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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 pastry. 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 a beaten egg and add a sprinkle of course sugar. 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.
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 was really a hit for Thanksgiving at my house! I wasn’t prepared for the Brie to be so runny and loose but maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be. It was gone in a heartbeat! I used regular cranberry sauce out of the can and I roasted some pecans and put a little salt on them. I will make this again. I’m hoping someone can address the runniness of the Brie to let me know whether this is what’s supposed to be.
Hey Jeanne,
Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Is it supposed to be runny?
Hi Jeanne,
Yes, the brie is going to be cheesy and runny:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Oven temp way too high, bottom burned and pastry wasn’t cooked through. I’d reduce temp next time & bake longer, or skip the pastry package all together.
Hi Carolyn,
So sorry to hear that you had issues with this recipe! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Hi! Quick question. I have a 21 ounce piece of brie. Can I make it in one puff pastry or would I need to get two?Thank you!! Can’t wait
Hi Jessica,
You will want to make 2 with that amount of brie:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This looks quite inviting. I’ve done something similar before but cut the brie in half horizontally and filled it with cranberry and very good raspberry jam wrapped in buttered phyllo pastry. It’s a very nice sweet treat. For a more savory version, I used apricot jam, caramelized onions, and toasted walnuts. A number of years ago, I could buy toasted Montreal-style bagel chips which worked very well with the melting brie.
Thanks for sharing! I hope you love the recipe! xx
Hi – can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving – can I skip the pecans, as we have guests with nut allergies. Thanks and Happy Holidays!!
Hey Diane,
Of course, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe! xT
This recipe was DELICIOUS! Everyone fought over the bites. I didn’t have maple syrup, but subbed honey and it turned out great!
Hey Anna,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
This was a crowd favorite at Christmas last year. I’ve been handing out this recipe for everyone that attended. It’s one of my go-to potluck dishes for parties too ☺️
So glad to hear this!! Thanks for making the recipe so often Jennifer! Happy Friday! xT
I made this last night for our New Year’s Eve get together. Everyone loved it. My only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe! Seriously, it was so good!
Hey Dawn,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx