Fresh Cranberry Chutney {My Fave Cranberry Sauce}
This fresh cranberry chutney is the perfect concoction of sweet-tart cranberry sauce, warm spices, and other lovely textures. See ya later canned cranberry sauce!
I wasn’t planning on posting today. But then I made this gorgeous chutney.
And I couldn’t resist telling you. If you don’t have plans for a bit of tart cranberry on your Thanksgiving table, I think this one is probably speaking to you…so listen up.
It’s a bit outside the cranberry sauce box but oh man, does it work. I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a year before deciding to make it. Initially I wasn’t so sure about the addition of savory notes like onion and celery.
My fears were unfounded. Because the cranberries are overpowering (in a good way) in color and texture, the other ingredients absorb the goodness from the cranberries and it becomes the perfect concoction of sweet-tart cranberry sauce, warm spices, and other lovely textures.
It morphs from a boring ol’ cranberry sauce to a fantastic cranberry chutney.
I ate it with some baked chicken tenders last night and it was heaven. I can only imagine how a little dab will be on turkey. So there you go.
Here’s my contribution to cranberries at Thanksgiving (many of you have asked if I have a go to cranberry sauce recipe and I’m declaring this as my new fave for 2013).
Here’s a link with many of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes if you still need some inspiration and don’t forget about the step-by-step menu planning guide.
Fresh Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup finely minced onion
- ½ cup chopped Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, raisins, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat until the berries start to pop, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the onion, apple, and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken, 5-10 more minutes. Transfer to a container and cool slightly. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Anna G, a reader who sent it to me all the way back in 2012, thanks, Anna!
111 Comments on “Fresh Cranberry Chutney {My Fave Cranberry Sauce}”
Everyone loved it. full of flavor!
You lost me at celery
This is the best cranberry recipe I’ve ever had. Everyone said they could ditch the turkey and just eat this.
I make this recipe EVERY year for Thanksgiving. It is amazing. I use a shallot rather than an onion, but other than that… as is! Perfection. Thank you!
I didn’t think I was a cranberry fan until I tried making this recipe. It is a delicious. I serve it every Thanksgiving now and have shared the recipe with a number of people. I make the recipe as directed and it’s perfect.
I make a version of this every year; this year added 2 chopped Satsuma tangerines (peel and all), blanched slivered almonds, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Left out savories. Used a small Instant Pot, pressured for 3 minutes, then slow cooked to reduce liquid. Thanks for sharing and all the comment suggestions.
I add a lot of ingredients to the chutney, Cranberries, pineapple chunks in own juice, raisins, cut chunked apples, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves. When cooled off and in a pretty bowl, I add diced cut walnuts.
Every year I try out at least 2 different cranberry sauce/chutney recipes at our Thanksgiving meal. This one is staying on the menu for next year. I loved it so much, it’s def my favorite cranberry “sauce” I’ve made. Thank you!
This was an excellent recipe! It makes a ton – I really probably needed a quarter of this for dinner, but I plan to use the leftovers to make Brie en croute next weekend. I used craisins. I also added more apple than the recipe called for because my green apple was large and I didn’t want to waste it. Probably put in almost 3 times as much. Didn’t seem to make a difference other than the recipe was more sweet than sour. Almost like a delicious pie filling. I may cut the amount of sugar slightly next time to get a little more tang.
Oh my goodness this was delicious!! What a hit at our Thanksgiving!! I put it all over your blender rolls and I loved that suggestion! We absolutely love it!!! It was the star of Thanksgiving, in my opinion! We followed the recipe as is. I will maybe change one small thing next time. Even though I let the celery simmer for awhile, it was still quite crunchy and full of celery flavor. Next time, I think I will omit, for textural preferences. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!!!
This may sound weird, but would this be good on mini New York style cheesecakes? I have the ingredients and thought the color would be festive.
Worth a try! Might not be quite as sweet as a traditional cheesecake topping.
I made the chutney it was delicious. Now, can you freeze it?
Yes, you can.
Amazing! Thank you. I also added extra ginger.
This is absolutely wonderful! Thanksgiving leftovers in our house always means turkey curry, so this caught my eye. So easy to prepare, and just so tasty. Even Mr. Jellied-Sauce-From-the-Can raved. I increased the minced fresh ginger to 1 T because I love the taste of ginger, and my husband said the balance was perfect. Here it is two days before Thanksgiving, and I’m just hoping I will have enough for Thanksgiving dinner, let alone the leftover curry!
