This amazingly festive holiday appetizer will quickly become a staple in your household this year and the years to come. When the holidays roll around, it will make your eyes light up everytime you see those bright red bags of berries at the grocery store.

Now, I am being straight up with you when I say that I’ve always been a cranberry fan, withhh the exception of the canned cranberry jelly, I am sure we can all agree on that one. But, despite loving them, I never really knew what to do with them until now.

Cranberry sauce is great, but at the same time it's just kind of just...meh. Like, what do you really eat cranberry sauce with? Turkey? That’s what the gravy is for. Salad? That’s where the dressing comes in. Stuffing? Mashed Potatoes? Green Bean Casserole? Corn? None of that honestly pairs with cranberry sauce. So, although it's great, it’s also just underwhelming and confusing.

** QUE THE CRANBERRY JALAPENO DIP ** An appetizer that is so easy to make, you can make it in minutes, plus it’s just so fresh and creamy at the same time, what’s not to love!? Each bite is an explosion of flavors and textures in your mouth. This is one of those pre-dinner snacks that you do not have to feel that guilty about indulging in, since in all honesty it can be considered healthy-ish. I mean, half of the dish consists of fruits, herbs and spices. The freshness of the top layer balances out the cream cheese bottom layer.

When making this, I recommend making this ahead of time. Even a day or two ahead of time, which could be better for you and your busy schedule. Anyways, I love making it a day or even two ahead of time because it lets the fresh top layer with all of its juices soak into the cream cheese bottom layer and gives it that maximum flavor by the time you are ready to enjoy it. In addition, it gives it time for all of the herbs, juices and spices to marinate into the cranberries themselves. Given cranberries are pretty tasteless and bitter on their own. If you still want to make it ahead of time, but only a matter of hours instead of days, that is perfectly fine as well.

We did a bunch of taste tests and the following items are the perfect vessels for inhaling this dip: salted pretzels, saltine crackers, moon shot rosemary crackers and sesame crackers. But, I encourage you to do you and enjoy this with whatever makes your heart happy.

Did you make this? If so, make sure to tag and follow @prettyplatebymichelle on instagram or leave a comment below and let me know what you thought! I  love to see your Pretty Plate and hear from you!