This Apple Cranberry Chutney makes a delicious addition to every year's Thanksgiving celebration. The combination of tart cranberries with ripe apples, golden raisins, spices, fresh orange juice or lemon juice makes cranberry chutney a favorite during the holidays. If you try this recipe, you will never buy cans of cranberries again.
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💝 Why You Will Love Cranberry Apple Chutney
- Control over sugar content: Using fresh cranberries allows for the adjustment of sugar to your liking.
- Defined Flavor Balance: This recipe has the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spicy notes, making it a reliable choice for a harmonious chutney without the need for experimentation.
- Simple Elevation of the Holiday Table: Homemade chutney not only is easy to make but also adds a gourmet touch to the holiday spread, making the celebration more special and memorable.
- Better Than Traditional Cranberry Sauce: While fresh cranberry sauce is great and way better than store-bought, this delectable apple cranberry chutney brings much more flavor and interest to your meal.
📝 Ingredients You Need
Making cranberry chutney with apples uses simple ingredients you can easily find in most grocery stores. Here's a look at the main ingredients in this apple cranberry chutney recipe, you will find the full list and quantities of each in the recipe card.
- Fresh Cranberries: The tart backbone of the chutney. This tangy, versatile tart berry can add zip and flavor to lots of recipes and bring joy to the table.
- Dried Apricots: For more sweet and fruity flavor. This dried fruit balances the tartness of the cranberries.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness, enhancing the fruit flavors of the chutney.
- Golden Raisins: Another sweet element that gives the chutney a different texture.
- Orange Juice: Adds citrusy brightness. Use fresh oranges for best flavor.
- Orange Zest: Amplifies the citrus note of this cranberry sauce adding a fragrant touch.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Provides a zesty tang and bright aroma.
- Apple: Adds a mild sweetness and chunky texture. You can choose your favorite fresh apples. I really like Fuji apples, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples. A tart apple works well especially if you don't want the flavor too sweet.
- Ginger Powder: Offers a subtle spiciness and warming note.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a spicy kick, substitute with a quarter teaspoon of Cayenne or Chile de Arbol powder if unavailable.
❤️ Are you a huge fan of cranberries? You've got to try my Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip and this Cranberry Custard Pie With Cream Cheese Crust or my Cranberry Orange Banana Bread! Still craving more? Try some of my 16 Sweet And Savory Cranberry Recipes to see that the sky is the limit.
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few simple swaps and ways to change up this simple recipe for cranberry chutney.
- Dried Cranberries: These are a bit sweeter than fresh cranberries but you can use them. You will probably want to add a bit less sugar so leave it out and give it a taste after it cooks a bit. Then add desired amount of sugar and cook until it dissolves.
- Cranberry pear chutney: A tasty variation you can make by swapping the apples for pears.
- Spicy cranberry chutney: Like your chutney on the spicy side? Add some chopped jalapeno, more red chili flakes, or a few extra sprinkles of cayenne pepper.
- No processed sugar: You can leave it out though the flavors may be much more tart. Also, coconut sugar, brown sugar, and honey can also be used to add a bit of sweetness.
👩🍳 How to Make Cranberry Apple Chutney
This recipe is perfect for your holiday meal! It requires little prep and you can even make it ahead of time. Let's dive into the recipe highlights! For more details, be sure to review the full instructions in the recipe card.
Before you get started cooking there is a bit of prep for you! Wash the apples, core, and chop them into small pieces. Wash the cranberries and remove any of the soft or spoiled ones. After that, you're ready to start cookng.
- Step 1. In a saucepan, combine chopped apricots, sugar, raisins, orange juice, cranberries, apple, and lemon zest.
- Step 2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring for 5 minutes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes more or until at least half of the cranberries have popped.
- Step 3: Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and ginger to the mixture before removing from the heat and then stir it into the sauce. Allow it to cool and the store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
🍽️ How to Serve Cranberry Chutney
Your apple cranberry chutney is best served chilled or at room temperature. It's a popular condiment on many holiday tables especially for Thanksgiving but it actually can be used any time of year!
