Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie
Simple, elegant and an absolute crowd-pleaser! Best of all, this is one of the easiest appetizers EVER with only 5-10 min prep!
As a food blogger, you tend to cook a lot of different dishes, ranging from soups to take-out favorites and even peanut butter dog treats, which we have actually tasted.
And then you have your husband who eats everything you make. I’m not sure if it’s because he enjoys my cooking or if it’s because he just loves me too much that he feels the need to eat it all? No idea.
But today, he said something he’s never said to me before. He told me this was the best thing I have ever made in 2015.
This and the loaded mashed potato balls. But this obviously beats the latter.
I mean, let’s just say that we can all go for a swim in this baked brie, topped with preservative-free Fisher Nuts (DUH!) and dried cranberries drenched in a maple-honey sauce with just a hint of orange zest to put this over the top.
And you know this is only going to take 5-10 min prep work so this must absolutely make it to your Thanksgiving table.
There’s no excuse. It’s just too stinking easy.
Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce wheel brie cheese, rind trimmed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
For the maple honey drizzle
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup Fisher Nuts pecan halves, chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place brie on a rimmed baking sheet or a 5-inch cast iron skillet; sprinkle with brown sugar. Place into oven and bake until softened, about 12-15 minutes; let cool 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in pecans and cranberries.
- Serve brie warm topped with pecan mixture; serve with crackers or baguette.
Did you make this recipe?
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Fisher Nuts. All opinions expressed are my own.
Was excellent but way too sweet. I couldn’t taste the brie due to all the sugar. Next time I’ll omit the first 2 tbsp of brown sugar before baking the brie.
After that, I may omit the brown sugar all together. The maple syrup and honey gives it all the sugar it needs.
And I like sweet!!
My sister made it for a family get together it was really good
This was my first time to make brie, and this recipe was easy and tasted amazing! I’m making it for Christmas Day. I’ve referred to Damn Delicious over and over throughout the years, and I have never been disappointed.
This is the best cheese appetizer recipe I have ever had and I have had a lot of cheese! I admit I’m partial to Brie, but these toppings really elevate it to a whole new level of yummy goodness! I made it for a Thanksgiving gathering last year then scrapped the app I was going to make for the other Thanksgiving dinner I had and brought this instead. It was a big hit both times and I was asked to bring it for Christmas. One night after having it on my mind all day, my boyfriend and I made a meal out of it! I don’t advise that but I do strongly suggest you make this recipe and try it for yourselves. It will not disappoint.
Made this last year! Exactly the same w/out the brown sugar glaze. To say it was delicious does this dish no favours. It was one of the best bites ever. I’m going to try this particular recipe soon! Thanks.
Delicious. I had a large brie wheel so I doubled the topping. Used about 1.25 cups fresh cranberries in place of dried and just simmered them a little longer in the pan – this worked great. Made the topping ahead of time so I could quickly throw together later. I kept it in a little sauce pan and just returned it to the stove for a warm up shortly before the brie came out of the oven. When I make this again, I’ll omit the brown sugar on top of the brie, but that’s just because I prefer things a little less sweet. Awesome recipe – love the flavor combination!! Thank you.
I took this to a holiday party and it was a hit! I doubled the size of the Brie wheel (rind on) and used a larger iron skillet but kept the maple honey drizzle to the original recipe…except I added 2 tbs unsweetened cranberry juice to make the drizzle a little runnier. I made everything before going to the party and kept it warm. At the party, I cut through the top of the rind to expose the gooey brie and spooned the drizzle on top. It was perfect, looked quite stunning and tasted even better!
This was delicious, but….. do not remove the rind as the recipe states. I knew better. Even in the picture the rind is not removed. It melted like a snowman!!!!!!
Going to try this on the weekend for houseguests. I’m kinda stuck about removing the rind as I don’t have a small enough cast iron. When you do have the right sized pan, and remove the rind, does that make it go all gooey all over the pan? Is that how you serve it? Sorry, but your pic looks like the rind is on? Can I use a pie plate? And not that gooey chees isa bad thing!
I made this this for New Years Eve 2020 going into 2021. Instead of pecans, I used almonds because that is what I had on hand and I use cane syrup because I did not have maple syrup. But I did everything else according to the recipe. The dish was wonderful. Some people thought the glaze on the Brie Cheese would also go great on cornish hens or chicken. I decided I will give that a try. Next time I make this, I will make sure I have the maple syrup and pecans and triple the recipe. I gave this recipe five stars.
