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This cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip is the ultimate holiday party appetizer that takes no time to make! Sweet, tangy cranberries meet spicy jalapeños in a vibrant relish that’s layered over cream cheese and served with crackers. It balances bold flavors with minimal effort—and it looks absolutely stunning on your serving table!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This is hands-down the easiest party appetizer you’ll ever make! Seriously, it takes just 10 minutes with one bowl and a food processor. When you’re juggling a dozen holiday dishes, this no-fuss jalapeño cranberry dip is a total lifesaver!
- That sweet-tart cranberry base gets a spicy kick from fresh jalapeños, while lime juice and cilantro add brightness. Layer it over cream cheese and you’ve got this perfect balance of creamy, sweet, tangy, and spicy that keeps people coming back for more!
- This dip actually gets better as it sits, making it perfect for busy holiday prep. Make it the night before, refrigerate, and just set it out when guests arrive—one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to get everything on the party table.
Pro Party Move!
Maybe you’ve bought the La Terra Fina cranberry jalapeno dip from Costco for years, but this dip is just as delicious and takes only 10 minutes to make!
To jazz up your parties more, serve this with fancy crackers, crusty bread, veggie sticks, or sliced fruit. Other dishes that could be served alongside this are: Warm Truffle Baked Burrata with Crostini, Shrimp Cocktail with Homemade Cocktail Sauce, Easy 7 Layer Salad with Homemade Dressing, 2-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Dates, and Antipasto Salad with Easy Italian Vinaigrette.
Enjoy this amazingly sweet-zesty dip!
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What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Look, I’m not exaggerating when I say jalapeños can vary wildly in heat level. Start with one pepper (seeds and all for more kick, or remove the seeds if you prefer milder), taste the mixture, and add more if you want extra spice. You can always add heat, but you can’t take it away!
- You want a chunky, relish-like consistency here, not a smooth puree. Pulse the food processor in short bursts—about 8-10 pulses total—until everything’s chopped to a medium consistency. If you accidentally go too far with the cranberries and it turns into mush, it’ll still taste great, but won’t have that satisfying texture.
- Softened cream cheese spreads like a dream in an even layer, while cold cream cheese will tear and clump. Set it out about 30-45 minutes before you’re ready to assemble, or give it a quick 15-second zap in the microwave to soften it up.
- Some people love a sweeter dip that balances the tartness of cranberries and heat of jalapeños, while others prefer it less sweet so the savory and spicy notes shine through. Start with ¼ cup of sugar, taste, and add more if needed—up to the full ⅓ cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Totally – this dip actually improves with time! Make the cranberry mixture up to 2 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese and top with the cranberry mixture. You can even assemble the full dip up to 8 hours ahead—just keep it covered in the fridge.
A blender works just as well! Just pulse in short bursts to avoid over-blending—you want that chunky, relish-like texture, not a smoothie. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to ensure everything chops evenly.
The cranberry mixture alone keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Once you’ve added it to the cream cheese, eat within 2-3 days for best quality and food safety.
The cranberry mixture freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. However, don’t freeze it with the cream cheese layer—the cream cheese texture gets grainy when frozen and thawed. Freeze just the cranberry portion, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and assemble with fresh cream cheese when ready to serve.
This tasty cranberry cream cheese jalapeno dip pairs wonderfully with tortilla chips, pita chips, sliced baguette, water crackers, pretzels, or even veggie sticks like celery and bell peppers. It’s also fantastic as a spread on turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving!
The heat level is for sure customizable. With one jalapeño (seeds removed), it’s mild with just a gentle warmth. With two jalapeños (seeds included), it’s got a nice kick but isn’t overwhelming. Start mild and add more heat.
More Holiday Appetizer Recipes
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- Lobster Escargot
- 2-Ingredient Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly Dip
- Perfect Keto Charcuterie Board
- Homemade Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Homemade Boursin Cheese
- Fully-Loaded Bagel Bar
- Cocktail Blini (For Caviar and More!)
- Cranberry Brie Dip
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
Equipment
- Food processor or blender, if you don’t have a processor
- Serving plate or 9-inch pie dish
- Citrus juicer optional
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Jalapeño Mixture
- 1 12-ounce bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ cup green onions roughly chopped, about 6 green onions or 1 regular bunch
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers minced, with seeds for more heat; see Notes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice juice of 1 lime
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar see Notes
- 1 pinch salt
For Serving
- 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened optional
- Ritz crackers or crackers of choice
Instructions
Make the Cranberry Mixture
- Roughly chop ¼ cup cilantro and ½ cup green onions (about 6 green onions or 1 bunch).
- Mince 1-2 jalapeño peppers. Keep seeds if you want more heat, or remove them for milder dip.
- Juice 1 lime to get about 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
- Add 12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen), chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, minced jalapeño pepper, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ⅓ cup white sugar, and 1 pinch of salt to bowl of food processor fitted with medium blade.
- Pulse 8-10 times until ingredients are chopped to medium, relish-like consistency. Don’t over-process—you want texture, not smooth puree.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add more sugar for sweetness, more jalapeño for heat, or squeeze more lime for brightness.
Assemble the Dip
- Spread 8 ounces softened cream cheese in even layer on serving plate or 9-inch pie dish.
- Top cream cheese layer with cranberry-jalapeño mixture, spreading it evenly over top.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving to let flavors meld. Remove from refrigerator 20-30 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.
- Arrange crackers around dip and serve at room temperature.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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