Fresh Cranberry Chutney {My Fave Cranberry Sauce}
This chunky, sweet-tart cranberry chutney is made with cranberries, raisins, apples, sugar, and cinnamon. It is incredibly delicious!
Move over cranberry sauce! This cranberry chutney is loaded with amazing flavor and textures making it an easy favorite at Thanksgiving dinner. With over 200 5-star reviews, it is a must-make!
Ingredients for Cranberry Chutney
This cranberry chutney comes together fast!
In the first step, the following ingredients are cooked until the cranberries pop:
- fresh cranberries
- water or orange juice
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cloves
- sugar
Next, add the following and simmer for another couple of minutes:
- finely diced shallots
- finely diced celery
- chopped green apples
Make-Ahead Chutney
The cranberry chutney will thicken as it cooks, but it may still look a bit thin. Never fear, because it will continue to thicken and gel as it cools.
The flavors of this chutney get better with time. In fact, it really should be made at least one day ahead of time to allow those flavors to meld and develop.
It can be made up to four days ahead of time and kept, covered, in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen fro several months.
Rave Reviews
This easy cranberry chutney may seem unusual if you are used to traditional, American-style cranberry sauce, but it is amazingly delicious and a must at our Thanksgiving table.
So many of you have fallen in love with this chutney over the years. Here are just a few comments detailing its virtues:
Family favorite. I always bring this to our gathering and slip it onto the buffet table. This one disappears and the “other” cranberry sauce is untouched. -Susan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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. -Erin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a hit! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it twice for 2 dinners and everyone loved it. I added walnuts to mine and I really loved the addition of raisins & craisins! The following day, I made grilled cheese sandwiches with this chutney & Brie, it was delicious! -Valerie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I discovered this amazing recipe after trying cranberry chutney for the first time, a decade ago. Since then, this recipe is a must have at our holiday table. -Sherry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fresh Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup finely minced shallots or red or yellow onions
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, raisins or dried cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat until the cranberries begin to pop, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the onion, apple, and celery.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl or container with a lid. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days) to allow flavors to meld and develop. The chutney can be frozen for several months.
Notes
- for less savory flavors, omit the onion and celery
- sub 1/2 cup orange juice for 1/2 of the water
- sub 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar for 1/4 cup of the water
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Anna G, a reader who sent it to me all the way back in 2012, thanks, Anna!
Recipe originally posted November 2013; updated November 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Mel, you tell me something is your favorite, and I will follow. When I first read the ingredients to my husband he was skeptical, but we were all convinced after eating it. I cut the sugars a bit and it was perfect for Thanksgiving. I haven’t bothered with cranberry sauce before, but this might be a must-have for every thanksgiving from now on.
I’m so happy you ended up liking this one, Jihye! It’s become a Thanksgiving staple here, too.
My family (the kids anyway) tried this recipe years ago, and it has become a Thanksgiving staple. They request it every year. Love the flavors, texture, and ease of this recipe.
I was delighted to find a more savory recipe and it is an easy to make ahead. I’m the only one who enjoys cranberry at the holiday table so more for leftover turkey sandwiches on rye bread.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Debbie!
I’ve been making this for Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. This year made it more Keto friendly with 1 tbsp stevia- and then soaked the raisins in bourbon for an hour. Just wow 😀
I discovered this amazing recipe after trying cranberry chutney for the first time, a decade ago. Since then, this recipe is a must have at our holiday table. We love spice so, in addition to the fresh ginger which I honestly just finely dice a 2 inch chunk, I add fresh cracked pepper, cloves, nutmeg and extra cinnamon. Always amazing and oh so pretty! Thank you!
This was a hit! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it twice for 2 dinners and everyone loved it. I added walnuts to mine and I really loved the addition of raisins & craisins!
The following day, I made grilled cheese sandwiches with this chutney & Brie, it was delicious!
Made the chutney for Thanksgiving and it was fabulous–everyone really liked it. Making another batch for gifts.
Should all the cranberries pop? Some of mine are still whole, so maybe I need to let it simmer longer?
You can continue to let it simmer…but it’s fine if there are still some whole cranberries as long as they’ve softened a bit.
Family favorite. I always bring this to our gathering and slip it onto the buffet table. This one disappears and the “other” cranberry sauce is untouched.
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.