Brie with Cranberry Sauce
Looking for a unique holiday appetizer? This Brie with Cranberry Sauce is an easy but impressive appetizer to make – it’s perfect for holiday get-togethers!
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There are several key components to this recipe, and each one can easily stand alone. Brie. Cranberry Sauce. Chewy baguette. One of our ‘guilty pleasures’ around here is stopping by the local grocery store and picking up a baguette and a wedge of soft cheese. A good triple crème cheese is hard to beat – creamy, buttery and easily spreadable onto a baguette. We usually don’t even slice the baguette. We just rip it in half and tear off chunks. We’re cavemen like that – except cavemen didn’t eat triple crème cheeses and artisan baguettes. Either way, cheese + bread = delicious.
Then there’s the cranberry sauce. Growing up, I never touched the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure I never even tried it. And I get annoyed now when Robbie (our almost-6-year-old son) won’t try new foods – like father, like son I guess. Either way, I love cranberry sauce now. The sweet-tart cranberry sauce features tartness from the berries combined with the sugar and orange juice – it’s delicious!
Speaking of cranberry sauce, if you haven’t made a homemade version before, then put it on your list of things to do ASAP! Homemade cranberry sauce is amazing, and it’s honestly really easy to make. The canned stuff just doesn’t compare! Of course, there’s a place for the canned stuff – if you grew up eating it, then I’m sure it holds a nostalgic spot in your heart belly. I’m not saying the canned stuff is bad, but I am saying that this homemade cranberry sauce is amazing!
Brie with Cranberry Sauce
This Brie with Cranberry Sauce takes all three elements and combines them together into one heck of a tasty holiday appetizer! Top it with a couple sugared cranberries along with some fresh rosemary and pecans, and you’ve got a visually attractive snack that would fit in well at any holiday party or get-together. Or you could just make this and eat it while watching Netflix in the basement – that’s how we roll around here!
The sweet and savory combination of this recipe makes it absolutely irresistible. It’s tasty by itself, but this cranberry brie could also make an excellent centerpiece to a holiday cheese board.
A quick note about cranberries here – fresh cranberries can be a bit difficult to find. They have a short season, and I typically only see them from late October – December around here. However, the good news is cranberries freeze really well. I always pick up a couple bags during the latter part of the year, and then store ’em in the back of the freezer. You know, just in case I want to make another round of this Brie with Cranberry Sauce in say, February…or March…or April…
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover creamy brie cheese should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. I’d recommend removing the sugared cranberries and storing them in a separate container. To serve again, I’d let the brie come back to room temperature, but that is entirely optional. I do not recommend freezing the leftovers, though.
While we opted to serve this Brie with Cranberry Sauce at room temperature, you could certainly bake the brie in the oven according to the package directions. The result would be a melty cheese instead of a soft semi-firm cheese, but it would be equally tasty. Either way, I hope you enjoy this easy appetizer – it’s perfect for the holidays! Cheers!
Did you make this Brie with Cranberry Sauce at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Brie with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the Sparkling Cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup hot water
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 2 Tbsp sparkling sugar
For the Cranberry Sauce
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
For the Brie
- 8 oz. brie cheese wheel
- {for serving} crackers, crostini, baguette slices, etc.
- {for garnish} toasted pecans, herbs such as fresh rosemary sprigs or fresh thyme sprigs, fresh orange zest, etc.
Instructions
For the Sparkling Cranberries
- Using a medium bowl, stir together granulated sugar and hot water. Add cranberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain cranberries and toss them in sparkling sugar. Spread cranberries out and let dry for 1 hour.
For the Cranberry Sauce
- Using a small saucepan, add sugar and orange juice. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Add cranberries and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until cranberries begin to burst. Remove from heat and let cool fully.
- Once cool, spoon cranberry sauce on top of brie and then top with sparkling cranberries.
- Garnish as desired and serve with crackers, crostini or sliced baguette.
