Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
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Get your taste buds ready because cranberry cream cheese dip combines the sweet, tart, and salty for a delicious fall-friendly appetizer dip that looks beautiful and tastes amazing!
Whether you use this recipe as a dip, a spread, or a stuffing for the inside of won-tons or pinwheel sandwiches, this Cranberry Cream Cheese dip is a beautiful mix of cranberry tart and the sweet taste of sugar and jam.
A perfect combo with cream cheese, eating with pretzel crisps adds the bit of salt that takes this recipe to the next level.
What you see in the images is only HALF the topping of the recipe, it makes in total two bricks, so it is a good-sized appetizer for a party.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 package, 12 oz, frozen whole cranberries (no sugar added), thawed OR 1 bag of FRESH cranberries
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup apricot preserves or jam
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 bricks, 8 oz, cream cheese, softened
- buttery crackers or pretzel chips for serving
- fresh mint to garnish, optional
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Common Appetizer Questions
- What do you dip Cranberry Dip with? I recommend serving with pretzels, Ritz Crackers, or even a veggie dipper like celery sticks. Personally I also love bits of Italian or French bread torn up to dip with!
- Instead of a block, can you ball the Cream Cheese? The easiest way to ball up cream cheese is to place on plastic wrap, shape, and put in the fridge to firm for an hour or two. You can see more info on this in my chocolate chip cheese ball dip recipe.
- How much dip does this recipe make? This recipe makes enough cranberry pour for 2 blocks of cream cheese, or if you like a lot of cranberry on top, to re-pour as people eat the cream cheese down.
- Are there any other ingredient changes I can make? A lot of people love the flavors of jalapeno and cranberries together, so you could easily dice fresh jalapenos and combine with the cranberries for a Cran-Jalapeno dip. Additionally, instead of cream cheese, you could also use a other soft cheeses like goat cheese or brie as the base.
- Can fresh cranberries be used – YES! Simply use fresh cranberries in place of thawed frozen ones, follow recipe as instructed.
Let’s Get Started on that Cranberry Dip!
Add cranberries, sugar, preserves, and water to a large saucepan.
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling.
The mixture will begin to bubble and get frothy as it heats, and you may hear the cranberries sizzling and popping.
Continue to boil for 5 minutes, constantly stirring until the berries are popped open, and the mixture begins to darken.
Remove from heat and stir in pecans.
Let set to cool and refrigerate to cool completely.
Once cooled, stir the cranberry mixture, so it’s pliable.
Press a spoon in the center of the cream cheese to create a divot.
Spoon the mixture on a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers or pretzel chips.
Makes 2-3 appetizer bricks.
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Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 package 12 oz, frozen whole cranberries (no sugar added), thawed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup apricot preserves or jam
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 bricks 8 oz, cream cheese, softened
- buttery crackers or pretzel chips for serving
- fresh mint to garnish optional
Instructions
- Add cranberries, sugar, preserves and water to a large saucepan.
- Heat saucepan over medium high heat until boiling.
- Mixture will begin to bubble and get frothy as it heats and you may hear the cranberries sizzling and pop.
- Continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until berries are popped open and mixture begins to darken.
- Remove from heat and stir in pecans.
- Let set too cool from stove and then refrigerate until complete cooled.
- Gently press a spoon in the center of the cream cheese to create a divot.
- Spoon mixture on top of cream cheese and serve with crackers or pretzel chips.
- Makes 2 appetizer bricks.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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This has to be the most Devine cranberry dish ever.Thanks for sharing
Could I use orange marmalade instead of apricot jam?
Hi Chris! Yes, I think that orange marmalade would be just fine. The only thing w/ marmalade is that it tends to have actual pieces of oranges in it, so that would add some texture. Cranberries and orange are pretty complimentary!
I always make a fresh cranberry sauce for our Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners. I am so looking forward to trying this dip and definitely will be adding jalapeno. Can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing.
I love to take 1 block of cream cheese and pour a small jar of sweet pepper jelly over it. So good and easy.
Hi Sue, yes that is SO delicious! I have seen that a lot at parties. Thanks for reminding everyone of the suggestions, great appetizer and so quick!
Has anyone made this the night before? If so did you put it all together or keep sauce separate from the cream cheese?
