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Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie, the holiday appetizer. It’s quick, easy, and most importantly…incredibly delicious. Store-bought puff pastry wrapped around creamy brie cheese with homemade cranberry sauce and toasted pecans. Then baked until the pastry is golden and the brie warm and melty. A truly mouth-watering appetizer that’s perfect for holiday entertaining. It’s festive, easy to prepare, and always a crowd favorite.
I can remember so many holiday parties spent at my Nonnie’s house when she served this brie. This was her go-to appetizer. She perfected the Brie appetizer. And let’s be honest, she really perfected the holiday party.
My Nonnie had a way of making every party she held, whether big or small, feel so special. She paid attention to detail and was always the perfect host. She was welcoming, social, and she did her parties up in her own style too.
She could give us all a lot of tips when it comes to throwing a holiday party that people really want to attend. I know that at the top of her list would be two things, keep the wine flowing, and always, always have good appetizers.
She had an assortment of easy appetizers she’d turn to for her parties. But cranberry baked brie was a holiday staple. On Christmas day she’d serve this before dinner and it was always the first dish to go.
I don’t have her exact recipe, so this recipe is more from memory, but it’s totally delicious. She’d very much approve.
This brie is easy – start with the cranberries
If you happen to have cranberry sauce in the fridge, you can skip this very first step. Otherwise, start with the cranberries!
I made a quick sauce with fresh cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup. Nonnie definitely used brown sugar, but maple feels little less sweet to me. I added a splash of vanilla and a tiny pinch of cinnamon for a sweet/savory combination.
Next, the pastry
Nonnie knew that appetizers needed to be simple, so store-bought puff pastry was a must.
Unwrap the brie, then sit it on top of the puff pastry dough. Top the brie with the cranberry sauce, and then a handful of toasted pecans. Then wrap the brie up.
Last step, brush the pastry with an egg wash and add a sprinkle of course sugar or drizzle of honey. This step isn’t needed, but it makes the pastry really sparkle. It’s fun for the holidays and adds a nice deliciousness too.
Throw the brie in the oven, and done.
Quick, easy, and perfect!
When the brie comes out of the oven, serve it immediately with your favorite crackers or toasted bread. It’s hard to describe just how good this really is. But if you love cranberries, and you love brie, you must make this. It’s classic, but turned up a notch, and it really is roll-your-eyes-back GOOD.
Promise, this will be the favorite appetizer of the night!
Looking for other easy brie recipes?? Here are my favorites:
5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls
Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread
Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
Lastly, if you make this Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 495 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
Brie
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 8-12 ounce wheel of brie cheese
- 2/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. To make the cranberry sauce: in a medium pot, bring the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Boil 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes jammy.2. Preheat the oven to 425° F.3. Lay the puff pastry flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the brie in the center of the pastry and remove a little of the rind from the top of the brie. I leave the rind on the bottom and sides intact. Spread the cranberry sauce over top and then sprinkle over the pecans. Fold the corners of the pastry over the brie. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar. 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. 5. EAT and enjoy with your favorite bread or crackers…or just with a spoon.
This post was originally published on November 18, 2021
WOW! I made this for my wife and in-laws on new years eve 25-26 and it is way beyond just good! This is a fabulous appetizer that everyone will go bonkers over, guaranteed. I bought a loaf of marble rye bread, toasted it and quartered the slices and that worked well with this awesome baked brie appetizer. Thank you for the great recipe which will undoubtedly now accompany ALL of our family get-togethers from here on out.
Hey Charlie,
Awesome! Thanks for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was a hit!
Happy New Year!🥂🎆
Yummy!! A family favorite.
Hey Susan,
Awesome! Love to hear your family enjoys this recipe, thanks for making it!
Happy New Year!🥂🎆
Can this be made one day ahead and kept in refrigerator?
Hi Dawn,
Yes, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Holidays!
This looks amazing! I want to make it for Christmas but I am allergic to pecans. Any ideas for a substitute to still get that crunch or should I just skip them?
Hey Aubree,
Can you use walnuts? Or even pumpkin seeds would be yummy! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Holidays!
Made this gluten free with Sweet Loren’s GF puff pastry – so good!
Hey Shashi,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Have a great holiday!🎄🎁
This was a huge hit at my Christmas party! Festive and delicious!
Hi Amy,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Have a wonderful weekend!🎄
Can it be frozen if I make in advancev
Hi Joy,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe!
Absolutely delish and easy to make!
Hey Denise,
Awesome!☃️ I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!
Yum
Thank you!
What kind of bread or crackers do you use?
Hi Julie,
They are called Raincoast Crisps, I get them from Whole Foods. Let me know if you have any other questions!
We’re just two people what can you do with leftovers? Or is there a way to make this for two? Thanks you’re recipes are beautiful
Thanks so much, Cici!!
You could do this with a smaller brie round, that will work nicely for you! Happy Thanksgiving!
If we have to drive an hour to our party can we do all steps but the baking, and then refrigerate? Can we make it the night before, or is that too early?
Hey there,
Yes, that would be perfectly okay for you to do! And prep the night before is great! I hope you love this recipe!
Wonderful. Hot, tasty, cheese, crispy puff pastry. A perfect combination of tastes and textures.
Hey Penelope,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Happy Friday:)