Looking for an easy and elegant appetizer for the holidays? This Cranberry Walnut Baked Brie is perfect! It is a show-stopping holiday appetizer that impresses your guests yet is easy and quick to make. The brie is baked until it is gooey and then topped with a sweet, crunchy glaze of cranberries and walnuts.
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The combination of sweet and savory flavors and the different textures (from gooey to crunchy) is absolutely irresistible. In addition, the beautiful presentation makes it look like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Whether hosting a holiday gathering or taking a dish to one, Cranberry Walnut Baked Brie will be the star of the appetizer spread. Make sure to serve this dish while the cheese is still warm, so your guests can enjoy its gooey goodness.
Why This Recipe Works
This baked brie recipe is incredibly effortless to make, delicious to eat, and so impressive to serve guests.
It takes only twenty minutes to make it.
It is gooey melty goodness with a crunchy and very aromatic topping that no one can resist!
It has a very festive seasonal presentation with the red color from the cranberry and the green from the rosemary. This color combination is perfect for your appetizer spread for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and the holidays.
It can be customized to your taste preference or what you have at hand. Here I used cranberries and walnuts.
You can replace the cranberry sauce with jam or honey and the cranberries with other dried fruit, like apricots and figs – just make sure to chop them into small pieces.
Not a fan of walnuts? No problem. Use any nuts you like or have at hand, like chopped almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, and cashews.
Feeling more adventurous? Use camembert instead of brie. It is a more robust, earthy, and intense aged cheese.
About Brie Cheese
Brie is a delectable soft cheese with a soft white rind. It has a mild aroma and a rich, buttery flavor. It is unique because the skin is edible, and when you cut through into the wheel, the cheese is very soft and gooey and can spread on the bread like cream cheese or softened butter. When heated, it becomes runny.
As I mentioned, the brie rind (or skin) is edible and usually eaten along with the softer interior. It also adds a subtle, earthy flavor. It is meant to complement the cheese inside with a soft and tender texture. In fact, some consider it gauche to merely scrape the inside of the cheese and avoid the rind.
Ingredients to use for this recipe
For the baked brie:
- Brie cheese: Use a brie wheel (or round), not a wedge – it is not one of those giant wheels like parmesan you see in Italian commercials. The brie wheel is small enough to fit in your hand. It’s sold in a cardboard round container. You don’t need to spend the time or money buying a brie from an expensive cheese shop. Instead, use what you find at your local grocery store.
- Cranberry sauce:c You can use homemade or store-bought cranberry sauce. I recommend getting a can of whole cranberry sauce instead of jellied cranberries. If you use jarred or canned cranberry sauce, mix it thoroughly to loosen it, and add some spices, like a pinch of ground cinnamon and cardamom, to bring it up a notch.
- Dried cranberries: They’re a fabulous dried fruit to always have at hand in your pantry. They are so versatile – chewing a few instead or raising, adding them to cookies and other baked goods and desserts, or as a healthy sweet addition to oatmeal or yogurt.
- Walnuts: Use chopped walnuts. You could also try hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios. Each variation will taste different, of course.
- Honey: Acts as a glaze for the nuts and helps keep the dried fruit and the nuts together. It also adds nuance and complexity to the flavors.
- Fresh rosemary sprigs: The aromatics are spectacular if you can get fresh rosemary sprigs. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, you can omit it.
For serving:
- French baguette, warmed and sliced diagonally.
- Pita chips or crackers.
- Fresh vegetables for dipping, such as baby carrots, celery, and cucumber rounds, all work great, so don’t forget to include plenty.
- Fresh fruit for dipping, like apple or pear slices. Dip apple and pear slices in lemon juice to minimize browning.
How to make the Baked Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet and transfer it to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the brie from the oven, and gently expose the creamy layer beneath the crusty top of the cheese using two forks.
Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the cheese, followed by the dried cranberries and walnuts.
Drizzle with honey and top with finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves.
Return the brie to the oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until all the toppings are warm and the brie is heated through.
Transfer the baked brie to a serving and serve platter alongside sliced baguette and vegetable dippers. Add the rosemary sprigs around the tray to provide more color, and you could even place a few cranberries.
Notes and Cooking Tips
- If you use jarred or canned cranberry sauce, mix it thoroughly to loosen it; you don’t want it to look like a glop out of a container. Also, add some spices, like a pinch of ground cinnamon and cardamom, to bring it up a notch.
- Don’t over-cook your brie.
