Description
Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip: Tangy cream cheese baked with sweet cranberries. A perfect holiday crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz (450g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (75g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (200g) fresh cranberries
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup (25g) chopped pecans or walnuts
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish or 1-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Mix cream cheese base Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, honey, and salt to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Spread this cream cheese mixture evenly into your prepared baking dish, creating a level base for your cranberry topping.
- Step 3: Prepare cranberry topping In a medium saucepan, combine the fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to pop and break down, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should thicken slightly but still maintain some texture. Stir in the cinnamon and remove from heat.
- Step 4: Add cranberry mixture Carefully spoon the warm cranberry mixture over the cream cheese base, spreading it to create an even layer.
- Step 5: Add nut topping In a small bowl, mix together the chopped nuts and brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cranberry layer.
- Step 6: Bake the dip Bake the dip in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the top is lightly golden. Allow the dip to cool for about 10 minutes before garnishing with fresh thyme sprigs if desired.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 60mg