Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is fruity, a bit spicy, and the perfect dip for Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. I love this colorful and festive dip, made with fresh cranberries, and I’m sure you will, too!
This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is packed with flavor! You get the tart and fruity cranberries, which pair oh-so-well with the spicy bite of diced jalapenos. It’s all in a creamy dip that’s spreadable and totally dippable.
I always say – move over Costco dip! Why buy storebought when you can make your own with fresh cranberries. We always have leftovers from our Cranberry Grape Salad!
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
You might think that cranberries, jalapenos and cream cheese are an odd combination, but it totally works! This insanely good dip is creamy, tangy, spicy, and loaded with irresistible flavors and it’s perfect for sharing at holiday gatherings.
I use both fresh and sweetened cranberries in this recipe, which gives it double the flavor. And you can add more or less jalapeno to suit your spice tolerance. We like it spicy!
Pass the crackers, baguette slices, or dippers of your choice and share this amazing holiday dip recipe with all your friends!
Why I love this recipe
- Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is quick and easy to make and can even be made up to a day ahead of serving.
- The fresh and sweetened cranberries give it a double hit of fresh flavor!
- I can adjust the spiciness by adding more or less jalapeno.
- It is LOADED with flavor in every bite!
- It’s so pretty! Topped with a bit of fresh rosemary, the colors are stunning!
Gather these ingredients
- Cream cheese – Softened.
- Sour cream – Full or low-fat. Whatever you have on hand is fine.
- Fresh cranberries – Finely chopped.
- Sweetened dried cranberries – Like Craisins.
- Green onions – Chopped.
- Jalapeno – Seeded and chopped.
- Fresh parsley – Chopped.
- Orange zest
- Sugar
- Salt
- Rosemary – A bit to garnish your dip.
How to make Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
- Combine the cranberries (fresh and dried), jalapenos, green onions, parsley, orange zest, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the softened cream cheese to a large bowl and whip with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
- Add the sour cream to the cream cheese and blend.
- Drain the excess liquid from the cranberry-jalapeno mixture and add it to the cream cheese mixture, and beat on low until just combined.
- Top with a pinch of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and serve!
The best dippers for Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
I love this dip with various bread cubes (some dark bread like pumpernickel, sourdough, and French bread), toasted baguette slices, or just your favorite crackers. For the low-carb crowd, celery sticks are a great option for dipping.
Tips and substitutions
- Make sure to remove the jalapeno seeds – they are fibrous and unpleasant to eat in this dip.
- Your cream cheese needs to be super-soft for it to blend smoothly. Put it on the counter to soften for at least an hour before mixing.
- Like it spicy? Add some serrano chilis instead of jalapenos.
- Make the dip at least a few hours ahead of time, so the flavors have a chance to come together.
- Let the dip come to room temperature before serving.
- Don’t have rosemary? Some of my readers have used cilantro and they it’s fantastic!
Serving suggestions
Put this dip into a pretty serving bowl and surround it with dippers for a stunning presentation. You can serve this easy dip recipe as an appetizer before a hearty meal, but I also love putting it out along with other munchies like easy puff pastry palmiers, prosciutto-wrapped apples, and deviled eggs.
Storage
Store this dip in the fridge in an airtight container for a day or two. If some of the liquid separates, just stir it back in. This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip will not freeze.
Check out these awesome dip recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries, finely chopped
- ½ cup sweet dried cranberries
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped, more if you like more heat
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- ⅓ cup sugar, or more if you like it sweeter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Fresh rosemary, for garnish
Equipment
- Food processor (This is the food processor I use all the time)
- Hand mixer (I like that this Cuisinart mixer has 5 speeds)
- Medium bowl (This set includes 3 sizes of bowls)
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the cranberries (fresh and dried), jalapeno, green onions, parsley, orange zest, sugar, and salt. Pulse until very finely chopped.
- In a medium bowl add the softened cream cheese. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream cheese until it has a soft and smooth. Add the sour cream and beat until mixed together.
- Drain off the excess liquid from the cranberry jalapeno mixture.
- Add the cranberry mixture to the cream cheese mixture, beat until combined and smooth.
- Serve right away on a platter or board with crackers and bread for dipping. Sprinkle with a tiny amount of fresh chopped rosemary.
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Wondering if I could make the ‘salsa’ part weeks ahead fridge/freezer and mix with the cream cheese and sour cream the day before.
I think you could, just make sure and drain any of the cranberry juices really well before mixing with cream cheese. Let us know if it works (we have not tried it that way).
I have been using apple slices to dip
I made this for a New Year’s Eve appetizer. I omitted the sour cream, because I made it into pinwheels rather than a dip. I would just add a second jalapeño, for a little more spice.
I was wondering if the fresh cranberries are cooked at all first?
No, the cranberries are fresh (not cooked).
Have you ever used like jar jalapeños
I have not, but I think they would work as long as they are drained well and NOT pickled! :)
Can you make this a day ahead?
Yes you can!
Hi! I am wondering about when fresh cranberries are not available, what about frozen!? I don’t think I can go a whole year without having this 😂❤️👍
Hi, Sheri. I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen. I worry that it might be a little watery, but you can give it a try! Let us know if the frozen cranberries work!
So delicious! I also added another half of a jalapeno. There were no fresh cranberries at my store, so I bought canned and it’s so good!