This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
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!
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper ribs and seeds removed unless you like a lot of heat
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- Dash of salt
- 2 8 oz pkg Cream cheese softened
- Crackers for serving
Instructions
- 1 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 jalapeno pepperPut cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeño in a food processor and pulse until chopped as finely as you like.
- 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp cumin, Dash of saltPour into a bowl with sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt. Stir.
- Cover and refrigerate at least two hours so the sugar can pull out all the bitterness from the cranberries. (Making this ahead of time and leaving it overnight is great, too.)
- 2 8 oz pkg Cream cheeseWhen you’re ready to serve, spread cream cheese into a thick layer on a serving plate.
- Crackers for servingSpread cranberry salsa evenly over the cream cheese and serve with crackers.
Notes
- Serve with hearty crackers like Wheat Thins or Triscuits
- Nutrition info includes salsa only (not crackers)
- Leave in jalapeno seeds for extra heat
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container
Nutrition
Post updated 11/2022
- Biscoff Buttercream - September 26, 2023
- Biscoff Cookie Crust - September 21, 2023
- Biscoff Brownies - September 16, 2023
Danelle says
I’m so glad you liked it Nicole! 🙂 It’s definitely a MUST make holiday dish at our house now. And the food processor does make it so much easier.
Nicole Burkholder says
Thank you so much for sharing it with us! I have a few more from that roundup that I want to try this season! I’m a sucker for a good appetizer. 🙂
Marjie Briggs says
We are such wimps, I can’t fix anything with Jalapenos! It is beautiful, though.
Nicole Burkholder says
This has NO heat if you take out the seeds and ribs. Honestly. My kids can’t handle spice, and I’m not a huge fan. But you could easily just leave it out. You get green from the cilantro and green onion anyway.
Christina @ Juggling Real Food and Real Life says
Looks so good! The color is fantastic. I’ve been afraid to cook with jalapenos. I hear so many horror stories about trips to the hospital because they got it in their eyes. Any tips?
Nicole Burkholder says
Some people use cooking gloves, but I’m just always careful not to touch the seeds or ribs. That’s where the heat is. If you cut off the top and the tip, you can use a wooden spoon handle to “core” the pepper and then just toss it in with the rest of the stuff in the processor. But that won’t get it as clean, so you’ll still have some heat. I slice it open lengthwise and then use a spoon to scrape the insides out. I’m very cautious because I mindlessly used my fingers to scrape out the innards once and BOY did that burn! I got some in my eyes, but it was just an annoyance, nothing damaging. As long as you use a utensil and not your fingers, you’ll be fine. 🙂
Rhonda says
This looks so delicious and has all my favorite ingredients….I might make this for our upcoming Christian dinner at church. Thanks!
Nicole Burkholder says
I just loved how easy it was! I made it the day before Thanksgiving and let all those flavors sit and blend together- it was awesome! Hope you like it!
Joanne/WineLady Cooks says
I love this appetizer. It’s definitely delicious – and I haven’t tasted it yet – and it’s EASY!. Great holiday dish. Pinned & shared.
Nicole Burkholder says
As I tossed everything into the processor, I thought, THIS is worth the extra cleanup. My entire recipe will be done in 10 seconds. 🙂 And it was so good!