Cranberry Apple Chutney (2024)

Published November 1, 2018. Last updated November 16, 2020 by Lauren Vavala Harris

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!

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.

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 myApple 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.

Love this Cranberry Apple Chutney recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!