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This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is creamy, sweet, tangy, and a little spicy. Serve it up with tortilla chips or whole grain crackers and it’s the perfect holiday appetizer or snack. Always a hit at parties! Easily made in the food processor.
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The tangy, creamy vegan cream cheese combined with the tart, sweet, and slightly spicy cranberry salsa is absolutely mouthwatering match.
Pair it with crunchy crackers or crispy chips and it’s flavor and texture dynamite that your holiday guests won’t be able to resist.
Make this Cranberry Jalapeno Dip and watch it disappear!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Cranberries ~ Use fresh cranberries. Dried cranberries won’t work in this recipe.
Frozen cranberries may also be used. Just be sure to thaw them out first.
Have lots of cranberries to use up? Check out these Best Vegan Cranberry Recipes!
Jalapeños ~ Remove the ribs and seeds for a mild heat. If you prefer things on the spicy side, you can leave them in.
Onion ~ Red onion has the best taste and texture in this fresh salsa.
Cilantro ~ Cilantro brings a fresh herby flavor. Fresh parsley can be used if you don’t like cilantro.
Sweetener ~ I like coconut sugar, but regular can sugar can be used as well.
Cane sugar is sweeter than coconut sugar, so if you start with just ¼ cup and adjust to your liking.
Cashews ~ You’ll need raw cashews to make the cream cheese part of this Cranberry Jalapeno Dip. Soak them for several hours in hot water to ensure they blend up creamy and smooth.
Extras ~ Fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar bring the classic tang that cream cheese is known for.
How to make the recipe
Place all the ingredients for the cranberry salsa into a food processor (1) and pulse until combined, but still chunky (2).
You could eat this salsa as is, but it’s even more delicious mixed with dairy free cream cheese.
Give a quick rinse to the food processor and add the soaked cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt (3).
Press start and drizzle in the water through the top food chute. The mixture will start to become crumbly (4), then pasty (5), and finally super smooth (6). Add an additional tablespoon or two of water, if needed, to achieve a perfectly smooth and creamy texture.
You will have to stop and scrape down the sides periodically to ensure all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Be patient. This process could take up to 5 minutes or so.
Place the vegan cream cheese in a bowl (7), top with the cranberry salsa (8), and mix thoroughly (9).
How to serve
This Cranberry Jalapeno Dip is delicious with tortilla chips, pita chips or whole wheat crackers. You could also serve it with raw veggies, like carrots and celery sticks, crusty slices of baguette, or pretzels.
It’s the perfect appetizer or snack for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and/or New Year’s Eve parties!
Storage and freezing
This dip will keep well in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Some liquid may settle at the bottom of the container. Mix it well before serving if this happens.
You can also freeze this Cranberry Jalapeno Dip. Transfer the dip to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 4 months.
To serve after freezing, be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight and mix it well to smooth out any lumps.
Pro tips for success
~ Use fresh cranberries or frozen/thawed cranberries. Do not use dried cranberries.
~ Remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeño for a mild heat. Leave them in if you like it spicy.
~ Pulse the salsa until chunky. Do not over-processes.
~ Soak the cashews for several hours or even over-night to ensure they blend up perfectly smooth.
~ Blend the vegan cream cheese, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary, until completely smooth and creamy. Add additional tablespoons of water, as needed, to achieve this consistency.
~ After mixing the cranberry salsa with the vegan cream cheese, chill the dip until ready to serve.
FAQs
Yes, cranberries can be eaten raw. However, fresh cranberries on their own can be very tart and bitter. They are best suited for use in recipes.
Rinse and drain fresh cranberries. Then discard any mushy, shriveled, or green berries before eating them or adding them to recipes.
Store fresh cranberries in the fridge for several weeks. Or freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to one year.
