Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Smeared (shmeared?) liberally on toasted bagels or freshly made waffles, used as a dip when snacking on cheese and pretzels, or even as a frosting on your favourite spiced cake, this Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread will elevate them all! Made with orange zest, there is certainly no shortage of flavour here!

If you got past my introductory sentence without flinching, then good for you!  I battled with including the word shmear into this post, but when I think of cream cheese at breakfast or brunch, I tend to think of copious amounts piled high onto really good bagels.  In a perfect world, Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread and bagels would be my breakfast of choice every single day.  But, alas, carbs are not my friend.

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my second holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Cranberry Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cream Cheese – Use the block-style cream cheese. Full fat works best.
• Cranberries – I’m using fresh cranberries which have been finely chopped in a food processor. I would not recommend you use frozen cranberries. They will have too much moisture and your cream cheese will be too wet.
• Confectioner’s Sugar
• Orange Zest

HOW TO MAKE A CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and orange zest. Beat gently incorporate into the cream cheese. Use a spatula to stir in the cranberries. Transfer to a food safe container, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

WHAT IS A SHMEAR ANYWAY?

The word shmear is a word of German origin used to indicate smear or spread, but using something thick and fatty like butter.  I found a really good explanation online, which states that the use and spelling of schmear or shmear (American English) is a direct loanword from Yiddish, where its original usage referred to cheese. 

In modern usage it has extended to anything that can be spread, such as cream cheese spread on a bagel.  It can also refer to bribery, as a little extra spread on top, which is exactly how a Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread should be served – extra!

Now that you have your word of the day lesson complete, let’s talk about cream cheese.  I’m not a snob when it comes to cream cheese, because to be perfectly honest, I’ve never met a cream cheese I don’t like.  I’m a true victim of lower-class upbringing and prefer to have my cream cheese in block form rather than whipped, but I’m learning to embrace the middle to high class way of shmearing my cream cheese.

USE BLOCK-STYLE CREAM CHEESE

Blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese was all I was ever used to while growing up.  And, we never ate bagels, in fact, I can remember the first time I had a bagel.  It was in 1991.  My sister used to work at a coffee shop in a little town in Northern Ontario.  This coffee shop sold bagels that were sliced and buttered on both sides.  Tucked inside was a thick slice of cheddar cheese, or – you guessed it! – a really thick shmear of cream cheese. 

These bagels weren’t toasted at all.  If you wanted, they would warm them in the microwave, but that was about it.  That was my introduction to bagels.  I’m surprised I like them at all given that my first experience wasn’t even mediocre.

Later in life, I found cream cheese dips, and I became highly dependent on Philadelphia’s Dill Pickle Dip.  I ate so much of that stuff with bags and bags of chips.  I think those two things were my main source of fuel throughout my college years!

Then, one day, I found whipped cream cheese and was quite surprised at how light and fluffy it was!  And, they come in all different flavours too.  I love the hot and spicy type.  But, for my Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread, we’re going to stick to the solid block of cream cheese that I’m used to and love.  The added ingredients in this recipe need the harder/firmer, block-style cream cheese so that it can be evenly distributed and suspended.  And, I feel that the block style cream cheese has a more pronounced flavour which stands up well to the fresh cranberries.

CRANBERRIES AND ORANGES ARE A PERFECT PAIRING

I’m not sure what it is, but the tartness of fresh cranberries always pairs so well with the sweet tanginess of fresh citrus. In the case of this Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread, I choose to use fresh orange zest you can also use lemon zest here too!

There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on fresh cranberries!

I’m much prefer to use fresh cranberries, but you can use dried cranberries here too. Dried cranberries are sweet though, not tart like fresh cranberries, so keep that in mind. If you absolutely must use frozen cranberries, thaw them first in a single layer and pat them dry with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. They must be fully thawed! Your cream cheese mixture will be more loose, and probably a deeper pink colour. I have not tested this recipe with frozen cranberries and I don’t recommend you use them. Just be aware that the recipe may not work well with thawed previously frozen berries!

O CRANBERRY, CRANBERRY, WHEREFORE ART THOU CRANBERRY?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September! In fact, I finished the recipe you’re reading here and the photographs you’re seeing in November 2025!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipe needs to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 400+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! I do hope that you try this recipe and that it is easy for you to find fresh cranberries where you live!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!