Easy Cranberry Jalapeno Smoked Cream Cheese

This will instantly become a favorite, bringing together sweet, tart cranberries, a gentle kick of heat, pineapple habanero seasoning, and the tang of smoked cream cheese. It’s the perfect spread for crostini, bagels, or crackers, making it an easy, no-fuss appetizer.

Cream Cheese Spread But Better

I’m sure you’ve all been to at least one gathering with a brick of cream cheese topped with pepper jelly. This is an homage to that classic recipe, but elevated.

Smoking the cream cheese makes this spread feel a little more special without being complicated or expensive. It’s one of those recipes that comes together easily with simple ingredients and somehow always disappears first. Sweet, tart, and just a little spicy, it’s the kind of flavor combo that keeps people from coming back for “just one more bite.”

Cranberry Jalapeno Smoked Cream Cheese Ingredients

This recipe came from my having jars of leftover cranberry relish from the holidays and one lonely jalapeno withering away in my veggie drawer. The result was something TRULY magical!

Mr. Fantabulous, who isn’t a fan of cranberries or recipes like this, stood at the counter and devoured this. Luckily, I had made a couple of these, since I had that inkling that this was something he might fall in love with.

I was right! This is our movie-night snack while we curl up in the theatre room and watch our favorite holiday movies.

• Cranberry Relish: but modified (see below)
• Full Fat Cream Cheese: make sure it’s cold
• Chupacabra Pineapple Mango Habanero Seasoning

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish Modification

You’ll use all of the ingredients in the cranberry relish recipe PLUS:

• 1 Jalapeno, minced and de-seeded
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1. When you put the cranberries into the pot of boiling syrup, add in your minced jalapenos and red pepper flakes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
2. To use it in this recipe, allow it to cool completely.

Cranberry relish recipe

How to Smoke Cream Cheese

1. Preheat your smoker to 225°F. I used fruit pellets for a milder, sweet, smoky flavor.

2. Place the cold cream cheese in a heat-safe dish or pan. Using a paring knife, make shallow hash marks/criss-cross marks into the top of the cream cheese.
3. Sprinkle the Chupacabra Pineapple Mango Habanero Seasoning across the top.
4. Put the pan in the smoker and smoke for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the pan from the smoker and serve.

Topping Smoked Cream Cheese

Now, if you’re not going to serve it right away, do not top it.

1. Right before serving, spoon a few tablespoons of the cranberry jalapeno relish over, leaving the rest on the side for folks to add more to their plates.

Smoked Cream Cheese FAQs

• How spicy is this dish? It’s not really, since the sweet-tart cranberry relish balances it out. But if you’re sensitive, perhaps reduce the jalapeno to just half.
• Can I make this ahead of time? Absolutely! You can smoke up a few bricks of cream cheese up to 2 days in advance. Do not cover it with the cranberry jalapeno relish until you’re ready to serve.
• Do I need a smoker to make this? Nope! I have a section below on alternative methods for making this.
• What’s the best cream cheese to use? You want to use full-fat for this as it has the best texture and flavor.
• Can I freeze this? I would not recommend freezing cream cheese as it can affect the creamy texture.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe isn’t just delicious; it’s the kind of recipe everyone will want. Sweet, tart, and just a touch of heat, it’s an easy, budget-friendly way to bring flavor to any gathering.

• SWEET, TART, WITH A KICK: The flavor just pops!
• EASY & BUDGET-FRIENDLY: simple ingredients that won’t break the bank
• VERSATILE: Perfect on toast, bagels, crackers, or crostini
• CUSTOMIZABLE: Adjust the heat to suit your taste
• MAKE-AHEAD: You can make the smoked cream cheese up to 2 days in advance
• NO-FUSS ENTERTAINING: Minimal prep for maximum WOW factor

How to Reheat Smoked Cream Cheese

Whether you have leftovers or you’ve smoked the cream cheese ahead of time, reheating this is a breeze. The biggest tip is to bring the smoked cream cheese to room temperature before heating it. Trust me, this helps with the texture. Just let it sit out for about 30 minutes.

• Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the room-temperature cream cheese in a heat-safe dish. Place it in the preheated oven and heat for ~10-20 minutes or until warmed through. At this point, top with your cranberry jalapeno relish and serve.

Other Ways to Make Smoked Cream Cheese

Oven “Smoked:

No smoker, no problem! You can make this in the oven with a slight modification. For this, add 3/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika to mimic the ‘smoked’ flavor, OR add 1/4 teaspoon of Hickory Smoke Powder (my choice).

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Add the Smoked Powder or Smoked Paprika to the seasoning mix, then add it to the cream cheese. Bake for 1 hour.

Grill Instructions:

This requires you to set up your grill for Indirect cooking/ If you’re unsure how to do this, check out this post.

1. Set up the grill for indirect cooking. Preheat the grill to 225°F. Place the prepared cream cheese dish on the indirect side. Cook for 1 hour.

Cranberry Jalapeno Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

This cranberry jalapeño smoked cream cheese is one of those easy recipes everyone ends up asking for at the party. It’s sweet and tart with just a little heat, and it’s perfect spread on toast, bagels, crackers, or crostini for a festive, no-stress appetizer.

• Author: Lori
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 70 minutes
• Yield: 6- 8 servings
• Category: Smoker, BBQ, Dips, Spreads, Sweet Treats, cookout foods, bbq, smoked cheese, smoked dessert, smoked cream cheese, cranberry jalapeno
• Method: smoker, oven, grill
• Cuisine: Smoker, BBQ, Dips, Spreads, Sweet Treats, cookout foods, bbq, smoked cheese, smoked dessert, smoked cream cheese, cranberry jalapeno

Ingredients

• 8-ounce block of full-fat cream cheese, cold
• 1 cup of prepared cranberry relish with jalapenos (see post for modification instructions)
• 2 teaspoons Chupacabra Pineapple Mango Habanero Seasoning
• Assorted Crostini, crackers, and chips for serving

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Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker to 225°F. I used fruit pellets for a milder, sweet, smoky flavor.
2. Place the cold cream cheese in a heat-safe dish or pan. Using a paring knife, make shallow hash marks/criss-cross marks into the top of the cream cheese.
3. Sprinkle the Chupacabra Pineapple Mango Habanero Seasoning across the top.
4. Put the pan in the smoker and smoke for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the pan from the smoker and serve.
5. Right before serving, spoon a few tablespoons of the cranberry jalapeno relish over, leaving the rest on the side for folks to add more to their plates.

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