- Let the cheese sit 5 minutes before serving so it’s not scorching hot that it would hurt your guests.
- Enjoy the brie for the ooziest consistency within 20 to 30 minutes of baking. As the cheese is exposed to room temperature, it will start to cool down and firm up. Of course, it will still be delicious, but melted cheese is incredible.
Variations
You can get creative with your brie toppings. If you are like me and love playing with textures and flavors, you may want to experiment and change things up. I used cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, walnuts, and a bit of honey and rosemary for my toppings this time.
Feel free to replace the cranberry sauce with orange or apricot marmalade. You can use other nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, and pecans.
Or use different dried fruit like raisins or apricots, dried figs, plums, and dates. Chop the dried fruit, if they’re big, into small pieces.
Feeling more adventurous? Use camembert instead of brie. It is a more robust, earthy, and intense aged cheese.
You can swap lavender or thyme for rosemary for a different aroma profile. Thyme would add a fresh, grassy, with hints of lemon aroma, while lavender would add a lovely floral one.
Make-ahead tips
I don’t recommend making this appetizer ahead of time. As the cheese is exposed to room temperature, it will start to cool down and firm up. Of course, it will still be delicious, but melted cheese is incredible. So, just bake and assemble as the party gets going.
Storing leftovers
If you have any leftovers, cover the brie and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat: You reheat the brie in the microwave in 5 to 10-second intervals until melted.
More Appetizer Recipes
If you love this recipe, you will want to try these appetizers also
- Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese
- Caprese Skewers With a Balsamic Glaze
- Greek Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip – Htipiti
- Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip – Melitzanosalata
- Roasted Garlic Hummus
Hungry for more? Browse all my Mediterranean Recipes.
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Baked Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts
Ingredients
For the Baked Brie
- 8 oz brie cheese wheel
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 springs fresh rosemary
To Serve
- French baguette warmed and sliced diagonally
- Pita chips or crackers
- Fresh vegetables for dipping, such as baby carrots, celery, and cucumber rounds
- Fresh fruit for dipping, like apple or pear slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 oF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet and transfer it to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the brie from the oven, and gently expose the creamy layer beneath the crusty top of the cheese using two forks.
- Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the cheese, followed by the dried cranberries and walnuts.
- Chop a few of the rosemary leaves.
- Drizzle with honey and top with finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves.
- Return the brie to the oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until all the toppings are warm and the brie is heated through.
- Transfer the baked brie to a serving and serve platter alongside sliced baguette and vegetable dippers. Add the rosemary sprigs around the tray to provide more color, and you could even place a few cranberries.
Notes
Notes and Cooking Tips
If you use jarred or canned cranberry sauce, mix it thoroughly to loosen it; you don’t want it to look like a glop out of a container. Don’t over-cook your brie. Let the cheese sit 5 minutes before serving so it’s not scorching hot that it would hurt your guests. Enjoy the brie for the ooziest consistency within 20 to 30 minutes of baking. As the cheese is exposed to room temperature, it will start to cool down and firm up. Of course, it will still be delicious, but melted cheese is incredible.Make-ahead tips
I don’t recommend making this appetizer ahead of time. As the cheese is exposed to room temperature, it will start to cool down and firm up. Of course, it will still be delicious, but melted cheese is incredible. So, just bake and assemble as the party gets going.Storing leftovers
If you have any leftovers, cover the brie and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat: You reheat the brie in the microwave in 5 to 10-second intervals until melted.Variations
You can get creative with your brie toppings. If you are like me and love playing with textures and flavors, you may want to experiment and change things up. I used cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, walnuts, and a bit of honey and rosemary for my toppings this time. Feel free to replace the cranberry sauce with orange or apricot marmalade. You can use other nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, and pecans. Or use different dried fruit like raisins or apricots, dried figs, plums, and dates. Chop the dried fruit, if they’re big, into small pieces. Feeling more adventurous? Use camembert instead of brie. It is a more robust, earthy, and intense aged cheese. You can swap lavender or thyme for rosemary for a different aroma profile. Thyme would add a fresh, grassy, with hints of lemon aroma, while lavender would add a lovely floral one.Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes
The combination of sweet cranberries and savory walnuts is perfect. The brie itself is perfectly melted and ooey gooey. It’s the perfect appetizer or snack.
This is such a great way to serve brie. I love the variety of flavors and textures and how they play against each other. Great recipe!
This is delish! I’m looking forward to sharing it with family and friends for Thanksgiving!
It was a hit. Thanks for a great recipe.