It’s my favorite time of year and I want to celebrate the holiday season by sharing my absolute all-time favorite party appetizer, Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip.
You have to try this scrumptious appetizer. The red and green colors of the Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip are perfect for the holidays and you won’t believe how good this Christmas treat is. I can’t help myself from grabbing a spoonful of the cranberry mixture every time I walk by the refrigerator, it’s that good! I also plan to replace my usual cooked cranberry sauce with this delicious raw cranberry mixture which is like a cranberry relish or cranberry salsa for our Christmas dinner. It is delicious with either turkey or ham.
You might be skeptical and wonder how tart fresh cranberries and spicy jalapenos can work together, but trust me, they do, and once you add the cream cheese you will become a believer! I’ve even stocked up on cranberries and am storing them in the freezer so I can make this delicious dip with cream cheese year round. This dip will remind you a little of the cream cheese and green pepper jelly dip that is a Christmas classic in the South.
The inspiration for this recipe came from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe blog. Mel has some great recipes, so when you have time, check out her blog.
IF YOU LIKE CRANBERRIES, YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE THESE DELICIOUS RECIPES:
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH APPLES, ORANGES, AND PECANS
EASY TURKEY SKILLET FOR FOUR WITH SWEET POTATOES AND CRANBERRIES
SWEET POTATO BISCUITS WITH CRANBERRY AIOLI
CRANBERRY INFUSED VODKA
How to make Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
The ingredients for Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip include fresh cranberries, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, sugar, cumin, lemon juice, kosher salt and cream cheese. You will also need crackers for serving. Choose a sturdy variety because the cream cheese can be pretty stiff.
To get started, rinse the cranberries and drain well. Put the cranberries in the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add minced green onions, chopped cilantro and a jalapeno pepper that you have seeded and finely minced.
Add the sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt. Pulse the ingredients until everything has been well mixed and your ingredients are finely chopped. Don’t over process, you still want some texture and you want to still be able to see flecks of the jalapeno and cilantro. Transfer the cranberry mixture to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow your flavors to come together.
When you are ready to serve this delicious appetizer, either soften your cream cheese, spread in a pie plate and spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the top, or simply put a block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the cranberry mixture on top. Either way, serve with crackers.
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Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed and drained
- 4 green onions or scallions finely minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper with seeds and ribs removed, finely minced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
Instructions
- Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add, green onions, cilantro or parsley, and jalapeno pepper. Pulse a few more times to mix.
- Add sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until throughly mixed.
- Transfer the cranberry mixture to a bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the flavors time to come together.
- When ready to serve, either spread the softened cream cheese evenly in a pie plate or serving dish and top with the cranberry mixture or, simply put a block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the cranberry mixture on top.
- Serve with sturdy crackers.
Martha Coppins says
December 12, 2015 at 6:58 pmYou go girl!!! YOu are an inspiration.
Miranda says
November 28, 2017 at 5:17 pmMy mom made this and we didn’t have any crackers, so we tried tostitos lime chips to dip in it. It was excellent!
Gritsandpinecones says
November 28, 2017 at 6:47 pmHi Miranda, I’m so glad you enjoyed this dip. I’ll have to try it with the Tostitos next time. Sounds yummy!
Sharon
Mikol says
October 21, 2018 at 5:35 pmCan this be frozen?
Gritsandpinecones says
October 21, 2018 at 6:33 pmNo, I haven’t tried it, but although cranberries freeze really well, I think it would affect the texture of this dip.
If you do try it, please let me know how it works out for you!
Sharon