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Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip with Jalapeños

Cranberry cream cheese dip pairs a smooth, tangy cream cheese base with a tart cranberry topping, jalapeños, scallions, and fresh cilantro. The topping chills before serving, giving the flavors time to meld and creating a bright contrast with the creamy base.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 192
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cranberry topping
  • 1 bag (12 oz) cranberries fresh, rinsed and picked over
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 jalapeño medium, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
  • 3 scallions roughly chopped
  • 0.25 cup cilantro packed fresh leaves
  • 2 tbsp lime juice fresh
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
For the cream cheese base
  • 2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 0.33 cup sour cream

Equipment

  • 1 7-cup food processor
  • 1 9-inch shallow serving dish

Method
 

Make the cranberry topping
  1. Pulse the cranberries in a 7-cup food processor until finely chopped but not puréed.
  2. Add the sugar, jalapeño, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt; pulse just until combined.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
  5. Drain the cranberry mixture in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing lightly to remove excess liquid.
Assemble the dip
  1. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
  2. Spread the cream cheese mixture in a 9-inch shallow serving dish.
  3. Spoon the cranberry mixture evenly over the cream cheese base and serve.

Notes

Drain the cranberry mixture well so the topping stays in place on the cream cheese. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free cream cheese and sour cream.