Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Dip is a festive holiday appetizer using soft Boursin cheese. This spicy cranberry appetizer blends sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors over creamy Boursin. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday parties.
This cranberry dip recipe transforms the popular red berry into something truly unexpected. Unlike the traditional cranberry sauce flavors we are used to, this cranberry jalapeño relish is pulsed with sugar, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, and a hint of salt. Just enough for a scoop-able texture.
The result is a vibrantly flavored cheerful dish that’s both sweet and spicy. it’s a perfect foil for the rich, herbed Boursin base. I used the rosemary Boursin with fresh rosemary for garnish and served it with rosemary crackers. It’s a hit!
How to Make Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Dip
The beauty of this dip is its simplicity. In just a few steps, you can have a beautiful appetizer ready to serve:
- Chop and Mix: Use a food processor to chop the fresh cranberries (trivia point-my sister lives next to a cranberry bog. Interesting to say the least) until coarse, not pureed. Mix with jalapeños, green onions, cilantro, sugar, salt, and lime juice.
- Marinate: Let the mixture chill for at least two hours — or overnight — to allow the sugar to dissolve and flavors to meld into a sweet, syrupy relish.
- Assemble: Spread softened Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese (I used rosemary and black garlic flavored) evenly on a shallow platter, then spoon the cranberry mixture over the top just before serving.
- Serve: Pair with buttery crackers, crostini, or pretzel crisps for a beautiful, flavorful bite.
This appetizer not only looks gorgeous with its ruby-red topping, but it also has a really good flavor blend. I am surprised and happy to report the jalapeños do not overpower the cranberries. It’s a lovely cranberry jalapeño relish to bring to your next holiday buffet or potluck.
Make-Ahead and Serving Tips:
You can easily prepare the cranberry jalapeño relish mixture a day ahead. Just keep it refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve. For best results, assemble the dip right before your guests arrive to keep the texture bright and crisp. The creamy cheese softens slightly as it sits at room temperature, making it even more spreadable.
Holiday Garnish & Theme Ideas:
This appetizer recipe lends itself beautifully to different holiday themes:
- Christmas Party: Garnish with fresh mint leaves or a sprinkle of finely diced green jalapeño for a red-and-green holiday look.
- Thanksgiving Table: Add a few toasted pecans or walnuts on top for crunch and warmth.
- New Year’s Eve: Serve in a white ceramic dish with gold-rimmed crackers for a touch of elegance.
- Valentine’s Day: The bright red cranberry topping makes this dip perfect for a romantic appetizer spread.
Variations to Try:
Before you go to changing up the recipe, I suggest you try it as written, it’s a really good blend of flavors. If it becomes a favorite for you (and I think it will), try these ideas so keep the recipe refreshed and vibrant all through the holidays. Your guests will love it!
- Swap the Cheese: Try it with different flavored Boursin or go wild and try cream cheese, goat cheese, or whipped feta for a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Make it Milder: Reduce jalapeños and/or be sure to remove the seeds for a more family-friendly version. With the seeds out of the recipe the heat goes down quickly and the flavor of the pepper shines through. For more kick, keep the seeds.
- Add Citrus Zest: A touch of orange or lime zest brightens the flavor even more.
- Mini Servings: Spoon the cheese and cranberry mixture into small ramekins or jars for individual appetizers — great for parties and buffets.
This Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Dip hits all the right notes — creamy, tangy, spicy, and sweet — making it shine among traditional appetizers. It’s visually stunning, takes only minutes to assemble, and can easily be doubled for larger gatherings. Plus, it’s gluten-free when served with compatible crackers or veggies.
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party, or New Year’s celebration, this dip is a festive, make-ahead option that will impress your guests and disappear fast.
Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Dip
This Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Dip blends sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors over creamy Boursin. The result is surprisingly smooth blend of savory and sweet. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday parties!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 packages Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese (room temperature for easy spreading)
Instructions
Make the Dip:
- In a food processor, pulse cranberries until coarsely chopped (not puréed).
- Add sugar, jalapeños, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir until combined. (DO NOT OVERMIX)
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (OR overnight is even better. Store in the fridge in an airtight container) so the flavors blend and the sugar dissolves into a syrupy texture.
Assembly:
- Spread the Boursin cheese over a shallow plate or small serving platter. If using the round wheels, gently soften with a spatula so it spreads evenly
- Spoon the cranberry mixture evenly over the Boursin just before serving.
- Serve with buttery crackers, crostini, or pretzel crisps.
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Notes
Optional Garnishes:
- Fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs for color
- Extra chopped cilantro or jalapeño slices on top
- Drizzle of honey or hot honey for added depth
Tips:
- For large crowds this Recipe Easily scales to double or more.
- set out the boursin and let it reach room temp for easiest assembly.
- You can break it into more serving stations and even use different garnishes for different flavors of boursin as desired. I did this on one serving platter to show the idea.
- If you enjoy quite spicy food, its easy to up the kick in this recipe by using the seeds in the peppers or using a hotter pepper. Just taste to be sure you don't overpower the recipe.
- DO NOT OVERMIX the relish. prechop the green onions, peppers and cilantro to prevent this. It only takes a minute and creates a better product.
- Don't skip the marination. Plan ahead and you'll love the flavors blended together.
- Even Better: Make the relish a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Assemble your dip just before serving. So easy and beautiful result.
- Do NOT stir in the juices as you spoon the cranberry relish over the cheese. This help prevent the relish part of the dip from seeping red juice onto your serving plate or board.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 71Total Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gSodium 48mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 0g