Here a few of my favorite dishes that Apple Cranberry Chutney makes a delicious accompaniment for when serving:
- Turkey or Ham: It goes great with these two popular meats for your Thanksgiving table or Christmas dinner.
- Pork: It is delicious with pork loin or pork chops, but I especially love it with my Roasted Pork Tenderloin.
- Cheese Board or Charcuterie Platter! Serve it with a platter of cheese or a cheese board. Baked Brie is a good one that goes really well with the cranberries and the flavors from the chutney.
- Use It as a Sandwich Spread: It's the perfect condiment for a turkey or ham sandwich! After the holidays it's great way to use up leftover turkey or ham.
- Dessert or Breakfast: This delicious chutney is quite tasty on top of yogurt for breakfast. I recommend making sure the yogurt has no added sugar. For dessert, it's quite delightful on ice cream.
- Give a Jar as a Gift: Package it up in a cute jar with a ribbon for a great gift around the holidays.
💡Expert Tips
- Storage After Cooking. Store your cranberry chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Use Fresh Orange Juice and Lemon Juice: You will be using the zest anyway so using fresh makes sense. But really, it tastes so much better than anything prepared in advance.
- Make Ahead: Everyone's busy during the holidays so if you're looking for recipes you can make ahead of time this one is perfect. Make it up to 3-4 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
ℹ️Recipe FAQs
Since we are using fresh cranberries, I find it's best enjoyed within seven days. It may last longer but it may degrade in quality and eventually it will not be edible.
Yes, you can. Cool the chutney completely and then transfer it to freezer bags or a freezer-safe container and store for up to three months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Stir it well before serving.
More Cranberry Recipes
📖 Recipe
Best Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup dried apricots chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup orange juice or 2 medium oranges
- zest from the oranges
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 large apple or 2 medium ones
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Or you can use only ¼ teaspoon Cayenne or Chile de Arbol powder.
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients. Wash the apples, core and chop them into small pieces. Wash the cranberries and remove any of the soft or spoiled ones.
- In a saucepan, combine apricots, sugar, raisins, orange juice, cranberries, apple, orange, and lemon zest.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring for 5 minutes. Simmer for 15 minutes more or until at least half of the cranberries have popped.
- Stir in the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and ginger into the mixture before removing it from the heat.
- Serve the cranberry chutney chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Storage After Cooking. Store your cranberry chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Use Fresh Orange Juice and Lemon Juice: You will be using the zest anyway so using fresh makes sense. But really, it tastes so much better than anything prepared in advance.
- Make Ahead: Everyone's busy during the holidays so if you're looking for recipes you can make ahead of time this one is perfect. Make it up to 3-4 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
Nutrition
The article was originally published on November 10, 2017, and updated with new photos and content in November 2023.
Shakira says
Hi. Can I use dry cranberry in the recipe of cranberry chutney?
The Bossy Kitchen says
You can, but you will have to increase the liquid in the recipe, as cooking raw cranberries will release the juice, while the dry cranberries do not have that. I would not be able to tell you how much liquid you need to add, as I never made the recipe with dried cranberries. If you try, let me know, I am curious to see what you came up with.
Cristina says
Fantastic cranberry sauce! I made it for Thanksgiving using dried cranberries and it came out delicious, a little tangy, a little sweet, perfect to accompany any meat. The trick with the dried cranberries is to soak them in water overnight, then follow the recipe. Can´t wait to make this again for Christmas. Thank you Gabriela!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Thank you, Cristina! I never thought to use dried cranberries but if you cannot find fresh cranberries, this is a great idea!
DBmom says
Thank you for the recipe. I used fresh cranberries, a Granny Smith apple, a honey crisp apple, dried sweet cherries. For spices, I also used ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice and 2 sticks of cinnamon.We absolutely loved it and might I add, even better the next day. We’ve been enjoying it with some mango habanero goat cheese. I’ll be making it again, thanksgiving is next week & I’ll be making another one sure this first batch will be done by the weekend!
Gabriela says
I am happy you liked the recipe. It is a favorite in my house too every year.