Festive Holiday Cranberry Brie (Printable version)

Creamy Brie, tangy cranberry, and crisp baguette create a vibrant starter ideal for festive occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crostini

01 - 1 French baguette, sliced into 16 thin rounds
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Toppings

03 - 7 oz Brie cheese, sliced
04 - 1 cup cranberry sauce
05 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)

→ Garnish (optional)

06 - 2 tbsp chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
07 - Fresh microgreens or arugula

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil.
02 - Bake the slices for 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
03 - Place a slice of Brie on each toasted baguette round. Return to the oven for 2–3 minutes until the Brie softens without fully melting.
04 - Spoon one to two teaspoons of cranberry sauce over the Brie on each crostini.
05 - Sprinkle chopped rosemary or thyme over the crostini if desired.
06 - Optionally, garnish with chopped toasted pecans or walnuts and fresh microgreens or arugula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent all day in the kitchen but takes less time than most people need to find parking at the grocery store.
  • The sweet-tart cranberry cuts through the richness of melted Brie in a way that makes you reach for just one more piece.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble right before guests arrive, which means you actually get to enjoy your own party.
02 -
  • If you melt the Brie too long it will run off the bread and onto the baking sheet, leaving you with bare toast and a cheesy mess to scrape up later.
  • Let the crostini cool for a minute after the final bake or the cranberry sauce will slide right off when someone picks one up.
  • Day-old baguette slices more evenly and toasts without turning into hard little hockey pucks that break teeth.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife to slice the baguette into even rounds so they toast uniformly and look polished on the plate.
  • Warm your cranberry sauce slightly before spooning it on, it spreads more easily and melts into the Brie for a more cohesive bite.
  • If you're short on time, buy pre-sliced baguette rounds from the bakery section and save yourself the knife work.
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