Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

This fun and festive cranberry jalapeño dip is sweet, spicy and so flavorful! It is super easy to make and only takes 5 minutes from start to finish. This creamy cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip is great for holidays, entertaining, and parties!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This cranberry jalapeño dip has the best flavors.
• It only takes 5 minutes to make.
• This cream cheese dip can be made with regular cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese.
• It is bright, fresh and festive.
• Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more.
• The cranberries add a great pop of color and tart flavor.
• The jalapeño adds a little bit of heat without being overwhelming.
• A little sugar rounds out the dip in the best way! It adds a subtle sweetness.
• This dip is gluten free, nut free, easily made dairy free and Vegan.
• Check out this Caramel Apple Dip for another great recipe.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Fresh cranberries add a great sweet and tart flavor! Do not use frozen or dried cranberries. There is no replacement for fresh cranberries.

The sliced jalapeño adds a great hint of heat. For less spicy, remove seeds from jalapeño. For more spice, leave seeds intact.

Cilantro really brings out the tartness of the cranberries. It is fresh, flavorful, and delicious.

A little lime juice adds some moisture and additional tartness to this creamy cranberry jalapeño dip. The juice from half a lime is more than enough. If desired, replace lime juice with lemon juice.

Granulated sugar adds the most sweetness. It also coats the cranberries nicely and brings out their moisture. I do not recommend trying to substitute this with coconut sugar or brown sugar. For a refined sugar free option, either omit entirely or a drizzle of honey might work!

Use regular cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese. Both varieties work well. Leave cream cheese out on countertop for about an hour before making this dip. This allows the cream cheese to soften and become spreadable. For an extra creamy dip, feel free to whip cream cheese in stand mixer before spreading on platter or shallow bowl.

Taste & Texture

This cranberry jalapeño dip is sweet, spicy and fresh. The strongest flavors are cranberries and cream cheese. The jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice are nice subtle flavors.

The cranberry mixture has the texture of a chunky homemade relish. The cream cheese adds the creaminess.

If you’ve ever had the dip from Costco, this is similar but better!

All About Cranberries

Cranberries are bright red, a little tart, a little sweet, and delicious! They are commonly consumed in November during Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season in December. They can be eaten in soups, sauces, casseroles, juices, and drinks.

This little superfood is packed with nutrients. Cranberries are high in antioxidants and vitamins. They are also known to contain high amounts of fiber and Vitamin B.

How to Make

Step 1

First, add cranberries, sliced jalapeños, and cilantro to food processor. Pulse a few times to break up cranberries.

• 

• 

Step 2

Next, pour this cranberry mixture into a bowl. Add lime juice and sugar to mixing bowl.

Step 3

Toss everything together until cranberries are fully coated in sugar.

Step 4

Use spoon to spread softened cream cheese onto a serving plate or shallow bowl.

Step 5

Top cream cheese with cranberry mixture.

Step 6

Finally, serve right away or refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

Expert Tips & Tricks

For best results, use fresh cranberries. Both frozen and dried cranberries will not work.

Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature for an hour. This amount of time will soften the cream cheese but it will still be firm enough to hold the cranberry mixture.

Pulse cranberry mixture only a few times. Do not blend until cranberries are liquid.

How to Serve & Store

Serve cranberry jalapeño dip fresh or refrigerated. Serve immediately after making or refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

This dip is great with crackers, chips and chopped veggies. Since the dip is packed with flavor, I recommend using a mild tasting cracker or chip. Flavored chips may compete with the flavors of the dip.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cranberries may “bleed” a little bit, but wipe away any excess moisture if needed.

Making Ahead of Time

This cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip can be made ahead of time!

After making cranberry mixture, you have two options. Either pour cranberry mixture over cream cheese and then freeze, or store cranberry mixture separately. Then, soften cream cheese before serving and top with cranberry mixture.

The longer this dip chills, the more runny the cranberries will become. Wipe away any unwanted cranberry juice with a paper towel before serving.

How to Make More or Less Spicy

To make this dip more spicy, leave jalapeño seeds intact. The seeds add the majority of the heat. Consider adding a dash of cumin to the food processor before pulsing. This adds a little extra flavor and spice.

For less heat, remove seeds from jalapeño. In addition, feel free to add more sugar to combat the heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like

• Paleo Cranberry Sauce (Whole30, Vegan)
• Paleo Orange Cranberry Cookies
• Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Keto Salsa
• Whole30 Salsa

If you make this cranberry jalapeño dip recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!  For more ideas, check out these Christmas Recipes.

Love this holiday cranberry jalapeño dip? You can sign up here to receive healthy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!