Cranberry Chutney Recipe with Apples and Pears
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Cranberry chutney is a sweet-tart holiday condiment made with fresh cranberries, apples, pears, citrus, dried cherries, warm spices, and pecans. Unlike traditional cranberry sauce, every spoonful has a wonderful combination of soft fruit, chewy cherries, and crunchy nuts.
Cranberry Chutney Recipe SnapshotRecipe Snapshot
- Skill Level: Easy
- Total Time: 50 Minutes
- Servings: 10 – 12
- Flavor Profile: Sweet and tart with bright citrus, warm spices, and a light crunch
- Why You’ll Love It:
- It can be prepared several days in advance
- It offers more flavor and texture than traditional cranberry sauce
- It can be served chilled or at room temperature
- Leftovers are great with everything from sandwiches, cheese, or even dessert
What Makes This Recipe Different
This cranberry chutney includes apples, pears, orange, lemon, dried cherries, and pecans. Adding the pecans and optional brandy after cooking preserves their texture and flavor.Add your text here…
This recipe has become a holiday staple in our family because it can be made several days ahead and served in so many ways. We enjoy it with roast turkey, but it is also delicious with herb-roasted chicken, balsamic pork tenderloin, or a holiday roast. I have even been known to eat it for dessert!
What makes this cranberry chutney different is the amount of fresh fruit and texture packed into it. The apples and pears soften without completely disappearing, while the pecans are added after cooking so they retain their crunch. A little Chambord or brandy adds warmth, but it is completely optional.
Why This Cranberry Chutney Recipe Works
- The fruit is added in stages. The cranberries begin cooking first so they can burst and form the base of the chutney before the apples, pears, and dried cherries are added.
- Apples and pears create a chunky texture. Choosing firm fruit helps the pieces soften without completely breaking down.
- Orange and lemon balance the sweetness. Both the juice and zest contribute bright citrus flavor and enough acidity to balance the sugar.
- The pecans are stirred in after cooking. This keeps them from becoming overly soft during the 30-minute simmer.
- Cooling completes the texture. The chutney will be somewhat thick when it comes off the heat and becomes thicker and more spoonable as it cools.
What Is Cranberry Chutney?
Cranberry chutney is a cooked condiment made with cranberries, fruit, sugar, spices, and other sweet or savory ingredients. It has a chunkier texture and a more complex flavor than basic cranberry sauce.
Many chutney recipes contain vinegar, onions, or ginger. This version gets its tartness from cranberries, orange, and lemon and leans toward the sweet, fruity side.
Cranberry Chutney vs. Cranberry Sauce and Relish
Although these cranberry condiments are similar, they are not quite the same.
Cranberry sauce is usually made by cooking cranberries with sugar and water or juice. It can be smooth or contain whole berries, but it generally has fewer added ingredients.
Cranberry chutney is also cooked, but it contains additional fruit, spices, dried fruit, nuts, vinegar, or other flavorings. The finished texture is usually chunky.
Cranberry relish is generally made from raw cranberries and citrus, finely chopped in a food processor. It tastes fresher and more sharply tart than a cooked sauce or chutney.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Fresh Whole Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries in this recipe. I haven’t tried this with frozen cranberries, so I can’t recommend it as a viable substitute.
Apples: Peel and dice the apples. Use an apple that will hold its shape during cooking. I prefer Honeycrisp, but Braeburn, Cortland, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith will also work. A tart apple such as Granny Smith will make the chutney slightly less sweet. Honeycrisp or Fuji will contribute more sweetness.
Pears: Peeled and diced. Choose a firm Bosc or Anjou pear. A Bartlett pear can also be used, but it should be slightly underripe so it does not break down too quickly.
Orange and lemon: You will use both the juice and zest. Zest the fruit before squeezing it; this is much easier than trying to zest an empty peel.
Dried Cherries: Dried cherries add a pleasantly chewy texture and another layer of tart fruit flavor. Golden or regular raisins can be substituted.
Whole Cinnamon Sticks and Whole Cloves: Use two cinnamon sticks and four or five whole cloves. Count the cloves as you add them so you know how many to remove before serving.
