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If you need a guaranteed-gone appetizer, this is it—warm, melty brie tucked into tear-and-share bread with sweet-tart cranberries and a kiss of honey. It’s festive, fast to pull together, and always the first empty plate on the holiday table.
Serve it straight from the oven with fresh herbs and a little flaky salt. Everyone pulls a piece, cheese stretches, and the room gets quiet for a second—best kind of party trick.
Yes, this is totally happening right now and I am so exited about it! It’s true what they say, sometimes the simplest things are the best, and this bread is simply the best.
I mean, come on do you see all that brie? What’s not to love about that? No joke, this bread is full on amazing. I might just eat it over turkey. No, I would totally eat it over turkey. Cheese and carbs for the win…my mom would be so proud! But guys, in all seriousness this is truly a great recipe to have on hand during the holiday season. I’ve already made it twice and definitely plan on making it again on Thursday as Thanksgiving appetizer. Even though we’re missing a few family members this year, we still have a large crowd and appetizers are a must.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, did you all spend your weekend planning and prepping? I know a lot of you might not be cooking, but those of you who are, are you ready? I should have been planning and prepping, but I totally did not. My game plan is not one I recommend to others, I’m going to cook everything on Thanksgiving Day.
I know, I know, how stupid is that? STUPID. But I’ve got lots to do leading up to Thanksgiving. That leaves me with just one day to prepare food. It’s totally cool though because I actually look forward to this kind of cooking day all year-long. I was telling my mom the other day that Thanksgiving is what I call a “fun, no pressure” cooking day. Normally I’m on the clock trying to get recipes tested and photographed before the sun sets, trying to be creative and plotting out how make my recipes look their absolute best. But on Thanksgiving, I’m just cooking dinner for my family. We listen to Christmas music, bake pies with mom, and Asher usually joins in to help with the sweets…along with making a giant mess…oh well. Now don’t get me wrong, I want to create a delicious meal for my family, but as long as they have turkey, gravy, rolls and mashed potatoes they’ll all be very happy. They are simple, nothing too fancy, kind of people, so it’s not a crazy hard meal to cook. Plus, I think I’ve said this before, but we always get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving so that makes the day extra fun!
Not that you needed to know all that info, but that’s basically my Thanksgiving day in a nutshell. What do you guys do? I’d love to know your family (or friend) traditions!
Ahh ok, so back to this cranberry brie pull apart bread!
I am sure you guys know about pull apart bread, but have you have seen it with cranberries and brie? When this concept came to mind, I was way too excited about it. Cranberries and brie have got to be one of the best combos. For one, who doesn’t like brie? I feel as though it’s got to be one of the most loved cheeses out there. And with good reason, it’s buttery, and so gooey when warmed.
Perfect for pull apart bread!
Here’s how this works. You cut your bread in a cross hatch type of way, then stuff it with butter, brie, pecans and cranberries – bake, pull apart and eat. Yes, it’s truly as simple as that.
People go crazy for this. When I presented it to my family it was gone in minutes. There’s really nothing not to love. It’s excellence in every which way, and the perfect appetizer for both Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. <–truth.
PS. these are personal size cheese breads right….yeah right, JUST KIDDING…but not really. 🙂
Ingredients:
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Bread: A soft pull-apart base or a scored round loaf both work. Choose something with a tender crumb so it soaks up butter and bakes up golden (avoid very dense loaves).
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Brie: Young/brie double-cream melts smoothly. Keep it cold for clean slices; rind on is fine and adds flavor.
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Cranberries: Dried cranberries.
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Sweetness: Honey or maple for a shiny finish; start light so the tart cranberries stay front-and-center.
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Herbs & spice: Rosemary or thyme for aroma; a pinch of chili flakes balances the richness.
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Crunch (optional): Toasted pecans or walnuts add texture; chop small so pieces nestle into the bread.
FAQ:
What kind of bread works best for pull-apart?
A soft, enriched pull-apart or a medium-soft boule scores well and crisps at the edges. Very crusty artisan loaves can be harder to pull and won’t soak in as much butter.
