Creamy Cranberry Dip – Barefeet in the Kitchen

This creamy cranberry jalapeno dip is lightly sweetened and balanced with just a hint of heat from the peppers. Served with crackers and pretzels or spread on toast, this is an unforgettable holiday treat.

Creamy Cranberry Dip

As soon as I tasted the Cranberry Jalapeno Dip I shared with you last week, I knew I was going to be making it on repeat. I quickly discovered that by stirring it all together, versus serving it in the more striking layers, it was easier to snack on without the potential for crumbling crackers in the cream cheese.

I love the flavor combination but I just may love the festive holiday colors even more. You’ll just do a couple of things differently in this recipe, in order to achieve a perfectly spreadable creamy cranberry jalapeno dip.

I am a big fan of fresh or frozen cranberries. As I’ve said for years, stock up on cranberries while you can, my friends. I buy as many bags as I can get my hands on during the holidays and stash them in the freezer. You don’t need to do anything special with them. Just toss the bags in the freezer and use them while still frozen for any number of recipes.

You can make this with either fresh or frozen cranberries. I did find this to be a teeny tiny bit more crunchy when made with cranberries that hadn’t been frozen, but it honestly wasn’t noticeable to anyone but me. I’ll happily be making this with frozen cranberries throughout the year for every possible occasion.

Cranberry Jalapeno Dip Costco

Have you tried the Costco Cranberry Dip that everyone is talking about? Well, I did and it’s delicious. Guess what though? We like this one even better.

The Costco dip is made with both cream cheese and sour cream. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but we found that we preferred using all cream cheese and just thinning it a bit with the reserved cranberry juice to achieve the desired consistency.

If you want a near-exact match for Costco’s recipe for cranberry dip, add ¼ cup of sour cream while beating the cream cheese smooth. Just be cautious if you add any extra cranberry liquids, as that will thin it out quickly. Add just a teaspoon or so at a time to keep the right creamy consistency.

One final note about the Costco version, there is a tiny bit of Asiago cheese in the store-bought dip. Personally, I like this better without the cheese, but feel free to try adding just a sprinkling of cheese to the dip to see what you think.

You’ll need these ingredients to make this copycat recipe for Costco’s cranberry dip:

• cranberries
• jalapenos
• green onions
• cilantro
• sugar
• kosher salt
• cream cheese
• fresh lime juice

Creamy Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

1. Pour the cranberries into a food processor or food chopper. Pulse once or twice to give them a rough chop. The goal is to rough chop the cranberries but not puree them.
2. Mix together the chopped cranberries with the jalapenos, scallions, cilantro, sugar, lime juice, and salt. Once thoroughly mixed refrigerate for at least one hour. Overnight is preferred.
3. When it is time to serve, remove the cranberry mixture from the refrigerator and pour it through a fine mesh strainer (I use this one.) Allow the liquid to drain from the cranberry mixture. SAVE THE LIQUID in a bowl underneath the strainer.
4. While the mixture is being strained, whip the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the strained cranberry mixture and about 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid. Stir to combine. Add additional liquid, a teaspoon at a time, only as needed until the desired consistency has been achieved. Serve with crackers or pretzel crisps.

Sweet and Spicy

Cranberries are such a treat in sweet heat dips and spreads because they are perfectly tart. That being said we have a few sweet and spicy combinations that our family really enjoys.

Sweet bits of pineapple and spicy jalapeño come together to make this pineapple salsa one of our favorite condiments and snacks.

Sweet berries, spicy jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime are combined to make this Strawberry Salsa. 

Cranberry Pepper Jam can be counted on to make a seasonal appearance on our table but I think I might like Habanero Peach Jam every bit as much.