Description
This Creamy Cranberry Walnut Dip is a festive, sweet-savory appetizer made with tangy cream cheese, tart cranberries, and crunchy walnuts. It’s the perfect holiday dip for crackers, crostini, or fruit, quick to make, creamy, and irresistibly flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225 g) block cream cheese, softened
- 2–3 tbsp honey or pure maple syrup, to taste
- Zest of ½ orange + 1–2 tsp orange juice, to taste
- ½ cup dried cranberries, lightly chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (cooled)
- Pinch fine salt
- Optional: micro-pinch cinnamon
- Garnish: extra chopped walnuts & cranberries, honey drizzle, fresh zest
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Add honey (or maple), orange zest, and a small splash of OJ. Mix until glossy.
- Season with a pinch of salt (and cinnamon, if using). Taste and adjust.
- Fold in cranberries and cooled, toasted walnuts.
- Spoon into a serving bowl. Rest 15–30 minutes for flavors to marry.
- Garnish with a light honey drizzle, a sprinkle of walnuts/cranberries, and a touch of fresh zest. Serve with crackers, fruit, and bagels.
Notes
- For a tangier profile, replace 4 oz cream cheese with 4 oz goat cheese.
- For more crunch, reserve a tablespoon of walnuts for topping.
- To loosen a thick dip, beat in 1–2 teaspoons OJ or milk.
- Prep Time: PT10M
- Cook Time: PT30M
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Bake / Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 to 1¼ cups
- Calories: 190kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg