Brace yourself for the most incredible appetizer ever. If you’ve never had brie cheese before, this recipe will get you hooked. Baked brie in puff pastry with cranberry sauce is a sure-fire start to a new holiday tradition.

You only need six ingredients to make this recipe and believe me, it will taste as good as it looks. It is guaranteed to be the most popular appetizer at your party.

Why you will like baked brie in puff pastry with cranberry sauce

If you need a holiday dish that will spruce things up, this one should be at the top of your list. Here’s why:

You don’t need any special cooking equipment.
It can be prepped in advance and baked when it is time to serve to guests.
You can even freeze it months in advance and save it for a last-minute appetizer.
The brie cheese melts into a creamy, luscious, dippable spread perfect for crackers, fruit, or bread.
It makes a show-stopping presentation for guests.

For more luscious brie cheese appetizers, check out our baked brie in a bread bowl.

Ingredients that you need to make this baked brie recipe

Here is a shortlist of the ingredients you will need to make this baked brie recipe:

Brie cheese. I bought a large, 13-ounce wheel of brie cheese at Costco but this recipe will work with 8 or 10-ounce blocks of cheese. It is a very flexible recipe.
Puff pastry. Thawed dough is easy to work with and will be used to cover the brie cheese. It also brings a flaky texture to the dish.
Cranberry sauce. This gives the dish a beautiful color and provides a nice tart flavor. We used our Homemade Cranberry Sauce for this recipe. You can also use a store-bought cranberry sauce.
Fresh thyme leaves. Give you a freshness that provides balance to the brie and cranberry filling.
Egg white. This is used to help the strips of pastry ‘glue’ together.
Whole milk. This is brushed on the top and sides of the puff pastry and gives it a golden color when it bakes.

How to make Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce

Here are the steps but don’t forget that we have a printable recipe card below.

Prepare the brie:

Unwrap the brie, transfer it to a plate and freeze it for up to 20 minutes. It will be easier to slice in half if it is partially frozen.
Slice the brie wheel into two equal rounds.
On half of the brie, spread the cranberry sauce. Sprinkle thyme on the other half of the brie.
Gently sandwich each brie slice together.

Roll puff pastry and wrap the brie:

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your puff pastry sheets. Cut one circle to the same size as your brie package. Next, cut another circle at six inches it will be a 1/4-inch larger than the package.
Cut two ribbon strips of puff pastry dough ¼ inch wider than your brie sandwich. These strips should be long enough (17-inches) to wrap around the outside of the brie.
Flip the brie with the sandwich’s cranberry side on top and place it on the larger circle of puff pastry that you cut. Add the smaller pastry circle on top of the brie.
Whisk the egg white and brush it onto your pastry strips. Wrap these around the brie, leaving ¼ inch above the brie.
Fold the bottom edge of the pastry over and crimp around the sides to seal in the brie.
Fold the extended portion of the pastry strip over the top and crimp them as well.
Add some parchment paper to a plate and freeze the brie puff pastry for one hour.

Bake the brie:

Before the one hour mark, preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the brie from the freezer, brush the milk on the sides and bottom and place wrapped brie onto your baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

More Appetizer Recipes

Tips for success

Any additional cranberry sauce, dried fruit or nuts you add to the brie will increase the overall height of your brie. Measure the puff pastry strips accordingly. You may need to cut the larger strips from the second sheet of pastry.
You can also prepare two whole puff pastry sheets for this dish. One sheet for the big circle, and the other sheet is for the smaller circle and the dough strips.
You can prepare your brie for this recipe ahead of time. Make sure to wrap it and freeze it for later. If your brie is baked completely frozen, add up to 10 more minutes to your cooking time.
Serve with fresh apple and pear slices, toasted baguette slices, sourdough bread or crackers. If you’re motivated to make homemade crackers, try our sourdough crackers or our Artisan crackers.
If you prepare this appetizer in advance of baking, do not brush it with the milk until it is ready to bake.

