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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    December 18, 2019 27 Comments

    Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

    946 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    My mom made this Christmas appetizer last year and I instantly fell in love! So much so that I scrolled ahead in my calendar and made a note to share the recipe on my blog this year. The recipe was sent to my mom from a friend in an email, so I don't know the original source, but a little googling showed me that cranberry jalapeño dip is actually a fairly common recipe. Why oh why had I never heard of this deliciousness before!?!? This Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is so easy to make and it is absolutely delicious! Great to serve during the holidays!

    Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is the perfect Christmas appetizer! Easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time, and looks super festive! Tart pops of cranberry with spice, a sweet marinade, and velvety vegan cream cheese for a total explosion of delicious flavours. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #christmas

    Raw fresh cranberries are tossed with jalapeño, cilantro, and sugar and left to marinate overnight. You might be intimidated to bite into raw cranberries, but trust me on this. The sugar gets dissolved and takes the cranberries from mouth-punchingly sour, to a more subtle tartness. Combine the tart pops of cranberry with spice, a sweet marinade, and velvety vegan cream cheese for a total explosion of delicious flavours.

    Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is the perfect Christmas appetizer! Easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time, and looks super festive! Tart pops of cranberry with spice, a sweet marinade, and velvety vegan cream cheese for a total explosion of delicious flavours. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #christmas

    Not only is this dip super easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time, but I just love the festive colours. It truly is the perfect Christmas or holiday appetizer. This is definitely a new holiday staple for me.

    To make Cranberry Jalapeño Dip:

    Mix raw cranberries with jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, lemon, and sugar.

    Add the cranberries, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeño, and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 2 days. I usually let it marinate overnight. The sugar will dissolve and the cranberries will become less tart.

    Note: I know that seems like a lot of sugar, but trust me, those cranberries need it!

    spread a layer of vegan cream cheese for the base of the dip

    To assemble the dip, spread the vegan cream cheese in a thin layer on the bottom of your serving dish. You can use 1 tub of store-bought vegan cream cheese or you can make your own homemade cream cheese.

    Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip is the perfect Christmas appetizer! Easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time, and looks super festive! Tart pops of cranberry with spice, a sweet marinade, and velvety vegan cream cheese for a total explosion of delicious flavours. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #christmas

    Spoon the cranberry mixture overtop leaving any extra liquid behind in the bowl. Serve the cranberry jalapeño dip with crackers and be prepared to be amazed at how deliciously addictive this is!

    Common Questions:

    Can I freeze Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip?

    Yes, if kept in an air-tight container it should keep for about 4 months.

    Is Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip Gluten-Free?

    Yes! Check out the ingredient list below.

    Can Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip be made nut-free?

    A lot of vegan cream cheeses use nuts, so be sure to grab one that is nut-free.

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 14 votes

    Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

    The perfect Christmas appetizer! Easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time, and looks super festive! Tart pops of cranberry with spice, a sweet marinade, and velvety vegan cream cheese for a total explosion of delicious flavours.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Resting Time4 hours hrs
    Total Time4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course : AppetizerSnack
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadian
    Servings: 6
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • 6 oz fresh cranberries (2 cups), sliced in half
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • 4 green onions,, chopped
    • 1 handful cilantro (about ¼ cup), chopped
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ - 1 jalapeño,, seeded and finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 8 oz vegan cream cheese (about 1 cup), (homemade or store-bought)
    • Crackers for serving
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the cranberries, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeño, and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 2 days. I usually let it marinate overnight. The sugar will dissolve and the cranberries will become less tart.
    • To assemble the dip, spread the vegan cream cheese in a thin layer on the bottom of your serving dish. Spoon the cranberry mixture onto the cream cheese layer leaving behind any extra liquid behind in the bowl. Serve with crackers.

    Notes

    Make-ahead tips: the cranberry mixture can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. The assembled dip can be covered and refrigerated 2 - 3 hours before serving.
    Jalapeño: I love spice so I add the entire jalapeño but you can use half a jalapeño or even less if you prefer.
    Serving tips: I served mine on a plate, but for easier and less messy scooping I recommend serving this in a flat bowl or a dish that has sides.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (⅙th of the recipe) | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

     

    « Vegan Tourtiere (vegan meat pie)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren says

      December 29, 2021 at 8:48 pm

      5 stars
      This was a hit at Christmas! Had everyone asking me for the recipe. I couldn’t find fresh cranberries so I used frozen and it worked perfectly. I just let the mixture strain for a bit after letting it marinate to get rid of the excess liquid. I’ll definitely try it with fresh cranberries next 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 02, 2022 at 3:05 pm

        Wonderful! So happy you loved it so much Lauren !

