Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
A festive layer dip with smooth cream cheese and a fresh sweet-tart cranberry relish flavored with jalapeño, scallions, cilantro, and lime.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 270 minutes
- Yield: 12 appetizer servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces (340 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed, dried, and sorted
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 medium jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (20 g) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 16 ounces (454 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
- Sturdy crackers or crostini, for serving
Instructions
- Chop the cranberries: Pulse the cranberries in a food processor in short bursts until finely chopped but not puréed. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Mix the relish: Add the sugar, chopped seeded jalapeño, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Stir once or twice if convenient.
- Drain: Spoon the cranberry mixture into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Drain for 10 minutes, stirring gently once. Do not press the fruit dry; remove only the loose liquid.
- Whip the cream cheese: Beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and lighter in texture. Spread evenly on a shallow serving plate, leaving a small border.
- Assemble and serve: Spoon the drained cranberry relish evenly over the cream cheese. Serve with sturdy crackers or crostini. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate the assembled dip for up to 2 hours before serving; keep crackers separate until serving.
Notes
Total time is 4 hours 30 minutes: 20 minutes active preparation, 4 hours chilling, and 10 minutes draining. For milder heat, remove all jalapeño seeds and pale ribs; pepper strength varies. Keep refrigerated and do not leave at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Store leftovers covered for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended. Contains milk; check cracker labels for wheat and other allergens. Images are AI-generated illustrations; recipe not kitchen-tested.