This simple recipe for Cranberry Apple Chutney takes your main dish to a whole new level. Serve it over pork, chicken, or turkey. It’s also a great side dish recipe to serve at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals!
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I have a confession. I absolutely love cranberry sauce out of a can. The jelly cranberry sauce. The cranberry sauce that comes out of the can in one solid piece with the impression of the inside of the can all around its edges. Cranberry sauce that doesn’t resemble sauce what-so-ever. I love it. So much so, that I had no interest in attempting to make my own. That chunk of jelly was all I needed.
Then, one day, I finally came to my senses and decided to give homemade cranberry sauce a try. I liked it. I didn’t love it. There was orange juice in the recipe that I had made and I just didn’t really care for it. And so, I went back to my beloved canned jellied cranberry sauce.
Having used cranberries in several recipes, like my Apple Cranberry Walnut Stuffing and Cranberry Walnut Cups, I felt like I was at a point where I could make my own cranberry sauce recipe. But, I didn’t really want it to be a traditional cranberry sauce, so I opted to take the chutney route.
What’s the Difference Between Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Chutney?
I decided to do a little research into the difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry chutney. I thought that a chutney was just more chunky, but there is a bit more to it than that.
Cranberry sauce typically contains more sweet ingredients, like sugar and orange juice and cinnamon. It can be smooth or a bit chunky depending on your own personal preferences.
Cranberry chutney, on the other hand, includes the use of a vinegar and more savory ingredients along with fruit. It tends to include plenty of chunks of fruits and vegetables along with spices.
I decided to add apples, golden raisins, and shallot to bring tons of flavor to this Cranberry Apple Chutney recipe. I may never go back to canned cranberry sauce ever again.
How to Make Cranberry Apple Chutney
Prep!
The prep work for this recipe is pretty minimal. All you need to do before you begin cooking is finely chop the shallot and dice the apple in about 1/2-inch pieces.
Create!
Add the water and granulated sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir in the cranberries, shallot, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar.
Cook until the cranberries start popping, about 5 minutes, then add in the apples and raisins.
Lower the heat to simmer, until the apples are just tender, and the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
Present!
Cranberry Apple Chutney can be served warm or chilled.
Enjoy!
What to Serve With Cranberry Apple Chutney
There are so many ways you can use this Cranberry Apple Chutney! Some ways to enjoy this delicious chutney include:
- Spooning it over pork, chicken, or turkey.
- Serving it as a stand alone side dish.
- Using it in a Turkey Quinoa Bowl (or something similar).
- Spooning it over ice cream.
- Mixing it into oatmeal.
And so much more!
Tips and Techniques
- Store extra Cranberry Apple Chutney in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- You can also freeze this Cranberry Apple Chutney in freezer bags for up to 2 months.
- To use frozen Cranberry Apple Chutney, first thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then enjoy it chilled, or warm gently over medium heat on the stove.
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Cranberry Apple Chutney
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup water
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 1 small shallot * finely chopped
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tart apples * diced
- 1/2 Cup golden raisins
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, bring the water and granulated sugar to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the cranberries, shallot, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar.
- Continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes to allow the cranberries time to start popping.
- Add the apples and golden raisins and lower the heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Chutney can be served warm or chilled.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Store extra Cranberry Apple Chutney in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- You can also freeze this Cranberry Apple Chutney in freezer bags for up to 2 months.
- To use frozen Cranberry Apple Chutney, first thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then enjoy it chilled, or warm gently over medium heat on the stove.
Sara says
Can you can this chutney?
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Sara. Unfortunately, I haven’t done much canning and it’s been years since I last tried. I’m definitely not sure about how well it will can. It can be frozen, if that’s any help.
Brenda Dower says
HI, I have made cranberry-apple relishes before and have canned it in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Sue says
This sounds amazing! Could this be water-bath canned? I know it’s about making sure the acid content is high enough… just not sure how to figure that out.
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Sue. Unfortunately, I haven’t done much canning and it’s been years since I last tried. I’m definitely not sure about how well it will can. It can be frozen, if that’s any help.
– Lauren
Patti says
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Patti! I’ve never made this recipe in a crockpot, but I don’t see why you can’t make it that way. Just toss everything in and set to low for a few hours. You want it to get hot enough that some of the cranberries pop Hope this helps – Lauren
John says
Love this combination. I made it then made it again with a few changes. I sauted the onions until translucent in grapeseed oil. Used Granny Smith apples, substituted Steen’s syrup for the brown sugar and used unsweetened cranberry juice and apple cider for the liquid. Had some majool dates and used those instead of the raisins. Cinnamon and cardamom brought it back to savory fro sweet. Both turned out wonderful!!!!
Lauren says
Awesome! Thanks so much for stopping back to let me know 🙂 Chutney’s are so fun – you can do so many different things with them – I love the idea of dates and cardamom!!
Tina says
I love cranberries and am always on the lookout for new recipe. Love this! It’s so creative. This looks amazing, definitely going to make this! Thanks for sharing your recipes:)
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
I had apple chutney, but I’ve never tried it with cranberry. Great color!
Jenna says
Like you, I completely cringe at the thought and sight of one solid piece of cranberry!! I’m going to try your version with fresh apples, much more appetizing!
Ellen says
Taking cranberry chutney to the next level! Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Catherine Brown says
Oh, my goodness! This is SO beautiful! I love the cranberries and apples together, and I’m thinkin’ this would be lovely on baked sweet potatoes!
Kelly Anthony says
This cranberry apple chutney looks so good. I can’t wait to make this and fill my house with the aroma of cooked apples, cranberries and spices.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Love the idea of adding cranberries and apples together. Brilliant both delicious flavors of autumn. Can’t wait to make this for a side of pork chops or poultry. Gorgeous clicks BTW. Just pinned!