This vibrant Cranberry Chutney recipe is an Indian-inspired twist on classic cranberry sauce, made with warming spices, ginger, apples for sweetness, and a touch of heat. It's the perfect festive 30-minute stovetop condiment for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday gatherings - delicious as a side with turkey, ham, cheese boards, lentils and more.
Chutneys are a whole class of condiments or sauces from India that are sweet, savory, herbaceous, or tangy. They're made with an assortment fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs to serve with main dishes for an extra layer of flavor. Some popular chutneys are Cilantro-Mint Chutney that you'll often see in restaurants and South Indian Coconut Chutney.
If you're looking for something beyond the usual Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, this spiced cranberry chutney brings bold Indian flavors to your holiday table. It balances tart cranberries with apples, raisins, ginger, and warming spices for a festive condiment that pairs with everything from turkey and ham to cheese boards and vegetarian mains.
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Why you'll love this Recipe
This spiced Cranberry Chutney offers a bit of a variation from classic cranberry sauce. Most Thanksgiving or Christmas spreads tend to be fairly simple in terms of spices and flavors. This Cranberry Chutney adds bold flavor and color to any spread.
- It's ready in 30 minutes from scratch on the stove top, saving precious oven space while making elaborate holiday dinners.
- It's sweet, spicy, and tart and pairs with any main dish.
- It can be canned as a gift, used in appetizers, or as a sauce or glaze.
- It stays true to the ingredients and flavors used to make authentic Indian chutneys.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Cranberries - Fresh or frozen cranberries will work for this recipe!
- Apple - Use a sweet red apple, like fuji, gala, or honey crisp. I don't peel mine, but you absolutely can if you'd like to.
- Golden Raisins - Golden raisins are common to fruit-based chutneys, like mango chutney. Raisins absorb a lot of liquid and break up the texture of the chutney. They can be omitted if you don't like raisins.
- Orange - A pairing that can't be denied - oranges and cranberries! Orange juice balances the cranberry by adding acidity, natural sugars, and brightness to the chutney.
- Ginger - Use freshly minced or grated ginger and adjust based off of preference. It pairs really well with the orange juice and cranberries.
- Green chili pepper - Serrano pepper, jalapeños, or Indian green chili peppers and a bit of heat, but not too much. Substitute with ½ teaspoon chili powder or red chili flakes to spice preference.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - This is my preferred vinegar for fruit chutneys but distilled white vinegar works as well.
- Sugar - Cranberries are incredibly tart and need sugar to balance it out. Adjust the amount in the recipe based off of personal preference. Also, feel free to use substitutes like honey, maple syrup, or sugar-free substitutes like Splenda.
- Spices - We're only using cumin seeds and garam masala for a bit of warmth.
How to make Indian Cranberry Chutney
Start by prepping all of your ingredients:
- Dice the green chili pepper
- Mince the garlic
- Core and dice the apple
- Grate a 1-inch knob of ginger (about 5 grams)
- Step 1: On low to medium heat, add the oil into a saucepan. Toss in the grated ginger, minced garlic, diced pepper, and cumin seeds. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the aroma and the green chili pepper has softened a bit.
- Step 2: Add in the cranberries, raisins, apples, sugar, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar. Give everything a stir and let it come to a simmer, stirring in 2-3 minute intervals. Cover the saucepan with a lid.
- Step 3: At about 12 minutes in, the cranberries will begin to burst and release their juices. The diced apples will have softened.
- Step 4: After another 12 minutes, the chutney will have reduced about half. Add the garam masala and stir everything together again. Remove the chutney from heat.
- Step 5: At this point, you can mash down the cranberries and apples with a spatula or potato masher for a thicker chutney, or you can leave it chunky with the softened apples and cranberries for some texture.
Let it cool to room temperature before serving.
What to Serve Cranberry Chutney with
You can use Cranberry Chutney as a sweet, savory option anywhere you would use cranberry sauce! Try these options:
- In a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich
- In a little bowl on a charcuterie board to top a cheese cracker
- In a cranberry brie pull apart bread
- To glaze a holiday ham or chicken
- In a chutney grilled cheese sandwich
- As a festive side to chole with bhatura or whole masoor dal
The possibilities are endless!
Storage Instructions
Cranberry Chutney can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Warm gently on the stovetop before serving if you prefer it warm.
It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight for use the next day.
FAQs
Yes! Cranberry chutney actually tastes better after a day or two as the flavors develop. You can make it up to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Yes, cranberry chutney is perfect for canning or gifting. Use proper sterilized jars and follow safe water bath canning methods. When sealed correctly, it can last up to a year in the pantry.
Cranberry sauce is usually sweet and simple with sugar and orange juice, while cranberry chutney is savory-sweet with Indian spices, vinegar, raisins, and sometimes chili peppers for heat. It's more complex and versatile.
Absolutely. Frozen cranberries work just as well as fresh. No need to thaw them - just add directly to the pan and increase cooking time by a couple of minutes.
Yes, try honey or maple syrup to taste. A honeycrisp apple adds a lot of sweetness.
Yes, use a larger pot and increase the cook time slightly.
More Chutneys and Achars to try
Recipe
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Cranberry Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ serrano pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
- 1.5 ounces golden raisins
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To prep - Dice the serrano pepper and garlic clove. Core and dice the apple. Grate the ginger.
- In a sauce pan on low to medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, diced serrano pepper, minced garlic clove, and grated ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes until you can smell the aroma.
- Now, add the diced apple, cranberries, golden raisins, sugar, orange juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar into the sauce pan. Mix everything together really well.
- Let the chutney come to a simmer the chutney and cover it with a lid, stirring in 3-5 minute intervals. About 10-12 minutes in, the cranberries will start to burst and the apples will soften. Another 12 minutes in, the mixture will have reduced by about half.
- At about 25 minutes, stir in the garam masala. Remove the chutney from heat.
- Optionally, mash down the cranberries and apples for a thick cranberry chutney. Or keep it chunky for texture.
- Allow the chutney to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- Cranberry Chutney can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight for use the next day.
Sharon Morgan says
Hi!
I had an idea - lentils with a side of cranberry chutney, and your recipe worked.
I didn't have serranos, but used jalapenos ( insert tilde over n), and also had some dried chipotle peppers, which a crushed and added.
Thank you!
I'll make it again.
Sharon
Shweta Garg says
Hi Sharon,
Awesome! I totally agree, the cranberry chutney is so dang good with lentils - I did that frequently last year. Dried chipotle peppers in it sounds delicious! Enjoy! -Shweta