Holiday Baked Brie
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Baked brie in puff pastry is one of those classic appetizers everyone gets excited about—or maybe it’s just me. Girl dinner?!
I hope you’re like me and always get excited about melty cheese and delicately crisp, buttery puff pastry because it’s truly one of my favorite appetizers. But, I also love this classic dipping oil, spinach artichoke dip, and these tortellini pesto skewers.
My holiday-baked brie is easy to make with minimal prep and can be made just before guests arrive. It’s great if it cools for just 10-15 minutes so the cheese doesn’t ooze everywhere and make a gooey pool of brie.
I like to serve it with a toasted baguette, but you can use bagel chips, raincoast crisps, crackers, vegetables, or really anything you like for dipping! It really won’t last long once you serve it & guests will be asking for the recipe!
Why This Recipe Works
- Impressive: it’s a luxurious appetizer that is always a great go-to crowd-pleasing appetizer.
- Customizable: it has endless flavor pairings. See my variations section below for some ideas on how to change it up!
- No-fuss: Holiday baked brie is a low-effort appetizer that comes with only a few ingredients. Love that for us!
- Festive: While you don’t have to make this for the holidays, I love the Christmas vibes of the green fresh thyme springs + red dried cranberries. So fun!
- Delicious: I mean, a cheese + a bread… can you ever go wrong with that combo?! I think not…
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Puff pastry: I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet that comes folded in thirds: (9.75” X 10.5” X 3/16”) and you’ll let it thaw, but still want it a little cold.
- Brie: An 8 oz wheel is perfect but up to a 12 oz brie wheel will work. Opt for a triple creme brie if you can find it – SO GOOD.
- Unsalted butter: You’ll be melting the butter and mixing in minced garlic, salt, and pepper, so if you need to use salted butter, just omit the added salt.
- Minced garlic: The recipe calls for 4 cloves minced, but feel free to add more if you want to kick up the garlicky goodness!
- Egg + water: Whisk together 1 whole egg and 1 tbsp of water to make the egg bath that you’ll brush all over the pastry. This is what helps the folded pieces stay folded, and what gives the top its nice golden color.
- Dried cranberries: These really give the baked brie its holiday vibes. And the flavor of the brie + puff pastry + the cranberries is downright heavenly. Trust me on this!
- Hot honey: I really like Mike’s Hot Honey. I’m a big hot honey fan because it adds a bit of spice to this appetizer, without it being overwhelmingly spicy. Feel free to use regular honey though if that’s all you have or what you prefer or whatever hot honey you like 🙂
- Fresh thyme or rosemary: Using fresh (not dried) really makes a big difference with this recipe! Plus, the twigs of green thyme (or rosemary) laying alongside the red dried cranberries = ultimate Christmas vibes 😍
- Toasted or candied pecans: These are optional, but I definitely recommend them! The flavor of pecans works so well alongside the brie, hot honey, and dried cranberries.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Prep the dough & brie
Let the puff pastry thaw for ~15 minutes, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to get the creases out. Score the top of the brie cheese – not all the way through the cheese, just enough so the butter garlic mixture can seep into the cheese as it bakes.
Everything’s better with butter!
Mix the melted butter garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Put the brie on top of the puff pastry and then pour the butter mixture on top.
It’s time to fold!
Fold one edge of the puff pastry over the top of the Brie, and brush the folded section with egg wash. Continue to fold pleats of dough over the Brie, pressing gently to adhere each fold, and brush with egg wash after each fold.
Score & bake!
Brush egg wash in any spaces that need it still, to help give it a golden color as it bakes and lightly score the tops of the dough (see picture below). Bake at 400°F for ~20 minutes.
Add toppings, bake a bit more…
Top with dried cranberries and a drizzle of hot honey and bake for another ~10 minutes or until golden and the pastry is cooked through.
Let it rest, then DIG IN!
Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes – any sooner and the brie will ooze everywhere! Drizzle with more of the hot honey and add the fresh thyme & nuts (if using). Serve with a toasted baguette, bagel chips, raincoast crisps, crackers, vegetables… anything you like for dipping! Enjoy!
Success Tips
- Baking dish size: Make sure to choose a baking dish or pie plate that’s a bit larger than your brie, so that there’s space for the brie to ooze out a bit while baking.
- Scoring: I recommend scoring the brie before you add the butter mixture so that the butter mixture can seep into the cheese a bit. I also recommend lightly scoring the puff pastry (after you’ve folded it over the brie) so that the hot honey can make its way into that layer as it bakes.
- Egg wash: After you’ve folded the puff pastry all around the brie, make sure all of the folds have the egg wash brushed on. This will help give the pastry the nice golden color as it bakes.
