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This easy apple chutney recipe is lightly spiced with a perfectly balanced sweet and tangy flavor, and the apple really shines! Serve it on a charcuterie board, grilled cheese, or turkey sandwich.
When apple season is upon us, I love eating them out-of-hand. There’s nothing better than biting into an apple that’s sweet with a slightly tart flavor, full of apple aroma, and crisp-textured. But I also love playing around with various apple recipes!
Apples are always delicious in sweet treats like hand pies, muffins, and cakes.
And apple is also great in savory recipes, like chicken breakfast sausage and chicken skillet dinner with cabbage and cranberries.
Apple chutney is somewhere in the middle of sweet and savory!
What is Chutney?
Chutney is a condiment from India that’s also popular in England. It’s typically made from fruit or vegetables and contains both sugar and vinegar for a balanced sweet, tart flavor. Herbs or spices are often added to chutney for flavor.
Chutney can be slow-cooked like jam or quick-cooked like relish. Depending on whether it’s slow or quick-cooked will determine if the chutney is chunky or smooth like apple sauce.
This apple chutney is a balanced sweet, tangy condiment that has a texture similar to relish. If you want more of a saucy chutney, add an extra 2 tablespoons of water, cook the apples an extra 5 minutes, and then mash the cooked apple mixture with a potato masher.
This recipe is so easy to make, and takes just 15 minutes. You don’t even have to peel the apples before chopping them!
Why This Apple Chutney Recipe Works
- It has a balanced flavor profile. You’ll notice a sweet, tart flavor with notes of caramel from brown sugar. A pinch of salt and a little splash of apple cider vinegar offset the sweetness.
- There’s a variety of soft and crunchy textures. Walnuts add nutty crunch and golden raisins add soft chewy bursts of sweetness.
- It uses minimal ingredients, but still has a lot of depth and complexity. This fruity chutney is laced with a touch of cinnamon, and enhanced with a hint of vanilla.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Apples – I like to use Gala apples, but Honeycrisp and Fuji also work well; you can use any type of sweet/tart apples you like
- Brown sugar – or coconut sugar to keep this paleo
- Water – just a splash
- Apple cider vinegar – adds tanginess to create a balanced sweet/tart flavor profile
- Golden raisins – or diced dried apricots
- Walnuts – or chopped pecans
- Cinnamon – for a touch of warm spice; to enhance it even more, feel free to add a pinch of ground nutmeg too
- Vanilla extract – for depth of flavor and aroma
- Salt – to enhance the flavor of everything
How to Make Chutney With Apples
- Add all ingredients to a small-medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook (covered) until the apple is fork-tender, but not mushy, about 8 minutes.
- Cool.
Pro Tips
- For Even More Depth of Flavor: Add 1 pinch of ground nutmeg.
- To Add a Kick of Flavor: Add up to 2 tablespoons of freshly-grated ginger for a zippier chutney.
- What Temperature to Serve Chutney: You can serve this apple chutney hot or cold.
- For a Smoother Chutney with a Texture More Similar to Applesauce: Add an extra 2 tablespoons of water, cook the apples an extra 5 minutes, and then mash the cooked apple mixture with a potato masher until it reaches your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any type of sweet/tart apple will work well. I used Gala apples here, but Honeycrisp or Fuji are also good choices.
If you want your chutney to have a chunky texture, choose a crisp apple that’s firmer and stands up to cooking well. On the other hand, if you want smooth chutney sauce, use an apple that is good for applesauce.
Because this fruit-based condiment is both sweet and savory, you can use it in a lot of different ways; here are a few ideas:
1. Serve it with roast chicken or turkey sausage.
2. Add it to a cheese platter or charcuterie board; it’s particularly good with white cheddar or brie!
3. Use it as a topping for yogurt.
4. Add it to a turkey sandwich or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Let this cool to room temperature, and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
More Apple Recipes to Make
- Apple Slab Pie with Nutty Oat Crumble Topping
- Lazy Pierogi Casserole with Sauerkraut and Apple
- Apple Walnut Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad
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Apple Chutney Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 small sweet/tart apples about 1 3/4 cups diced; I used Gala apples
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small-medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook (covered) until the apple is fork-tender, but not mushy, about 8 minutes.
- Cool.
Notes
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- For Even More Depth of Flavor: Add 1 pinch of ground nutmeg.
- To Add a Kick of Flavor: Add up to 2 tablespoons of freshly-grated ginger for a zippier chutney.
- What Temperature to Serve Chutney: You can serve this apple chutney hot or cold.
- For a Smoother Chutney with a Texture More Similar to Applesauce: Add an extra 2 tablespoons of water, cook the apples an extra 5 minutes, and then mash the cooked apple mixture with a potato masher until it reaches your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Hi Faith….can the chutney be canned for storage? I have made this recipe and it is delicious but I want to make enough to last the winter.
Thank you!!
Hi Julia, Thank you for your comment, I’m happy you’re enjoying this chutney! I haven’t tried canning it, but my initial thoughts are that it might not be acidic enough for canning without making modifications (such as adding more vinegar) and retesting.
I used Macintosh apples (that’s what I had at home) and changed the walnuts for pumpkin seeds (my daughter can’t have walnuts) and this was excellent. Will definitely do it again, so easy to make. It has a nice sweet taste.
Thanks for the recipe.
I made it today! I have a question though; is it meant to be more chunky, rather than like a sauce (if you know what I mean)? It’s just that I always imagined chutney to be like jam, but mine turned out more like a fruit salad with a sugary glaze. Either way, it’s delicious!
Marlena, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! There are different types of chutney, and some are similar to jam. This one is meant to be chunky like in the pictures. :)
Delicious! Went great with a sharp white cheddar cheese on whole wheat crackers!
Excellent photographs step-by-step. Could hardly be easier to make.