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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.
If you triple the cranberry jam recipe, can you freeze the extra?
Hey Gail,
Totally! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Totally loved and making another one today!!!
Hi Gail,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Festive and tasty recipe! I cooked mine in a mini cast iron dish and put the whole thing on my cheese board. It was the most amazing and beautiful centerpiece. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sherry,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Made this for thanksgiving pre-meal appetizers. WOW. So delicious and easy. Definately a keeper. FYI- I could not find the right size wheel of Brie, so I put 2 Brie triangles side by side and had a rectangle of Brie, which worked just fine. I used a combo of walnut and pecans, and used apple cider instead of orange juice. A Very forgiving recipe.
Hi there,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
This was the star of my dinner! Subbed candied pecans for walnuts and added candied ginger for zing. Despite forgetting to thaw my puff pastry (whoops!), I had extra homemade pie dough on hand and turned it into a more hearty galette, which worked really well for such substantial filling. Definitely a repeat!
Hi Alana,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Perfect holiday app. I made the cranberry sauce and toasted the pecans the night before so it was easy to throw together and bake on Thanksgiving. I served with crustini, fig/rosemary crisps, thinly sliced red and green apples, grapes and a bowl of sliced nuts on the platter.
Hi Colleen,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
How long will the cranberry sauce stay in frig if you make ahead ?
Hi Marcy,
I would say about 1 week. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was decadent!!!!! Even my picky husband loved it!!!
Hi Krista,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Just made this today for the first time on Thanksgiving. Followed the recipe exactly. It’s so delicious, beautiful, turned out perfect. Easy to make.
Hi Tracey,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Yum! This was the perfect mid-day snack on Thanksgiving.
Hi Mikaela,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
This recipe is delicious! Made it today and a real hit for appetizer on Thanksgiving. I used a different recipe for the cranberry sauce that I like.
Hey Jane,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi! I’m making this today, thanks for your recipe! Can I make the cranberry sauce this morning and let it cool and then bake it all together tonight?
Hi Heather,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi,
Could I bake this at home and reheat an hour later when I arrive to the party or would that be overkill?
Thanks,
Casey
Hi Casey,
That might be a bit much, I would just bake once. I hope you love the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
What’s the best crackers to serve with this?
Hey Crystal,
Any of your favorite crackers will work here:) xTieghan
Hi, I have some hazelnuts on hand. Do you think those would work in place of the pecans?
Hi Jennifer,
Totally, hazelnuts would be great! I hope you love the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Omg! Mouthwatering. I can’t wait to make this for Christmas!
Thanks so much Norma!
Can I prepare this ahead of time and pop in oven later?
I had the same question:)
Hey Barb,
You bet, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I removed all the ring and the cheese all melted out!!
Does keeping the side and bottom rind intact prevent this??
thank you
Hey Jay,
Yes, it does help! Next time, just take a thin layer off of the top:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Is there any other kind of cheese that would work for this recipe? I don’t love brie cheese. Possibly a cream cheese?
Hi Natalie,
I’ve only tried this recipe with Brie, but you could certainly give cream cheese a try. Let me know how it turns out! xTieghan