Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is a delicious seasonal dip that’s creamy and sweet with a little jalapeno kick. It’s perfect for holiday gatherings and makes a beautiful appetizer before any meal.

I’m always looking for different recipes that use cranberries in the fall and I knew I found a winner the first time I made this creamy appetizer. Cranberries have such a pretty color that I love how they make recipes pop.

The fresh tart cranberries paired with apricot jam with the cream cheese mixture always have everyone going back for more. It’s a great way to incorporate cranberries into your holiday meal plan.

Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

This is one of my favorite cream cheese spreads. Not only does it taste amazing but I love that it has cranberries, apricots, and pecans in it as well. This means that every bite is loaded with a sweet and spicy crunch.

The whole process of making cream cheese spreads is one that should happen more often! All you need is a yummy cream cheese base topped with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture! It just doesn’t get any easier than that.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries (whole cranberries)
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat an oven to 350
• Place cranberries, sugar, and chopped jalapeno in a 2-quart baking dish and bake 30 minutes, until the cranberries pop and release their liquid.
• Remove from oven and stir in the apricot jam and chopped pecans. 
• Refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors. 
• Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to one hour before you are ready to serve, then spread cream cheese on a serving dish and pour cranberry mixture on top. Serve with Ritz crackers.

You can garnish with green onion.

Suggestions and Alternatives

• Create a cranberry salsa – While I love the layers of this holiday dip, you can mix it together and create a salsa as well. This would be perfect to dip tortilla chips into!
• Add in some extra spice – Don’t let the beautiful deep red color fool you. This recipe has a bit of hit, but it’s not over the top spicy. You can easily kick it up a notch and add some chili powder to the mix.
• Use cranberry sauce – If you’re running super low on top, you can try using cranberry sauce in place of the fresh cranberries. It won’t have the exact same flavor and taste but it will still give you some resemblance of what everyone loves.
• Block of cream cheese – some people like to just put an entire block of cream cheese, in block form, on a plate without spreading it, then pour the cranberry mixture on top.
• Strawberries – use chopped strawberries in place of the cranberries
• Serve in a pie dish – you can use a 9-inch pie dish and spread the cream cheese on the bottom, then top with the cranberries
• Try it on greek yogurt as a snack. Forgo the cream cheese and put the jalapeno mixture on top of a bowl of greek yogurt.

Can I Use Dried Cranberries In This Recipe?

While you could try to use dried cranberries, the overall dish won’t be the same. The juice of the fresh cranberries brings out the natural flavors of the cranberries and makes this dish extra creamy and delicious.

What Do You Serve with This Appetizer?

Crackers are going to be the most common ingredient served with jalapeno cream cheese dip topped with Cranberries?

Corn chips are also a great addition as are toasted pieces of bread.

If you want healthy options, celery and sliced cucumbers are great options.

Do You Chop the Cranberries Before Adding Them to the Top of the Cream Cheese?

You don’t have to chop the cranberries, but you can put them in a food processor to get small pieces. Just be careful as you don’t want them to be too tiny. Bigger chunks of soft cranberries add a lot of great texture and flavor.

How Do you Store Leftover Cranberry-jalapeno Cream cheese Dip?

All you need to do is cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. Then you’re ready to take it out and enjoy it the next time you want a bite.

Have fun making one of my favorite cranberry recipes! This cranberry jalapeno cream cheese spread is always a hit! 

Can I Serve This Without Cream Cheese?

Yes, if you don’t like cream cheese, you can serve the cranberry mixture in a bowl as a cranberry jalapeno salsa. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Are Jalapenos Hot?

When using jalapeno peppers in this recipe be sure to slice them and deseed them or you will end up with a very hot appetizer. Probably too hot for most guests. The seeds of the jalapeno are where most of the heat is.

You are going to love making this spicy cranberry jalapeno dip for your next holiday party or family gathering. It’s such a colorful and festive dip that everyone loves.

This easy spicy jalapeno and softened cream cheese is the perfect appetizer to make during the holiday season! I keep the ingredients on hand so I can make it whenever I get invited to a party.

More Cranberry Recipes

• Orange Cranberry Quick Bread
• Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• Cranberry Crescent Rolls Recipe