Thank you!
I have! Keep the sauce separate from the cream cheese until you assemble to eat.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. Most of the family will pass on cranberry sauce, but everyone ate this!
Thats awesome!! So glad this cranberry sauce was such a hit for your family!
I cut this recipe in half and made it for New Years Eve. Just 4 of us and we ate almost all if it! I didn’t have the apricot preserves on hand, so I substituted mango chutney which gave it a bit of spiciness! Would definitely make it again!
Intended to make this over Christmas but never got to it. So, made it today to have while watching football games. Absolutely delicious! Made it just as recipe is written and it’s currently being devoured with black pepper triscuits. 😋😋
Anyone know if peach would be good with cranberry?? 😬
If you are asking me, YES!!!!!!!
This was SO delicious, and easy to make. I used ginger ale for my liquid, and chopped walnuts instead of pecans, because those are what I had on hand. My husband, who doesn’t care for cranberry anything, loved it. Had to give the recipe to my mom so she can make her own, she liked it so well. This will be a holiday staple from here on!
Can you substitute dried cranberries?
I honestly do not believe it would be the same, it would be a different texture. Not to say that it will be bad, but fresh cranberries are soft and dried are not.
Made this for Thanksgiving and when I tasted it, I was hooked. Divine! I can’t wait to serve this at my daughter’s house today 😊
This looks delicious! Do you think it could be canned to give as holiday gifts?
I buy fresh cranberries in bulk and freeze them. Would I need to defrost them? And, what would the ratio be for cups rather than a 12 ounce bag? Thank you in advance!
There are about 2 cups in a 12 oz bag. Yes, you would need to defrost frozen cranberries (and dump any excess water).
Have you ever frozen this (after preparing)? I’m thinking 1 block of cream cheese will be plenty for our group, but would love to be able to freeze the other half of the cranberry mixture.
Hi Deb, unfortunately, I have not frozen the leftovers of this cranberry cream cheese dip but I can tell you that as people eat the cream cheese, they tend to grab more cranberry sauce…so what I would so just keep replenishing more of the topping throughout the party and there might not be as much left over as you think.
Can you use canned cranberries? And could you mix the sauce and cream cheese together?
I suppose you could try it anyway you wanted but I have never tested it out that way 🙂
can you make it ahead of time ? and is the sauce suppose to be hot or warm when you serve it
Yes it can be made a head of time. It should be cooled before putting on cream cheese. 🙂
Can you cheat and use the canned whole berry cranberry sauce?? Just in a pinch.
TBH, I am not 100% sure how the preservatives in a can would melt with other flavors but…maybe if you warmed a can up and added pecans and a little spoon or two of grape jam it would quicken to the same consistency (if necessary). I would not rule it out!
Will this still work without pecans? My brother-in-law has a severe nut allergy so no one in his family eats any nuts just in case.
Yes, it should be fine!
I am not a fan of apricot preserves. What are some suggestions to use as a substitution. Thank you.
You can test any preserves you like and they should work fine.
Looks luscious! Can I freeze it for 2 weeks? Mary
I would not freeze the cream cheese and cranberries together, but there shouldnt be a problem freezing them for 2 weeks separately. Then put in fridge and let thaw naturally.
Your thoughts about adding cilantro along with the jalapeno to it? I had been looking at making cranberry salsa and then I found your recipe and it sounds really tasty. 😋
Those sound like great additions to me!
Any idea how long this will last in the fridge? I made it last Saturday and have over half left in fridge. Wanted to serve it Christmas Eve but I’m not sure if it’s still good or not.
I keep it about 3 days.
I want to add the Jalapeno peppers. Do I cook those with the rest of the ingredients?
I would!
Are you whipping the cream cheese up or just use as the block?
In this recipe, its used as a block.
I started making this last year and it was a huge hit! I have friends asking for it again this year…it’s so yummy! Plus super easy to make!
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of frozen?
Yes
Can you use dried cranberries if you don’t have frozen or whole cranberries??? I plan to make this tomorrow for Christmas and would love to know if you can. It looks delicious!!
I dont think it would be the same recipe exactly but I always encourage people to test out new things!
So good! Will never buy canned cranberry sauce again.