Brian, the husband and official taste-tester, would like to declare, for the record, that he positively could not stop eating this cranberry-jalapeno dip. And he would like to follow that up with the declaration to everyone that has been waiting for his metabolism to finally catch up to his 34-year old body (undoubtedly still reaping the benefits from a strict college wrestling regimen) that it finally has, thanks to this dip, which did he mention? He could not stop eating.
The funny thing is that when I made this, I was absolutely sure he would turn up his nose at it – perhaps take a little nibble – but I knew for a fact he would not like it. Uh, it looks like I don’t know my husband as well as I thought I did because I was dead wrong.
I hope he’s not too embarrassed for me to publicly announce here that over the course of a few days, he had no trouble finishing off the masterpiece of a dip and even on the 3rd day, he was literally sighing in gastronomical joy at each bite.
It’s a simple concept – tart cranberries, sugar, spicy jalapenos and a few other flavors combine to make a sweet and spicy relish of sorts that smothers unadorned cream cheese. The silky, cool cream cheese offsets the gentle spice of the dip perfectly and compliments the play on sugar and spice. Served with crispy crackers, this dip really is a holiday palate pleaser. The kids and I loved it, too, but our reaction completely pales in comparison to Brian’s. In fact, every day since it has been gone, he’s asked me redundantly if we happen to have more fresh cranberries. And trust me, he’s not hankering for cranberry sauce…he’s wanting this dip. Looks like I’ll have to print off the quick and easy recipe and casually place it on his nightstand or truck dashboard. Hope you enjoy it just as much as we (he!) did!
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Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Crackers, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (alternately, you can do this task by hand). Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.
When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.
Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Jamie Cooks It Up
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the unexpected flavor combinations in this dip! The color of the cranberry salsa is gorgeous, too, and perfect for a holiday spread or pre-feast appetizer! The fact that it keeps well for days is a bonus (if there is any leftover). Thanks for sharing, Mel!
I don’t know if this is a Texas thing, but we love sweet + jalapenos. We usually take cream cheese and pour over a bottle of this raspberry jalapeno jam and eat it up! It’s a holiday classic for us. I’m happy to see your homemade version with cranberries!
Wow, this looks like the recipe that will make me go buy a food processor.
Just copied and saved the recipe – will definitely be on my menu very soon.
Sat here with a big smile on my face when you described your husband’s “love” for this dip – isn’t it wonderful when you totally please someone! Go ahead, make him some more.
I made a very similar recipe last week. I couldn’t stop eating it either. Sooooo good and so pretty and festive! Love it! Your pictures look great…as always
So now I think I know what I’m bringing to Friday’s Christmas party:) Do you think I could leave out the cumin? I guess it is only a 1/2 tsp, but I always think it wont bug me in a recipe and then even the littlest bit is just too much for me…
I made this for a Thanksgiving appetizer, and it was one of everyone’s favorites! It’s going to become a regular for us!!
My wife had this salsa for the first time last year at a company Christmas get-together. It’s as good as it sounds. I like a little extra pepper so I would add two jalapenos if it were up to me.
Mmmm this looks heavenly! And a nice change-up to the typical holiday appetizers….
Carolyn – sure, you could probably leave it out but you might consider replacing it with chili powder or another smoky, chili-type spice – just to round out the flavors.
How “kicky” does the jalepeno make this dip? I’ve never been able to handle much kick so just curious because I want to make this but I’m trying to figure out how muc jalepeno I should put in! Any recommendations? It looks so yummy!
Denise – I didn’t think this dish was spicy in the least, thanks to removing the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno and due to the sugar in the recipe. In fact, if it were up to me, I’d probably add another jalapeno or leave in a few seeds for a little extra spice…so my guess is that one jalapeno (make sure the seeds and membranes are removed!) will be just fine for you.
Hey Mel…glad your hubby loved it! I took it to our Thanksgiving Dinner this year and my Mother in law kept gathering up members of our family saying “Come and try this fabulous dip…it does’t taste a thing like you think it’s going to when you look at it.” (I think I heard her say it to 7 different people) It is a yummy suprise of a dip, isn’t it? Thanks for the link back. Have a good one!
~Jamie
I can’t wait to try this! I have friends that make sweet jalapeno jelly and give out every Christmas. I wait all year long for that jar of jelly. My favorite recipes usually end up being sweet and savory recipes and this doesn’t look like it will disappoint!
I was actually asking my friend for this recipe so I could send it to you!
Great minds think alike!
Sounds fantastic! I love the sweet, spicy and tart combo. This dip would be perfect for a Christmas get-together.
Is this fairly sweet? 1 C sugar sounds pretty sweet and I’d like a more “cheeseball” flavor. Was thinking of adding pecans too.
this sounds excellent to me, mel! it must be similar to pepper jelly atop cream cheese, but with the added tart element. fabulous!
