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Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Cranberry cream cheese spread with a jewel-red fresh cranberry salsa and a creamy, tangy base. Chopped cranberries are pulsed, simmer-free mixed, then chilled at least 1 hour for a flavor-meld texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry topping
  • 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

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make the fresh cranberry salsa
  1. Pulse the fresh cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped, with the mixture breaking into small pieces rather than remaining whole berries.
  2. Transfer the cranberries to a bowl and stir in the sugar, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and salt until evenly combined.
Chill for flavor meld
  1. Cover and chill the cranberry mixture for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the salsa thickens slightly.
Assemble and serve
  1. Spread the softened cream cheese onto a serving plate in an even layer.
  2. Spoon the cranberry mixture over the top just before serving so the salsa stays vibrant and fresh.
  3. Serve with crackers for scooping.

Notes

Pro tip: For the cleanest topping, chill the cranberry mixture and keep the cream cheese at room temperature just until spreadable, then assemble right before serving. Refrigerate leftover spread in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze not recommended since the salsa texture can soften after thawing. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free crackers for serving.