Fresh cranberries are high in antioxidants and are a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamins E, C, A, K and many B vitamins. [source]
More vegan dips
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Vegan French Onion Dip
- Vegan Queso
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip
- Mexican Bean Dip
- Vegan Cold Crab Dip
- Oil-Free Hummus
- Fresh Peach Salsa
- Pineapple Avocado Salsa
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry Salsa
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed and drained
- 2 small or 1 large jalapeño ribs and seeds removed
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- juice of 1 lime
Cashew Cream Cheese
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked for about 2 hours
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water plus more as needed
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for cranberry salsa in a food processor and pulse until combined. Don't over process or you will end up with a puree. You want it to be slightly chunky still. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Rinse out the food processor and place all the ingredients for the cashew cream cheese, except the water, into it. Start the food processor and drizzle in the water through the top food chute. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything gets incorporated well. Be patient as this process could take up to about 5 minutes or so.
- In a large bowl, mix the cranberry salsa with the cashew cream cheese until well combined.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until serving.
Notes
Storage/Freezing This dip will keep well in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it. Transfer the dip to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 4 months. To serve after freezing, be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight and mix it well to smooth out any lumps.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Christine - Jar Of Lemons
Totally making this for Thanksgiving! I love cranberry recipes, so this would be completely perfect!
Emily Kyle
I am loving this Fall twist on salsa! I find fresh cranberries a little difficult to love on their own, so I can’t wait to try this out and fall in love with them this way 🙂
Alisa Fleming
Mmmm, yummy cashew cream cheese again! I can never get enough of that. This looks so deliciously fresh Jenn.
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
What a creative and delicious dish! This really looks incredible. Such a fun and unique use of cranberries.
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
I can totally see how this would be a big hit at parties! It looks amazing! And so festive!
Michelle
I made this this weekend and it was really good! I think it was best the day it was made as by the second day it was very watered down. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!
Jenn S.
Hi, Michelle. Thank you! So glad you liked it! I find you just need to give it a good stir on the second day and it all comes back together.
Christine McMahan
This looks delicious! I’m making for Thanksgiving so I wondered how long it will keep in the fridge? I want to make as much as possible ahead of time.
Love your recipes! Thank you
Jenn S.
Hi, Christine. I will keep for a couple days at least. You’ll probably need to stir it again before serving as some of the liquid will accumulate in the bottom of the bowl. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Lisa Massaar
Delicious! I dared to put in two small, seeded jalapeños and after taste-testing the salsa, I regretted putting in both. Luckily, after I combined the two parts, it was just right! I plan to have this while watching the debate results tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa Massaar
I mean election results. D’Oh!
Jenn S.
Hi, Lisa! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad to hear you loved it! Happy watching (you might need a big glass of wine too!). 🙂
Beth Hornback | Eat Within Your Means
THIS. LOOKS. AMAZING. I can’t wait to try it!!!
Jenn S.
Thank you, Beth! I hope you enjoy it!
Cadry
This sounds wonderful! I’m always looking for new and delicious things to spread on crackers. 😀
Jenn S.
I’ve been eating it like crazy this week! It’s almost gone…sigh. Guess I’ll be making more! 🙂
Sarah
This was such a hit with my family last year! Love it!
Jenn S.
It makes me so happy that you guys loved it! I take it to almost every holiday party and it’s always a hit! Thanks, Sarah!
Sara
My husband and my parents both loved this! We ate it with chips, but my favorite was celery. This was the first time I’very made cream cheese, but it will not be the last. I am taking this to the big family Christmas party, where there will be lots of non-plant based eaters…hoping they will like it!
Jenn S.
I am so excited to hear this, Sara!! I’m so happy everyone loved it! It’s the perfect festive party dip. You’ll have to come back and let me know what everyone else thought too! Happy Holidays!!
The Vegan 8
Looks so festive and gorgeous! Love the cranberry salsa, what a wonderful idea, especially with the homemade! I never buy storebought cream cheese, it’s just not as good as homemade. I’m planning on making my strawberry cream cheese for the weekend, it’s a really intense strawberry flavor, better than the dairy I use to have! I’m drooling at the sound of that salsa!
Dianne
This looks like the perfect festive dip to serve at holiday parties!
Jenn S.
It’s always a hit! Thanks, Dianne!
Becky
This looks so good and so festive!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Becky! Very festive and so so good!