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This flavorful cranberry salsa features jalapeño, cilantro, and green onion and is the perfect addition to your holiday appetizer table. Fresh cranberry season only comes around once a year, and this is the perfect dish to feature this tart and tangy fruit!
Everyone will adore this Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa! This appetizer is festive, fun, and creative. And it only takes 10 minutes!
The month of December has red and green oozing all over it, so cranberry jalapeño salsa is an obvious choice for a holiday party. Especially since cranberries are readily available right now.
This salsa takes your taste buds on a journey all over your palate: sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. Just throw some chickpea tortilla chips in there, and you've also got salty! A true jackpot of flavor combinations.
You can really level up your party appetizer game with homemade crostini and layering tofu ricotta and this festive salsa on top!
The cranberry jalapeño salsa will last several days in your fridge. If you have a couple of parties on your horizon, make a big batch, store it in an airtight bowl, and bring it to the next party!
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Ingredients
You will need these simple ingredients to make fresh cranberry jalapeño salsa:
- Fresh Cranberries - Use fresh if you can find them, but you can also use frozen thawed cranberries to make this any time of the year.
- Jalapeño - If you don't like things very spicy, make sure to take the seeds out of the jalapeño and give it a rinse. This will take care of most of the spiciness and leave you with just the delicious flavor of jalapeños.
- Coconut Sugar - Helps to balance out the tartness of the cranberries to bring the holiday cheer to the table.
- Cilantro - This can be swapped with another herb like flat-leaf parsley or mint if you aren't a fan.
How to Make Cranberry Salsa
Cranberry salsa is the ideal holiday appetizer because it can be ready in under 10 minutes. We're all frantic and busy this time of year, so having one easy item to cross off our lists is welcomed.
Start by adding the cranberries, jalapeño, cilantro, and green onion to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped, but take care not to puree the mixture.
Add the processed cranberry mixture to a large bowl and combine it with the sugar, salt, and lime juice. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. That's it! Serve with tortillas chips, crackers, or veggies, and enjoy!
Can I Make this Salsa Ahead of Time?
Yes! Make ahead and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This cranberry salsa gets more flavorful the longer it sits. Water will pool around the edges after it sits, so stir that in just before serving.
What's your favorite holiday appetizer? If you like this salsa, you may also like my mango salsa recipe, or check out more appetizers in this gluten free vegan Thanksgiving recipes post.
More Vegan Dips
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📖 Recipe
Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 jalapeño roughly chopped, seeds removed for milder salsa
- 3 green onions green and white parts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro packed
- ½ cup coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, jalapeño, green onion and cilantro to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are just finely chopped. Do not over process or puree.
- Scrape the cranberry mixture into a bowl and add the sugar, salt and lime juice. Stir to combine, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve with tortilla chips or crackers. Enjoy!
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