This cranberry chutney contains orange, ginger and a touch of balsamic vinegar for more depth of flavour. It's low in sugar and ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for the festive season and beyond.
You might also like beet chutney.
This cranberry chutney is an easy, delicious condiment that's perfect for the festive season. It involves little preparation and is made simply by cooking all the ingredients into a sweet and tangy jammy mixture.
Cranberry chutney is similar to cranberry sauce in that both involve cooking cranberries. But while cranberry sauce is a simple process of just cooking cranberries along with some form of liquid and sugar cranberry chutney usually contains more ingredients. These might include onion, sometimes ginger and other ingredients for added richness and savouriness.
My homemade Christmas chutney with cranberries is naturally sweetened by a combination of fresh and dried fruit as well as honey, which produces a delicious sauce that's moderately sweet, rich and fruity.
Cranberry chutney ingredients and substitutions
- Cranberries: I used a mixture or fresh (you can use frozen) and dried cranberries.
- Orange: 1.5 clementines make a good substitute.
- Ginger.
- Onion.
- Honey: for a vegan alternative use maple syrup or light brown sugar (approx. ⅓ cup/80g).
- Vinegar: I used red wine vinegar and a small amount of balsamic vinegar for more complexity, but you can just use the former. Alternatively use cider or white wine vinegar.
- Spice: I added a little pumpkin spice, but cinnamon is a good alternative. You can use it in combination with nutmeg and cloves (⅙ teaspoon each or to taste).
- Salt.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Cook chutney: To the saucepan add all the ingredients apart from the fresh cranberries. Cover and bring the mixture to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Add cranberries: Add the fresh cranberries, stir, cover and continue simmering for 10-15 more minutes or until the cranberries stop making 'popping' sounds and the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Cool: Remove from the heat, adjust the flavour, if needed, and set aside to cool completely. Store in a jar and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Serving suggestions
This Christmas cranberry chutney pairs well with chicken, turkey and ham/pork as well as stuffing, whether meat or vegetarian. It's also delicious with festive leftovers such as ham or turkey sandwiches and turkey patties. It makes a great accompaniment to cheese-and-crackers (try brie, camembert or cheddar).
How to adjust the flavour
This festive chutney with cranberries is quite adaptable and you can tweak the ingredients to suit your taste. For example, you can add black pepper, cayenne pepper or chopped chili pepper for a spicy finish. You can also adjust the amount of honey, orange zest as well as vinegar. Adding a sprig of rosemary (into the sauce as it's cooking) is another idea you can try for a different flavour twist.
Top tips
- Cranberries cook quickly which is why they are added into the chutney about halfway through. Try not to cook your chutney too long - once the cranberries have stopped making 'popping' sounds and the mixture has thickened you can remove it from the heat. It will thicken further as it cools.
- For best results cool your cranberry chutney completely and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. It will not only thicken but the flavour will continue to develop as the sauce cools.
- Keep refrigerated in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze in small containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Related recipes to try next
See also these other easy, delicious sauces/condiments/appetizers!
Recipe
Christmas Cranberry Chutney (Not too sweet)
Equipment
- Medium sized saucepan with lid
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries
- 1 medium orange peeled, chopped, plus zest of ½ orange
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled, grated
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup+1tbsp (135 g) honey
- ⅓ teaspoon pumpkin spice mixed spice
- ⅓ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Cook chutney: To the saucepan add all the ingredients apart from the fresh cranberries. Cover and bring the mixture to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add cranberries: Add the fresh cranberries, stir, cover and continue simmering for 10-15 more minutes or until the cranberries have stopped making 'popping' sounds and the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Cool: Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled adjust the flavour, if needed. Store in a jar and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Cranberries cook quickly which is why they are added into the chutney about halfway through. Try not to cook your chutney too long - once the cranberries have stopped making 'popping' sounds and the mixture has thickened you can remove it from the heat. It will thicken further as it cools.
- For best results cool your cranberry chutney completely and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. It will not only thicken but the flavour will continue to develop as the sauce cools.
- Keep refrigerated in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze in small containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this low-sugar cranberry chutney recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right in your mailbox!
Leave a Reply