Baked brie with cranberry sauce is a quick and easy appetizer that’s perfect for holiday parties and entertaining! Just 2 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes!

Previously I’ve shared easy microwave baked brie with apricots and bacon, which is great for a last-minute appetizer when guests drop by.

Today it’s a different take on that party food favorite in this baked brie with cranberry sauce.

This melty, cheesy, gooey, creamy, slightly sweet, slightly tart appetizer is perfect for all your cocktail party needs.

It’s also super festive with the cranberry sauce on top. I like to add a little fresh herbs for garnish too and then we’ve got red, green and white. So fitting for the holidays!

(My holiday hummus is another easy holiday appetizer that’s got the same colors going on. And old fashioned stuffed mushrooms are a classic app that's great for passing.)

Plus, it couldn’t be easier.

We’ve just got 2 ingredients here, folks: brie and cranberry sauce. (The herbs are a fun third ingredient though.)

And all you do is put the cranberry sauce on the brie cheese wheel and pop the whole thing in the oven to get nice and warm and melted on the inside.

It’s ready to serve in 10 minutes! That’s my kind of easy holiday entertaining!

Plus, it’s such a delicious combination with the creamy brie cheese that’s balanced with the tart-sweet cranberry sauce. Mmm!

Everyone will be camped out by this dish for sure. 😊

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and FAQs coming up below on how to make baked brie with cranberry sauce. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on baked brie with cranberry sauce:

• An easy homemade cranberry sauce works great for this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite type of cranberry sauce, whether homemade or store-bought. You do want a thicker cranberry sauce though so it stays together on top of the cheese.
• I love serving this with a garnish of fresh rosemary to add a festive flair. You could also add a small amount of chopped fresh rosemary or chopped fresh thyme to the brie wheel, on top of the cranberry sauce, if you want a more herby flavor. (Just note that they can turn a bit brown in the oven.)
• Feel free to add a drizzle of honey before serving if you want an extra sweet note or to balance out an especially tart cranberry sauce.
• You can also add some chopped fresh nuts - such as pecans or walnuts - as a garnish if you’d like.

While I love this recipe as is and think it’s a fun way to use leftover cranberry sauce, you could also substitute a cranberry jam or holiday jam.

Or you could use a mix of cranberry sauce and another jam, like apricot. This could be fun with a hot pepper cranberry jelly as well.

Options are good. 😊

Oh, and real quick, a common question about do I need to remove the rind from brie cheese?

The rind of brie cheese is perfectly edible. And you actually don’t really notice it much after your brie is baked.

While I often remove the rind when I’m eating unbaked brie cheese, I did not cut the rind off before baking here and don’t think it’s necessary.

However, if you would like to remove the top rind, use a small pairing knife and cut around the circle, leaving a ½-inch edge around the outside to help keep the cranberry sauce contained. Lift out the top rind and continue with the recipe.

OK, let’s get ready to plate it up and EAT!

Serving ideas for baked brie

- Baked brie is great served with chunks of soft fresh bread, toasted baguette slices and/or crackers. It can be nice to offer an assortment at a party. And these days, it helps to designate any breads or crackers that are gluten-free (the recipe is GF as is).

- This would also go well with some sliced apples or pears for a fruit pairing.

- Have a really large crowd? Choose a 15-ounce brie wheel and double the amount of cranberry sauce you use. It may need a couple extra minutes in the oven to get warmed through and melty.

And since we’re setting this out at a party, it may very well cool off before it gets even halfway eaten. (Despite my pleadings, no one at a party ever jumps on the hot appetizers as quickly as I would like.)

You can leave your oven on and pop this back into the oven for a few minutes to warm it up.

If you have a toaster oven, this will fit in there perfectly and that might be a more out-of-the-way and less fussy way to reheat this.

Or you could pop this in the microwave for a minute and get it nice and warm and melty again. (Cause remember, you can also “bake” your brie in the microwave entirely.)

Just be sure you remove any garnishes that could turn brown (like the rosemary sprigs) and that you have it on a microwave-safe plate.

Holiday parties have nothing on you!

I hope you give this a try and enjoy the holiday season!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. You may want to check out my holiday cocktail party recipe round-up for more festive food and drink inspiration!