This tart and tangy Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread takes advantage of homemade cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving leftovers. Whip it into cream cheese along with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey and you will have prepared an easy, no-frills breakfast that makes creative use of leftover cranberry sauce.
I love the challenge of repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers. For me, it's more exciting than actually eating Thanksgiving dinner. For days beforehand, my brain buzzes with anticipation. Possible leftover Thanksgiving breakfasts, lunches, and dinners cycle through my mind as I cross-reference with items currently in my fridge and pantry.
Leftover cranberry sauce often gets turned into some sort of dessert. But I figured why not make it the star of breakfast?
For reference here, I'm talking about the type of cranberry sauce that has actual cranberry chunks in it, like this canned cranberry sauce. I'm not talking about the cranberry gel that retains the shape of the can, but I'm willing to try it for scientific purposes to see how well it would mix with cream cheese.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It repurposes holiday leftovers. This cranberry cream cheese spread is fantastic any time of the year, but if you're reading this it's probably aroundish Thanksgiving and you are looking for a way to use up that leftover cranberry sauce. This is a super easy way to transform it into a breakfast spread for bagels!
- It makes an easy, delicious breakfast. This is a super easy breakfast idea. Because you deserve a break after slaving away on that Thanksgiving meal. The combination of cream cheese and cranberry sauce is just plain tasty - the tart and tang and creaminess of the cream cheese with cranberries is seriously delicious slathered on a bagel. If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy Creamy Goat Cheese Bagel Spread.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese - Either full fat or a lower-fat cream cheese is fine here.
- Leftover cranberry sauce (homemade is best here!) - You can also purchase a premade cranberry sauce like this one or if you're looking for a recipe, Sally's Baking Addiction has a great cranberry sauce recipe.
- Walnut pieces - These are optional, you can leave them out if you like. But I like the little bit of crunch a few walnuts add.
- Honey - Just a drizzle, just to add a little sweetness. You could also use an equal amount of agave nectar or maple syrup.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Any leftover homemade cranberry sauce will do here, and if you need a recipe, check out Sally's Baking Addiction. I can't speak to whether or not the canned jellied stuff would work. I used some homemade cranberry sauce that my mother-in-law provided that had a lovely orange citrus zing to it.
The walnut pieces add a nice textural bite and a little bit of honey sweeten things up.
Variations
- Jalapeno cranberry cream cheese spread - I would be remiss if I did not recommend adding jalapeno as a zesty variation! The subtle heat from adding a jalapeno here is fantastic against tart cranberry. Remove the seeds, and the pith too, if you don't want the spread to turn out too spicy. Finely dice a fresh jalapeno with a knife, or run it through a blender or food processor before adding to the cream cheese.
- Nutty cranberry cream cheese spread - I love walnuts or pecans in this spread because they have this delightful, indulgent crunch, but you could also toss in slivered almonds.
- Cranberry goat cheese spread - Combine cream cheese and goat cheese for a tangy, creamy base. The tanginess of goat cheese creates a sophisticated flavor profile against tart cranberry.
Try adding a touch of orange zest, cinnamon, or vanilla if you'd like to further enhance the flavor profile of the cranberries and cream cheese.
How To Make Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread - Directions
- Step 1: Let an 8-ounce package of cream cheese come to room temperature.
- Step 2: Buzz ¼ cup of walnut pieces in a food processor for 5-7 seconds (or finely chop with a knife). You want walnut pieces that resemble tiny pebbles to add texture.
- Step 3: Add the room-temperature cream cheese, finely chopped walnuts, ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce, and ½ teaspoon of honey to a bowl.
- Step 4: Combine with a hand mixer on medium speed. This should take around 45 seconds.
- Step 5: That's it! Spread over a fresh bagel or English muffin.
Top Tips for the BEST Cream Cheese Cranberry Spread
Tip 1. Pair it with a carb of your choice. Try slathering this fantastically easy leftover cranberry spread on: Crackers (like Ritz), bagels, English muffins, toast (white or multi-grain), and cinnamon swirl toast.
Tip 2. Adjust to suit your tastes. If you think the spread is sweet enough you can leave out the honey. Or instead of honey, you could also use an equal amount of agave nectar or maple syrup. Don't be afraid to adjust things a little to suit your tastes.
Recipe FAQs
If you used a leftover homemade cranberry sauce in this recipe, store leftover cream cheese in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Of course! Add finely chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme to create a savory-sweet combination. Sage and basil are also nice.
Other Breakfast Recipes
Looking for other breakfast recipes? Try these:
If you tried this Cranberry Cream Cheese recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces)
- ½ cup cranberry sauce (leftover is perfect)
- ¼ cup walnut pieces (shelled)
- ½ teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Let the package of cream cheese come to room temperature.
- Buzz ¼ cup of walnut pieces in a food processor for 5-7 seconds (or finely chop with a knife). You want walnut pieces that resemble tiny pebbles to add texture.¼ cup walnut pieces
- Add the room temperature cream cheese, finely chopped walnuts, ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce, and ½ teaspoon of honey to a bowl.½ cup cranberry sauce, ½ teaspoon honey, 1 package cream cheese
- Combine with a hand mixer on medium speed. This should take around 45 seconds.
- That's it! Spread over a fresh bagel or English muffin.
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