This cranberry chutney is the perfect sweet and slightly spicy addition to any holiday table thanks to a mix of fresh cranberries, jalapeños, and green onions. Replace the traditional cranberry sauce with this tangy cranberry chutney and watch it disappear in no time! Make it in 20 minutes up to three days ahead of time and check it off your holiday prep list.
Want to save this recipe for later?
We'll email you a link so you can come back to it later! Plus, we'll send new recipes right to your inbox weekly.
Are you planning your Thanksgiving menu yet? You’ve gotta get all of the classics on there—streusel-topped sweet potato casserole, fluffy no-knead dinner rolls, and the perfect pecan pie. And of course, cranberry sauce.
But let’s make a little tweak to that last one.
This cranberry chutney is my aunt’s famous recipe, which I have altered ever-so-slightly over the years. My dad and uncle literally INHALED this stuff every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even my husband, who generally doesn’t like cranberries, adores this stuff. It’s just that good.
The reason why they love it so much? The jalapeños.
YES, that’s right. This isn’t your average sweet cranberry sauce; fresh jalapeños are what give this cranberry chutney a kick that pairs perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries. Some sliced green onions add another savory element that you’ll love.
And the best part is that it only takes 20 minutes to make and you can make it up to 3 days in advance (or make it even further ahead and freeze it!).
Stephie’s testing notes and tips
- Fresh cranberries make an even brighter chutney. My aunt’s original recipe used whole-berry cranberry sauce as the base. But I have found that it takes about the same amount of time to make the chutney with fresh cranberries, and you get an even better, brighter flavor.
- Make sure you drain the pineapple really well. You want as little liquid coming from the pineapple as possible. I like to drain it in a fine mesh sieve, then pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the pot.
- Adjust the heat level by leaving in the seeds and/or ribs of the peppers. I typically remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeños to keep things milder, but you can leave them in for more heat. Add an extra jalapeño for an even spicier chutney! (If it was up to my husband, that’s how he’d make it every time.)
Cranberry chutney vs. cranberry sauce
The flavor and texture of this cranberry jalapeño chutney make it different from more traditional cranberry sauces.
Traditional cranberry sauce tends to be sweeter and flavored with ingredients like cinnamon and orange. This chutney, on the other hand, adds a savory note from the jalapeños and green onions for a more complex flavor profile.
This cranberry chutney is also quite chunky, more so even than many whole-berry cranberry sauces, which sometimes end up with more of a jam-like consistency.
Ingredient notes
For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries: Unlike when you make cranberry jello salad, you can use frozen cranberries here if you like. You don’t even need to thaw them—just keep in mind that it’ll take a few more minutes to bring them to a boil.
- Sugar: A mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar for extra richness. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Pineapple: Crushed pineapple—not tidbits. As mentioned above, this needs to be drained really well before adding to the cranberries.
- Spices: A bit of salt to round out the flavors and some ground ginger. The ginger plays really well with the flavors of the tart cranberries, the sweet pineapple, and the bright and spicy jalapeños.
- Fresh jalapeños: Use 1-2 depending on the size of the peppers and how much heat you want. Remove the seeds and ribs (or leave them in for a spicier chutney) and mince the peppers.
- Green onions: Sliced.
Make-ahead and storage tips
Want to know the best part about this cranberry chutney?
Not only is it a snap to prepare, but it gets better the longer it rests. That means that you are better off making it the day before and crossing one more thing off of your Thanksgiving Day to-do list.
Make the chutney up to 3 days ahead of time. Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. You can also freeze the chutney for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
If you want to divide the batch and use half for Thanksgiving and half for Christmas, divide half of it into Souper Cubes to freeze for later while you keep the rest in the fridge.
Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Cranberry Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce can) crushed pineapple
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (If frozen, no need to thaw)
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar light or dark brown
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1-2 fresh jalapeños seeded and minced
- 3 green onions sliced
Want to save this recipe for later?
We’ll email you a link so you can come back to it later! Plus, we’ll send new recipes right to your inbox weekly.
Instructions
- Using a fine mesh strainer, thoroughly drain the pineapple and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.1 (20-ounce can) crushed pineapple
- In a saucepan, combine cranberries, water and granulated sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop and break down.12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup water
- Stir in the pineapple, brown sugar, ginger and salt. Return to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. (At this point, you may want to taste the sauce for tartness; if it is too tart, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of granulated sugar.)1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Remove from heat, add jalapeños and green onions. Cover and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, though overnight is best.1-2 fresh jalapeños, 3 green onions
Notes
Ingredients
- Leave the seeds and ribs in the jalapeños for a spicier chutney.
Make ahead and storage
- The flavor of this chutney gets better with time, so I recommend making it at least a day before you plan to serve it if you are able.
- Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or made up to 3 months in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Yield
- Makes about 1 quart.
Nutrition
Serving suggestions
Cranberry chutney can be served chilled or at room temperature. Forget just putting it on smoked turkey or turkey tenderloin. In my family, we eat it with ham, with pork tenderloin, on leftover turkey sandwiches, by the spoonful…
These days, we really love beef tenderloin at Thanksgiving, and I can attest that this chutney is incredible with the beef, too. Honestly, I think it would even be great with roasted boneless leg of lamb!
You can even use it to make some simple holiday appetizers, such as cranberry cream cheese dip, easy cranberry brie bites, or gooey baked brie. Or add a bowl of it to your charcuterie or cheese platter in place of jam or pepper jelly!
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >
I am making this for Thanksgiving using Florida Cranberry – aka Thai rozelle. I grew some, it’s in the hibiscus family and have made Jamaica a beverage, hot tea with ginger and mint and anything that calls for cranberry works. So I am loving this with the tart and spicy notes…
I want to make this!!! But, I would like to make some for gifts, so what size jar would I need per recipe, please?
Hi Judy – You would probably need about a quart-size jar if you want to package up the whole recipe, but you could also package it in smaller jars (pint-size, for example). Just note that this will need to be refrigerated as it is not shelf-stable.
Your chutney looks amazing! Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday!
If I wanted to put it in a jar and bring it as a hostess gift (in addition to bringing as an appetizer with cheese and crackers), how long will this keep?
That’s a great idea! Honestly, it never lasts past a day in my family, but I would say it could last at least 3-4 days in the fridge. I’d make it the morning of or night before your party so the flavor has time to develop.
This looks awwwwwwesome, lady cakes! I love that you made this homemade – I’m always way too tempted by the stuff that comes in a jar and have never tried making cranberry sauce/chutney on my own. Lately I’ve been craving a turkey panini with cranberry sauce and lots and lots of gooey melted cheese, so you’ve completely inspired me to go the distance and make the sauce! Will definitely come in handy for all the turkey we’re about to consume!
Oooo, make that craving happen, girl!
Looks great! I will have to try this as I have just mastered manjo chutney.
I have never made mango chutney, but I promise this stuff is crazy easy! Let me know how it goes for you!
Ooooh! I want to make this dish this year! I love sweet plus jalapenos! THanks for sharing 🙂
I somehow knew this one might be right up your alley. 😉
I drooled a little. Because GIRL, this is fabulous! On some cheese and crackers? Puh-lease!
That’s what the dish towel in the photo is for – catching the occasional drool when you just can’t handle the recipe. 😉
You know how I like to plan ahead too! If only we would have been better about signing up for the Smitten Kitchen signing, drats!
I really like the sweet and spicy combo. Maybe I can convince my family to forget about the canned cranberry they love so much!
I know, right?? UGH.
Don’t even try to convince, just swap it out when no one is looking. I promise they won’t miss the canned stuff. 🙂