Cranberry Chutney

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Sweet, tart and savory, cranberry chutney makes a delicious alternative to traditional cranberry sauce.

Wooden spoon stirring a Dutch oven of cranberry chutney.

Chutney is a condiment of Indian origin made with sweet, sour and savory ingredients, like fruit, ginger, onions, sugar, spices, and vinegar. This holiday version comes from my mom’s dear friend Joanne Biltekoff, who is like an aunt to me (and lovingly known to my kids as the pickle lady for her delicious refrigerator pickles). Joanne makes a big vat of cranberry chutney before Thanksgiving to jar and give away over the holidays. Not only is it a nice alternative to traditional cranberry sauce, it’s also delicious on turkey sandwiches and goes beautifully with cheese, crackers, and charcuterie.

What You’ll Need To Make Cranberry Chutney

cranberry chutney ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot or Dutch oven.

chutney ingredients in pot

Mix well.

stirring chutney ingredients in pot

Bring to a rapid boil over high heat.

bringing the cranberry chutney to a rapid boil

Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes.

mixture after simmering for 45 minutes

Remove the lid and simmer the chutney for 15 minutes more, until thickened.

finished cranberry chutney in pot

Let cool completely, then spoon the chutney into a bowl or jars and refrigerate until ready to use.

Wooden spoon stirring a Dutch oven of cranberry chutney.

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Cranberry Chutney

Sweet, tart and savory, cranberry chutney makes a delicious alternative to traditional cranberry sauce.

Servings: 4 cups
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, no need to defrost before using)
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 tart-sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji or Gala, peeled, cored, and finely diced
  • ⅔ cup finely chopped yellow onion, from one small onion
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger, from a 2-inch knob (see note)
  • ¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1½ teaspoons orange zest, from 2 oranges
  • ⅔ cup fresh orange juice, from 2 oranges
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • Generous pinch red pepper flakes
  • Generous pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a heavy, medium (2 to 3-qt) pot and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer the chutney for 15 minutes more, until thickened. Let cool completely, then spoon the chutney into a bowl or jars and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
  3. Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The chutney will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (32 servings)
  • Serving size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 47
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Saturated fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 7 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Jenn, I guess I’m a little confused.
    For the Cranberry Chutney “1 1/2 TSP orange zest frm 2 oranges.” Does that mean a total of 3 TBS
    Same question re the juice?
    2/3 cup OJ frm EACH of 2 ?

    I’ve been a fan for yrs. This time I’m stumped.
    Yvonne

    • — Yvonne on November 16, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Yvonne, I apologize for any confusion! You only need a total of 1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest and 2/3 cup of OJ. I have the other information there to indicate how many oranges you’re likely to need to yield that amount of zest and juice. Hope you enjoy the chutney!

  • Hi, is there a way I can purée this into smooth sauce, rather than it being chunky?

    • — Sara on October 29, 2024
    • Reply
    • I love the texture this has, but there’s no reason you can’t puree it if you prefer it smooth.

  • Excellent recipe. Easy to make. Lots of chopping but then you combine everything in one pot.

    • — Anne Silverstein on October 4, 2024
    • Reply
  • I cooked this in the Instant Pot, 1 minute on high pressure, then 10 minutes natural pressure release. I cut back on the sugar by 1/4 cup, didn’t add the water, used 1 tsp powdered ginger instead of the fresh ginger. We loved it! Perfect with the crown pork roast!

    • — Jeannine on December 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • I simmered this for about 18 minutes and it’s still a little loose. Will it thicken up as it cools?

    • — Lenore on December 19, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yes, it does thicken as it cools off.

      • — Jenn on December 19, 2023
      • Reply
  • I’ve made Cranberry Chutney with crushed pineapple before but this recipe sounds much more interesting and tasty. Do you think it would be ok to substitute the apple with pineapple? And can you use dark brown sugar instead of light? Thanks!

    • — Donna Payne on December 4, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yes and yes. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 5, 2023
      • Reply

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