This creamy Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip is the perfect festive appetizer for the holiday season! Fresh cranberries, a hint of jalapeño kick, and rich cream cheese come together to create an irresistible dip that's sweet, spicy, tangy, and creamy. Serve it at your next party and watch it disappear!
If you're looking for a festive holiday recipe that's a nice change from the usual turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, then I've got a dish that's about to steal the show at your next gathering. This creamy Cranberry Jalapeño Dip checks all the boxes for a perfect holiday appetizer- it's festive, easy to make, can be made in advance, and is packed with flavor!
I top fluffy whipped cream cheese with a fresh cranberry salsa that is bright, sweet, and tangy with a hint of spice. Serve it with buttery crackers or brioche toasts to scoop it up with and you've got the perfect mouthful.
One of the wonderful things about this easy dip recipe is that you can make it in advance, so it's perfect for entertaining. In fact, it's better if you make it a day ahead because as the cranberry jalapeño salsa sits in the fridge, the flavors really develop.
Then, all you have to do is spoon it on top of the cream cheese and you're good to go. It's a stress-free dish! Colorful, easy, and delicious- this festive cranberry jalapeño dip is always a crowd pleaser.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Flavor explosion: A delicious blend of sweet, tangy, spicy, and creamy in every bite!
- Festive crowd-pleaser- Seasonal fresh cranberries are colorful and festive- this creamy cranberry jalapeño dip is the perfect appetizer for holiday parties.
- Easy Appetizer- With simple ingredients and minimal effort, this throw-together appetizer is a go-to solution for busy holiday gatherings.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare this festive dip in advance and refrigerate for a day or two to let the flavors mingle and intensify.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe.
- Cranberries- you must use fresh whole cranberries for this dish, not canned
- Jalapeño peppers- use ½ pepper for less spice or a whole pepper for more
- Scallions- aka green onions
- Fresh cilantro- can substitute parsley if you don't like cilantro
- Lime juice- adds bright flavor; you can substitute lemon juice or orange juice
- Cream cheese- I use reduced fat cream cheese, also called Neufchatel cheese, which has ⅓ less fat than regular cream cheese. For a stronger flavor, you can use boursin or goat cheese instead.
- Sugar- sugar is needed to balance out the tartness of the cranberries
- Salt- a pinch of salt balances out the sweet and tart flavors
- Cumin- optional but adds a nice smoky note in the background
How To Make Cranberry Japapeño Cream Cheese Dip Step-By-Step
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe instructions.
- Step 1- Place fresh jalapeño peppers, scallions, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Step 2- Add cranberries, sugar, salt, lime juice, and cumin.
- Step 3- Pulse until cranberries are finely chopped but not completely puréed. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Step 4- In a large bowl, whip the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer (or use a stand mixer) until fluffy (this step is optional but recommended).
- Step 5- Spread the whipped cream cheese in an even layer on a serving platter or in a 9-inch pie plate.
- Step 6- Drain the cranberry relish in a colander or with a slotted spoon to remove excess liquid. Spoon it over the cream cheese. Garnish with scallions or cilantro. Serve cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip with your favorite crackers, pita chips or baguette slices on the side.
How To Serve This Dish
- This creamy dip is often served with buttery Ritz crackers but you can serve them with any crackers that you like, pretzels or pita chips. I like to serve it with these mini brioche toasts from Trader Joe's. You want to use a sturdy cracker that doesn’t crumble when you scoop up the dip.
- You can also serve cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip with toasted baguette slices and and use a cheese spreader to spread the dip on.
- You can repurpose any leftover dip the next day as a delicious sandwich spread. It's perfect on my turkey and cranberry panini.
Chef's Tips
- The cranberry mixture needs to be made at least a few hours in advance for the flavors to develop. You can make it a day or two ahead and store it in the refrigerator- the longer it sits, the better. Taste it again before serving and adjust seasoning to taste.
- As the cranberry mixture rests, a lot of liquid will accumulate at the bottom. Be sure to drain most of the liquid before spreading it on top of the cream cheese so that it doesn’t get runny.
- I like some texture to the cranberry salsa rather than totally puréeing it. Pulse the ingredients in the food processor rather than puréeing it, so that it doesn’t liquefy.
- Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature so that it softens and whips up nicely.
- For a stronger flavor, you can use boursin or goat cheese instead of cream cheese (or a mixture of one of these and a block of cream cheese).
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftover cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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Recipe
Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed
- 4 scallions, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ⅛– ¼ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 2 blocks (8 ounces each) reduced fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese), softened
Instructions
- Place the jalapeño, scallions, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the cranberries, sugar, salt, lime juice, and cumin. Pulse several times until cranberries are finely chopped but not completely pureed.
- Place the mixture to a bowl or Tupperware and cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least several hours, ideally overnight. It can be made a day or two before and refrigerated- the longer it sits, the more the flavors will develop.
- Place the Neufchatel cheese in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the cheese until soft and fluffy. This step is optional but will make the cream cheese extra fluffy.
- When ready to serve, drain the cranberry mixture in a colander to remove the excess liquid.
- Spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving platter or in a 9-inch pie dish. Spoon the cranberry mixture on top. Garnish with sliced scallions or chopped cilantro. Serve with crackers of your choice.
Notes
- The cranberry mixture needs to be made at least a few hours in advance for the flavors to develop. You can make it a day or two ahead and store it in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the better. Taste it again before serving and adjust seasoning to taste.
- As the cranberry mixture rests, a lot of liquid will accumulate at the bottom. Be sure to drain most of the liquid before spreading it on top of the cream cheese so that it doesn’t get runny.
- I like some texture to the cranberry salsa rather than totally puréeing it. Pulse the ingredients in the food processor in the food processor until it's just done, so that it doesn’t liquefy.
- Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature so that it softens and whips up nicely.
- For a stronger flavor, you can use boursin or goat cheese instead of cream cheese (or a mixture of cream cheese and one of these).
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