Cranberry Jalapeño Dip Recipe

Every once in a while, I come across a recipe that just looks like Christmas. This cranberry jalapeño dip is one of them. It’s one a friend of a friend made for a holiday parties years ago, and I loved, so I hunted the recipe down from her.

And then I forgot. Until this year, when I was rooting around in my recipe tin for a festive appetizer for a holiday dinner party. I made this, and it was a hit!

What you need:

• 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup of green onion
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper
• 2 tbsp of cilantro (optional)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• a sprinkle of salt
• 16 oz whipped cream cheese

This will serve a big group. Halve the ingredients for a smaller group!

What you do:

1. Hand-chop the cranberries. This is tedious but will save the recipe!
2. Chop the green onion, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro.
3. In a bowl, add the chopped cranberries, chopped green onion, chopped pepper, and chopped cilantro.
4. Add sugar, lemon juice, and salt on top of the mixture, and stir to coat everything.
5. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
6. The next morning, drain all the liquid from the mixture.
7. Whip the cream cheese with a blender until it’s fluffy (about 2 minutes), and spread in the bottom of a serving container.
8. Pour the cranberry mixture on top of the cream cheese, and keep covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
9. Spread over Ritz crackers and enjoy!

Doesn’t that just look like the holidays? The perfect blend of sweetness with just a little kick!