Description
This Holiday Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip is a vibrant and festive appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. It combines tart fresh cranberries with a spicy kick from jalapeños, fresh herbs, and a creamy base of softened cream cheese. Easy to prepare and beautifully colorful, this dip pairs wonderfully with crackers, pita chips, or toasted baguette slices and is sure to liven up your party spread.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1–2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
Pantry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Dairy
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Chop the Cranberries: In a food processor, pulse the fresh cranberries until they are finely chopped but not puréed, creating a coarse cranberry mixture with texture.
- Mix the Ingredients: Transfer the chopped cranberries to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, finely chopped seeded jalapeños, green onions, granulated sugar, lemon or lime juice, and salt. Stir all the ingredients together well until combined.
- Chill the Mixture: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cranberry mixture for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and develop a balanced sweet and spicy profile.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Layer: When ready to serve, spread the softened cream cheese smoothly and evenly on a serving dish or plate, creating a creamy base layer for the dip.
- Assemble the Dip: Spoon the chilled cranberry jalapeño mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer, spreading it gently but completely across the top.
- Serve: Present the dip with an assortment of crackers, pita chips, or toasted baguette slices for dipping. Enjoy immediately for best texture and freshness.
Notes
- Adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the number of jalapeños used according to your heat preference.
- For a festive touch, garnish the dip with pomegranate seeds or a sprig of fresh rosemary before serving.
- This dip can be prepared 1–2 days in advance; keep the cranberry mixture and cream cheese separate and assemble just before serving for optimal freshness.
- Use seeded jalapeños to control the heat and avoid overpowering the other flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 batch
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