This is delicious! I like to have chutneys available all year and this one will be deli with turkey, chicken and pork. I mixed a bit with some Mayo yeti make a nice sandwich spread. I added dried cherries because that is what I had in hand and also used ginger powder since I didn’t have fresh ginger. I have a question about how long it will last. In the refrigerator? Can it be frozen?
Hi Lynn, it should last up to a week in the refrigerator. I haven’t frozen it, but I think that should work as well.
Trying to get a lot prepped in advance this year since last year was so difficult (our first time doing our own thanksgiving) Everything that could go wrong did go wrong! So I’m planning a couple weeks in advance! Will this recipe keep well in the freezer?
I made it last year a couple days in advance and let it be in the refrigerator but I’m also baking a bunch of pies for the new bakery and feel like I won’t have the time.
Hi Brittany, I haven’t frozen it so I’m not sure, but I definitely think it stands a good chance of working out. Good luck!
Hi Mel,
Second year in a row made this for Thanksgiving. This recipe is five stars, everyone loved it and again rave reviews!
Thanks, Carol!
Can’t make this in a crockpot.?
I loved this recipe. I was skeptical about the onion but it is perfect. I used a dry fruit mix (cranberries, cherries, blueberries and apricots from Cherry Republic) instead of raisins. Also added the pecans as suggested.
I just made it. The recipe was super easy to follow amd I added green onion since I forgot the reg onion. And added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Thank you
Say if I were to make this now (a week before thanksgiving) would it freeze well? I guess I can always wait til the day before but I have so much to do already!
No need to freeze, I think it should be fine in the refrigerator!
I have two questions before I make this lovely recipe.
1.) Can you can it? I think this would make wonderful holiday gifts.
2.) I don’t eat sugar. Is there an alternative ingredient to sweeten this or do you think it is possible to use less sugar?
Thank you.
I don’t know the pH levels for safe canning so I can’t recommend it. I’m sorry! You could try using less sugar or maybe honey?
Oh my!! This recipe ROCKS!! AND my friends all LOVE IT!! I’ll be making a double batch later today!! Note: I added large pieces of orange peel in which I stuck the clove into and added the juice of 1/2 the orange!! Again, this ROCKS!! Thank you so much for shating!! Cheryle
Due to typo’s…. thank you so much for sharing!!
Makes regular cranberry sauce blush in embarrassment at it mediocrity and slink off in disgrace as the superior flavorful chutney struts itself down the proverbial runway of the dinner table.
Hahahahahahaha.
Fantastic as written but also flexible. I made it with several substitutions – pears for apples, shallots for onions, leeks for onions but added orange juice. All were great.
This was amazing! Just tart & sweet enough with a yummy undertone of savory. I didn’t have celery and used an autumn rose fuji apple instead of granny smith, but everything turned out terrifically.
My husband is a lover of cranberries and he raved about this. I was a bit apprehensive at the end of cooking that it would be too liquidy but it was perfect after cooling off & hanging out in the fridge for a few hours.
This is going to be a must for every Thanksgiving from here on out 🙂
Oh yes, I added some chopped pecans after cooling & prior to being in the fridge. It lent a fantastic texture to the whole thing and I recommend it to fellow nut lovers!
Great idea, Chelsea!
Made this for thanksgiving dinner. It does have a very prominent ginger/cinnamon flavor intitally, however the after taste is very delicious once the savory aspects become apparent. Beautiful crunch and texture. Super delicious! I would recommend to everyone.
I’ve been trying a new cranberry chutney/relish every year for the past several years. I think I’ve finally landed on the best of the bunch. The savory onion and celery sounded strange, but it really mellows out the normally sickeningly sweet chutney. Make it a couple days ahead – it gets better by the day!
Thanks for the review, Randy!
Is it light brown sugar or dark
You can use either.
I made this today in preparation for Thanksgiving. It was so good my husband ate a bowlful just after I finished, and had just put it in fridge.
The only veer off recipe was I used 1/2 cup oj for 1/2 of water quantity.
Thanks Mel, the ingredients go magically together!
So happy you loved this, Carol! I think a lot of people dismiss this recipe, but it is a winner!
do you think this could work in the instant pot? maybe do the apple, onion and celery on saute function after pressure cooking the cranberries? kind of like your 5-minute cranberry sauce recipe?
Definitely worth a try! I bet it would work!
How long does this keep for?
Probably up to a week.
I have minced ginger root in a jar can I use that?
Probably – does it have any other added ingredients?
Served this with our smoked turkey and it was divine!
Soundings a great Fall craft fair offering. Does this recipe make two or three pints, and would there be any problem with water bath canning it? Thanks!
It yields right around 2 pints; I haven’t canned it and I’m not sure of the proper pH levels for canning safety. Sorry!
This is so delisious I am going to make this every year I added some walnuts Yummy
Don’t change anything. Perfect chutney
.
Absolutely divine! A perfect compliment to any turkey feast! Making it a few times already, I’ve used the dried cherry and blueberry flavour ctaisins, both fantastic! I did double the spices though only because my family loves the prominent spicy flavour! A definite keeper! Thank you!
I loved this recipe along with the onion and celery! Yummy
OMG!!!! loved it..didn’t think I could like fresh cranberries any better but this recipe raises the bar…did tweek it just a bit, omitted the celery, not on hand
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I just made it tonight in preparation for Thanksgiving tomorrow and was a little skeptical of the onion and celery at first but OH MY GOODNESS!! The flavors meld perfectly. Seriously, so so delicious. I could probably just eat spoonfuls of this in lieu of a piece of pie. Definitely going to be a new Thanksgiving staple at my house. Thanks again!!
I’m glad you took a chance on this recipe, Rebecca! It really is so unique and delicious; happy you loved it!
I’ve been making this recipe for the last two years now for thanksgiving and it’s something I always look forward to eating! I don’t put celery in it and I usually double the recipe because I want lots of leftover.
Really yummy. Made this for Thanksgiving the last 2 years, everyone loved it.
Do you think this could be canned?
I don’t know since I haven’t tested the pH levels for proper canning safety. Sorry!
I have been making something like this for years. I use red wine not water . you might enjoy adding a little orange and some toasted pecans for a little extra crunch.
Could you freeze or can this?
I haven’t tried either, sorry!
I’m in the minority here, but didn’t care for this as written: too sweet and too cinnamon-y (and I love cinnamon).
I saw Spikeygrrl’s comment above and had a head smacking moment … checked my own rhubarb chutney recipe which has similar proportions of everything and yep, vinegar. I dumped my leftover back in a saucepan, added 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, brought to a boil, simmered 15 minutes and after cooling it tastes to me what I think of when I think of chutney: sweet-sour-tangy.
Thanks for your feedback, Liz! Hopefully it will help anyone else who wants to make this.
I made this yesterday for my dinner today (day late) – subbed apple cider vinegar for the water and increased the brown sugar 1/4 cup to match the ratios in my favorite rhubarb chutney. Everything else as written. Good with turkey as well as over cream cheese for a corn chip dip.
Yummy.
Only things I changed were: I used minced crystalized ginger instead of fresh, and 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate and 3/4 cup water. Also added 1Tbsp balsamic vinegar stirred in after it cooled.
Could I add orange zest to the existing recipe or would it be better to drop the onions and celery if I do that?
You could definitely experiment adding the orange zest – I don’t think I’d omit anything if it was added.
Where’s the vinegar? This looks like a nice relish or compote, but it just ain’t a chutney without vinegar.
Perfect, just perfect! And easy!
Thanks for making my thanksgiving turkey that much better:)
Made Brie filled phyllo dough and put a little of this chutney on top and baked it for a holiday appetizer party. It was a hit, and SO delicious! Thanks :).
What about frozen cranberries? I have a whole bag I need to use up.
Worth a try!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it is oddly addictive. I keep thinking things like, “I won’t add the onions next year,” or, “maybe a touch less cinnamon next year,” yet I keep going back into the fridge for the leftovers! And, obviously, I’m making this next year for sure!
I just made this & it smells amazing! It is in my frig now. Do I serve it warm or cold? I can’t wait to taste this addition to our Thanksgiving meal!
Hi Laura, I serve this chilled. Happy Thanksgiving!
Made this for Thanksgiving, and I am a convert! Thank you for this recipe, we loved it! I added orange peel to it, and cooked it a little longer as I can only stomach squishy cranberries. Served it with ham and it was amazing! Had it with ham sandwiches-delicious! Then added crushed pineapple to the leftovers and served it with almond crusted chicken later in the week. What a treat. Thank you!
Mel, I was thinking about making this and giving it in small jars for Christmas presents. How long do you think it will keep in the fridge?
Terry – I think this could easily keep 1-2 weeks refrigerated.
I made this for Thanksgiving instead of homemade cranberry sauce and it was a total hit. We had a house full of people and everyone loved it. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you posted this before Thanksgiving! It was so pretty and tasted so good with the turkey. My son who is hesitant to try new foods loves it. It is great on sandwiches too. Thank you for making our Thanksgiving prettier!
Yum! Hope you and your family had a Happy Thanksgiving, Mel!
