Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa Recipe

To show that I put some effort into this year’s potluck, I made a cranberry jalapeño salsa to go with cream cheese. I even set a timer. It took me under five minutes to make (not including the time it took to wash one food processor). The finished product is sweet, spicy, and tangy. I assure you this is something you’ll end up eating way too much of.

It is always great to see someone’s first experience with a pineapple. Having my pineapple dish to to use herbed crawberries to not go too tropical. The pineapple also helps dull the herbed cranberries so it goes really well. The jalapeno adds heat but isn’t too punishing so it is a great addition. It adds spice and the quick summary is all the flavors just mix well and remain fun.

I originally created this in 2014 and haven’t modified anything since. All this recipe needed was a written description, and now I’ve done it.

What Goes Into Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

You can put all the ingredients in the food processor at the same time. You don’t have to worry about how you layer or stage the ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what each ingredient contributes.

Fresh or Frozen Cranberries (8 oz.)

About 6 ounces of a standard 12 ounce bag. The food processor will chop them into little sharp pieces and will release a tart flavor in every bite. If using frozen cranberries, make sure to thaw them completely and dry them with paper towels. Wet cranberries will make your salsa too runny.

Green Bell Pepper (1 whole)

The seeds are out. The bell pepper has a slight grassy crunch which counters the sweet-tart taste of the salsa. Out of all the ingredients, its flavor is the most “background” but is also the most “noticeable”.

Jalapeños (2–3)

To achieve moderate heat, ribs and seeds should be removed. Leaving seeds in will ramp up the heat significantly. Most tables will have two jalapeños without seeds. Three jalapeños with seeds is for the people who actually like heat, and it will change the flavor profile of the salsa entirely.

Fresh Cilantro (1/2 bunch)

Leave cilantro aside for now, and grab a handful of each herb. If someone in your group has the cilantro gene problem, you can use flat-leaf parsley instead, but the flavor will be a bit different. The salsa is also fine without any herbs; it just loses a bit of brightness.

White Onion (1 small)

Raw white onion has a sharper and cleaner taste than yellow onion and may be more appealing to some people. A good tip for food processors is to add the onion in quarters so that it blends more evenly. If yellow onion is all you have, use a little less because it is milder and has a slightly sweet taste when raw.

Crushed Pineapple (1 can, 8 oz.)

This ingredient is the most popular guess and most common question I get. It balances out the acidity of the cranberries so the mixture becomes a bit jammy without making the salsa taste like a piña colada. Please do not substitute fresh pineapple — the crunch will be entirely different.

Sugar (2/3 cup)

Cranberries taste noticeably sour, so they will require additional sweetener in your formulation. If you want it to be sharper, you may go down to 1/2 cup, but going any lower than that will make the flavor go from bright to downright sickening. If you want to use honey, it’s approximately 2/3 cup, as honey is sweeter by volume.

Salt (1 tsp.)

Because of its awesome and tangy flavor profile, salt is very important because it brings out the other flavors, so don’t skip it.

Cream Cheese (1–2 blocks, 8 oz. each)

Cream cheese is not incorporated into the salsa, but is used as the base for the serve. One block works for a small group. For a crowd, use two blocks. Make sure it is full fat and that is has been softened to room temperature before putting it out.

How to Make Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

Most of the time spent on this is actual hands on work is about 10 minutes. The rest of the time it develops in the fridge.

Step 1: Prep the vegetables

Remove the seeds and white ribs from the jalapenos and the bell pepper. With the cilantro, it doesn’t have to be neat to take the leaves off the stems. Lastly, to get even processing, cut the onion in quarters.

Step 2: Add everything to the food processor

You can add all ingredients at once. No need to layer anything. Add cranberries, diced bell pepper, diced jalapeños, drained diced pineapple, chopped cilantro, chopped onion, sugar, and salt.

Step 3: Pulse — do not blend

Try not to use the continuous blend setting. Use the pulse setting instead and do about 5 or 6 pulses. Then stop and check the texture. You do not want it pureed. You want to be able to see the pieces of bell pepper and have the cranberries chopped.

When in doubt, err on the side of using less. You can always pulse it a little bit more. Once you blend it to a certain consistency, you can’t go back — you’ll turn it into a liquid.

Step 4: Chill for at least 30 minutes

For the best flavor, depth, and complete sugar dissolution, refrigerating the mixture overnight is recommended. It can be refrigerated for a minimum of 30 minutes, but it can be left in the fridge for up to an hour for best results. The mixture will appear and taste as if an immense amount of work had been done to it.

Make your salsa a day or so ahead of when you plan to use it. Salsa is always better the second day!

Step 5: Spoon over cream cheese and serve

Place the softened cream cheese block on a plate or shallow bowl. Spoon salsa on top until the cream cheese is completely covered. Put some crackers out beside it.

