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Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Cranberry cream cheese spread with a jewel-red fresh cranberry salsa—pulse, mix, then chill for a thick, spoonable topping. Spread softened cream cheese evenly and finish with cranberry salsa over the top just before serving for clean, bright flavor.
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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: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry salsa 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
Serving
  • 1 crackers for serving

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Method
 

Pulse and mix the cranberry salsa
  1. Pulse the fresh cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped, using short pulses to keep the texture chunky. The mixture should look finely minced with small bits of cranberry skin visible.
  2. Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and stir in sugar, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy and evenly combined.
Chill
  1. Cover and chill the cranberry mixture for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld. The salsa should thicken slightly and taste more cohesive after chilling.
Assemble and serve
  1. Spread the softened cream cheese onto a serving plate in an even layer. Make the surface smooth with an even thickness so the topping spreads neatly.
  2. Spoon the cranberry mixture over the top just before serving. Keep the salsa piled in the center or spread lightly so the jewel-red layer stays vibrant.
  3. Serve the spread with crackers on the side. Presenting crackers alongside lets guests scoop cleanly without soggy edges.

Notes

Pro tip: Chill the cranberry salsa before assembling so the topping thickens and doesn’t seep into the cream cheese. Store the cranberry mixture covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; assemble with cream cheese within 1 day for best texture. Freezing is not recommended because the salsa texture can turn watery after thawing. Dietary swap: use reduced-fat cream cheese if you want a lighter base while keeping the same spread-and-scoop method.