Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

One appetizer I make every year is pepper jelly over cream cheese. It’s two ingredients, looks great on a holiday appetizer table, and somehow everyone ends up standing around it with a cracker in hand.

So when I started thinking about a cranberry appetizer for the holidays, I kept coming back to that idea.

This cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip is basically the same concept, but with a homemade cranberry topping. Fresh cranberries, jalapeno, lime, green onion, and sugar get chopped together in the food processor and then spooned over a creamy layer of whipped cream cheese.

It’s sweet and tart, with a little heat from the jalapeno. And the colors are hard to beat for a Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizer.

The other thing I like about this one is that you can do most of the work ahead. In fact, the cranberry mixture is better after it has had some time to sit. So make it the day before, put it in the fridge, and you’re already ahead of the game.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

It’s a little different from the usual holiday dip – If you always have a cheese ball or a warm dip on the table, this one brings something fresh and tart to the mix.

It’s the cranberry version of pepper jelly and cream cheese – If you already know and love that combination, you’ll get the idea immediately. Creamy cheese, a sweet and spicy topping, and a cracker to scoop it all up.

The cranberry topping gets better with time – I would actually make this part the day before if you can. The flavors have a chance to mingle, and you don’t have to make everything on the day of your party.

You can make the cream cheese easier to dip – I whip the softened cream cheese with sour cream instead of putting a plain block underneath the topping. It makes the cheese layer softer, tangier, and much easier to scoop with a cracker.

It looks like you did more than you did – Save a few whole cranberries, jalapeno slices, and green onion tops for the platter. That’s really all the garnish it needs.

Ingredients Needed

• Fresh cranberries
• Jalapenos
• Green onion
• Lime
• Sugar
• Cream cheese
• Sour cream
• Crackers for serving

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Fresh cranberries: You’ll need whole fresh cranberries for the topping. Set a few aside before processing if you want to use them for garnish.

Jalapenos: Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder dip. If you like more heat, leave some of the seeds and membranes in, or add an extra jalapeno. Save a few slices to garnish the dip.

Green onion: Give the green onion a rough chop before adding it to the food processor. Save some of the green parts for garnish.

Lime: Use both the zest and juice. The lime adds a nice brightness to the cranberry mixture.

Cream cheese: Soften it first. You want it loose enough to mix smoothly with the sour cream.

Sour cream: This is what I use to loosen the cream cheese for dipping. It also adds a little tang, which I like with the sweet-tart cranberry topping. Heavy cream can be used instead if you prefer.

How to Make Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

Make the Cranberry Jalapeno Topping

This is one of those recipes where I’m very happy to let my Cuisinart food processor do the chopping. No need to finely dice everything by hand!

How you start depends on how firm your cranberries are. I used cranberries I had frozen the previous year and thawed, so they were already soft. I gave them just a few pulses before adding the rest of the ingredients.

If your cranberries are soft, add the jalapenos, green onion, sugar, lime juice, and lime zest right along with them. If you’re using firm, fresh cranberries, pulse them about 10 times first, then add everything else.

Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but still chunky. You want to see little pieces of cranberry, not a smooth puree, so keep an eye on it as you go.

Put the cranberry mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

And don’t rush this part. The cranberry mixture needs some time to sit so the flavors can meld together. If you can make it 12 to 24 hours ahead, even better.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP

I’d make the cranberry topping the day before if I were serving this for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s one less thing to do when you’re getting everything else ready, and the flavors have more time to develop.

Mix the Cream Cheese

Once the cranberry mixture is chilling, you can make the cream cheese layer.

Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Mix until smooth and spreadable.

I used ½ cup of sour cream to get the cream cheese to a consistency that was easy to dip into. I also added about 2 tablespoons of the cranberry topping liquid to loosen it up a little more. It gives the cream cheese a subtle pink tint, too, which looks pretty under the cranberry layer.

Layer the Dip

Spread the cream cheese mixture into a flat serving dish with edges to catch any cranberry juice. A pie plate works well.

Before adding the cranberry topping, check how much liquid has collected in the mixture. If there’s quite a bit, drain it through a fine-mesh strainer first. I used a slotted spoon, but more liquid made its way onto the cream cheese than I wanted.

Spoon the cranberry jalapeno topping over the cream cheese, then add a few whole cranberries, sliced jalapenos, and the green parts of the green onion for garnish. It’s a small thing, but it makes the dip look much more finished.

Serve it with crisp, butter crackers.

THE REALLY EASY VERSION

If you don’t want to mix the cream cheese at all, you can make this even simpler. Put a softened block of cream cheese on a small plate, spoon the drained cranberry jalapeno topping over it, and serve with a little knife for spreading onto crackers.

It’s the same basic idea as pepper jelly over cream cheese, just with a homemade cranberry topping.

Make It Pink

There’s another way to serve this if you want the cream cheese layer to have a little color.

After the cranberry mixture has rested in the refrigerator, drain off some of the red cranberry juice. Add about 2 tablespoons of the juice and ⅓ cup of the cranberry jalapeno mixture to the cream cheese.

Spread the pink cream cheese into your serving dish, then spoon the remaining cranberry mixture over the top.

It’s a pretty little change for a holiday table, especially with the cranberry and jalapeno garnish on top.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Drain excess cranberry juice. If your cranberry mixture has collected a lot of liquid, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer before spooning it over the cream cheese. A slotted spoon doesn’t always catch enough of the juice.

Keep the cranberry mixture chunky. Give firm cranberries a few pulses in the food processor before adding the other ingredients. Stop processing when you can still see small cranberry pieces.

Make the two parts separately. If you’re preparing the dip ahead, store the cranberry topping and cream cheese mixture separately. Assemble just before serving.

More Holiday Appetizers

If you’re building a holiday appetizer spread, here are a couple more cranberry recipes to add alongside this dip.

• Easy Cranberry Brie Bites
• Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball