Never in the history of appetizers has there been a more elegant or more effortless recipe than this Baked Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts. Brie cheese is baked to melted perfection and topped with sweetened cranberries, walnuts, orange zest, and chopped fresh rosemary.
Are you doing any entertaining over the holidays? I love to serve this with cream cheese wontons, bacon-wrapped shrimp, and classic cheese ball for special occasions over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This delectable, easy, and sophisticated recipe is simple and quick to prepare. With 10 minutes of prep time, it is hands down one of my favorite recipes, leaving me more time to make sure I have everything perfect for my guests.
- The flavor combination here is a real winner! Cranberries, walnuts, orange zest, and rosemary go together like peas in a pod. Add rich, melty cheese, and you have a win-win recipe.
- There are only simple ingredients in this baked cheese recipe. Everything is readily available at most supermarkets.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Brie Cheese: Brie is soft cow’s milk cheese with a mellow flavor and a hint of nuttiness. It comes in a white mold rind that is entirely edible and flavorful. You can find these wheels at most grocery stores in the cheese case with the other finer cheeses.
- Cranberries: Fresh is best, and fresh cranberries freeze well. For a quick solution, top the baked brie with any preserves or jam, like fig jam, raspberry jam, or apricot jam, in place of the cranberry sauce.
- Nuts: You can substitute pecans, almonds, or pistachios for the walnuts.
How to make Baked Brie
Add the water, cranberries, and brown sugar to a pan. Simmer for about 7-8 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Then, remove the pan from the heat. Once the cranberry mixture has cooled for a couple of minutes, stir in the honey.
While the cranberries are cooking, place the brie on a parchment-covered baking sheet or in a mini iron skillet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Use the parchment paper to carefully transfer the brie to a serving dish and spoon on the cranberries, nuts, orange zest, and rosemary. Serve promptly with apple or pear slices, crackers, and crostini.
Preparation Tips
- Brie is a soft French cheese that comes in a rind. The rind is edible and becomes more subtle when baked. I do not trim the rind, as it holds the melted cheese in place while it bakes.
- When baked long enough, the cheese will become soft in the middle. Gently and carefully touch the center to see if it is slightly soft, like jello. Don’t press hard; you don’t want hot cheese squirting out.
- Let the cheese rest for 5 minutes before piling on the goodies, as it can also bust open as soon as it comes out of the oven from the weight of the toppings.
Flavor Variations
- Garlic and herb: Brush the top of the cheese with olive oil prior to baking and sprinkle with fresh sliced garlic and thyme leaves. After baking, drizzle with honey.
- Bacon jam: Top with bacon jam before baking and bake as directed.
- Caramelized onion: Before baking, top with caramelized onions. After baking, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
- Puff Pastry: Roll out the pastry and top it with the cranberry mixture in the center of the dough. Place the wheel of brie on top of the cranberry mixture and bring the sides of the dough up to wrap it. Flip it over and place it on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, pop it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds (this is where the parchment paper comes in handy) or pop bake in the oven for a couple of minutes (this is where the mini cast iron skillet comes in handy).
More Appetizer Recipes
Baked Brie Recipe
Ingredients
- Brie cheese wheel 8-ounce
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the water, cranberries, and brown sugar to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the honey.
- While the cranberries are cooking, place the brie on a parchment-covered baking sheet or in a mini iron skillet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Use the parchment paper to move the brie to a serving platter and gently spoon on the cranberry mixture, walnuts, orange zest, and rosemary. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- Brie is a soft French cheese that comes in a rind. The rind is edible and becomes more subtle when baked. I do not trim the rind, as it holds the melted cheese in place while it bakes.
- When baked long enough, the cheese will become soft in the middle. Gently and carefully touch the center to see if it is slightly soft, like jello. Don’t press hard; you don’t want hot cheese squirting out.
- Let the cheese rest for 5 minutes before piling on the goodies, as it can also bust open as soon as it comes out of the oven from the weight of the toppings.
Nutrition
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Fred
Great holiday appetizer. I made it for a Christmas party and everyone loved it. Cranberries and orange always play so well together. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked the baked brie, Fred!