Warm, melty brie cheese is topped with a savory & sweet cranberry compote in this gorgeous Baked Brie recipe with Cranberries and Pecans - an easy 15-minute party appetizer with no pastry!
With some much going on during the holidays, no one has time to create the perfect menu. Lucky for you, we have a whole archive of seasonal appetizers that are both quick and easy - recipes like this Baked Brie recipe with Cranberries and Pecans.
Not only is it a flavorful nibble to jumpstart your party, but it comes together in minutes and doesn't use puff pastry like so many baked brie recipes - perfect for spur-of-the-moment get togethers.
Ingredients
Made from only a handful of ingredients, each bite of this recipe is filled with rich, melty cheese and a sweet and savory cranberry compote:
- Cranberries (can use fresh or frozen)
- Maple syrup - Use pure syrup, not the maple-flavored pancake stuff
- Fresh rosemary
- Brie
- Pecans
Tip: Have leftover homemade cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving? Feel free to swap it in for the cranberry-pecan compote in this recipe.
Instructions
Baked brie always looks so fancy but it might just be one of the easiest appetizers ever. Seriously.
This baked brie recipe is made without puff pastry but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. Only less putzy. Follow these tips for perfectly baked brie every time:
- Choose your cheese. Wedges might be easier to find but you absolutely need a round of brie cheese for this recipe. Don’t feel like you need to go for a super expensive brie, either. A reliable grocery store wheel of brie will work just fine as it’s being combined with the sweet and savory cranberry compote.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Any higher than that and you risk having the cheese get too hot too quickly and ooze out of the rind during baking.
- Place your brie on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Parchment is key to easily transferring the brie to a serving dish after you remove it from the oven. I’ve tried using a spatula but it tends to stick to the bottom of the rind and not glide easily (again - running the risk sticking to the cheese, tearing the rind and having puddles of hot, oozing cheese everywhere). Alternately, you can also bake this in a small cast iron skillet or other baking dish if you prefer to serve it straight from that vessel.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. You’ll know the brie is melted through if you touch the top of the rind and it jiggles underneath (think Jell-O).
- Allow the brie cool for at least 15 minutes before transferring it to a serving dish. Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the brie up and move it to the dish. You can either cut down the parchment to a more attractive size and leave it underneath the brie or try to slide it out once you’ve put it on the dish. Either option works just fine.
- Spoon your topping of choice over the warm brie and serve with a variety of sturdy crackers, pieces of warm baguette or even apple slices. I like to add a spreader and sometimes a small spoon to the brie, too, to make sure I enjoy every last bite of that cranberry cheese goodness.
FAQs
No, you don’t need to remove the rind. If you did, there would be nothing to hold the brie in place when it is heated.
The brie rind is totally edible and adds texture and flavor to the cheese. I have seen some recipes where people will cut just the top off the brie before baking if that are very anti-rind, but I’ve never tried that so I can't comment if it's successful.
Baked brie never lasts at my house, but if you find yourself with a fair amount of leftover brie, feel free to wrap it tightly and pop it in the refrigerator. It can be gently rewarmed in the oven and slathered on crostini or other pieces of hearty bread.
Just know it won’t be as visually appealing as when you initially served it, but it can’t be beat as a tasty snack for the chef while you’re making dinner!
You can't pre-bake the brie but you can easily make the cranberry compote a few days ahead of time. Simply rewarm it before spooning over the top of the warm brie.
More easy appetizers
- Love that cranberry and brie flavor combo? Check out these easy Cranberry Brie Bites or this Cranberry Brie Pizza to get even more!
- Got leftover cranberries? Make this spicy Cranberry Salsa and slather it on crackers with cream cheese! Or set out a bowl of this sweet and savory Cranberry & Apple Chutney on your next cheese board.
- Or skip the cranberries altogether and make one of our most popular appetizers recipes on the site: Candied Bacon.
You can find all of our Appetizer Recipes in our archives
Recipe
Baked Brie recipe with Cranberries & Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 9 ounces brie
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment.
- Place cranberries, maple syrup, butter, rosemary and salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3-5 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.
- Bake brie for 15 minutes or until soft. Carefully transfer brie to serving dish. Pour cranberry mixture over brie and garnish with chopped pecans. Serve immediately with crackers or baguette slices.
Notes
- The cranberry mixture can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Warm mixture in the microwave prior to serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Nothing screams party like warm, melty cheese! This elegant Baked Brie recipe with Cranberries & Pecans is seasonal and seriously tasty. Plus it can be made in 15 minutes - the perfect holiday appetizer!
Everyone really loved this! We made spiced pecans using Tony Cacheres Cajun seasoning and then served them crushed on top. It was a huge hit!
I'll have to check out that seasoning. Thanks for the tip!
Great recipe!! I put the cranberry mix on top of the brie and in the oven after cooking it and it was amazing!!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Is it possible to freeze the baked Brie with the cranberry compote?
The reason I’m asking is that I’m the only one that eats it and I’d love to try your recipe.
Or, should I just make the compote and bake the cheese in segments?
Hi Lorraine, you can definitely freeze the compote separately from the cheese. In fact, you can freeze it in individual serving portions and just pull one out, defrost and top the baked brie portion whenever the urge strikes. I hope you try it. We're serving it this Christmas, too!
Please put in a "print" option so we don't have to print 23 pages for a recipe!
Hi Rebecca, there is a black print button right below the image in the recipe card. Happy Holidays!