Brandy or Chambord: Either adds a light background warmth, but the chutney will not taste strongly of alcohol. You may leave it out entirely without adding a replacement liquid
How to Make this Delicious Cranberry Chutney
This is a pretty simple recipe if you do your prep work beforehand.
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cranberries pop and the sugar dissolves.
- When the cranberries are boiling and popping, add the remaining ingredients, except the pecans and brandy.
- Lower the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the chopped pecans and Chambord or Brandy. Allow the chutney to cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves before serving.
Cooking Tips
- Dice the apple and pear evenly. Similar-sized pieces will cook at approximately the same rate.
- Use firm fruit. Overripe pears can turn soft before the chutney finishes cooking.
- Zest before juicing. Zesting a whole orange or lemon is much easier than zesting a squeezed peel.
- Keep the heat low after adding the fruit. A gentle simmer allows the apples and pears to soften without scorching the sugar.
- Do not judge the final consistency while it is hot. The chutney continues to thicken as it cools.
- Count the cloves. Knowing whether you added four or five makes it easier to remove them all later.
- Make it ahead. The flavor improves after the chutney rests in the refrigerator.
Variations
The recipe already contains many flavors, so I would keep this section restrained.
Cranberry chutney without alcohol
Simply leave out the Chambord or brandy. No replacement liquid is needed.
Cranberry chutney with raisins
Replace the dried cherries with an equal amount of golden or regular raisins.
Tart cranberry chutney
Use a Granny Smith apple for a sharper contrast to the sugar and sweeter pear.
Nut-free cranberry chutney
Omit the pecans. This removes the crunchy element but does not require any other recipe adjustment.
Serving Suggestions
This cranberry chutney is one of our favorite cranberry recipes (along with my Cranberry Walnut Bread) and has become a holiday staple in our family.
Serve cranberry chutney alongside roast turkey, easy one-pan roasted chicken and vegetables, pork tenderloin, or roast beef. Its sweet-tart flavor helps balance rich holiday foods.
It also makes a colorful addition to a cheese or charcuterie board. Pair it with goat cheese, warm Brie, crackers, nuts, and sliced fruit. For dessert, spoon it over Flourless Chocolate Cake or Panna Cotta.
After Thanksgiving, spread it on a turkey sandwich or serve it with leftover roast meat.
As I mentioned, this orange cranberry chutney is the perfect accompaniment for a cheese plate. It is especially good served with goat cheese, warm brie or Baked Ricotta.
Storage Recommendations
The best way to store leftover cranberry chutney is to refrigerate it in an airtight container.
For the best flavor, I make this a few days ahead, giving the ingredients time to meld.
I love to get your feedback, so if you try this Cranberry Chutney or any other recipe on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!
Cranberry Chutney Recipe with Apples and Pears
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- 12 oz Cranberries Fresh
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Orange Zest and juice
- 1 Lemon Zest and Juice
- 1 Apple Peeled and diced
- 1 Pear Peeled and diced
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 4-5 Cloves Whole
- ½ cup Dried cherries
- 1 cup Pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup Chambord or Brandy
Instructions
- Combine water, cranberries and sugar in a medium pan and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries start to burst, stirring occasionally.
- Add the orange juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, apples, pears, cinnamon sticks, cloves and dried cherries and stir to combine. Lower the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans and Chambord or Brandy. Allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves before serving. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Notes
- Dice the apple and pear evenly. Similar-sized pieces will cook at approximately the same rate.
- Use firm fruit. Overripe pears can turn soft before the chutney finishes cooking.
- Zest before juicing. A whole orange or lemon is much easier to zest than a squeezed peel.
- Keep the heat low after adding the fruit. A gentle simmer allows the apples and pears to soften without scorching the sugar.
- Do not judge the final consistency while it is hot. The chutney continues to thicken as it cools.
- Count the cloves. Knowing whether you added four or five makes it easier to retrieve all of them later.
- Make it ahead. The flavor improves after the chutney has had time to rest in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
I would love to get your feedback, so if you try this Cranberry Chutney or any other recipe on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!
