Apple chutney is like a chunky apple sauce with the warming flavors of curry, ginger, and cinnamon.
It’s so easy to make! It can be eaten warm or cold straight out of the refrigerator.
Enjoy it as a side dish, dipping sauce, or topping.
Vegan & gluten-free.
Want an alternative to apple sauce or cranberry sauce this harvest season?
Make apple chutney!
- It is a great way to use the apples from your basket at the orchard.
- It comes together in just minutes.
- It is easy to make.
- It adds sweetness and bite to dishes like vegan holiday roast.
- It’s also a delightful dipping sauce for samosas.
What is apple chutney?
Apple chutney is similar to apple sauce. However, it has more of a savory flavor and warming edge.
Diced apples are filled out with sautéed onions, fresh ginger, curry powder, cinnamon, agave syrup, and a dash of apple cider vinegar.
A lot of apple chutney recipes call for an excess of sugar or vinegar.
However, I prefer mine to maintain a little of its tartness from the apples.
I don’t want their inherent flavor to get overpowered by too much sugar or vinegar.
So I use just enough of both to heighten their flavors without dominating.
But apples can vary. So if yours are particularly tart, feel free to add more agave syrup to suit your tastes.
Step by step instructions
Here are the ingredients you will need for this apple chutney recipe.
Oil: Avocado oil is my go-to, but any neutral flavored cooking oil will work here.
Onions: Yellow is my preference, but white or red will work. Or replace with an equal amount of shallots.
Ginger: Freshly grated ginger adds a floral quality.
For easiest grating, use a Microplane zester on frozen ginger root.
Apples: Pink Lady apples are my favorite, but use whatever you have on hand.
Apple cider vinegar: ACV adds tang and sweetness. It can be replaced with white vinegar or rice vinegar.
Cinnamon: A little cinnamon brings out the fall flavors. For easiest use, I recommend ground cinnamon, but freshly grated also works.
Curry powder: I recommend Penzey’s sweet curry powder or S & B.
You don’t want anything too hot or overpowering. Choose a curry powder with warming spices that let the apples take center stage.
Salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Peel apples. Then cut them into small pieces. (Discard the apple cores.)
Sauté onions and ginger with oil in a pot until softened & fragrant.
(Pro tip: A Microplane zester is very handy for grating ginger. If you have lots of ginger root left over after this recipe, freeze it!)
Add the following to the pot:
- Peeled & chopped apples
- Curry powder
- Cinnamon
- Apple cider vinegar
- Agave syrup
- Salt
Cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
(If your apple pieces are on the larger side, you may need to cook as long as 25 minutes.)
Uncover, stir, and let the chutney cook for a couple minutes more to cook off any excess liquid, if your apples are particularly juicy.
Serve the apple chutney warm. Or move the chutney to a covered container and refrigerate.
Make it your own
You can make this tempting side dish your own by varying the ingredients.
- Vary the type of apples. (Pink Lady apples are my favorite!)
- Cut the apples into bigger chunks for more texture & crunch.
- For a totally smooth sauce, blend with an immersion blender.
- For more texture, leave the peels on the apples.
- Replace agave syrup with maple syrup.
- For sweeter sauce, increase the amount of sweetener.
- Add a sprinkling of cayenne for heat or use hot curry powder.
Prefer a chunky sauce?
If you prefer a chunky apple chutney, cut the apple pieces a little larger, and they will maintain more of their crunch.
Chunky apple chutney needs to cook about 25 minutes.
If you prefer a saucier & smoother chutney, cut the apple pieces much smaller.
(Smaller pieces work better for a samosa topping.)
Chutney made with smaller apple pieces cooks in just 12 to 15 minutes. Super fast!
Serving ideas
Apple chutney can be served hot or cold.
It is a delicious addition to any of these dishes.
- Use it as a dip with vegetable samosas.
- Put it alongside a vegan holiday roast with broccoli & mashed potatoes.
