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Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Cranberry cream cheese spread with a jewel-red fresh cranberry salsa, jalapeno heat, and bright lime. Made by pulsing cranberries, chilling for flavor meld, then layering spoonable salsa over softened cream cheese.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry salsa
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Cream cheese base
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 Crackers for serving

Method
 

Make the cranberry salsa
  1. Pulse the fresh cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Visual cue: no large whole berries remain.
  2. Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and stir in sugar, green onions, jalapeno, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and salt until glossy and evenly combined. Visual cue: the mixture turns a uniform jewel-red with visible flecks of green.
  3. Cover and chill the cranberry mixture for 1 hour so the flavors meld. Visual cue: it firms up slightly and looks more cohesive when you spoon it.
Assemble and serve
  1. Spread the softened cream cheese onto a serving plate in an even layer. Visual cue: smooth surface with no bare spots.
  2. Spoon the chilled cranberry mixture over the top just before serving. Visual cue: the salsa sits as a mound or thin layer on top of the cream cheese, not mixed in.
  3. Serve with crackers on the side for dipping. Visual cue: a board or plate with crackers ready to scoop.

Notes

Pro tip: seed and mince the jalapeno finely for even heat through every bite. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the cranberry topping can weep slightly but stays flavorful. Freezing isn’t recommended due to texture changes in the cream cheese. For a lower-sodium swap, use reduced-sodium salt and choose unsalted crackers.