It’s incredible, tastes like it could even be served as a dessert. It’s mouthwatering, amazing and I make it at every dinner party.
This was absofrackinglutly amazing! I didn’t have an orange, zest or orange juice but I did have orange marmalade. I used half a tablespoon of that because the orange flavor seemed important. If that detracted from the outcome it’s just as well because my guests would have gotten hurt throwing themselves on the floor in ecstasy. And it was so easy to make. Definitely will make this again (and again)!
This has become a Christmas tradition at our house. Don’t skip the orange zest, it definitely makes it special.
This is seriously the best, fancy without being fussy. Everyone loves it!!
Very easy, elegant and yummy!
We had never had Brie before. We worried that it might be too sweet so we did not put very much sugar on the Brie before it went to the oven. Everything else we followed.
I am at a loss for words. There are only two of us. We have locked the doors. We have bribed the dog with Brie and bacon so she won’t tell. We are not going to tell anyone – they might want us to share.
We will let some special friends know about this recipe – but not until all the evidence is gone.
WOW
This was such a hit! I made this as a appetizer for company, and they loved it so much, they said that was good enough for dinner. They all ate the whole thing!i will definitely made this again, and super easy to prepare.
The picture looks like the rind is on. Is it necessary to remove it?
You would need to leave the rind on. The rind will contain the cheese as it bakes so that it maintains its shape. Enjoy!
What does it mean to “trim” the rind? I know you leave the outside intact for baking, so where would you trim it?
I have not made this yet but I was thinking that it would make sense to shave the rind off the top so that topping will adhere to the gooey part of the cheese instead of sliding off.
I used fresh cranberries instead of dried. I put them in with the first ingredients and stirred in the pecans at the end. It got rave reviews! I will do this again.
This was amazing!
Made this last night for a ladies night. It was absolutely delicious and a big hit! I will make this again for sure.
I served with Pepperidge Farms Golden Butter crackers. so easy.
Delicious showstopper! I used only 1 tablespoon of brown sugar on the brie while it baked. The topping was delicious- I used dried unsweetened cherries since I didn’t have cranberries. Just gorgeous! I love the salty sweet combo of Brie and sauce.
How many tbsp of orange zest did you use?
Recipe says zest of 1 orange
I tried a lot of new recipes this Thanksgiving and this one was absolutely my favorites. I doubled this, had a 16 oz wheel and 6 of us couldn’t eat it up fast enough. Delicious!!!
Great! Next time I’ll probably leave the cheese in the oven for 9-10 min. Like another comment earlier, I used fresh cranberries that I microwaved for 4min with a bit of water and sugar.
I will try this soon. Look very tasty.
Simple dish, very flavorful. Cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar scream Christmas to me (even though I’m enjoying it in June.) I read some the reviews that said ‘too sweet’ so I substituted pecans for a more bitter nut – the walnut. I made one other substitution. I swapped cranberries for raisins. Cranberrys would have been 100% better, but that’s all I had on hand. Turned out delicious. Thanks for the recipe, I will be keeping this one close at hand!
I have made this several times and always a big hit….Thank you for the recipe 🙂
It was delicious! The only change I made is that I used fresh cranberries that I added a teaspoon of sugar to and a little water then microwaved it for 5 minutes. Dries cranberries are too sweet and there’s enough sugar in the recipe. It was perfect! Will make again
Thanks for sharing Gwen!
I make a similar dish but all the rind is trimmed off and it’s wrapped in puff pastry. I live close to Ocean Spray so I use fresh cranberries. It is so easy and comes out perfect every time !
Hi Chungah! How much brown sugar should I sprinkle on before baking? And should I still use 1/4 cup in the topping mix as well? Looking forward to serving this at my Christmas party!
2 tablespoons of brown sugar should be sprinkled prior to baking. The 1/4 cup is for the maple honey drizzle.
This was beautiful to serve at Christmas last year, and so quick and easy to make – my family asked for seconds on Boxing Day and even made sure to bring their own wheel of brie along to make sure it was served again! Thanks for sharing a nice recipe that brings families together =)
I have made this twice already and it was requested that i make it again for Thanksgiving!!! This is always a huge hit and it looks and tastes amazing. A huge bonus is that it is so easy to make.
That’s so great! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
This was the big hit of the party.
This was simple to make and absolutely delicious!
This looks fabulous! My sis is coming home for a visit and will be a hit, I’m sure!
Hi, I want to try your Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie. When you say “rind trimmed”, do you mean cut the top of completely? Sorry for dumb questions. I’ve never made brie before. Also, how long should you let the brie cool before cutting it. I have a friend who did it within 10 mins. of taking it out of the oven and it was mush. Thank you for your help.