When considering dip-friendly crackers, plain water crackers and strong buttery crackers like Ritz and Club are good options. Snap-type crackers are best avoided, as they will annoy people rather than help. Crackers like rosemary, garlic, or other seasonings will overshadow the dip rather than let it shine.

Why the Chill Time Actually Matters

Salsa from the food processor has an uneven flavor profile and a crunch from the sugar. You can individually identify and taste all the ingredients. Salsa tastes like cranberry, pineapple, and jalapeno, and no other flavors are apparent. Salsa is best if left in the fridge overnight. This is because the sugar, after a period of time, will dissolve into the flavor mix. Furthermore, the heat will be more evenly spread throughout and the taste of the ingredients will become more cohesive, meaning the salsa will taste better than it did immediately after it was cycled through the food processor.

A little over twenty minutes after I finished using the food processor and cleared up the kitchen, I served this for the first time and it was decent. I did this the next time I made it and let it sit overnight, and it was a completely different experience. If you have any items on your party prep to-do list that absolutely needs to be done the night before, let it be this.

Adjusting the Heat and Serving for a Crowd

I usually serve jalapeños on the side so that people who want to add some to their salsa can do so without having to pick them out if they can’t handle spice. Everyone can enjoy some salsa without worrying about picking around the jalapeños!

The version without jalapeños is still genuinely good. The heat may be missing, but that isn’t a consolation prize. It’s a different salsa; and it holds up just fine on its own.

Serving size math

This recipe produces approximately two cups of salsa. One cup of salsa pairs well with one 8-ounce block of cream cheese. For bigger groups, put out two blocks, and pour some salsa on top of both. For smaller groups, make the full batch but only begin with one block — you can always add more salsa, and you don’t want to put out both blocks and then run out of salsa during the party.

Swaps That Work (and One That Does Not)

No jalapeño version

When unsure about your group, go for the salsa. It’s a tasty, sweet, tangy, and fresh option. Also, it’s good without the jalapeños.

Extra heat version

Try using three jalapeños and leaving the seeds in at least one. You can add a Serrano too — serranos are brighter and sharper while jalapeños are more earthy. Together, these peppers create a more interesting heat rather than just spice.

Mango instead of pineapple

About 3/4 of a cup diced fresh or frozen mango works just fine. The salsa will be chunkier and more tropical. It’s a different salsa, not better or worse than the original, just different.

No cilantro

If you have a problem with cilantro, try using flat leaf parsley instead. No herbs in the salsa is also acceptable, but be aware that it will lose some of that fresh flavor. The only substitution I would not recommend is using dried cilantro. It’s a completely different flavor and won’t achieve the same effect that fresh does in this case.

How Long It Keeps (and Why November Is the Time to Make a Double Batch)

Refrigerator

To keep it fresh for as long as possible, store the salsa in a separate sealed container from the cream cheese. Both should be good for about four days. Once the salsa is spooned over the cream cheese, it should be served within a couple of hours. The cream cheese will start to soften, and everything will get soupy if it sits too long. If you want to keep the salsa as fresh as possible, wait until the very last minute to spoon it over before guests get here.

Freezer

It is true that salsa can be frozen, but cream cheese cannot. To freeze salsa, pour it into a quart-size freezer bag, remove as much air as you can, seal the bag, and lay it flat in the freezer. Your salsa is still good for 2 months. To defrost it, simply place it in the refrigerator the night before.

You will find cranberries in stores during October and November. They go fast, so if you happen to get an extra bag and make a double batch, you can freeze half. Then you will have an appetizer for a winter party, and that’s worth it!

Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa Questions

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes — first thaw and dry the cranberries using a paper towel. Frozen cranberries release a lot of water as they thaw and if you try to put them in the food processor while they are still wet your salsa will end up watery! The flavor won’t change, but fresh cranberries will provide a better texture and color.

How far ahead can I make this?

For day two and three, freshness will peak. The sugar dissolves and the flavors really settle into the combination. Overall, the first day will still be pretty good. By day four, the freshness will begin to fade and the texture may become a little less than desirable, with some broken or watery spots.

What if I do not have a food processor?

Chopping cranberries for twenty minutes can be justified if one considers it a time investment, and a blender is not a good option here because it would turn the salsa soupy instead of leaving it chunky.

Does it have to go over cream cheese?

No. Spoon it over a wedge of brie for a delicious pairing. It pairs well with turkey or pork and is nice as a spread on a charcuterie board. The cream cheese option is the easiest to take to a party because the salsa doesn’t require any prep once it’s finished. But you have other good options if you like something different.

More Appetizers That Disappear Fast

If this one worked with your audience, these typically work too:

• Buffalo Chicken Dip — warm, cheesy, and always the first thing gone
• Jalapeño Popper Dip — cream cheese, cheddar, and jalapeños baked with a crispy panko top
• Canned Tomato Salsa — easy homemade salsa you can keep on the shelf

I’d love to see your feedback in the comments, especially if you tried the spicy versions!