down onto the parchment-covered baking sheet to remove the chocolates.

To decorate, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate in your small pot on the oven.  Once melted, decorate as you see fit! You can drizzle the chocolate across each chocolate using a spoon, add sprinkles to some chocolates and leave some without sprinkles – it’s totally up to you so have fun with it!

These make a really cute gift for Valentine’s Day and would be a fun recipe to make with your family and friends too.

And I highly recommend you keep a couple for yourself (of course!)

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolates appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Last month I started a new monthly feature called ‘What’s in Season’ where I’m sharing favourites from recipes and kitchen tools to books and quotes, stores and restaurants, and accessories to name a few!

As we move closer to November I’m starting to cook more soups and cozy up in the house a bit more often. So, here are my favourites from the past month…

I already have William’s Sonoma One Pot of The Day Cookbook BUT this newer Soup of the Day is next level

This cake is made with PARSNIPS! Seasonal ingredient cake with a Blood Orange Buttercream

Of course someone had to create reading socks – YES, cozy socks that one must wear when enjoying a great book

I’m also obsessed with copper everything like these beautiful measuring cups

All of the plaid! You’ll come to know my love for anything plaid…I just bought these gorgeous plaid mugs & can’t wait to use them

These DIY gold painted vases I think would look beautiful for the upcoming festive season!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – October appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Need a quick and easy gift for your Valentine this year?  These Chocolate Marshmallow Pops are the perfect DIY gift idea.  They’re sweet, chocolatey and homemade.  Plus, you can totally choose any of your favourite topping ingredients besides the ones in our recipe to truly make these your own.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Equipment Needs: popsicle sticks or skewers, pan & parchment paper

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup skor toffee bits

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (low broil for about 2 mins)

1/4 cup heart sprinkles
1/4 cup pink sprinkles

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tsp coconut oil

21 extra-large marshmallows

Instructions:

Toppings
Chop the 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios and mix with 1/4 cup of Skor Toffee Bits.  Next, toast the shredded coconut on a pan for 2 minutes on a low-broil setting in the oven.  Lastly, mix the heart and pink sprinkles together.

Chocolate
Put the coconut oil at the bottom of the pot, then add the chocolate chips. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly as the mixture melts.  Continue to stir until fully melted and then take off the heat.

Assembly
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place each marshmallow on a popsicle stick or skewer. Then, dip the marshmallow into the chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off.  Next, roll the marshmallow pop in the toppings – this recipe allows for 7 marshmallow pops per topping mixture.  Place each pop marshmallow-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Refrigerate for 1.5 hours and then they are ready to serve and gift!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Chocolate Marshmallow Pops appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

You can use these centrepieces for your holiday dinner table, on your mantle, as an accent during a cocktail party – for whatever your heart desires!
For the taller centrepiece you will need:
1/2 bag of cranberries
Water
Short vase
Couple of small branches from your Christmas tree

Instructions:
1. Cut a few small pieces from your Christmas tree, about double the size of the vase you have chosen
2. Fill the vase half-way with water
3. Add about half of the bag of cranberries
4. Gather the pieces from the tree together, and place in the middle of the cranberries in the vase, arranging as you see fit. The cranberries will help hold it in place.

For the shorter centrepiece you will need:
1/2 bag of cranberries
Water
Low glass bowl
5 tealights

Instructions:
1. Fill your low glass bowl about three-quarters full of water
2. Add in the cranberries
3. Place the 5 tealights in (try not to get the candle-wicks wet)
4. Arrange as you see fit
5. Light the candles when you sit down to the table and/or when guests arrive (depending on what you’re using the centrepiece for)

You can really ‘freestyle’ as I like to call it with these two ideas – if you feel you need a little more/less water or more/less cranberries, just adjust as you see fit!

I’d love to see what you come up with.  SHARE with us on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #cookinginmygenes & #12daysofholidaycheer

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post DIY Holiday Centrepiece appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.