Cranberry Jalapeño Dip With Cream Cheese

5 from 2 votes

This sweet, spicy cranberry jalapeño dip with cream cheese is an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer perfect for holidays or any time of year!

Prep Time20

Resting Time15

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry jalapeno dip

Servings: - 10 servings

Calories: 261kcal

Add the cranberries, sugar and jalapeño to a food processor and pulse until everything is coarsely chopped and well combined. Add the lime juice, salt, cilantro and chives, then pulse again just until mixed together. Remove to a bowl and set aside for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld together.
2 cups fresh cranberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 jalapeno pepper, 1 lime, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh chives
Spread the cream cheese evenly along the bottom of a pie plate or other serving dish. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
1 pound cream cheese
When ready to serve, strain the excess juice from the cranberry mixture with a mesh strainer. Top the cream cheese with the cranberry mixture and serve.

Don't burn your fingers: Although jalapeños are one of the milder varieties of hot pepper, they can still burn your fingers. Use gloves when cutting and handling them, and don’t touch your eyes!
Strain the topping well: Straining the topping mixture is key—cranberries release a lot of liquid, and skipping this step can result in a watery base and diluted flavor.
Let the cream cheese come to room temperature: Use room temperature cream cheese so it spreads smoothly; if you try to spread cold cream cheese it may crack or clump.