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Home » Recipes

Dried Apricot & Chia Jam

Published: 27 Feb 2020 · Updated: 19 Mar 2022 by Julianne Lynch · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 6 Comments

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apricot chia jam pin
apricot chia jam pin

This Dried Apricot Jam is super tasty, easy to make, and requires just 3 simple ingredients: dried apricots, chia seeds, and a splash of orange juice. Spread it on your morning toast or use in baking.

Jar of dried apricot chia jam next to a plate with toast.
This Healthy Apricot Jam is an easy and delicious Dried Apricot Recipe.

Many years ago, I was on a quest to find a store-bought apricot jam that didn't have any added sugars. A jam that was just fruit and nothing else. I scoured the health food stores and farmer's markets, but to my utter dismay, I was unable to find a single jar! So I decided to do a little experiment and make my own.

I didn't want to bother with buying, peeling, and chopping fresh apricots. So the lazy, time-crunched mom in me thought--what about dried apricots? And thus this recipe was born.

For my first attempt, I simply chopped up a bunch of dried apricots, threw them in a pot with some water, and boiled them down until the mixture thickened enough to be jammy. The result was a very chunky and VERY bitter--but on the whole a not too terrible concoction. It just needed a little tweaking.

Over the years I've modified the recipe several times to make it easier, tastier, and healthier. And the result is this super simple three-ingredient dried apricot jam that tastes like sunshine in a jar.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Can I Make this without Chia Seeds?
  • Instructions
  • How to Serve
  • How to Store
  • Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

You'll love this Dired Apricot Chia Jam because it's:

  • Healthy
  • Low Sugar (No Refined Sugar)
  • Vegan
  • A Quick & Easy Dried Apricot Recipe
  • Easy to batch make
  • Freezable
  • Delicious!

Ingredients

  • Dried, Unsulfered Apricots--It's important to choose Unsulfered Apricots, as the flavor and color of sulfered apricots are quite different. Sulfered Apricots are bright orange and often contain added sugars. Unsulfered Apricots are more of a brownish color with a hint of orange. The flavor is richer, deeper, and far superior.
  • Whole Chia Seeds--This will bump up the nutrition and help add some jamminess.
  • A splash of Orange Juice or sweetener of choice. You just need a little, but you can't skip this part, otherwise your jam will taste very bitter.

Can I Make this without Chia Seeds?

Yes! For years I made it without chia seeds and it tastes great. I just like the added texture and nutrition that they bring to the dish.

Instructions

To make this recipe easier, I now soak the dried apricots in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before pulsing them in a high-speed blender. (I use my lovely NutriBullet Pro). No chopping! (It can also work with a stick blender or food processor).

Apricots soaking in water.
I made a double batch so I could freeze half!

To get rid of the bitter taste, I add a splash of orange juice. You can use any sweetener you like (maple syrup or agave work fine), but I like the citrusy notes added by the orange juice. You really only need a splash--but don't skip this step or you'll be puckering your way through a jar of bitter jam!

Blended dried apricots in a pot with chia seeds.
After the jam has boiled down, just stir in the chia seeds, wait ten minutes, and you're done!

And finally, to bump up the health factor and give the jam a little more texture, I stir in a tablespoon of chia seeds at the end and let rest so that the chia seeds soak up the liquid to take on a jelly-like consistency. It's all very similar to the Chia Berry Jam. When the jam is done, simply store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Closeup of toast with apricot chia jam and strawberries.
This Healthy Apricot Jam has no refined sugar!

How to Serve

  • This apricot jam tastes great smeared on toast with homemade almond butter or cashew butter.
  • You can also spread it on healthy muffins. Some of my favorites are Pumpkin and Blackberry.
  • It also tastes great as a topping for waffles.
  • You could add dots of it to this Vegan Apple Crisp for a delcious flavor-combo.
  • You can even use it as a sweetener in baking, the same way you'd use applesauce. It would make a great addition to this Vegan Zucchini Muffin Recipe (just sub for the applesauce in a 1 to 1 ratio.)

Pro tip: For this recipe, I recommend using unsulfered and unsweetened dried apricots. Unsulfered dried apricots will be a dark brownish color, but the taste is far superior.

How to Store

Since this is not a properly canned jam, this kind of quick jam is sometimes called freezer jam. You can store the jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

I like to make a big batch, portion it into small, freezer-safe glass jars, and then freeze all but one jar. I keep one jar of this dried apricot jam in the refrigerator and when I run out, I just grab another from the freezer. So easy!

Related Recipes

  • Chia Berry Jam
  • Orange Cranberry Sauce
  • No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
  • Easy Vegan Pancakes
  • Oil-free Vegan Granola
  • Easy Tofu Scramble

📖 Recipe

Toast with dried apricot chia jam.

Dried Apricot & Chia Jam

This dried apricot jam is super tasty, easy to make, and requires just 3 simple ingredients: dried apricots, chia seeds, and a splash of orange juice. Spread it on your morning toast or use in baking.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Share on Facebook Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Resting Time 10 minutes mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine American

Equipment

nutribullet Pro+ 1200 Watt ...Shop on Amazon
high speed blender
Cuisinart 719-18 Chef's Cla...Shop on Amazon
Medium Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dried, unsulfered apricots
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice (or other sweetener)
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
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Instructions
 

  • Soak the apricots in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Drain off half the water, then blend the rest of the apricots and water in a high speed blender.
  • Place the apricot mixture and the orange juice in a pot and heat on medium high. When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium.
  • Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the apricot mixture thickens to an almost jam-like consistency. If it starts to bubble up too much, turn the heat down a little.
  • When you've reached your desired consistency, take off the heat. Add the chia seeds and stir to combine.
  • Let the jam sit for at least ten minutes before consuming. The chia seeds will begin to absorb the liquid and grow slightly in size. They will take on a jelly-like consistency (similar to tapicoa) and help to thicken up the jam.
  • Serve right away or place in a glass jar with an air-tight lid and store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Or store in the freezer for up to six months.
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Notes

  • If your jam is too thin, simply add more chia seeds, stir to combine, and wait another 10 minutes.
  • Safety precaution: This jam should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Do NOT store at room temperature. 
  • If you can't find unsulfered apricots, you can use the bright orange sulfered variety, but the color and flavor will be considerably different. 
Keyword apricot freezer jam, apricot jam, dried apricot & chia jam, dried apricot jam
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @no_sweat_vegan or #nosweatvegan!

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Comments

    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Brigitte Bosch says

    November 13, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    If you drain the water how do you have liquid left

    Reply
    • Julianne Lynch says

      November 15, 2021 at 3:15 pm

      Hi Brigette, you just drain off half of the water. You don't actually need very much water in this recipe.

      Reply
  2. peg says

    November 05, 2023 at 1:18 pm

    how much water are you using to soak? pretty much need an amount to know what half of it is

    Reply
    • Julianne Lynch says

      November 06, 2023 at 1:54 pm

      Just enough water to cover the apricots. The amount isn't that important because the water will boil off.

      Reply
  3. JM says

    October 11, 2024 at 5:41 pm

    Why unsulfured? Will it work with regular dried Apricots?

    Reply
    • Julianne Lynch says

      October 14, 2024 at 7:41 am

      I prefer the flavor of the unsulfured apricots. You could use regular if that's all you have.

      Reply
Julianne, founder of No Sweat Vegan.

Hi, I'm Julianne! A dedicated home chef for over 20 years and a vegan recipe developer since 2020. I love creating simple and comforting vegan food for the whole family. Most of my recipes are quick, Whole-Foods Plant-Based, and easy on the budget. Thanks for stopping by!

You can also find me at AirFryerVeg.com.

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