Looking for more tasty holiday appetizer ideas? Check out these other favorites, too:
Maple Glazed Mixed Nuts with Candied Bacon
Will be making this soon can i use pea cheese the brand is herbyvore foods in Singapore btw cant find brie in ingredients i never had brie with cranberry sauce before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Thanks so much, Ramya! A good homemade cranberry sauce is hard to beat – I highly recommend it if fresh cranberries are available in Singapore!
Now this is calling my name! I remember in college at a girlfriend’s house I saw my first cranberry sauce from a can. I was appalled. Never seen anything like it! My mother never opened a can of anything except for maybe tomatoes and water chestnuts! I love the sugared cranberries in your photos. Stunning.
I never have been able to get on board with the canned cranberry sauce. It’s so weird when it just plops out of the can! But the homemade stuff? Yes, please! And then pile it on top of brie? That’s my kind of comfort food!
LOVE the presentation of this brie with the sparkling cranberries! Will have to try it out at Christmas! Great job, David!
Thanks so much, Michelle! This is a fun recipe – and it’s an easy way to make a really attractive holiday appetizer, too!
Such a delicious combination! I love that you’ve added sugared cranberries to the top! So festive 🙂
Thanks so much, Kathy! This did make for a fun appetizer…err, dinner. Haha! 🙂
Now this looks very festive! I would love that thing for Christmas Dinner
You should add it to the Christmas Dinner menu, Raymund! 🙂
we don’t grow cranberries here and it is very hard to get them except dried. occasionally at christmas you get them frozen but yes fresh is best. years ago staying with a friend in Philly, she got me to make the sauce for thanksgiving. all new to me but such fun and so delish. your brie looks wonderful!
Ah – I’m sad to hear that cranberries aren’t available down there in Australia. They are such a great fruit to cook with…especially during the holiday season! Thanks, Sherry!
David, I see you are ready for holiday season, too?! This is absolutely marvelous!
Indeed, I just recently made (And I will need to made it again) sugared cranberries, and I love even more the fact you used the coarse sparkling sugar. These sugar-coated cranberries really make this appetizer look festive!
I am indeed getting ready for the holiday season here, Ben! I love this time of the year – from Halloween straight into (American) Thanksgiving and then Christmas. It’s the best! And you know what else is the best? Brie, chewy baguette and cranberry sauce! 🙂
Homemade cranberry sauce is indeed delicious – but homemade cranberry sauce with brie is simply glorious! I love this and it’s going on my must try menu when G is back in town for the holidays because I don’t trust myself around this – I’d be tearing into IT without any utensils and that would not be a pretty sight!
Oh, I totally understand where you’re coming from here, Shashi! I wouldn’t trust myself solo around this brie + cranberry sauce either. It’s a really fun appetizer…err, meal idea! 🙂
This is a classic and gorgeous holiday appetizer, David! This combination is a must for Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
This really is a great apptizer for the holiday season! Thanks, Marissa!
This sounds like a fantastic combination, David! I love cranberry sauce, too—the homemade kind, of course. It really deserves to be enjoyed more often, not just at Thanksgiving. For all the reasons you mention, and not too sweet so you get that perfect balance between sweet and tart. And like you I like it left pretty chunky. The canned stuff isn’t worth eating in my opinion!
I do agree with you here, Frank. Cranberry sauce – the homemade kind – should come out more often than just Thanksgiving. It’s easy to make, and it’s a fantastic partner with cheese. Put this one on the menu – it’s really, really good! 🙂
These sugar-coated cranberries look amazing David! I think I want Christmas to begin now! Oh wait it already has if you go into any of our shops here. Ha ha!
Thanks, Neil! The sugar-coated cranberries were a last-minute addition to this recipe. I really like how they turned out. And, yes, I heard Christmas music at a store yesterday…still a bit early for me. I like to try and wait until after American Thanksgiving (so late November-ish). Either way, cheers, my friend!