- Rest time: I know it will be soooo tempting to dig right in as soon as you pull the Holiday Baked Brie out of the oven, but I promise, letting it rest for at least 10 minutes is worth the hassle (or 30-45 minutes if you can). If you cut into it immediately, the brie oozes everywhere and creates quite a mess.
Storage
- If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Warm up in the microwave before re-serving.
- You might want to remove any nuts before refrigerating, and re-add those before you re-serve, because their texture might get weird after being in the refrigerator.
Variations
I love how customizable this appetizer is! You can switch up the toppings to your likings. Here are some I’d recommend:
- Cranberry sauce: Use in place of the dried cranberries. Perfect for using up leftover cranberry sauce at the holidays!
- Jam or chutney: Substitute your favorite jam or fruit chutney for the dried cranberries – use whatever flavor you prefer!
- Other nuts: Not into pecans? Try walnuts, sliced almonds, pine nuts, Marcona almonds, or pistachios to mix up your nut topping!
- Other dried fruits: Try this Holiday Baked Brie using another dried fruit. I could see it being great with dried cherries, apricots, blueberries, figs, plums, or mango. Each would add a slightly different flair to the dish!
- Caramelized onions: While the brie is baking, caramelize some onions at a low heat on your stovetop and then add them to the brie when you remove it from the oven.
- Bacon: To add a savory twist to this Holiday Baked Brie, add crumbled bacon when you’re adding the last bit of hot honey, herbs, and nuts.
FAQs
What kind of brie should I buy for this recipe?
You want a soft, creamy wheel of brie with a good balance of flavor. Look for a double- or triple-crème brie, which melts well and has a rich, buttery taste.
Can I use store-bought puff pastry for this recipe?
Yes! In fact, I recommend it! I’m all about this being an easy, low-fuss appetizer!
Do I remove the rind off the brie before baking?
No, you don’t need to. The rind helps the cheese keep its shape as it bakes.
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Holiday Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet that comes folded in thirds: (9.75” X 10.5” X 3/16”))
- 8 oz. brie (I like the Marin French triple creme brie)
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or pressed through a garlic press)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp. water, whisked (egg wash)
- dried cranberries
- hot honey
- fresh thyme or rosemary
- toasted or candied pecans (optional)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Allow the puff pastry to thaw on the counter for ~15 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 400℉.
- Spray a baking dish or pie plate with baking spray and set aside. Whatever dish you choose, just make sure there’s a little extra room in the dish for the Brie to ooze a little bit of cheese.
- Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface just to roll the creases out.1 frozen puff pastry sheet
- Score the top of the brie cheese; not all the way through the cheese, just enough so the butter garlic mixture can seep into the cheese as it bakes.8 oz. brie
- Mix together the melted butter with the garlic, salt, and pepper.2 tbsp. unsalted butter melted, 4 cloves garlic, salt and pepper
- Place the scored brie on top of the puff pastry and pour the butter mixture on top of the brie.
- Fold: start by folding one edge of the puff pastry over the top of the Brie, and brush the folded section with egg wash. Brushing as you go is like the glue to hold it together.1 egg + 1 tbsp. water, whisked
- Work in a circular motion and continue to fold pleats of dough over the Brie, pressing gently to adhere each fold, and brush with egg wash after each fold.
- Brush egg wash in any spaces that need it still, to help give it a golden color as it bakes and lightly score the tops of the dough. See picture.
- Bake for ~20 minutes. Top with dried cranberries and a tiny drizzle of hot honey and bake for another 10 or until perfectly golden and the pastry is cooked through.dried cranberries, hot honey
- Remove the brie from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes, any sooner and the brie will ooze everywhere!
- Then, drizzle with hot honey and fresh thyme. Add nuts if using.fresh thyme or rosemary, hot honey, toasted or candied pecans
- Serve with a toasted baguette, bagel chips, raincoast crisps, crackers, vegetables, and anything you like for dipping!
Video
Notes
- If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Warm up in the microwave before re-serving.
- You might want to remove any nuts before refrigerating, and re-add those before you re-serve, because their texture might get weird after being in the refrigerator.
- Cranberry sauce: Use in place of the dried cranberries. Perfect for using up leftover cranberry sauce at the holidays!
- Jam or chutney: Substitute your favorite jam or fruit chutney for the dried cranberries – use whatever flavor you prefer!
- Other nuts: Not into pecans? Try walnuts, sliced almonds, pine nuts, Marcona almonds, or pistachios to mix up your nut topping!
- Other dried fruits: Try this Holiday Baked Brie using another dried fruit. I could see it being great with dried cherries, apricots, blueberries, figs, plums, or mango. Each would add a slightly different flair to the dish!
- Caramelized onions: While the brie is baking, caramelize some onions at a low heat on your stovetop and then add them to the brie when you remove it from the oven.
- Bacon: To add a savory twist to this Holiday Baked Brie, add crumbled bacon when you’re adding the last bit of hot honey, herbs, and nuts.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
