Description
Cranberry cream cheese dip delights holiday gatherings with its tangy and creamy profile. Festive flavors blend seamlessly, creating an irresistible starter you’ll want to serve at every celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) sour cream
- 1 cup (100 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) white cheddar cheese, shredded
Fruit and Sweetener:
- 1 cup (100 grams) fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) sugar
Garnish and Serving:
- 2 tablespoons (8 grams) fresh parsley, chopped
- Crackers, breadsticks, or crostini for serving
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 375°F (190°C), ensuring an even heating environment for the dip.
- Thoroughly blend softened cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and white cheddar in a mixing bowl until the mixture reaches a smooth, uniform consistency.
- Separately coat fresh cranberries with granulated sugar, ensuring each berry is evenly covered for a sweet-tart flavor profile.
- Transfer the creamy cheese mixture into a suitable baking dish, spreading it uniformly to create an even base for the cranberries.
- Delicately scatter the sugar-coated cranberries across the top of the cheese mixture, creating an attractive and appetizing surface.
- Slide the prepared dish into the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, watching for the cheese to become bubbly and the cranberries to start bursting, releasing their vibrant juices.
- Once baked, carefully remove from the oven and immediately garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley to add a bright, herbal note.
- Serve the dip warm alongside crisp crackers, rustic breadsticks, or toasted crostini for an irresistible holiday appetizer.
Notes
- Soften cream cheese completely at room temperature for smooth, lump-free mixing that ensures a creamy texture.
- Choose fresh, plump cranberries for the best burst of tartness and vibrant color in the dip.
- Experiment with different cheese combinations like goat cheese or blue cheese for unique flavor profiles that complement the cranberries.
- Make it gluten-free by serving with gluten-free crackers or vegetable sticks, keeping the dip’s delicious taste accessible to everyone.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg