Adorn your holiday table with a beautiful bowl of Cranberry Chutney! It’s an Indian condiment that’s a fun alternative for your usual cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries, apples, raisins and dried apricots are held together by the best sweet and spiced mixture.

A bowl of cranberry chutney is placed on a white surface.


Cranberry Chutney

If you’re tired of the same old cranberry sauce and want to try something new, you’ve found just the recipe! Cranberry chutney takes cranberries and tosses them together with more fun fruits – apples, raisins, and dried apricots – and creates the most amazing combination of flavors and textures. This chutney recipe has a little something in it for everyone!

There’s also an incredible balance of flavors here. A medley of bold, warm spices permeate every bite and make your kitchen smell absolutely amazing. Those aromatic spices include cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. It’s not all warm, though! There’s also a decent amount of brown sugar to keep everything nice and sweet while apple cider vinegar supplies a tangy note to even it all out.

Oh, and it’s certainly worth noting that this Thanksgiving chutney recipe is SO EASY! Plus, it can be made up to 10 days in advance or frozen for up to 2 months. Keep scrolling down to see more in depth info on how to store cranberry chutney! It’s a great make ahead recipe, which is always fabulous on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Less stress? Yes, please!

Cranberry chutney is being cooked in a pot and stirred with a spoon.

How to Make Cranberry Chutney

You can have this cranberry chutney recipe whipped up in less than thirty minutes. On crazy holidays when you don’t have a lot of time to play with, you’ll love having a quick recipe like this!

  1. Boil the sugar water. Bring 1 cup of water and your brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. The sugar should be fully dissolved.
  2. Add the ingredients. Stir the cranberries, apples, apple cider vinegar, raisins, apricots and spices into the pot. Let everything reach a boil again before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer.
  3. Cook it. Continue to simmer everything and stir frequently for about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s done cooking when your chutney is thicker and jammy.
  4. Let it cool. Before serving, you’ll want to transfer the cranberry chutney to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it cool to room temperature.
Halved apples are placed next to a bowl of chutney.

Storing and Freezing

Once it’s cooled to room temperature, you can store your cranberry chutney in an airtight container.

In the refrigerator, cranberry chutney will stay fresh for up to 10 days! Just be sure that if you scoop any out of the container during that time, you use a clean spoon. Any new bacteria introduced to the chutney will cause it to spoil.

You can freeze cranberry chutney for up to 2 months. Don’t forget to date and label! When you’re ready to serve it, let it slowly thaw in the fridge for a few hours (overnight is best).

Ingredient Notes

Let’s peruse that shopping list, shall we? Here’s what you’ll need!

  • Brown Sugar – You can always make your own brown sugar by combining 1 cup of granulated white sugar with 1 TBSP of molasses.
  • Fresh Cranberries – If you have any left over, use them in my favorite sugared cranberries recipe.
  • Granny Smith Apple – I recommend using a granny smith apple in this recipe because of the tangy flavor it provides. It’s a great contrast to the sweeter ingredients.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – This helps with the consistency of the sauce and balances the flavors with both sweet and tangy notes.
  • Raisins – You can use plain or golden raisins.
  • Dried Apricots – Try to chop these into evenly sized pieces so they fit nicely on your fork.
  • Spices – Add some great warmth to your chutney by using a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves.
A spoon holding cranberry chutney is placed on a bowl.

Enjoy more of my favorite cranberry recipes!

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Halved apples are placed next to a bowl of chutney.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Chutney Recipe

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Filled with warm spice, apricots and raisins, Cranberry Chutney is a flavor packed substitute for the usual cranberry sauce. A great topping for brie cheese, turkey, sandwiches and more.
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Instructions 

  • In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water and sugar to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Add the cranberries, apples, vinegar, raisins, apricots and spices. Return to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
  • Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until thickened and jammy.
  • Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Cool to room temperature.
  • Serve with turkey, as a sandwich spread or a topping for appetizers.

Notes

Can be made up to 10 days in advance or frozen for up to 2 months.
Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.02g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 123mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 123IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Condiment, sauce
Cuisine: Indian