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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can the pastry wrapped brie be made ahead in frig or freezer?
Hey Tammy,
Yes, just pop in the fridge and then bake when you are ready to serve. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this for a holiday cookie party and it was a hit. Most of the cheese spilt out. How do you prevent the brie from bursting through?
Hi Talia,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Maybe just bake slightly less time, but you really want that from the cheese:) Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you suggest a nut-free replacement for the pecans? Or can I just omit them?
Hi Kelly,
You can just skip the pecans:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Wondering if I can make this 3-4 hours ahead of time.
Hey Caroline,
I would assemble ahead of time, keep in the fridge, and then bake when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
What crackers should I use with this appetizer? It looks delicious. Thank you. 🙂
Hey Delma,
Any crackers you like! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Morning!
I’m not a huge cranberry lover. Do you think I could use afig and chili preserve instead? I love all of your recipes and look forward to your daily emails and posts.
Hey Leigha,
Sure, either of those would work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Stupid question – can you provide more detail on toasting pecans?
Hey Karin,
Not stupid at all, you can just pop them in the oven or on the stove top and warm them until they smell nutty. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan! New fan here?
I used to make a much more complicated version of Brie en Croute(w/Boursin slathered over the top, using 2 sheets of pastry & decorated…). An advantage = Was able to make ahead, freeze and bake on the day I wanted to serve it.
Think this one can be prepped and frozen ahead?
And thank you for your yummy recipes!
Hey Marcie,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Delicious! My husband would say he does not like brie, but he loved this! Thank you for this recipe!
Hey Janine,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this for Hanukkah and it was an absolute hit! Easy to make and tasted as good as it looked. Thanks so much!
Hey Tabitha,
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
A big hit for Thanksgiving! Easy to follow and delicious. I was able to prep it the night before and cook it just before the guests arrived. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This recipe will be on repeat this winter season. First off, the cranberry sauce is the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had! This recipe is simple, the sauce can be made ahead of time so that when it’s time to make all you have to do is throw everything together and toss in the oven. I had to make a second for my family because it was gone in minutes. #TrustTieghan she always comes through with great recipes.
Hey Monique,
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
This is so delicious!! I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit!!
Hi Danielle,
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
We seem to have a shortage of fresh cranberries, but I did find frozen. Do you think they will be okay for this receipe? Thanks Tieghan!!
Hey Candace,
Totally! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I improvised and made it with Trader Joe’s cranberry orange relish. Bringing it to a girls night with wine as we get ready to make the Christmas magic happen!
Hey Tina,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend❄️ xTieghan
Can you use foil instead of parchment paper?
Hi Haley,
Yes, that is just fine to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Very tasty & easy enough to make but I could not get fresh cranberries, I used dried & plumped them up, but my Brie didn’t melt, what did I do wrong ?
Hey Ian,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, it sounds like it was not baked long enough. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? xTieghan
Can you bake ahead of time and then microwaves before serving. Taking this to a party.
Hey Roz,
Sorry, I would not recommend that. You could assemble ahead of time and then bake when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan