This Cranberry Chutney is sweet, tangy and loaded with great texture. It’s a delicious way to brighten up your holiday menu and the leftovers make the best ham or turkey sandwiches.
More cranberry relish recipes we love include my Orange Cranberry Sauce and Very Berry Cranberry Sauce.
Cranberry Chutney is such a fun and unexpected condiment to include on your holiday menu. It’s similar to cranberry sauce, but with an attitude.
For this recipe, that attitude comes from apple, dried apricots, walnuts, warm spices, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. This glorius combination of ingredients creates irresitible flavor that complements a wide variety of entrees.
Whether you’re serving turkey, ham, or beef on your holiday menu, Cranberry Chutney will add a ton of flavor to your plate.
Table of contents
Cranberry Chutney vs. Cranberry Sauce
Chutney is a chunkier, thicker textured relish that typically includes dried and fresh fruits, seasonings, and vinegar.
The vinegar is what really sets it apart from the cranberry sauce and gives it the characteristic tang. Vinegar also works as a preservative which helps keep the chutney fresh and great tasting for longer than cranberry sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- Chutney base: Fresh cranberries, water, and granulated sugar.
- Fruit: Diced dried apricots and a crisp-sweet apple like Gala, Envy, or Honeycrisp.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
- Vinegar: A little apple cider vinegar adds that necessary tang to the chutney.
- Chopped walnuts: I love the texture they add but feel free to omit the nuts, if you’d like.
How to Make Cranberry Apricot Chutney
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil.
- Add the cranberries, dried apricots, apple, and all the spices. Stir in the vinegar.
- Allow it to cook until you hear a couple of cranberries pop. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts, if using.
Storage Tips
Transfer the chutney to a bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Then, cover and refrigerate for up to two days before serving. As it rests, the vinegar will mellow a bit, the walnuts will soften slightly, and all the flavors will blend together in the very best way.
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. They will stay fresh and tasty for up to a week or more.
For longer storage, transfer the Cranberry Chutney to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
- Turkey and Chicken: Include a bowl of this Cranberry Chutney next to a Dry Brine Turkey, Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy, or Roast Chicken and Vegetables.
- Pork: The flavors in this chutney pair perfectly with Maple Glazed Spiral Ham or Pork Loin Roast with Gravy.
- Appetizer Topping: Use cranberry chutney as a topping for crostini or crackers, paired with cream cheese or goat cheese, for an elegant and flavorful appetizer.
- Charcuterie Board: Add a small bowl of this Cranberry Chutney to your charcuterie board. It’s the perfect complement to cured meats and cheeses.
- Sandwich Spread: Upgrade your sandwiches by slathering cranberry chutney on bread or wraps, especially with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, roast chicken, or Christmas ham.
Sending love and best wishes for an incredible holiday spent with friends and family and lots of delicious food!
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Cranberry Apricot Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup dried apricots, diced
- ½ cup apple, cored, peeled, and diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over MEDIUM heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries, dried apricots, diced apple, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Stir to combine. Then, stir in the vinegar.
- Allow to cook until you hear a cranberry or two pop. Then, reduce the heat to LOW and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts, if using.
- Transfer the chutney to a bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Then, cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to two days before serving. As it rests, the vinegar will mellow a bit, the walnuts will soften slightly, and all the flavors will blend.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Tasty Condiments
This post was originally published on November 21, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.
So how do we jar this scrumptious recipe to keep longer and give for gifts?? Thanks……
I love making cranberry relish each year. I’m going to try your chutney this time. It looks wonderful! Thanks for posting. Merry Christmas!
Lovely work, Valerie! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is creating a collection of recipes using apricots or nectarines? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. There are already quite a lot of links for you to check out. Cheers
I just made some cranberry chutney/preserves a couple days ago and was going to blog about it one of these day(s). I added mango to it! Yours w/ apricots sounds delish!
I will definitely be watching out for that post Averie 🙂
This chutney looks delicious!!! Love all of the tastes and textures! Bet it was perfect for your thanksgiving table! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
The color of this dish will definitely brighten up the table! Looks great. 🙂 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!