Cranberry Orange Dip with Cottage and Cream Cheese
My Easy Cranberry Orange Dip with Cottage & Cream Cheese is a sweet and savory holiday appetizer. Made with naturally sweetened cranberry sauce and a creamy blend of cottage and cream cheese, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive gathering. Quick, simple, and sure to impress your guests!
This Easy Cranberry Orange Dip with Cottage & Cream Cheese Recipe is one of my go-to holiday appetizers that always impresses guests. Made with a naturally sweetened cranberry sauce using honey, orange juice, zest, ginger, and maple syrup, it’s both refreshing and comforting. Blending cottage cheese with cream cheese gives the dip a creamy texture while adding a nice protein boost, making it more balanced than your typical party dips.
What sets this recipe apart is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, which makes it an ideal addition to your holiday spread. It’s quick to make and always a hit at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Orange Cranberry Dip with Cottage Cheese Recipe
- Sweet & savory balance: The tart cranberries and creamy cheese combo hits all the right notes.
- Naturally sweetened: No refined sugar—just honey, maple syrup, and fresh orange juice.
- Protein-packed: Cottage cheese adds a healthy protein boost to a classic party dip.
- Quick to make: Simple ingredients and minimal prep make this perfect for busy holiday parties.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting gluten-free orange dip with cottage and cream cheese:
Orange Zest: You can use lemon zest or tangerine zest as alternatives if you don’t have an orange.
Orange Juice: You can use tangerine juice, clementine juice, apple juice, or a mixture of lemon juice and lime juice as a replacement for orange juice. Just be aware that it will slightly change the flavor profile.
Cranberries: If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries as a substitute. No need to thaw them before using.
Honey: You can use all maple syrup in place of honey.
Maple Syrup: In place of pure maple syrup, you can use all honey or agave nectar to balance the tartness of the cranberries.
Cinnamon: Ground nutmeg or allspice can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, although it will impart a slightly different flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Substitute with almond extract or a vanilla-flavored syrup.
Fresh Ginger: Substitute ground ginger for fresh ginger. Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger as a replacement for 1/8 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
Salt: You can omit the salt or use a small pinch of kosher salt if you’re looking to reduce sodium content.
Cottage Cheese: You can use small curd, large curd, low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese. You can substitute it with sour cream or cream cheese.
Cream Cheese: You can use 1/2 a block of cream cheese, softened cream cheese, or whipped cream cheese. You can also substitute it with sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
Crackers: Serve with your favorite assortment of crackers including gluten-free ritz crackers for the perfect holiday appetizer.
How to Make My Easy Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Dip Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Orange
Carefully grate the outer orange peel using a zester to create orange zest. Set the zest aside for later use. Cut the orange in half and juice it to obtain 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice. Set the juice aside.
Step 2: Prepare the Cranberries
Rinse the 3 cups or 12 oz bag of cranberries under cold running water to remove any impurities and drain them thoroughly.
Step 3: Cook the Cranberry Sauce
Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup of honey, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, fresh ginger, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Stir until well combined.
Add the rinsed 3 cups of cranberries to the saucepan.
Step 4: Cook and Simmer
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the cranberries simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to burst and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. You’ll hear the cranberries pop as they heat up. Stir occasionally.
Step 5: Taste and Cool
Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the sweetness or seasoning to your preference. You can add more honey, maple syrup, or spices if needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool for a few minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Step 6: Make the Dip
Combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt in a small blender, food processor or immersion blender chopper cup and blend until smooth. Spread the cottage cheese mixture on a serving platter, shallow bowl, or pie plate. Then, spoon the cooled cranberry sauce over the top of the cream cheese. Garnish with diced green onion and orange zest.
Honey Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Dip Recipe Notes
Adjust Sweetness to Taste: The sweetness of the cranberry sauce can be adjusted by varying the amount of honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners you use. Taste the sauce as it cooks and add more sweetener to suit your preference.
Consistency: The ginger cranberry sauce thickens as the cranberries burst and cook down. If you prefer a thicker sauce, let it simmer a bit longer, but be cautious not to overcook, as it can become too dense. You can thin it with a bit more orange juice if it’s too thick.
Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries: While fresh bags of cranberries are ideal, frozen cranberries work well as a substitute. There’s no need to thaw frozen cranberries before using them in the recipe.
Jalapeno: You can add a bit of heat with fresh jalapeno for a cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip.
Cream Cheese Dip: For the dip, blend the cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt until smooth to remove the curdled texture of the cottage cheese. You can use a small blender, food processor, or an immersion blender chopper cup for this.
Serving Suggestions:
Pair with your favorite salty or buttery cracker. Pretzels also work great. Use as a topping for fruit salads or even a creamy sandwich spread. Works great with a platter of dipping veggies like baby carrots, celery, or sugar snap peas.
Here are a few more of my Healthier Thanksgiving recipes I recommend:
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Cottage Cheese
- Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing from Scratch
- Healthy Sweet and Savory Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Easy Crispy Parmesan Sweet Potato Stacks
Cranberry Orange Dip with Cottage & Cream Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
Orange Cranberry Sauce:
- 12 oz fresh cranberries 3 cups
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cottage Cheese Dip:
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- 1 green onion
Instructions
Orange Cranberry Sauce:
- Carefully grate the outer orange peel using a zester to create orange zest. Set the zest aside for later use. Cut the orange in half and juice it to obtain 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice. Set the juice aside.
- Rinse the cranberries under cold running water to remove any impurities and drain them thoroughly.
- Combine the orange juice, honey, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, fresh ginger, and salt in a medium saucepan.Stir until well combined.Add the rinsed 3 cups of cranberries to the saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the cranberries simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to burst and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally.
- Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the sweetness or seasoning to your preference. You can add more honey, maple syrup, or spices if needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool for a few minutes.
Cottage Cheese Dip
- Combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt in a small blender, food processor or immersion blender chopper cup and blend until smooth. Spread the cottage cheese mixture on a serving platter, shallow bowl, or pie plate. Then, spoon the cooled cranberry sauce over the top of the cream cheese. Garnish with diced green onion and orange zest.
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