Categories: Food

Cranberry Salsa (The Best Holiday Appetizer!)


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Cranberry salsa is a fresh cranberry mixture of sweet and savory that is laid over cream cheese. It makes for the BEST holiday appetizer! You can also serve it in place of cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Crowd Pleaser: I have never had so many people ask me for a recipe more! It’s the perfect combo of sweet and savory.
  • Easy to Make: It’s so easy to make and can be made in minutes. Simply blend all the ingredients, then lay your cream cheese on a plate and pour your cranberry salsa over the top.
  • Appetizer Season: If you love holiday appetizers as much as I do then you must try these Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts, these Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites, or this Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Ball!

Ingredients in Cranberry Salsa

Bring this cranberry salsa to your next holiday party. Try it out and then you will see how simple this cranberry salsa is to make this holiday season! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Fresh cranberries: Using fresh cranberries is perfect for the season. Fresh and tart really add to this dish!
  • Granny Smith apple: This adds a great crunch to the texture.
  • Green Onions, Cilantro and Jalepeno: This is where the savory flavor comes in! They add a beautiful color as well as a little kick with the jalepeno.
  • Sugar: This adds some sweetness to counter the tanginess of the cream cheese.
  • Apple cider vinegar: I like that this adds a different taste to mix it all with.
  • Juice of one lime: A little citrus cools down the jalapeño.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: To taste!
  • Cream cheese: This will be in brick form, with the salsa added over top of it.

Let’s Make Some Salsa!

This fresh cranberry salsa recipe will blow you away with how good it is! It’s going to be a hit at any holiday party! Go ahead and try it, everyone is going to love it!

  1. Add: In a food processor, add the cranberries, apple, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, vinegar, and lime juice.
  2. Blend: Pulse the ingredients until coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers or pour over a block of cream cheese for dipping!

Tips and Tricks to Making Cranberry Salsa

This holiday season be sure to make this cranberry salsa with fresh ingredients and know that it will be gone in minutes with everyone raving about it. Here are a few tips that will help make this cranberry salsa even better!

  • Food processor: If you do not have a food processor then a blender will work just as well to chop and blend all the ingredients together. Watch over your blender making sure you do not completely blend it all together. You will still want the cranberry salsa to be coarse, almost a chunky cranberry salsa.
  • Cranberries: Fresh is best and not canned for this cranberry salsa recipe. Cranberries are a little tart but with the sugar and juices it all blends together nicely.
  • Preparing Cranberries: Be sure to wash the cranberries and remove any cranberry that is squishy or too soft.
  • Jalapeños: Cut the ends off the jalapeños then slice in half and remove the seeds from them. The seeds hold in most of the heat. Add as little to no seeds to the food processor or blender depending on how hot you like your cranberry salsa. Then, finish chopping your jalapeño.
  • Honey: If you would like another sweetener then add honey or substitute it for the sugar. This will give you a glaze look on your cranberry salsa and still have the sweet taste.
  • Limes: Fresh limes are great or using lime juice from a bottle will work well too.

What to Serve it With

This cranberry salsa makes for the best holiday appetizer and is sure to please a crowd. Enjoy it with these fun ways of spreading and dipping it into the salsa this holiday season!

  • Crackers: Ritz crackers are soft but they still have the salty texture and great for spreading. Wheat thins, Triscuits or a whole wheat cracker are great for a sweet and salty blend.
  • Pretzels: The thick, flatter pretzels that are a little bigger in size are the best for dipping in this cranberry salsa.
  • Chips: Tortilla chips or plain corn chips are delicious to dip in!
  • Bread: Slice up some Sourdough Bread, a Crostini or this French Baguette. Then, either spread this on or dip it in!

How to Store Leftovers (Or Make it Ahead of Time!)

With simple ingredients and with quick and easy instructions, this cranberry salsa comes together beautifully for your next holiday appetizer! Here are some great ways to store it.

  • Can you make cranberry salsa recipe ahead of time? Yes! This cranberry salsa will last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days when sealed in an airtight container. When ready to serve it then simply take it out and add it over cream cheese and crackers.
  • Fridge or Freezer: It is best served fresh, but if needed, you can freeze it for up to one month. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the refrigerator. Before serving, drain all of the extra juices from the cranberry salsa, leaving it with only the chunks rather than the juice.

More Delicious Holiday Appetizers

I love going to holiday parties because they are filled with family, friends and FOOD! And if I can contribute to that goodness then I will! Here are a few of my favorite holiday appetizers that are amazing to bring to any party. Your friends and family will love them! They are all so different that there is something for everyone! Enjoy!

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  • In a food processor, add the cranberries, apple, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, vinegar, and lime juice.

  • Pulse the ingredients until coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Serve with crackers or pour over a block of cream cheese for dipping!

Updated on December 5, 2024
Originally Posted on December 11, 2019

Calories: 42kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.





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