This cranberry jalapeno dip is a blend of fresh cranberries, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar and lime juice, all blended together and served on top of cream cheese. An easy and super unique party dish!
You can’t go wrong with appetizer recipes around the holidays. I typically serve festive favorites such as pizza muffins, taco cups, bacon deviled eggs and this sweet and savory cranberry jalapeno dip.
Everyone knows that cranberries are great for homemade cranberry sauce, but they’re also great as a dip! This cranberry jalapeno dip is the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors.
Table of Contents
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need fresh cranberries, green onions, granulated sugar, cilantro, fresh lime juice, jalapenos, salt and cream cheese.
How Do You Make Cranberry Jalapeno Dip?
Place all of the ingredients except for the cream cheese in a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Transfer the cranberry mixture to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least one hour, although 4-8 hours is ideal. When you’re ready to serve the dip, place softened cream cheese on a platter and spoon the cranberry mixture over the top. Serve with dippers such as crackers, baguette slices or pita chips and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dip
- This recipe works best with fresh cranberries. Frozen cranberries have a different texture, and will also release excess liquid into the dip.
- I recommend letting your cream cheese soften at room temperature before you add the cranberry topping so that it’s easier to spread. You can also microwave the cream cheese for 20 seconds to soften it.
- Removing the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno peppers means that this is a mild dip. If you prefer a spicy dip, leave some of the seeds and ribs in the peppers.
- Cranberry jalapeno dip will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the cranberry mixture separate from the cream cheese until you’re ready to serve.
Quick Tip
You can garnish your dip with some cilantro leaves and whole fresh cranberries for an elegant presentation.
Recipe FAQs
Cranberries have a short season during the fall and winter months. They are typically available in the stores from late October through early January. This dip is the perfect way to use cranberries when they’re in season.
Raw cranberries are very tart, and often unpleasant to eat unless you add some sugar to the mix. In this cranberry dip, the cranberries get infused with sugar, which takes the edge off their tart flavor.
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Flavor Variations
While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can customize some of the flavors to suit your tastes.
- Fruit: You can add other fruits to the cranberry mix such as 1/2 cup of apples or pears.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add other ingredients to the mix such as orange zest, orange juice, finely chopped pecans or try a different type of chili such as serrano peppers.
- Cheese: Try using a different type of soft creamy cheese such as goat cheese or mascarpone cheese.
No one can resist this fabulous cranberry dip. It’s a must-make holiday appetizer for any Christmas or Thanksgiving celebration!
More Delicious Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Chicken
55 mins
Cranberry Salsa
1 hr 10 mins
Cranberry Margarita
10 mins
Cranberry Relish
11 mins
Cranberry Mimosa
5 mins
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Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno seeds and ribs removed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce block of cream cheese softened
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, onions, granulated sugar, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
- Transfer the cranberry mixture to an airtight container, and chill for a minimum of one hour. It's best to let it sit for 4-8 hours for maximum flavor.
- Place a block of cream cheese on a serving platter. Spoon the cranberry mixture over the cream cheese. Serve with crackers.
Notes
- Be sure to use fresh cranberries. Frozen cranberries will not have the same texture, and can release excess water into the salsa.
- The recipe calls for jalapeno with the seeds and ribs removed, which creates a mild dip. If you prefer a spicy dip, leave some of the pepper seeds and ribs in.
The cranberries and jalapenos come together for a wonderful sweet heat appetizer and then the cream cheese comes in and cools it down. Perfect!
It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. The cranberries give it a tangy sweetness while the jalapenos add a nice kick.
This dish is a masterpiece of flavors – a true culinary delight. Bravo!
Tart, sweet and with a kick, this cranberry jalapeno dip sounds marvelous. It’s a perfect addition to my Holiday table.