        Reply
    2. Tracey says

      December 15, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      5 stars
      This is the prettiest, tastiest, party-in-a-bowl dip I have ever made! I made mine wfpb, super easy, just used date paste in place of the sugar and for the cream cheese blended sunflower seeds, sauerkraut, lemon juice and water.
      Kapow! Was awesome. Will be making again and again!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 20, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        Aww that's wonderful! So happy you love it as much as I do, Tracey! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jane says

      December 03, 2021 at 2:36 pm

      Can something else be used besides cilantro? Or will it be ok if left out - tastes like soap to me...

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 06, 2021 at 4:15 pm

        Yes, you can leave it out or sub with parsley if you prefer 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kim Mitchell says

      December 03, 2021 at 11:43 am

      Sam’s Cranberry and Jalapeño Dip was one of the biggest successes of my Thanksgiving dinner! In fact, I’ve already had a request to make it again for Christmas! It was such a surprise recipe. I mean, you just don’t think of combining these two main ingredients. But YOWZA! Was it a perfect combo! And super easy and satisfying to make! Also try her Caramelized Onion Dip… another absolute winner!!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 06, 2021 at 4:13 pm

        Aww thanks so much, Kim! Yes, this is one of my most favorite unexpected holiday apps too!

        Reply
    5. Laura says

      November 25, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for a Thanksgiving appetizer and it a big hit! I did put it on regular cream cheese because I had some and figured everyone else would enjoy it and I didn't have it in me to whip up vegan cream cheese. I had accidentally bought lox flavored vegan cream cheese lol, which is what I ate mine with and it was still good, although I imagine it would be even better with plain .I will for sure make this again!

      Reply
    6. Tracy says

      November 24, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      Omg this is the bomb! The flavors are amazing !! My whole family love it, even the non vegans. I have made it now 3 times. Love all of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 06, 2021 at 3:14 pm

        Aww yay! So thrilled you love it 🙂

        Reply
    7. Rachel Willcox says

      December 30, 2020 at 11:13 am

      5 stars
      I have made this for the last two Christmases. It is SO good! I love the balance of flavours and textures and it’s so moreish. Already a Christmas tradition.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 05, 2021 at 1:37 pm

        Aww that's wonderful. It's a fave for me too 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sarah Lipsie says

      January 01, 2020 at 6:21 pm

      5 stars
      I was so curious about this recipe and decided to try it out for a Christmas app. Every recipe I have tried from Sam has been great so I didn’t hesitate. Well I’m glad I didn’t because it was a huge hit! This will be a staple dish for holidays and parties to come. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 09, 2020 at 11:12 am

        Yay!!! So happy you gave it a go and love it, Sarah!! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Heather says

      December 26, 2019 at 2:23 pm

      delicious- served with your cream cheese and disappeared quick everyone loved it!
      Used some of the cranberry mix on mixed greens for a snack super good.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 31, 2019 at 11:55 am

        Wonderful!! So happy you enjoyed 🙂

        Reply
    10. Hedwig says

      December 21, 2019 at 10:04 pm

      5 stars
      I was intrigued by this recipe, so I finally made it...

      It is so so good!! And pretty! I made it with your cream cheese, and the crunchy/velvety mix, with all the flavors is seriously addictive!!

      Thank you Sam!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 31, 2019 at 11:16 am

        Yay! Thrilled you loved it, Hedwig 🙂

        Reply
    11. Joanne says

      December 21, 2019 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      This is a keeper! As soon as I saw the picture of this recipe, I wanted to make it for my next party. Last night, I brought this to a friend’s house and it was a hit. It is very easy to make and the flavors just come together perfectly. Because I was traveling with this, I used a simple clear, round Pyrex bowl with a lid. It looked nice, but I think when I make it on xmas eve I will use a plate so I can spread it out a bit. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 31, 2019 at 10:59 am

        wonderful!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Joanne 🙂

        Reply
    12. Isabelle says

      December 20, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for a potluck at work: mind blowing!

      Wish there was an easy to slice the cranberries... but it’s a keeper! Really good!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        So thrilled you enjoyed, Isabelle! You could pulse the cranberries in a food processor, but then they wouldn't be as pretty...

        Reply
        • Joanne says

          December 31, 2019 at 11:13 am

          I am going to pulse my berries next time. Less adventurous eaters may be more likely to try. It’s funny watching people who are unsure if they want to try halved berries!

      • Ann says

        December 12, 2021 at 11:15 pm

        Try putting the cranberries between two storage container lids and running the knife sideways to slice the cranberries between the lids.
        That’s how I halve grape tomatoes and think it would work well with cranberries.

        Reply
    13. Lila Goldstein says

      December 18, 2019 at 11:19 pm

      I think you meant to say 'minimum of 4 hours or up to 2 days,' not 'minimum of 4 or up to 2 days.' Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 19, 2019 at 9:51 am

        I sure did! Fixed now. Thanks for pointing that out and I hope you enjoy the dip 🙂

        Reply

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