Cranberry Jalapeno Dip: easy holiday appetizer

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Punch up the holiday table with this zesty Cranberry Jalapeno Dip. The vibrant colors and flavors make it perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. 

Can you really eat cranberries and jalapeños together? Yes. Yes you can, and you will love it! The combination of sweet and savory ingredients brings a refreshing punch of flavor to this Cranberry Jalapeno Dip. And honestly, it’s not too spicy. I promise. 

This is one of those recipes that seems to have been around forever in one form or another. I’ve seen it in old Taste of Home magazines, church cookbooks and Good Housekeeping. I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to making it for myself. 

Be sure to serve it with a hearty cracker that can stand up to the weight of the cream cheese. 

Try this and you’ll never go back to “shaped like the can” cranberry jelly.  We had this for Thanksgiving, but the vibrant greens and reds make it the perfect dish to share at any Christmas party!

Ingredients:

• fresh cranberries-uncooked; you’ll find them in the produce section every November
• green onion
• cilantro
• jalapeno pepper-slice and remove the seeds and ribs to keep down the spice level
• sugar
• lemon juice-either freshly squeezed or from a bottle
• cumin-
• cream cheese, softened-buy the block style cream cheese, not the spread
• crackers for serving

How to make Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

To make this tart and spicy fruit salsa, you’re going to need a food processor of some kind. I have an old school Hamilton Beach food processor, but as you can see, a decent blender will also do the trick.

Just be sure you have one with a good blade or extra attachments like the Ninja. Just trust me when I say, this recipe requires something with a spinning blade. With it, you’re done in less than 5 minutes.

Start by placing your cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeno in the processor. Then pulse until it’s chopped finely.

Pour the chopped produce into a bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice, cumin and salt.

Stir, and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (you need the sugar to pull the juice out of the cranberries and help counter their tart flavor. This is a great recipe to make the day before-the flavors get even better overnight!

When you’re ready to serve, place a softened bar of cream cheese on a platter. Spread it out a bit so it’s not too thick. Pour the cranberry salsa mixture over the top. Serve with hearty crackers.

Other cranberry recipes you might like:

• Crockpot Express Cranberry Sauce
• Cranberry Apple Butter
• Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Cranberry Punch

I never really liked foods made with cranberries until I started cooking with fresh cranberries. I think my early impressions were created from canned jellies and packaged Craisins. So if you’re skeptical, just give it a chance. You might discover a new favorite!

Post updated 11/2022