This cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip is refreshing and creamy. I first made a tangy cranberry jalapeño salsa then spoon it on top of softened cream cheese. It's the perfect creamy dip for holiday parties!

cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip served with crackers on the side.

The holiday season is all about sharing and caring and what better than a flavour-packed delicious dip!

My cranberry whipped feta dip is a family favourite, as is this cranberry sauce for Christmas. But this year, I wanted to make a dip from fresh cranberries rather than making a sauce.

This cranberry cream cheese dip made with simple ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.

You can prep this dip ahead of time and it'll work to your advantage because the flavours will have melded together.

It's so good served with crackers, scottish oat cakes, pita chips or tortilla chips. You can even try vegetable crudites. Serve it chilled or at close to room temperature.

To make it, combine chopped cranberries, spicy jalapeños, red onion, green onion and fresh cilantro. Sweeten, add lime juice and season and top the cranberry mixture on top of the cream cheese.

Handy tip

To make cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip easily and quickly, I highly recommend using a food processor. I prefer to process the ingredients one after the other so I can achieve the desired texture for each of the ingredients. I chopped the coriander by hand but you can use a food processor for this also.

A female hand is scooping cranberry jalapeno salsa with cracker from the bowl.

Ingredients Notes

Cranberry - IMO fresh cranberries are absolutely the best here. They're tart and plump - just what this dip needs. I find that frozen

Jalapeno peppers - again fresh jalapenos rather than jarred work better as they have more of a "bite".

Spring onions - aka green onions

Red onion

Coriander / cilantro

Maple syrup - sugar works well as a replacement.

Lemon juice or lime juice

Salt and pepper

Soft cream cheese

Ingredients Tips

Fresh cranberries work best for this recipe. Frozen is unlikely to work because they will loose their texture upon thawing.
In the UK, fresh cranberries are avaliable around December.
The tart cranberries need a sweetener to balance out the flavours.
Use any sweetener of choice such as sugar, sweetener or agave syrup.
Use Greek yogurt or sour cream as a replacement for the soft cheese.
Adjust the quantity based on the spiciness of the jalapeños.
In replacement of jalapeno, you can use any other fresh thick chillies that are not too spicy. Alternatively, use bottled jalapenos.

Storage

Try to store the cranberry jalapeno salsa and the cream cheese separate.

Leftover dip should be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You may notice that the liquid separates. You can either mix it back in or drain it.

Cracker dipped in cranberry cream cheese dip.

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As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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