How do I keep the cheese from leaking out?
Keep the brie cold when slicing and tuck it deeper into slits or between rolls. Bake on parchment so any melty overflow is easy to scoop back on.
Can I assemble this ahead for a party?
Yes—assemble earlier in the day and refrigerate; brush with butter and bake right before guests arrive. Rewarm gently in a low oven if needed so the bread stays soft and the cheese remelts without over-browning.
Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 297 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 round loaf sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup raw pecans chopped
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 (16 ounce) wheel of brie, cubed
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the bread horizontally and vertically to create 1 inch cubes, being careful not to actually slice all the way through the bread.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter, the pecans and brown sugar. Use your hands to mix the butter into the pecans to create a crumble. Take the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and insert thin slices into the loaf of bread.
- Place the loaf on a baking sheet and stuff the brie inside the bread, filling in all the spaces in between the cuts. Add the cranberries and pecans. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the brie is melted and gooey. Serve immediately.
Cheese me please!
This post was originally published on November 21, 2016
This is so delicious! I mad it last year and my husband is begging for it again his Thanksgiving. I’m excited to try the chai old fashioned.
Thank you so much Trina! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope you love the chai old fashioned!
I just made this and it is Devine! I didn’t use sour dough bread cause the store was out so I used soup bowl bread . The top of bread got a little toasty but was still delicious. Also do you bake this with the rind on or do you take that off? Will definitely be making this again but with sour dough bread. Thanks so much
Hey Cat! I like to bake this with the rind on, but the recipe works either way and you should do what you love best! If the top of the bread is getting too cooked, just cover it with foil towards the end of baking. Please let me know if you have other questions. So happy you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Insanely easy to whip up and super delicious. I tested this this week and can’t wait to serve for Thanksgiving. The only thing to note is that this doesn’t work as a leftover, which won’t be a problem if you serve it on Thanksgiving because trust me people will eat this up!!
Hi Emma! I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out so well for you! Thank you!
I am planning on making this for a cocktail party as well as for Thanksgiving. I am a little confused by the first direction of cutting horizontally and then vertically but not cutting all of the way through. Do you cut the loaf in half and then from the top? Or is it more of a cross hatching from the top? This looks amazing!
hey Andi! It’s a cross hatch from the top! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Very eager to make this, but hard to find sourdough bread, especially in this shape, our here on the East Coast. Any good substitutions, or would any bread be okay?
HI! Any bread you love to eat will be great. Just use your favorite!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
It looks like so delicious! I’ll have a try this recipe out!
Thank you so much! I hope you love this Maria!
I did not resist and asked my wife to do so. Thank you!
I am glad you enjoyed this!
Do you add the cranberries and pecans inside of the bread with the cheese then sprinkle some on top with melted butter?
HI! Yes, some inside and then just a lite sprinkle on top. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m not a fan of pecans, would walnuts work well with this?
Yes, walnuts will be great! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! :
Yum! Looks amazing (but everything you make does!) Thoughts on using fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Thank yoU! 🙂 Fresh cranberries will be great, but I’d add a little sugar (maybe 1 tablespoon) to balance the tartness. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Can I use frozen cranberries in this recipe instead of the dried ones?
I think frozen cranberries will be great, but I’d add a little sweetness to balances the tart cranberries. Maybe 1 tablespoon more sugar. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Could I use fresh cranberries?
Sure! That will be great! I might add another tablespoon of sugar to balance the tartness. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
The awesome Delicious recipe I like this, next Sunday I will try to make in my home my self. Thank you so much for sharing this nice post.
I am so glad you like this! Thank you Rebecca!
I am a bit confused a 1 ounce round of Brie??? So that is a round that is what about 1″ across?? HELP
So sorry for the confusion, it is 1 (16 ounce) wheel of brie. Recipe is all fixed. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
it looks really tasty, especially now near lunch: P
Glad you think so! Thanks!
I do not have much patience to be doing paes I prefer to buy them
Tastes just as great! I hope you love this!