Cranberry Chutney Recipe with Fresh Fruit and Pecans

This Cranberry Chutney is an excellent alternative to the traditional cranberry sauce on your holiday table. It is full of fresh fruit and nuts and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and your favorite brandy! The tartness of the cranberries is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the apples, pears, and oranges in this recipe. 

Once you try this, you may never go back to your traditional cranberry sauce recipe again.

This cranberry chutney recipe is not only delicious but also extremely versatile. It can play the traditional role at Thanksgiving dinner, but it is also excellent served as part of your holiday cheese boards or as a topping for vanilla ice cream. 

There is no need to wait until the holidays to serve this sweet, tart chutney. In fact, I have been known to eat this as dessert on more than one occasion! 

As I said, this chutney is chock full of fruit.  Whole cranberries are, of course, the main ingredient. Fresh lemons, oranges, apples, pears, and sweet dried cherries complement the base of fresh cranberries in this recipe. Cinnamon and cloves are added, and then it is finished with crunchy pecans and luxurious brandy. The fruits are cooked with the cranberries until tender, and then the nuts and brandy are added at the end. This ensures the mixture has just the right amount of crunchy texture.

What Is The Difference Between Chutney and Relish? 

So, just what is the difference between a chutney and a relish? The only real difference is that one is cooked and one is not.  Chutney is made with chunks of fruit or vegetables and is generally cooked long enough for the fruit to soften.  A relish is normally made with chunks of raw fruits or vegetables.  Either can be made as sweet or as tart as you like.

Ingredients 

Fresh Whole Cranberries are, of course, the main ingredient. 

Apples: Peel and dice the apples.  You can use any apple you like; select something that doesn’t break down quickly when cooked. I like Honeycrisp apples, but other good choices include Braeburn, Cortland, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith.  

Pears: Peeled and diced.  Some options include Bartlett (as long as they are not quite ripe), Bosc, or Anjou because they add sweetness and will hold their shape.

Lemon and Orange:  Zest and juice of each one.

Dried Cherries: You will love the flavor that dried cherries bring to this homemade cranberry chutney. If needed, you can substitute other dried fruit, like regular or golden raisins. 

Whole Cinnamon Sticks and Whole Cloves: Remove them before serving. 

Sugar: Will sweeten and thicken the tart cranberries.

Brandy:  Brandy or Chambord adds warmth and elevates the flavors in the chutney. You can also substitute another flavored liquor or port wine. This is optional, and you can leave it out if you prefer.

How to Make this Delicious Cranberry Chutney

This is a pretty simple recipe if you do your prep work beforehand.

1. Combine the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cranberries pop and the sugar dissolves.
2. When the cranberries are boiling and popping, add the remaining ingredients, except the pecans and brandy.
3. Lower the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
4. 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.

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. It is a delicious condiment for festive holiday meals and looks beautiful on your Thanksgiving table! Don’t forget to add this cranberry apple chutney to your leftover turkey sandwiches!

It is a perfect side dish for roast chicken dinners, such as Easy One Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables or Herb Roasted Chicken. It also pairs well with Balsamic Pork Tenderloin or roast beef recipes, like my Top Round or Bottom Round Roast.  

As I mentioned, this spicy cranberry chutney is the perfect accompaniment for a cheese plate. It is especially good served with goat cheese or warm brie.  

If you really want to step outside the box, try it as a topping for Flourless Chocolate Cake or Panna Cotta.

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.  Being able to make this in advance makes Thanksgiving Day run more smoothly! 

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 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!

Cranberry Chutney Recipe

Cranberry Chutney Recipe with Fresh Fruits and Pecans

Cranberries, apples, pears, oranges and lemons are cooked with cinnamon and clove to create a deliciously versatile chutney. This chunky fruit sauce can be served with your holiday dinner, as part of your charcuterie board or over ice cream for dessert.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 cups

Calories 375 kcal

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Ingredients

  

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• 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
• ¼ tsp Cloves ground
• ½ cup Dried cherries
• 1 cup Pecans chopped
• 1/4 cup Chambord or Brandy

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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 the cinnamon sticks before serving. Can be served at room temperature or refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupsCalories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 253mgFiber: 8gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 482IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Cranberry Orange Chutney, fruit chutney, cranberry chutney, fruity cranberry, chutney, orange cranberry chutney, apple cranberry chutney

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