Best Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Our cranberry whipped feta dip took the Internet by storm last year, so of course, we had to come back with an equally luxurious variation: this cranberry-topped whipped cream cheese spread. Queue the holiday music and ugly Christmas sweaters—party season is about to begin! This spread will sit nicely on your holiday spread, and it’s as easy to make as it is delicious—a tangy, sweet cranberry sauce gets finished with brandy, then is spooned atop a lemony whipped cream cheese for a guaranteed winning combo. Here’s how we did it

Recipe Tips

• Fresh or frozen cranberries? I used both while testing, and they both work interchangeably. I found the fresh cranberries broke down a little more than frozen, so it depends on whether or not you’re looking for more or less texture in your sauce.
• What temperature should the cream cheese be? Make sure the cream cheese is chilled and softened but not super cold. It should be somewhat pliable when whipping to avoid lumps; this will ensure the mixture is light and airy. A little heavy cream will loosen the mixture if it’s too thick.
• What’s with the lemon zest? I found that the salty creamy cream cheese layer needed a little more oomph. If you get a bite of cream cheese on a cracker, it shouldn’t be one-dimensional. Adding a touch of lemon zest makes it more palatable.

Storage

Store the cream cheese spread, with or without cranberry sauce, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.