I made this beautiful jalapeño cranberry dip as part of my current obsession with cranberries, America's second favorite berry. It is absolutely divine—sweet, spicy, savory, a little hot, in a word, perfect.
I'm not sure what triggered my infatuation with the shiny red berries this year, but it's real. When I started seeing mountains of bagged cranberries in the produce department, finding as many ways to prepare them as I could before the season ended became a challenge.
But I didn't need to worry about running out of cranberries! I've learned that cranberries freeze beautifully without blanching! You can toss the bags right in the freezer, although I put mine inside a freezer bag first.
You can use frozen cranberries in baking or make relish any day of the year if you stash some away for later! Here's a helpful article on how to use frozen cranberries from the cranberry growers themselves.
Along the way, I've also discovered I enjoy a touch of jalapeño when combined with something sweet, for example, in my cranberry pepper jam. I never thought I'd tolerate jalapeños in any form, but I was wrong! I can't get enough of this marvelous dip, which combines cranberries, green onions, jalapeños, and cilantro!
Jalapeño cranberry dip is easy to make and so pretty! It's unique enough that if you bring it to a party, there probably won't be two of them! Be sure to bring the recipe, though!
Use a food chopper to chop the cranberries, green onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. I do not recommend using a food processor for this dip because it can cause the cranberries to liquefy quickly, which you want to avoid. You want texture in this dip!
I like to chop the jalapeños very fine, so there are no hot surprises in my mouth because "I was born to be MILD!"
Combine the vegetables with lime juice, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl, stirring well. Then, cover the bowl with plastic film and let it rest overnight in the fridge. During refrigeration, the flavors mingle, and a lot of liquid releases.
When you are ready to assemble the dip on the whipped cream cheese paste, drain off that liquid in a fine strainer so you don't lose any of the vegetables, just the juice.
My strainers either have holes that are too large or too small for this volume, so I "MacGuyvered" a sieve using a basket from a large coffee maker and my Pampered Chef batter bowl! It worked great. I hope at least some of you remember the TV series, so you understand my quirky problem-solving mind. 😉
If you don't have a fine enough strainer, you could probably put a cheesecloth liner in it, but I didn't want to make another trip to town!
Without draining, this mixture would be too wet to spread over the yummy whipped cream cheese base. The bowl of the berry mixture released nearly a cup of sweet/hot liquid, which I saved to use in another recipe. I don't know what to do with it, but it's too good to throw out!
Whip two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese until fluffy and spreadable. Spread it in a square baking pan or a pie plate. Looking at this picture, I could have chosen a prettier dish!
Spoon the cranberry mixture over the cream cheese and garnish as you like. This jalapeño cranberry dip is so delicious that the pretty garnish won't last long! Everyone will be swarming around it to get a chipful and another and another! But that's a good thing, right?
Scoop your chip down through the delicious cranberry layer and dredge up plenty of cream cheese to go with it. The added smooth, creamy tang of the cream cheese layer takes this fabulous cranberry jalapeño dip into orbit! It's a celebration of amazing flavors!
A dip that has it all! Tart cranberries blended with sugar, salt, lime juice, jalapenos, green onions, and cilantro. Pour it over a cloud of fluffy whipped cream cheese and serve with tortilla chips!
And it's cranberry time, folks! So grab them while they're here, and stash some away in the freezer for when you're craving something cranberry! Never enough cranberries, I say!
This sweet-hot cranberry jalapeño dip is the kind of recipe people talk about long after the bowl is empty. It’s bright, fresh, creamy, and completely unexpected — in the best way.
If you’re heading to a party, hosting friends, or just craving something different, this one always disappears fast. Make it once, and you’ll understand why it’s become a staple around here.
Here are my most popular cranberry recipes:
Fresh Cranberry and Orange Sauce - A quick, wonderful sauce that uses fresh cranberries and oranges to make a fabulous Thanksgiving side in about 15 minutes.
Cranberry Cake - Cranberry Cake is simple, yet beautiful: an absolutely delicious buttery sweet cake studded with whole fresh cranberries.
Cranberry Pepper Jam - Here is a recipe for a delicious jam with the perfect amount of sweet heat. Great over cream cheese with crackers or spread on a sandwich with mayonnaise for a little kick.
Cranberry Orange Loaf - A beautiful and delicious quickbread that is moist, buttery, tender, and studded with plump cranberries.
What is your favorite cranberry recipe?
If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or a comment. It really helps my little business reach people who love to eat well without a lot of fuss!. ❤❤
Love,
GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
Be the first to get GB's newest recipes, once a week. Unsubscribe anytime.
Welcome to the kitchen. GB's next recipe will land in your inbox soon.
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free gift! A printable sign that would look great in your kitchen, framed above your sink, or just placed anywhere to remind us how lucky we are to have dirty dishes!
Sign up now!Be the first to get GB's newest recipes, from weeknight dinners to fall desserts, plus a few kitchen tips along the way.
Liked this one? Get GB's newest recipes every week.
Welcome to the kitchen. GB's next recipe will land in your inbox soon. Now, back to that recipe.
Why can’t you use a food processor to chop the cranberries?
You certainly can! I'd pulse just until they're evenly chopped, but leaving some nice texture.