Cranberry Dip

Cranberries come into their own during holiday season, although cranberry sauce usually features as a side condiment. This recipe for cranberry dip shines a big seasonal spotlight on these sweet, tart berries. Pairing them with salty, smooth cream cheese really brings out their best, and you can add spicy notes if you’re feeling bold.

It’s such an easy cold appetizer to make. Pop a can of cranberries, blend the other ingredients together in a bowl and that’s the extent of the culinary skills required. Dressed on a platter, this dip looks incredible and disappears fast once the first cracker breaks the surface.

Ingredients for Cranberry Dip

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• Cream cheese: Allow a pack of cream cheese to soften at room temperature so that it’s easier to blend. 
• Sour cream: This will loosen the cheese base to make it smoother and adds a wonderful tangy flavor.
• Honey: It’s preferable to sugar to give the sweetness since it’s syrupy rather than grainy and carries a pleasant fragrance. 
• Cinnamon: Just a hint of ground cinnamon powder infuses this cranberry dip recipe with a holiday aroma.  
• Cranberry sauce: Use canned whole-berry cranberry sauce here for convenience. They have the sweet and sour flavor this recipe needs.
• Almonds: Slice and toast almonds (or pecans) for a crunchy topping and a nutty finish.
• Assorted crackers: Choose your cracker of choice, natural or flavored, to scoop the dip.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the base

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In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, honey and cinnamon until smooth. Spread it with a spatula over the base of a shallow bowl or pie plate, creating a raised lip around the edge so the juices run inward.

Editor’s Tip: If the cheese mixture is too stiff to work by hand with a fork, either let it come fully up to room temperature or use a hand mixer on a low setting.

Step 2: Top it with cranberry sauce

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Top the cream cheese mixture evenly with a layer of cranberry sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then sprinkle with chopped almonds just before serving with crackers.

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Cranberry Dip Variations

• Spice it up: Add chopped jalapeno to the cheese mixture and dress with sliced jalapeno rounds for a kick if spice. You can also add cumin powder to the mix.
• Use fresh cranberries: Make your own cranberry sauce the day before by crushing fresh cranberries, mixing with sugar and lime juice, and chilling overnight. Make sure to drain any excess juice.
• Top it with scallions: Chopped scallions always go well with creamed cheese, and they bring another surprise flavor to this cranberry dip recipe.

How to Store Cranberry Dip

Simply cover any remaining cranberry dip and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Your nut topping might lose some of its crunch, however. 

Can you make cranberry dip ahead of time?

If you have a lot of dishes to prepare for holiday season, you can certainly make this cranberry dip recipe up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Allow the dish to come up to room temperature before serving so that it’s not too firm to scoop. Leave the almonds until the last minute before serving.

Cranberry Dip Tips

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What can I serve with cranberry dip?

If you want something more substantial or inspiring than regular crackers, serve this dip with Italian breadsticks, tortilla chips, rye crispbread or apple slices or celery sticks. It just has to be solid enough to scoop without shattering.

Are there any alternatives to using cream cheese?

Borrowing from versions served during holiday season around the world, we’ve seen cranberry sauce pair beautifully with a warm dip of baked goats cheese, feta or brie for a much saltier, more assertive flavor.

Is this better with homemade cranberry sauce?

We’re using canned cranberry sauce for convenience and consistency, but if you wanted to customize your cranberry topping, it’s worth adding an extra step and creating a homemade cranberry sauce with fresh berries during cranberry season in late autumn.