Not a dumb question at all! You can slice off the top, bottom and sides. I find that freezing the brie for 30 minutes or so really helps with this.
You can let the brie sit for 5 minutes. The baking time is more important here – you want it to soften but not completely melt and turn into “mush”. 🙂
Hi there! I absolutely loved this recipe, but I misunderstood what was meant by “rind-trimmed”. If you look closely at the picture, the rind is completely intact (top and sides). Anyhow, I sliced off the top rind and although everything was tasty, I found the cheese oozed all over the place before it even made it to the table (not the best or appetizing presentation). I think that this recipe should state both modifications, as you mentioned above, in your reply. That is: 1) Either remove all of the rind (bottom too? …not sure as I haven’t tried your suggested modification) and place in freezer for 30min prior to bakin. Or, 2) don’t remove the rind at all prior to baking. Just a small tweak to the wording would have made this a much more aesthetically appealing dish. The taste is amazing though! Thank you.
Can I prep this in advance and microwave it? My partner wants a good recipe to take to work and they have no oven.
Unfortunately, I have never tried cooking this in the microwave so I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Hello…this recipe looks amazing but I have to us3 what I have on hand….which is everything except instead of Brie a wheel of cambenbert and instead of pecans , walnuts….can it be done with those substitutions?
Yes, absolutely.
My mother does something similar but wraps the Brie in puff pastry then bakes it. OMG so freaking good!!! I love Brie!!!
Can I use frozen cranberries or Craisins?
You can certainly use Craisins.
I followed the directions to the letter…..WAY too sweet!!!! I had to throw it out
A fabulous recipe! It is the best baked brie I have ever made and I have made many over the years! I prepared this last Christmas Eve, took it to a “Girls Night” Christmas party last week and will be making it again for this Christmas Eve. I sliced the top off a large triple cream brie, wrapped it tightly for transporting to the party and made the topping a few days in advance both times. When I prepared the topping, I left out the dried fruits & nuts/orange zest and added them in at the time of reheating. All you need to do is gently reheat the topping and stir frequently. Simple. Add the dried fruit & nuts/orange zest to heat through. I use a combination of dried cherries, dried wild blueberries and dried cranberries. I increase the amounts of the topping slightly to compensate for the large wheel of brie that I use. I bake it in a cast iron skillet. Makes for a lovely rustic presentation and the oozing cheese is easily housed within the skillet. Always served with a fresh sliced baguette. The compliments and requests for this recipe that I receive says it all. I love the fact that I can prep this in advance without issue. Try it & Enjoy!
I’ve already made this twice now, and it is “Damn Delicious”!!! I loved it because it was savory with just a hint of sweetness. It was not overly sweet at all. Everyone loved it at both parties!!
This sounds amazing! Can the topping be made a few hours earlier and baked before serving? I want to take it to a party tonight at a friend’s house. Using her oven won’t be a problem but don’t want to have to do the entire recipe there. Thanks in advance.
Yes, absolutely!
Thank you for the best baked brie recipe that I have ever brought to my daughter’s thanksgiving dinner tonight!
Every year I try something new but this was definitely the best.
The brie was gone in 20 minutes, the remaining nuts and cranberries over the next 15 min.
Though it took longer to melt than your suggested 10-12 min (may because of the crowded oven), it was a big hit and will be my only baked brie recipe from now on.
Can you bake this in a puff pastry
Yes, absolutely.
This is probably a silly question but do I use pure maple syrup or can I use pancake syrup? Thanks!
Not a silly question at all! I recommend using pure maple syrup for the best results possible. 🙂
Can the topping be made ahead of time?
The topping may thicken quite a bit if it is not used immediately. As always, please use your best judgment.
Hey Teresa did you end up making it ahead of time? How did it turn out?
yumm its amazing recipe and delicious served with cinnamon sugar pita chips! its easy i should try it
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I am going to make this but my husband accidentally picked me up Brie wedges rather than a wheel. If I bake the wedges will the cheese just melt away or do u think I could use the recipe as is? Thanks!
Nope – you can definitely still use the wedges! 🙂
The picture is so beautiful I had to make. Very easy to cook but next time I make will definitely 1/2 the brown sugar and maple syrup. Way too sweet. The combination of Brie, cranberries and pecans was delicious tho and everyone loved this scrumptious appetizer.
Totally agree Trish. I made it today and found the quantities for the brown sugar and syrup was way too much. But otherwise the combination was good and my guests enjoyed it.