Frequently asked questions

Do you cut the rind off the brie cheese.

Nope. you don’t need to cut the waxy rind off the cheese. That outer layer looks waxy and inedible but it is fine to eat. It will melt along with the interior of the cheese wheel.

Can you reheat this dish?

Yes, if you need to reheat the cheese, stick it on a baking tray and bake it at 300°F for about 10 to 15 minutes until it is warm and melted again.

SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:

Baked Brie in Bread Bowl: A small, soft sourdough bread round serves as a bowl for this elegant baked brie. Dip the bread into that warm oozy, gooey cheese and enjoy one of the easiest appetizers ever!
Olive and Cheese Pinwheel Appetizers: A flaky pie dough with olive tapenade and a cheese blend all rolled up and sliced into thin appetizer pinwheels. This handheld appetizer is fast and easy to make.
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Figs: Blue cheese and thyme are stuffed into fresh figs and wrapped in a strip of bacon! Sweet, salty, savory and one of the best appetizers you will have in your appetizer collection.

Connect With Savor the Best:

Please follow us on our social media accounts

Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * Youtube * Twitter

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment below.

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce

Start your dinner party with a warm, Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce enhanced with fresh thyme. Rich, velvety smooth brie and sweet cranberry sauce oozes from its shroud of crisp puff pastry in this impressive, elegant appetizer.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings: to 12 servings

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

13.4 ounce brie a wheel
1 package puff pastry two sheets
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 egg white whisked
2 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Thaw frozen puff pastry according to package directions (about 45 minutes).

Prepare the Brie:

Remove and unwrap the brie from its package, place on a plate and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes. Do not freeze completely.
Slice the cold brie horizontally into 2 equal rounds and place on a cutting board with the cut sides up.
Spread the cranberry sauce on one half of the brie, sprinkle the other half with the thyme leaves.
Place the brie half with the thyme leaves on top of the cranberry sauce and gently press, sandwiching the two sections together.

Roll the Puff Pastry and Wrap the Brie:

On a flour dusted work surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry to a 12×12 inch square and using the brie package as a pattern guide, cut one circle the same size as the the package. Cut the second circle to 6 inches.
Measure the height of the sandwiched brie and cut the remaining section of pastry into 2 ribbon strips of dough that is 1/4-inch wider than the brie and long enough together to fit around the outside of the brie. (See Notes)
Flip the sandwiched brie onto the center of the larger pastry round so the cranberry half will be on top. Position the smaller pastry round on top of the brie.
In a small dish, whisk the egg with the milk and brush it onto the pastry ribbons. Wrap the pastry around the brie gluing it to the side with 1/4-inch extending above.
Fold the bottom edge of the pastry in toward the edge of the brie and crimp it with a fork.
Fold the extended portion of the pastry ribbon over the top of the pastry and crimp with a fork.
Place the wrapped brie on a parchment-lined plate and transfer to the freezer for 1 hour.

Bake the Brie:

When the brie has been in the freezer for 45-minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the brie from the freezer, brush with milk and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

A chilled marble pastry slab will keep the pastry dough cold and firm while working with it.
Adding additional cranberry sauce, nuts or dried fruit will increase the height of the sandwiched brie. Use part the second sheet of pastry dough to cut the ribbon pastry strips to wrap the side of the brie.
Brie can be prepared weeks in advance, wrapped and frozen. To bake when completely frozen, add an additional 8-10 minutes to the baking time.
Baking the brie in a very hot oven will cause the butter in the puff pastry to weep and make a mess.
Let the baked brie rest for 5 -10 minutes before serving, a scorching hot bite of brie can burn one’s mouth!
Serve with fresh apple slices, fresh pear slices, toasted baguette slices or crackers

Nutrition

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

angiesrecipes

Friday 25th of December 2020

One of the best appetizers! I love that you have added cranberry thyme layers in between. Really yummy and tempting! Merry X'mas to you and yours, Pat!

Pat Nyswonger

Thank you, Angie! And a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!