I made this for Thanksgiving and we really enjoyed it! I left out the onions due to a dietary issue but kept the rest of the recipe the same. When I tasted it right after I finished making it, I really was unsure about the celery – I even started picking it out. But the next day when I served it I thought the celery was a nice addition. So I guess I would recommend keeping the recipe as is but make it the day before. 🙂 Thanks Mel and Anna!
This was absolutely delicious! My husband normally does not like cranberries and He loved this.
This was delicious! Next time I won’t add as much sugar. I think one or the other for sugar, or 1/2 of each would make it plenty sweet. Thanks for sharing!
I made this the day before Thanksgiving and let the flavors meld together. It is soooo tasty! I wasn’t sure I would like the celery/onions but boy is this good! Thank you!
I have been following your blog for a couple of months now and let me just say, I love your recipes! I never would have made this if you didn’t convince me. We just finished Thanksgiving dinner and I am soooooo glad I made it. This will be a staple at Thanksgiving dinner from now on! Thank you!!!
Could you please tell me where you have hidden the recipe with the sweetened Condensed milk that you put in bottles and cook for several hours. I looked all over your web site and can’t find it. Maybe I am blind. I think you had it on your web site just recently, earlier this month. Thanks. Sheryl
Hi Sheryl – here it is:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/03/diy-dulce-de-leche.html
Yum. I am fascinated by this addition of onions and celery of which you speak. And in case anyone wants to know, cranberry relish is wonderful as an accent to pot pie. Oh my.
I did a cranberry sauce for our homeschool co-op last week sweetened with honey. So if you are wondering if replacing all the sugar with honey with work, it will! It was so delicious. I kept it super simple since we were serving it to kids, but threw in a whole vanilla bean pod, which I think really made it magical.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
I got the ingredients today and am starting to make this recipe right now – it looks SO good. I always do a homemade whole berry sauce w/brown sugar that is phenomenal… but this just looks amazing. Must try. I will post again with the end result review! Thanks so much for your mouth watering recipes. I will admit, I have never posted before, but I have tried a few. Happy Thanksgiving!!! 🙂
Glad you finally tried it! I made mine this morning and it is as beautiful as it is delicious. I am making your goat cheese wild rice stuffing tomorrow. Excited to try it.
Making this right now! Looks so yummy and just what I want. I went to the store to buy only the granny smith apple since I had everything else. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, my friend. I just got off the phone with Amanda and she was wondering if you’ll be home for Christmas. <3
On my way to the store….. Delish!
I made this last year only no onion and a bit less brown sugar. It was so good I gave some out as gifts but of course, it had to be kept refrigerated. I just made a batch for tomorrow- kitchen smells delicious!
Dear Mel . . . .thank you for all the blessings that your blog places into the lives of your readers. Happy Thanksgiving to you! May all the wonderful blessings of family flow over you and yours and saturate your day in many loving memories. . . .
Never paid much attention to cranberry chutney but just spotted a recipe in a cookbook today and was planning on making it. Now I must try it if it’s that good. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mel, do you think this would be good in baked brie with puff pastry? I was going to make homemade cranberry sauce and use it. This would be fancier! Thanks!
Amy – yes, I think it would be delicious! I’d probably cut down just slightly on the onion and celery – maybe half of each.
That looks and sounds great! I’m not a big jellied cranberry sauce fan either, but this looks like the perfect compliment to a turkey dinner. Thanks!
Wow! This looks delicious! I am not a cranberry lover, but I really want to try this. It sounds heavenly!
Wow, I just made this and it is amazing! I was a bit skeptical about adding the celery and onion, but I went with it and I am so glad I did. It was quick and easy to make and I know at least one of my guests who is going to go crazy over this dish. Thanks for sharing!
Our cranberry offering is also out of the box, and even cranberry naysayers like it. I never cook the cranberries. I make a fresh cranberry salad, with the cranberries chopped in a blender full of water, then drained, and added to 2 flavors of Jello, along with crushed, drained pineapple, chopped pecans, and grapes. All the fruit is mixed together and heavily coated either in sugar for the regular folks, or Splenda (I feed a diabetic, so I use as little sugar as possible) to macerate while the Jello partially sets up. Then the fruit is added to the Jello. It’s a great salad or even do as my youngest son does, and have it for dessert, with some homemade whipped cream! I am going to try making sugar-free cranberry jelly from juice, but after the holidays. I wish they sold fresh cranberries year ’round, because my cranberry salad is a great summer dish to have when it’s hot outside. I just have to buy extra and freeze it.
I make something similar only with strawberries and oranges, but you replace 1/2 the water with sangria… It is a party in yoir mouth!!
If it works it’s worth trying.
This looks sooo yummy. Glad you posted today!:) happy thanksgiving!