My cranberry jalapeño dip recipe is a bright, festive twist on the classic holiday appetizer. Instead of the usual cream cheese block topped with cranberry salsa, my version blends whipped cream cheese with a touch of sour cream and just enough of the cranberry mixture for a smooth, spreadable dip with cranberries in every bite. Ready in 10 minutes using your food processor!
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We all have a go-to party appetizer. In the past, mine has always been my favorite goat cheese and beet bites, last year it was bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts, and now it is this cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip.
The best holiday appetizer recipes are colorful, easy to make, and crowd-pleasing. This recipe has gorgeous colors. It just shouts holiday party!
Most cranberry dips are a layer of plain cream cheese with cranberry salsa on top. It's tricky to scoop, and the flavors don't blend. That isn't what we are doing here!
My creamy cranberry dip is a creamy dip sticks with the hint of spice, but I don't use lime juice, and there is no cilantro.
📖Why My Recipe Works
My recipe testers were very vocal. They did not like spreading the cream cheese on a pie plate and simply dumping the cranberry mixture on top. They felt the cream cheese was too plain and too thick. Plus, it couldn't be made in advance because the cream cheese didn't stay soft.
They also didn't like all of the cranberry mixture mixed into the whipped cream cheese. The feedback was that it was too pink, and you couldn't tell what it was.
My solution got 100% approval from the testers. Add back a bit or all of the liquid to the cream cheese mixture. The consensus was at least half the liquid to ensure it was thin enough the next day.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Cranberries are the star of the show. You can use frozen cranberries if they are uncooked. But do not use canned cranberries or any type of cranberry sauce in this recipe.
- Jalapeno Peppers- I recommend at least one but I like to have a second on hand just in case it needs to be spiced up a bit.
- Cream Cheese- You can use regular or reduced-fat, but make sure it is softened before you start! Gluten-Free? Check out your gluten-free Philadelphia Cream Cheese Options.
- Green Onions (aka scallions)- Us the green and white parts in the dip and save the green tops for garnishing the top of the dip. You can substitute sweet onion or red onion but don't use more than ¼ cup.
- Sour Cream- You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream.
⏲️How to Make Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
- You are going to pulse it until it is finely chopped, like in the picture above. This will take at least 30 pulses.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the sour cream and cream cheese until light and fluffy. This will take 1 to 2 minutes.
- Set a mesh sieve or other strainer over a small bowl and let the cranberry mixture strain. Add 1 tablespoon of the juice and ⅓ cup of the cranberry mixture to the cream cheese.
- Add the cranberry cream cheese to your serving dish. Spoon the remaining cranberries on top of the cream cheese and garnish with sliced jalapeno, parsley, or sliced green onion.
You can serve this dip with crackers, tortilla chips, toasted bread, or pita chips. For veggies, I recommend broccoli florets and celery.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- You can buy whipped cream cheese to save time, but it will be about double the price.
- Add one jalapeno, remove the top, and remove the seeds. You can always add more.
- When making ahead of time, if your cream cheese gets too stiff allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
🌡️Make Ahead and Storage
This recipe can be made one day in advance. Store the cream cheese mixture and drained cranberries in separate airtight containers. Assemble it just before serving.
Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days but will thin over time.
The leftover dip is great on bagels the next morning.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh and whole
- 1 jalapeno cut in half and deseeded
- 4 green onions whites and light green parts
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream optional but recommended
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the cranberries, jalapeno, green onions, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Pulse until chopped.12 ounces cranberries, 1 jalapeno, 4 green onions, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt
- Strain the cranberry mixture, reserving the juice.
- In a mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until whipped and fluffy. About two minutes.8 ounces cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- Add in the reserved juice until you get your desired thickness. Start with 1 tablespoon. Stir in ⅓ to ½ of the cranberry mixture. Mix well.
- Spoon into your serving dish. Top with the remaining cranberry jalapeno mix. Garnish with extra green onion, jalapeno, or parsley. Serve with crackers, pretzels, or fresh vegetables.
Video
Notes
- Sour cream will thin out the dip slightly but it adds less acidic tang than lemon juice.
- For a sweeter dip add all the reserved liquid, much of the sugar is filtered out.
Nutrition
Common Recipe Questions
How do I thicken my cream cheese dip?
If you got it too thin, the best way to thicken the cream cheese dip is to add more softened cream cheese.
Becky says
Quick and easy.
Krishna says
It was delicious! I made it for galentines party. We all made pink and red themed dishes. I feel like this dish stood out and it sort of shined my personality. Valentine's is all about sweet and soft whereas this stood out with the playful tanginess and a hint of spice hidden under the prettiest pink.
Thank you for the recipe!
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed!