This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Punch up the holiday table with this zesty Cranberry Salsa. 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 Cranberry Salsa. 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.
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! Be sure to serve it with a hearty cracker that can stand up to the weight of the cream cheese.
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 Salsa
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
- Put cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeño in a food processor and pulse until chopped as finely as you like.
- Pour 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.)
- When you're ready to serve, spread cream cheese into a thick layer on a serving plate.
- Spread 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
- Sweet and Salty Snack Mix - June 28, 2022
- Red, White and Blue Brownie Trifle - June 21, 2022
- Easy Spaghetti Pie - June 17, 2022
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!