I would like to make this for company tomorrow in a small glass pie plate. Would that work okay. If yes, would I need to adjust the baking time and/or temperature? Do you think it could be kept in a warming oven for 20-30 minutes after baking, while I baked other appetizers that need a higher heat?
By the way, I made your zucchini sticks with garlic chipotle aioli last weekend and they were great, especially loved the aioli. Thank you for the damn delicious recipes!
The glass pie plate should work just fine but this is really best when served immediately. As always, please use your best judgment.
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. Will serve first with champagne while the rest bakes.
I’m wondering what size Brie wheel is this recipe meant for? I can get 2 sizes where I live. One that is 4” across and another that is approximately 8” across. I’m thinking the larger one?
Yes, that’s correct.
Heads up: I switched maple syrup out for molasses and probably let my sauce mixture cook too long. It served up beautifully, but when it cooled on my serving platter, it was hard as a Werther’s candy. Don’t cook it too long! Great recipe though. Impressive and soooooo simple.
Loved the orange zest in this! Delicious served with cinnamon sugar pita chips! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This is outstanding! The orange zest just put it over the top! I think next time I will peel all the rind off the brie. I never am clear on how whether to do that or not. But, will from now on. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Don’t peel the rind prior to cooking; just trim it off the top so you don’t end up with a brie pancake.
If i were to just bake the brie without the topping , how long would i bake it and at what temperature?
The bake temp and time should still remain the same, but as always, please use your best judgment.
The flavor combinations in this sound amazing, however, I’ve never had baked brie before. How is it meant to be eaten? Do you dip the crackers/bread in it like a dip?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Chungah, this recipe is amazing!. I took it to Thanksgiving dinner last night and it was a huge hit! I have not liked Brie in the past, but I tried this once I was done and I simply fell in love.
I dont like Brie can I use goat cheese instead? Im looking for a recipe with goat cheese and cranberries and this really looks delicious…any suggetions?
Jackie, if you are not a fan of brie, then I just don’t think this recipe is meant for you. Sorry!
I’m saving this for AFTER Thanksgiving. Like after the kids have gone to bed. I’m not going to want to share this with them.
This baked Brie looks so good that I just have to make it 🙂
This looks so delicious. Pecan Nuts are so trendy know and in so many recipes – however I don’t mind they are delicious and healthy!!! Also this recipe is great because of all the different textures. Crunchy but also creamy – great! xoxo Katie from http://www.whatskatieutpto.com
So easy. You’re so good at coming up with beautiful recipes that take no time at all, geez. 😉 Pinned!
What is better to serve it with the crackers or baguettes? If you use the baguettes what’s the best way to prepare it?
Jamie – you can serve with either crackers or baguette – it’s completely up to you! 🙂
I prefer using a baguette over crackers because the bread really allows the cheese to be the star. Slice the baguette into thin slices and have it to the side or in a basket on the side. You don’t need to toast or anything. Simple is best.
Brie is my favorite cheese so knowing me, I wouldn’t serve this until all my guests left so I could eat it all, lol!
If you trimmed the bottom or sides the cheese would melt into a pancake when baking. It’s the skin that holds back the cheese from melting out.
I’m not sure what you would say to trim the rind… If at all only the top would be trimmed
Sandra, a trim is basically that – cutting away the excess rind, if needed, as some may find its taste and texture unappetizing.
Beautiful baked brie! Love the added nuts (nice touch)!!
Oh my word does this look stunning. Gooey brie is one of my favorite things to eat 🙂 Thanks!
Your reecipes are always so colorful and appetizing. This is sure to be a hit at any gathering.
I love Brie and will definitely give this beautiful looking dish a try. Not being familiar as to how to bake with it I’m wondering if you cut the top “skin” off before you bake it.
You can cut the top rind of cheese, leaving the rind on the sides and bottom intact.
Looks delicious, I definitely want to try this. Can you clarify exactly what you mean by “rind trimmed”? Do you cut the entire top rind off? Only part of it? What about the sides and bottom? I’m not sure what part of the rind is “trimmed”, and by how much. Thanks for clarifying.
You can cut the top rind of cheese, leaving the rind on the sides and bottom intact.
I can sooo understand, why this could be the best thing ever. I love it, baked brie is delicious, I sometimes make it for dinner, because why shouldn’t I feel a bit special on a random day. The toppings sound delicious, definitely going to try this one out.
This is a great idea and so quick to prepare. We love cheese in our family and this is really inspiring. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving.
So gorgeous, there’s nothing better than baked brie!