This Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is a quick, fun, and easy recipe perfect for holiday parties. Tart cranberries, spicy jalapeños and cream cheese are a match made in heaven.

Dipping a cracker into a bowl of cranberry jalapeno cheese dip.

This recipe is part of the cozy mystery cooking club series.

Cheesy Cranberry Jalapeno Pepper Dip

Our latest Cozy Mystery Cooking Club read is Berry the Hatchet by Peg Cochran from the Cranberry Cove Mystery series. Our heroine lives on a cranberry farm and whips up cranberry concoctions to sell at the farm store and festivals…when she’s not solving murders! So, it’s a no-brainer that my book-inspired recipe has to have cranberries in it.

It just so happens that I’ve previously created two other book-inspired cranberry recipes, Cranberry Crumble Pancakes and Cranberry-Brie Donuts, although those books had nothing to do with cranberries and everything to do with the holiday season!

This creamy dip is no exception! It’s a great make-ahead appetizer for holiday gatherings. Tart little chunks of cranberries, spicy jalapeños, warm notes of cinnamon and vanilla, and tangy cream cheese come together for a great spread to jazz up all kinds of dippers.

A glass bowl of cranberry cheese dip in a basket surrounded by crackers.

Ingredients (+ Some Variations)

Whole cranberries – frozen or fresh cranberries are both suitable!
Onion – I recommend a sweet variety like Maui or Vidalia if you prefer a sweeter dip, or red onion for a more peppery finish.
Jalapeño peppers – the level of heat in jalapeños is relatively tame, but to cut back on the heat, remove the seeds and ribs before chopping up your peppers. (Personally, I like to leave some of that spiciness in there!)
Lemon juice – just enough to add balance to the other flavors. Take it in another direction by using orange or lime juice instead.
Brown sugar, vanilla extract + cinnamon – these all add seasonal warmth to the cranberries.
Kosher salt – a couple pinches to enhance the flavor.
Softened cream cheese – both full fat and light cream cheese will work. I prefer this dip with only cream cheese, but you could swap a little of the cheese with sour cream or greek yogurt…this will alter the level of tang and the texture.
Optional garnishes – chopped green onion or chives, fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices.

How to Make Creamy Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

Make a quick cranberry jalapeño jam – combine all the ingredients (except for the cream cheese) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a bubble then cook for an additional 10 minutes. By the end, the cranberries will have burst and the consistency will be thick and jammy. Transfer the cranberry mixture to a medium bowl to cool for several minutes.
Combine with cream cheese – add the softened cream cheese to the cranberries and mix together until well blended. A hand-held electric mixer is helpful, but a silicone spatula will get the job done, too.

That’s it…you’re done!

A saucepan filled with diced jalapenos, whole cranberries and other ingredients.

A bowl of cranberry jam next to a spoon covered in jam.

Make It Ahead

Get a jump on your holiday entertaining prep by making this dip in advance. Make the dip one day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

To serve, give a a stir and transfer the dip to a pretty bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

What to Serve with Your New Favorite Dip

You can enjoy this cranberry dip + spread in so many ways!

Crackers
Crusty bread
Tortilla chips
Pita chips
Celery sticks
Mini bell peppers
Bagels
Sandwiches + wraps

A glass bowl of cheese dip topped with three slices of jalapeno pepper.

What to Sip

Keep the cranberry theme going by pairing this appetizer with a Thanksgiving on the Cape…my holiday-inspired answer to the classic Cape Cod cocktail. Or, serve it with a Cranberry-Lime Sparkler that can be made with sparkling wine, seltzer or lemon-lime soda.

Your next holiday party will be super festive with this combo of sips and dip!

More Dippable, Spreadable Recipes!

Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip + Spread

Linda Feller

This Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is a quick, fun, and easy recipe perfect for holiday parties. Tart cranberries, spicy jalapeños and cream cheese are match made in heaven.

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Appetizer

American

162 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

4 ounce cranberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup onion, finely diced or grated (I like sweet or red onion)
2 jalapenos, finely diced (include ribs and seeds for more heat)
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon water
½ tablespoon lemon Juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 pinches kosher salt, or more, to taste
8 ounce cream cheese, softened

Instructions

Over medium heat, combine everything except the cream cheese in a small saucepan. Bring to a bubble and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cranberries have popped and it thickens to a jammy consistency. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool for about 15 minutes. (Give it a stir every few minutes to promote cooling.)
Add softened cream cheese to the cranberry mixture and stir together to combine (an electric hand mixer is great for this).

Notes

Optional garnishes: chopped green onion or chives, fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices.
Make the dip one day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. To serve, give a a stir and transfer the dip to a pretty bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve it with crackers, crusty bread, tortilla chips, pita chips, celery sticks, mini bell peppers, spread it on bagels, sandwiches + wraps.