This cranberry jalapeño dip is a festive appetizer that combines tart cranberries, spicy jalapeño peppers, and a rich, creamy cheese base.
With its beautiful red and green colors, it’s perfect for holiday parties, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas gatherings or any time of year when you want an easy appetizer that looks as good as it tastes.
We love this jalapeño cranberry dip as an alternative to traditional party dips – it’s super fun and different.
Serve it with tortilla chips, crackers, pretzel crisps or baguette slices and watch it quickly become one of your favorite holiday appetizers.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Perfect for the holiday season: The vibrant red cranberries and green jalapeño peppers make this a beautiful addition to your holiday snack table.
- A unique flavor profile: Tart cranberries, spicy jalapeños and tangy cream cheese create a delicious combination of bold flavors.
- Easy to make: You don’t need complicated equipment or a long list of ingredients. A food processor makes preparing the cranberry mixture quick and simple.
- Make it ahead: Preparing the cranberry salsa in advance gives the flavors time to come together. Then, just mix in the cream cheese when you’re ready to serve.
- Versatile and crowd-pleasing: Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or bringing an appetizer to a potluck, this cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip pairs well with a variety of dippers.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Fresh cranberries
- Jalapeño peppers
- Sugar
- Green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt
How to Make Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
Prep the Peppers
Slice the jalapeño peppers open and remove the seeds and membranes. Then, give them a rough chop with a sharp knife. You’ll also want to roughly chop the scallions. Don’t worry about it being perfect – the food processor will do the rest of the work.
Make the Cranberry Relish
Some call it relish, others call it salsa. Either way, here’s what to do: put the cranberries into the food processor and pulse them until they’re chopped up a little. Then, put the jalapeños, scallions, cilantro, sugar, lime juice and salt in. Process the mixture until it resembles a relish (or a salsa).
Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I’ll do it overnight. The purpose is to allow the flavors to blend together.
Finish the Dip
After your relish has chilled, use a mesh strainer to drain out the liquid. Some people reserve the liquid to add back into the finished dip for a looser texture or more color. However, I find that this dip is perfect in color and texture without any additional liquid.
Take the cream cheese and beat it with a handheld electric mixer. Then, fold in the cranberry mixture and voila!
Serving Suggestions
Garnish this pretty dip with fresh lime wedges and chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve it with your favorite dippers like tortilla chips, butter crackers, pita chips and baguette slices.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
If you’re making it ahead of time, try to keep the cranberry relish and the cream cheese separate until you’re ready to serve. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t do this.
Can I freeze cranberry jalapeño dip?
Freezing isn’t recommended. Cream cheese can become grainy or watery after thawing, and the fresh cranberry mixture may lose its texture. Since this is an easy dip recipe that can be prepared in advance, making it fresh is the best way to enjoy its bright flavors.
Can I adjust the spice level?
Definitely. For a milder dip, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño peppers before chopping them. For more heat, leave some seeds in or add an extra pepper. Start with a little bit of jalapeño, taste the cranberry mixture and adjust it to your preference.
When you make this cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more holiday dip recipes, try these:
Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
Ingredients
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Place cranberries into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño peppers. Give them a rough chop. Add them to the food processor, along with the chopped scallions, sugar, lime juice, cilantro and salt.
- Pulse until the mixture becomes like a relish. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Place the cranberry relish into a mesh strainer set over a bowl to drain out the liquid.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese using an electric hand mixer. Then, fold in the cranberry mixture until well combined. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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