Easy Pear Chutney Recipe
This easy pear chutney recipe is made with overripe pears. It is deliciously sweet and tangy with a hint of heat. Made in about 20 minutes, this pear chutney pairs well with everything from cheese, crackers, roasted chicken, rice, and curry.
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Made in about 20 minutes with 10 main ingredients, this tasty pear chutney recipe is so easy to make. This chutney is gluten-free and dairy-free and easily customizable to your dietary preferences.
However, if you are wondering...
What is chutney?
Well, chutney is a condiment that is usually a combination of fruits or vegetables, vinegar, spices, and a sweetener. It can be served chunky or smooth.
Chutney is usually a combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. And, in my opinion, it seems to pair well with just about everything.
What are the ingredients in this pear chutney recipe?
You will need the following 11 ingredients, along with some salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pears
- Vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup
- Fresh onion
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh garlic
- Ground coriander
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Chili powder
- Oil
Recipe Variations and Substitutions:
- Pears
I used very ripe pears. However, pears that are not too ripe can also be used. The only consideration is that the riper the pears, the sweeter the resulting chutney will be.
- Vinegar
Red wine vinegar is what I used to make the chutney you see here. However, apple cider vinegar can be used instead.
- Honey or maple syrup
For this pear chutney, I used honey. However, I have also made several other chutney recipes with maple syrup or light brown sugar. I also made this fig chutney with a zero-calorie sweetener so that my mom (who is watching her sugar intake) could enjoy it. If you are following a vegan diet, this chutney can be made with maple syrup instead of honey. If you are trying to cut down on refined sugar, a sugar substitute like Monkfruit or Erythritol works as well.
- Fresh onion, ginger, and garlic
Even though peeling and chopping fresh onion, ginger, and garlic can be unpleasant, the fresh versions of these 3 make such a huge difference in the flavor of this pear chutney. Most grocery stores sell packaged peeled and chopped garlic, ginger, and onion in their produce sections and these can be used instead. But, I would urge you to refrain from substituting the powdered versions of these 3 ingredients into this recipe. By the way, for this recipe, I used half of a rather large yellow onion. But, a small to medium-sized red onion or 2 small shallots would work too.
- Spices
For this pear chutney, I found that a combination of ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and chili powder worked very well. These four spices added the smoky, earthy, and spicy flavors prevalent in this recipe. However, if you want to spice this up more, then, add in a quarter teaspoon of cardamom, one-eightieth teaspoon of cloves, and a quarter teaspoon of cumin. However, if you are looking for substitutions for the coriander, curry powder or cumin would work in this recipe. In the same way, plain paprika could be used if you are looking to substitute the smoked paprika. If you prefer this chutney to be sweet and tangy without a hint of heat, then leave out the chili powder. Or, if you prefer this to be more spicy, use some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes instead of the chili powder.
- Oil
I used extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. The oil is for roasting the onion, ginger, and garlic so vegetable oil, avocado oil, or any other oil you prefer will work.
Tips when making this condiment:
- Make sure to use ripe pears. They should be slightly tender. And, if you have time, remove the skins off of the pears. I have found that the consistency of the chutney is greatly improved when the pear skins are left out.
- If you chop up the pears, onions, ginger, etc. into large pieces, after this chutney is made, you can use a food processor, a blender, or even the back of a spoon to process, blend, or mash this into the consistency you prefer.
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Directions:
- Peel and dice the pears.
- Peel and dice the onion, ginger, and 2 cloves garlic.
- Set a medium to large saucepan set over a stove top set to low-medium heat and add the oil into it.
- Add the diced onion, ginger, and garlic, and let saute for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Then add the pears, honey, red wine vinegar, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and chili powder to the saucepan. Put the lid onto the pan and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until some of the liquid has lessened.
- Then remove from heat, and using the back of the spoon, mash up the pears. Or, add the chutney to a food processor and blend until it is the consistency you like it to be.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and enjoy!
How to serve this chutney?
This pear chutney is a versatile dish that can be served warm or cold.
It is so delicious when paired with some crackers and cheese like cheddar. It also pairs well with some baked brie.
And, it is just as delicious when served with some roti and curry.
It can also be added to your favorite burger or served along with some harissa chicken or ginger glazed pork chops or even at the holidays with a roast turkey.
It also is tasty when served with some veggie puffs or salmon croquettes.
Can this pear chutney be made into a vegan recipe?
Yes, this pear chutney can be made vegan-friendly by replacing the honey with maple syrup or light brown sugar.
How do you store this pear chutney?
This pear chutney can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two to 3 weeks. This is one of those recipes that is even more tasty of day 5 than it was on day 1.
Can you eat this as soon as you make it?
Yes, you can eat this as soon as you make it. But, the flavors come together beautifully when this chutney is left to chill in the fridge for about 6 hours or so. This chutney always seems to taste better a day or a week after I make it.
If you love chutney, check out these other chutney recipes made with everything from cherries, peaches, mangoes, and even figs!
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Ripe pears (when chopped, yield is approximately 1.5 cups)
- ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup Honey or maple syrup
- ½ a Medium yellow onion or 1 small yellow onion (when chopped, yield is approximately 1 cup)
- ½ inch Knob of ginger (when chopped, yield is approximately 1 tsp)
- 1 Large Clove garlic (or 2 medium garlic cloves)
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the pears.
- Peel and dice the onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Set a medium to large saucepan over a stove top set to low-medium heat and add the oil into it.
- Add the diced onion, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Then add the pears, honey, red wine vinegar, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and chili powder to the saucepan and give all the ingredients a good stir. Put the lid onto the pan and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until some of the liquid has lessened.
- Then remove from heat, and using the back of the spoon, mash up the pears. Or, add the chutney to a food processor and blend until it is the consistency you like it to be.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and enjoy with crackers and cheese or your favorite roasted meat.
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This was spectacular!
I did add a tiny squeeze of lemon, half pat of butter and tossed in a few dried cherries at the end. It tasted sooo good once it sat for a half hour. I’m blown away!
Can this recipe be used for canning? I have a surplus of pears and this recipe looks yummy!
I'm a huge fan of cooking/baking with pears! They seem to often get overlooked in the kitchen in favor of apples, but they are quite tasty. I love the idea of making homemade pear chutney. This would be a great addition to a cheese board!
I love the sound of this! We always have chutney in our fridge as it is a staple condiment in South Africa. This is from the Malay influence where I live, and the Indian influence from Natal 🙂
I love fruity chutneys, but I don't think I've ever had a pear one. It looks and sounds terrific - and it would be so good with a cheese plate!
I made this last night to pair it with pork chops and broccoli and it was fabulous. My wife and I enjoyed this recipe. Will definitely make it again.
This turned out well! I used cayenne for more spice and served it on a charcuterie board with crackers, cold cuts, and cheese and everyone loved it. Thank you!