This cranberry jalapeno cream cheese spread is full of fresh herb flavor with a bit of spice and some sweet cranberries. The balance is delicious and it is the perfect spread for crackers.
It’s holiday party season! And do you know what that means? Snacks!
Whether it is a starter while the turkey is roasting on Thanksgiving or something to nosh on during the Christmas parties ahead, this cranberry spread will be a nice change to the standard fare.
It has a really fresh flavor from the herbs and lime juice and just enough spice from the jalapeno to make it interesting. I don’t think it would be too hot to upset anyone’s pallet.
I put this out when Chloe and MiMi came to help set up for Kristie’s shower and Chloe LOVED it. When my husband and Little Dude came home, I got some out for them to snack on while I made a pizza for dinner.
We had the whole thing eaten between us by the end of the night! We all thought it was pretty darn tasty and a bit different than anything we had ever tried.
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You could form this mixture into a cheese ball if you would like, but we like the ease of putting it into a bowl. It’s a no muss no fuss way of serving this tasty appetizer, just have plenty of crackers ready!
Can I use something besides cilantro?
Yes. If you don’t like cilantro you can just leave it out or substitute in more green onion, chives or parsley.
Storage
Keep any leftover cracker spread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The herbs will start to wilt and oxidize if it is stored much longer than that.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro
- ¼ cup green onions
- 1 jalapeno
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Roughly chop the ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, and ¼ cup green onions
- Remove the seeds from the 1 jalapeno and finely dice.
- Put the 8 oz cream cheese in a medium bowl and add the ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cranberries, herbs, and jalapeno. Stir until uniform.
- You can serve immediately, but it is good to cover it and refrigerate it for at least an hour to let all of the flavors come together.
- Serve with crackers or toasted bagel chips or baguette slices.
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This is a dip that I would love! Yum!
And my husband went crazy for it, so there's hope you'd have help eating it 😉
What fun flavors!
This would be dangerous around me!
I might not share!
Thanks
Michelle
Thanks! I thought about keeping it for myself too!
Carlee, your Thanksgiving sounds amazing! I always wanted to be a part of a larger family! All that food, wow! This spread sounds great, too. Hey, you had me at jalapeno!
Mollie
You are welcome any time! We go a bit crazy on the food, but we have fun doing it (and isn't that what matters?!)
What a great addition to a cheese board….YUM
Thank you!
This looks SO good!! I'm a sucker for a spread or dip. And the addition of cranberries makes this amazing.
Me too, I can't stop once I get started on something like this… which is why it didn't make it long after the pictures 😉
What a great holiday appetizer – love that I can make it before guests arrive. Look forward to trying it!
Thank you! The more you can make ahead, the better!
Love the sweet heat combination!
Me too, thanks Caroline!
I love sweet and heat and this is one pretty appetizer that sounds delicious!
Thank you!
What a treat!
Thank you!
Sweet heat, sweet spread, sweet Carlee, the amazing chef!!! I am always looking for new apps and this one is perfect!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your amazing Family!!
Thank you, Andrea! Enjoy your time with all of your boys! (I know you will!)