- Use it as a topping on vegan sausage.
- Serve it with sabut masoor dal or chana masala as a cooling side.
- Serve it on a vegan cheese board.
- At Thanksgiving & Friendsgiving, it is a terrific alternative to orange cranberry sauce.
(The mini vegetable samosas are one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products.
You could easily cook your chutney while the samosas are cooking in the air fryer. Air fry the samosas for 7 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees, stopping once to flip half way through.)
Storage instructions
Apple chutney keeps well in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors improve over time as everything melds.
So this is a good one to make ahead of time if you’re planning a holiday get together.
Store it in an airtight container. And it will last for about a week in the refrigerator.
📖 Recipe
Apple chutney with ginger and cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or your preferred oil
- ½ cup yellow onions chopped
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated ginger I use a Microplane zester
- 3 cups peeled and chopped apples Chopped small* (Discard apple cores)
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave syrup or maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring pot to a medium heat with oil. Add onions and ginger. Saute a couple minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add peeled & chopped apples, apple cider vinegar, agave syrup, cinnamon, curry powder, and salt to pot.
- Turn heat to low. Stir and cover for 12 to 15 minutes, until the apples have softened and are starting to break down a little.
- If there is excess liquid, take the lid off of the pot and allow the apple chutney to cook for a couple of minutes more.
- Remove from heat & serve right away. Or put the apple chutney in a covered container and move to the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Content, photos, and recipe updated October 18, 2022. Originally posted October 15, 2018.
Jessica Davidson
Hello, How much does this recipe make in jar wise? I love the recipe and making for my hospitality assessment in school but unsure on how many jars i can fill when it says 4 servings? Thank you
Cadry
I’m glad you love the recipe! Jars vary in sizes, so I can’t really say how many you can fill. This recipe makes one cup of chutney. So once you know the size of your jars, it should be easy to figure out from there. Good luck with your assessment!
Kathy Hester
Time to use up all our extra apples! Chutney in any form is great, but I love the fall recipes.
Cadry
So true! This time of year it adds a lightly sweet edge to comfort food.
Becky Striepe
Ooh I love chutney but have never made one with apples before. Clearly, this is something I need to remedy immediately!
Cadry
Yes, get on that ASAP. 🙂
Linda from Veganosity
We love savory apple recipes! This sounds so good, Cadry. It would be great on a vegan cheese board. YUM!
Cadry
Yes, it would! I love having lots of different tastes on a vegan cheese board. That’s what makes it extra fun.
Alexandra Desroches
I was wondering how long does it keep in the fridge, and can i put it in jars and can them to keep them on the shelf for a year? Thanks!
Cadry Nelson
Apple chutney will last for about a week in the refrigerator. I have very limited experience with canning, and so I can’t help you there. Sorry! I hope you enjoy the chutney.
Alisa Fleming
This intrigues me, especially the onions with the apples. I don’t do a lot of fruit with savory, or even chutneys for that matter. Might need to branch out!
Cadry
You should give it a whirl sometime!
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes
I have so many apples sitting in my kitchen waiting for me to do something with them. Now I found the perfect thing! Xour apple chutney looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Cadry
It’s kismet! I hope you enjoy the apple chutney, Vanessa!
Dianne
I don’t think I’ve ever had apple chutney before. I have a big bag full of apples in the fridge, so I’ve been on the lookout for recipes. This one looks perfect!
Cadry
That’s great, Dianne! I hope you enjoy it! I look forward to seeing what you serve with it.
Shell
What a great way to use those apples! I’ve seen mango chutney at my favorite Indian restaurant, but haven’t seen other varieties before.
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! Were you able to use all of your apples? I’m fond of mango chutney too. Cilantro/mint chutney is my favorite one at Indian restaurants. From what I’ve read, although chutney started in India in 500 BC, using apple in chutney is more of a British thing. Chutneys got to England & France sometime in the 1600’s.