Cranberry Dip (5 Minutes, 5 Ingredients)

This cranberry dip takes five minutes, one blender, and five ingredients you probably already have. Cranberry sauce and sour cream go in, a spoonful of horseradish sharpens the whole thing up, and one jalapeño brings the heat. What comes out is a pale pink, creamy, savory-sweet dip that disappears faster than anything else on the appetizer table.

It’s the recipe I make when I’ve got a half-empty can of cranberry sauce in the fridge and people arriving in twenty minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Dip

• It’s genuinely five minutes. Everything goes in the food processor at once. There’s no cooking, no softening cream cheese on the counter, no chopping beyond one jalapeño.
• The horseradish is the secret. Most cranberry dips are sweet. This one isn’t — the horseradish cuts through the sugar in the cranberry sauce and turns it into something you’d actually want next to turkey and sharp cheddar.
• It uses up leftover cranberry sauce. Half a cup is all you need, which is roughly what’s always left in the can after Thanksgiving dinner.
• It’s a make-ahead. The flavor is better on day two, so this is one less thing to do the morning of a party.

Ingredients

• Cranberry sauce — Whole berry or jellied both work. Homemade is better if you have it; my Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce comes together in about a minute of actual cook time. A chunkier cranberry relish works too and gives the dip more texture.
• Sour cream — Full-fat gives you a thicker dip that holds up on a cracker. Low-fat works but comes out looser. Plain Greek yogurt is a fine swap if that’s what’s open.
• Prepared horseradish — The refrigerated kind in a jar, not horseradish sauce and not wasabi. This is what makes the dip taste like something other than sweetened sour cream.
• Jalapeño — One large pepper. Seeds and membranes are where the heat lives, so leave a few in if you want it warm and take them all out if you don’t.
• Black pepper — A full teaspoon is assertive, which is intentional. If you’re pepper-shy, start with half and taste before adding more.

How to Make Cranberry Dip

Step 1: Prep the jalapeño. Slice it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and white membranes with a spoon for a mild dip, or leave some in for heat. Roughly chop — it doesn’t need to be neat since it’s going in the processor.

Step 2: Combine everything. Add the cranberry sauce, sour cream, horseradish, black pepper, and chopped jalapeño to a food processor or blender.

Step 3: Blend for 15 seconds. That’s it. You want it smooth and evenly pink with tiny flecks of green from the jalapeño. Don’t over-blend — the sour cream can thin out if you run the machine too long.

Step 4: Chill at least 30 minutes. This isn’t optional. Straight out of the processor the horseradish is sharp and the flavors haven’t settled. Thirty minutes in the fridge rounds it out, and an hour is better. Give it a stir before serving.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip Variation

If you’re after the version with whipped cream cheese under a fresh cranberry relish — the one that shows up at every holiday party — here’s how to make it with the same jalapeño:

For the relish: Pulse 12 ounces fresh cranberries, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeño, 4 chopped green onions, 1/4 cup cilantro, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — the sugar needs time to pull the liquid out of the cranberries and mellow the tartness.

To assemble: Beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese until smooth and spread it in a shallow dish. Drain the relish (there will be liquid) and spoon it over the top. Serve with sturdy crackers.

This version needs the overnight rest, so it’s a plan-ahead recipe. The blender version above is the one for when you have twenty minutes.

Smooth pink cranberry dip in a food processor with flecks of green jalapeno

Make Ahead and Storage

Make ahead: Up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavor improves overnight as the horseradish mellows into the cranberry.

Leftovers: Good for 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Some liquid may separate — just stir it back in.

Freezing: Don’t. Sour cream splits when thawed and the texture goes grainy. This one is worth making fresh.

Recipe Tips

• Taste before you chill. Cranberry sauces vary a lot in sweetness. If yours is on the sweet side, add another half teaspoon of horseradish.
• Too thin? Add a couple more tablespoons of sour cream. Too thick? A teaspoon of orange juice loosens it and adds brightness.
• Add cheese. A quarter cup of finely shredded white cheddar stirred in after blending gives it more body and a savory edge.
• No food processor? Mash the cranberry sauce with a fork, mince the jalapeño finely, and whisk everything together. The texture will be chunkier, which some people prefer.
• Serve it in a hollowed orange half if you want it to look like more effort than it was.

Cranberry Dip FAQs

What ingredients do I need? Cranberry sauce, sour cream, prepared horseradish, one jalapeño, and black pepper. That’s the entire list.

Can I use canned cranberry sauce? Yes, and most people do. Whole berry and jellied both work — jellied blends smoother, whole berry leaves a little more texture.

Can I make it ahead? Yes, up to 3 days. It’s actually better on day two. Store it covered in the refrigerator and stir before serving.

How spicy is it? Mild to medium, depending on the jalapeño. Removing all the seeds and membranes makes it barely warm. Leaving half the seeds in gives it a real kick.

Can I substitute the sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works and makes it tangier. Cream cheese will not blend smoothly with this method — if you want a cream cheese dip, use the variation above instead.

Do I have to use horseradish? You can leave it out, but you’ll end up with a sweet dip rather than a savory one. If horseradish isn’t your thing, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard gets you partway there.

Can I freeze it? No. Sour cream separates when frozen and thawed, and the texture won’t recover.

How long does it need to chill? Thirty minutes minimum, an hour is better. It’s edible immediately but the horseradish tastes harsh before it has time to settle.

More Holiday Appetizers

• Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
• Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Bread
• Air Fryer Turkey Croquettes
• Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Meatballs

Browse all my dip recipes for more party ideas.