As we head into the home stretch of 2024, we’re officially entering snacking season.
It’s that time of year when we all concede to our stretchy pants, eat with friends and family, and hope that our New Year’s resolutions will save us from having to size up when shorts season comes around again.
That being said, I want to let you know that I fully recognize that I’m complicit in the annual sweets and snacking, as I share interesting holiday dishes with you. The next month or so won’t be any different, though, so you’ll either need to shield your eyes when you see my name on the page for the next several weeks or just give in to the joy of the season.
This week’s holiday delicacy comes from Michelle Goth, who writes the blog “Blackberry Babe.” You can find the original post at https://blackberrybabe.com/2016/11/20/easy-cranberry-cream-cheese-dip/. I doubled the cranberry sauce and left out the sugar entirely in my version below.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese softened
- 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup whipped cream or whipped topping I used extra creamy
Instructions
- Add all three ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with graham crackers, cookies or fruit for dipping.
This was super, super easy to put together, and despite what I said in the beginning about my sweets advocacy, I didn’t feel the need to add sugar like the original recipe listed. I felt like it was plenty sweet enough with the extra cranberry and the whipped cream.
It wasn’t overly cranberry heavy on the flavor, even with the addition, so those who aren’t into that tartness won’t have to worry about this one.
You could also substitute fat-free cream cheese and whipped topping to really cut down on the calories, if you wanted to.
So, yeah, actually, I take back what I said about being a terrible influence. If you make a few modifications, it might not be so bad for your diet. (Of course, for next week, all bets are off.)
This piece first appeared in print Nov. 21, 2024.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
