This Cranberry Baked Brie is made with flaky puff pastry wrapped around creamy brie, topped with fresh cranberry sauce and chopped pecans. It makes a festive and show-stopping appetizer or side dish the holidays.
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Gooey Baked Brie With Cranberry Sauce
This Cranberry Baked Brie looks like it belongs at a lavish event like a wedding or a gala, but it’s effortless enough to whip up and enjoy for any holiday party!
The combination of elegance and convenience makes this crowd-pleasing appetizer a great fit for any occasion. It’s impossible to beat a meltingly delicious wheel of cheese with tangy, juicy fresh cranberries on top! Your baked brie will be the talk of the town no matter what it’s topped with!
What You’ll Need
We like to use plant-based brie and grain-free crackers for a diet-friendly dish, but you can certainly stick with your go-to alternatives. Scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
Cranberry Sauce
- Fresh cranberries
- Orange juice
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Tiny pinch sea salt
Brie
- Gluten-Free Puff Pastry: If you’re using frozen pastry dough, be sure to thaw it out first. Jus-Rol Gluten-Free Puff Pastry is gluten-free and vegan while Genius and Scharr are both gluten-free and dairy-free but not vegan. Not all brands are vegan, so it’s always a good idea to check the label if you want a vegan variety. A few vegan puff pastry doughs are Pepperidge and Wewalka.
- Vegan Brie Cheese: We like this Macadamia Nut Brie as well as this Cashew and Miso Brie. Feel free to use a regular wheel of brie if you’re not dairy-free or vegan.
- Pecans: Roughly chopped. You can sub with walnuts too.
- Vegan butter: Melted for the egg wash. Can sub with with plant milk, coconut oil or 1 egg.
- Pistachios: Roughly chopped.
- Coarse Sugar: For sprinkling the top
- Fresh Rosemary: For the garnish.
Do You Take the Rind Off Brie Before Baking?
No – leave it on! The rind really comes in handy while the cheese cooks. Without it, everything would melt out into a pool of goo. Plus, you don’t want to miss the satisfaction of breaking open that outer layer and watching the cheese ooze out!
How to Make the Best Baked Brie
- Make the Cranberry sauce: In a medium pot, add the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes jammy. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prep the baking sheet and preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry and lay on the baking sheet. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Remove a little bit of the rind from the top of the brie.
- Spread a layer of cranberry sauce over the top of the brie. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Fold the corners of the pastry over the brie. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with some sugar.
- Bake Brie: Bake for 22-26 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Add toppings: Sprinkle with some chopped pistachios and garnish with a bit of fresh rosemary
- Serve with your favorite crackers, toasted crusty bread or a spoon.
Tips for Success
Set yourself up for flawless baked brie by taking note of these helpful hints.
- Avoid Over-Baking: Be sure to keep an eye on your brie while it’s baking so you can take it out at the right time. All ovens are different, so it’s helpful to check on it early the first time you make it.
- Let the Brie Rest: After you remove your baked brie from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes before you break into it. This allows it to set and cool down enough so that it won’t burn your mouth.
- Don’t Hold Back! It’s hard not to inhale this cheesy appetizer – and there’s no need to resist the urge! It will harden back up as it cools, so the faster you eat it, the better.
Variation Ideas
Baked brie tastes amazing with all sorts of different toppings!
- Almond Fig: Sliced figs and slivered almonds are a classic combination that looks as lovely as it tastes. Use this foolproof duo as a topping for your brie along with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
- Tomato Basil: Fresh tomatoes and basil are another no-fail pairing that goes great with gooey baked brie.
- Apple Pecan: Loving the crunch of the candied pecans? Make them the star of the show along with diced apple and maple syrup (or your preferred liquid sweetener).
Serving Suggestions
We like to pair our baked brie with an assortment of toasted baguette slices, crostini and crackers (use gluten-free/grain-free if needed). You can treat it like a dip or a spread – we usually go the dip route at first while the brie is super gooey, then switch lanes later on. If you’re looking for another luxurious appetizer to serve alongside your cheese dip, you can’t go wrong with Deviled Eggs or Stuffed Dates.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Transfer any leftover baked brie to an airtight container once it has cooled completely. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Refrigerate the balsamic berries in a separate airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat your baked brie in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until it’s nice and melty. You could also warm it up in a baking dish in the oven if preferred. Top the reheated brie with the leftover balsamic berries and enjoy!
Can I Make This in Advance?
We do not recommend making the brie ahead of time as the brie will harden.
If you’d like, you can make the cranberry sauce the day before and store them in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days as well.
More Cheesy Appetizer Dips
This Cranberry Baked Brie is made with flaky puff pastry wrapped around creamy brie, topped with fresh cranberry sauce and chopped pecans. It makes a festive and show-stopping appetizer or side dish the holidays.
- 1 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- tiny pinch sea salt
- 1 sheet frozen gluten-free puff pastry , thawed. May sub with regular if not gluten-free. Jus-Rol Gluten-Free Puff Pastry is gluten-free and vegan while Genius and Scharr are both gluten-free and dairy-free but not vegan. Not all brands are vegan, so it's always a good idea to check the label if you want a vegan variety. A few vegan puff pastry doughs are Pepperidge and Wewalka.
- 1 8-12 ounce wheel of brie cheese For a vegan / dairy-free option, we like this Macadamia Nut Brie and Cashew and Miso Brie.
- ⅓ cup pecans roughly chopped - can sub with walnuts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter , melted - for the egg wash. Can sub with plant milk, coconut oil or 1 egg.
- coarse sugar for sprinkling
- 2 tsp pistachios , roughly chopped
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
Cranberry sauce (skip this step if using your own pre-made or store-bought cranberry sauce) In a medium pot, add the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes jammy. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry and lay on the baking sheet. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Remove a little bit of the rind from the top of the brie.
- Spread a layer of cranberry sauce over the top of the brie. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Fold the corners of the pastry over the brie. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with some sugar.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Sprinkle with some chopped pistachios and garnish with a bit of fresh rosemary
- Serve with your favorite crackers, toasted crusty bread or a spoon.
Storage & Reheating: Refrigerate leftover brie and berries in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat brie in the microwave or oven for 1-2 minutes, until melty, before adding berries and enjoying.
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