Sara – yes, I think it is fairly sweet. I cut down the sugar from 1 1/2 cups (from the original recipe) to 1 cup and still, I think you could get away with 3/4 cup…having said that, my husband and brother LOVED it the way it was. Just remember those tart cranberries need quite a bit of sugar lovin’ get take the tartness off. Pecans would be delicious!
I just had this for the first time the other day and it was delicious. The girl who made it said she’d get me the recipe but hasn’t yet, so thank you! I love the festive red and green colors (she garnished it with cilantro leaves). Perfect for Christmas!
I found your recipe (and blog) through Pinterest and thank heavens I did. This was fantastic! Everyone raved and raved about it. Tasty! This will be a Christmas party staple for sure. Thanks so much!
THIS, people, was AWESOME! Made it for guests this weekend, and no one can stop eating it. (I only stopped momentarily to let you know.)
L♥ve, l♥ve, l♥ve!
This is simple and economical to make and REALLY delicious. It will be a Christmas appetizer staple for me. Thanks for sharing.
Made this for our Christmas dinner, and it was a huge hit! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe!
I made this for cards’ night, and it was a smashing success! Everybody loved it – and the best part? It was super easy to make! I did cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup, and that was perfect for us. This recipe will be a keeper around here! Thanks!
Mel, I made this dip as my part of an appetizer party for work last night…a number of us have a suggestion regarding it:
We strongly suggest you rename it.
Something like…Mel’s Cranberry-Crack Dip…or Mel’s Addiction. This stuff IS addicting, amazing…and out of the park delicious! Thank you for sharing a recipe I’ll be making for many years to come.
All I can say is wow! This recipe was deliciously simple and so tasty – you really couldn’t stop eating it. Total hit at our Christmas dinner! Thanks Mel!!!
This is how completely I trust your recipes, Mel: Having never made or tasted this before, I made it and served at two family Christmas parties last weekend. AND I’m not even a jalepeno girl. I’m warming up to those little peppers though, especially after this dip. Everyone who tried it liked it and many of us loved it. As my brother-in-law from Arizona said, “Anytime you can put both cranberries and jalepenos in something, I’m in!”
I also made Citrus Water Punch for the party. I describe it as a sofisticated lemonade. Very yummy! And finally, to finish the Christmas weekend with your recipes, I made Morning Buns for our between-Christmas-presents-breakfast. All three of these recipes got a place on my Christmas weekend, even without vetting them myself. Thanks for vetting them for me!
We make a similar dip, but add a small can of crushed pineapple and no cumin or lemon juice. It’s fantastic and a must at the holidays.
Nice way to enjoy some cranberries!
Yum! I made a batch of this for two different dinner parties we had over the past weekend. It was a hit at both! I served it a little differently than suggested in the recipe. I had 4 small matching bowls. In bowl #1 was the cranberry mixture, #2 some sliced candied jalapenos (made by my sister), #3 some onion & chive cream cheese, and in bowl #4 some regular cream cheese. On a platter I placed 3 different kinds of crackers… club, Ritz, and regular saltines. That way everyone could mix and match what they wanted and then try it a different way with the next cracker. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your yummy recipe!
This was so good!! And I had no idea fresh cranberries are so inexpensive. Thanks for the great recipe!
Forgot to add…I served them with Wheat Thins Toasted Chips (the plain ones, Great Plains Multigrain) – super yummy and good for scooping up the dip.
I made this also, using Splenda instead of sugar for dietary restrictions in our house. turned out great, and is my new favorite “go to” salsa!!!
Long time reader of yoru blog, but never commented. thanks for the nice mix of healthy and indulgent. It really reflects a balanced and realistic lifestyle.
SO good! Could not stop eating this!!
I made this during Christmas & it was soooo amazingly good! Now making it again for a girls weekend I wanted to share how much I LOVE this dip! And I love dips…but this dip is #1 for me!
Divine. Such a surprise to everyone who tried it. They all looked skeptical on approach and I’d have to “sell” them on trying it, but after one bite, they would go back with a spoon and mound a huge pile on their plates. Oh, and this happened quite by accident, but I had this dip on the counter next to a bowl of sweet potato tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s and they were delicious with this dip.
What can I say? All of the recipes I have made from your website are addicting- with a capital “A!” No doubt! With this knowledge I knew I could not be trusted to make this recipe for just my husband and I (Visions of us demolishing it easily, very easily, in 5 sec flat, invaded my mind) so I took it to work Valentines Day. It was gone in no time! Mel, thanks again for such a stellar recipe. You rock my recipe world!
So, I was wanting to make this for my book club and just realized cranberries are out of season. Have you made this with something else or could I get away with using canned cranberries?
Cheri – I would look for frozen cranberries first. I don’t think canned cranberries would work well at all in this dish because of the texture. Good luck!