This baked brie with cranberries and walnuts is the perfect holiday appetizer – easy, elegant, and delicious!
Why you'll love this recipe
I remember going to a party as a child and they had a wheel of brie, wrapped in puff pastry. I thought that baked brie appetizer was the coolest, most elegant thing ever. Everyone loved it!
That recipe had a lot of steps involved, from an egg wash to a puff pastry...
Fast forward many years later and I still think about that tasty appetizer, and how I could make a Christmas and New Year's entertaining version that was equally as tasty, minus any of the fuss.
And these flavors combine all the best things in life - creamy and tart, salty and sweet!
It’s perfect for entertaining and it’s ready in 20 minutes. Yes, please!
🛒 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to grab from your pantry, fridge or grocery store.
- brie cheese - when I picture a cheese wheel, I imagine the giant wheels of parmesan you see in Italian commercials. This brie cheese is small enough to fit in your hand. It's usually in a cardboard round container. It has a creamy and buttery flavor with a mild, earthy tang from the rind.
- cranberry sauce - I like to use leftover homemade cranberry sauce if I have it leftovers from Thanksgiving, but you can 100% add store bought sauce to your shopping list instead! I'd recommend grabbing a can of whole cranberry sauce as opposed to the jellied cranberries. It's lower in sugar and tastes amazing.
- dried cranberries - a brand name is Craisins that you might recognize. You can use leftover dried cranberries from my cranberry orange scones.
- walnuts - pecans also work, as could chopped almonds for the nuts.
- honey - adds some sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the
- rosemary sprigs - if you can spring for the fresh rosemary, the aromatics are spectacular! Talk about holiday smells 🥰
🥣 How to make baked Brie with cranberries and walnuts
- Step 1: Unwrap the brie and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Note: You don't have to remove the white rind from the cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has softened.
Use two forks to pull the cheese open slightly (this will allow the flavors of the toppings to infuse into the brie.
- Step 2: Spread the top with the cranberry sauce, then top with dried cranberries and walnuts.
- Step 3: Drizzle with honey and the rosemary sprigs. Bake another 10 minutes or so.
- Step 4: Once the brie cheese is wonderfully warm and gooey in the best possible way, the cranberry sauce melts into the cheese!
Let it sit for a few minutes, then transfer to a serving dish or cutting board.
This sweet and savory baked brie appetizer will be your holiday-go-to!
Serving Suggestions
Brie pairs wonderfully with crackers or a baguette. Also, veggies, apple or pear slices are perfect with it.
Looking for wines that are a match with baked brie? Pair with a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for serving.
Variations
- Switch this up to a pecan baked brie with a simple switch from walnuts to pecans. Easy Peasy!
- Top with cranberry apple chutney instead of the cranberry sauce for a fun twist.
- Use dried cherries instead of the dried cranberries.
Storage
You can store leftover cranberry baked brie up to 2 days. To store, cool the appetizer to room temperature. Then, use plastic wrap to wrap a dish tightly to prevent the cheese from drying out, and to keep odors from the refrigerator from seeping in.
To reheat leftovers, remove plastic wrap. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is soft and warmed through.
Rewarmed brie and cranberries are wonderful spread onto a turkey sandwich!
Farm Girl Tip
Make it festive! Garnish your serving dish with sprigs of fresh rosemary or additional dried cranberries to give a hint of the flavors and a colorful pop of color.
FAQS
Nope, the rind is meant to be eaten right alongside the creamy cheese. It adds an earthy flavor that contrasts nicely with the creaminess of the cheese.
I think the best crackers for baked brie are water crackers. Others (like my family) enjoy butter crackers like Ritz crackers.
Also, a rosemary infused cracker would complement the flavors nicely, especially if you're making it as a holiday appetizer.
Related
Looking for more cranberry recipes? Try these:
More appetizer recipes
Baked Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 8 ounces brie cheese sold in a wheel
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce homemade or store-bought
- 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries Craisins is a common brand
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
For Serving
- 1 French baguette warmed and sliced on the diagonal
- apple or pear slices for serving
- water crackers or other crackers for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet and transfer it to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove brie from the oven, and using two forks, gently expose the creamy layer beneath the crusty top of the cheese. Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the cheese, followed by the dried cranberries and walnuts. Drizzle with honey and top with fresh rosemary.
- Return brie to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until all the toppings are warm and the brie is heated to your desired temperature. Serve the baked brie on a decorative platter alongside sliced baguette, fruit, or crackers.
Notes
- Switch this up to a pecan baked brie with a simple switch from walnuts to pecans. Easy Peasy!
- Top with cranberry apple chutney instead of the cranberry sauce for a fun twist.
- Use dried cherries instead of the dried cranberries.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
