fbpx Skip to Content

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie Recipe: Fancy and delicious 15-minute holiday appetizer your guests would love. Creamy, gooey, runny-centered baked brie topped with cranberry sauce, roasted pecans and thyme.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Closeup Served

 

For those of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving, you probably have to deal with leftovers on the next day. Here is a tip for you: Turn your leftover cranberry sauce into a fancy appetizer!

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Drizzled with Honey over Pecans

 

Here is what you’ll need:

  • brie/camembert in a wooden box;
  • leftover (or freshly made) cranberry sauce/lingonberry sauce;
  • thyme;
  • honey;
  • pecans;
  • crusty baguette/ciabatta bread to serve.

 

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? And it is as easy as it sounds. 15 minutes, no cooking involved, simple ingredients you probably already have.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Running Brie Closeup

 

Although I am not American, I enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. This year it coincided with my son’s 11th month birthday, so we celebrated both occasions with a big dinner. Not that my son could enjoy it but my husband and I certainly did!

 

So here is what I cooked for us:

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme on a Plate with Brie Running

 

Although everything came out delicious and looked pretty even for a very self-critical person like me, I managed to drop the baked brie when I was taking it out of the oven. It flipped over and landed on the oven door. My heart broke at that moment, but my husband managed to save the brie before it oozed out of the wooden box. What a relief!

Not to repeat my mistakes, please make sure you use a large spatula when you take your baked brie out of the oven! Oven mitts won’t really work here, or even if they do, they will make it too risky! But who wants to risk when it comes to a gooey cranberry  baked brie, right? Not me, not any more.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Dipping a Piece of Bread

 

Besides of that little accident, our Thanksgiving dinner couldn’t be better! I can’t wait my son to join our celebrations next year. Hopefully, he would be able to enjoy it more than this year.

Make sure to check other Thanksgiving menu ideas like best vegan appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, sides and desserts, as well as 50 best vegan Christmas recipes.

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Closeup with Brie Running

 

I will surely make this cranberry baked brie again for Christmas! Who is with me, cheese fans?

 

How to Make Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme

 

The recipe is very easy if you already have the cranberry sauce. If not, you can make it yourself within minutes. I took equal parts of cranberries and lingonberries for my sauce. I like it the most this way.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Lingonberries in a Bowl

 

Tart and slightly sweet lingonberries (or mountain cranberries) are probably hard to find outside Scandinavia and Russia. It might be a good idea to check your local Russian store. Lingonberries are usually sold frozen. You can order them here if you are in the U.S. or purchase a ready made lingonberry jam from Ikea (they have it on Amazon!)

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Cranberry Lingonberry Sauce in a Pan

 

Lingonberries are not only delicious, they also have so many health benefits that they are considered a new superfood! It makes them worth to try if you haven’t yet.

To make the cranberry/ lingonberry sauce, use 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons brown sugar for every cup of berries. I used 50:50 ratio cranberries and lingonberries but you can use any. Just make sure you add the right amount of water.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Thyme Sprigs Ready for Cooking

 

In a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup water with 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Add the berries and thyme sprigs and cook until the berries burst open, for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Crush the unburst berries with a potato masher. Discard the thyme sprigs.

I like to add additional spices to the cranberry sauce. This year I added nutmeg, allspice and a tiny bit of lemon zest. If the sauce is too sour for your taste, add additional honey.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Brie Ready for Cooking

 

Once the sauce is ready, bake your brie. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 C, remove all the plastic packaging from the brie and place the brie wheel into a wooden box it comes with. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Roasted Pecans Ready for Cooking

 

Top the baked brie with cranberry sauce, roasted pecans and drizzle with honey. Decorate with thyme sprigs. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy with crusty baguette or ciabatta bread! Serve with festive German mulled wine (Gluhwein).

Here is the full recipe:

 

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Closeup Served
Print
5 from 3 votes

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie Recipe: Fancy and delicious 15-minute holiday appetizer your guests would love. Creamy, gooey, runny-centered baked brie topped with cranberry sauce, roasted pecans and thyme.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French
Keyword baked brie recipe, cranberry baked brie, healthy appetizer
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 282kcal

Ingredients

For the cranberry sauce:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 cup lingonberries/cranberries
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • a pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest optional
  • honey to taste

For the baked brie:

  • 9 oz or 250 grams brie wheel
  • a handful pecans roasted
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 sprigs thyme to garnish
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • crusty baguette or ciabatta bread to serve

Instructions

For the cranberry sauce:

  • In a small saucepan bring water with brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Add the berries and thyme sprigs and cook until the berries burst open, for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Crush the unburst berries with a potato masher. Discard the thyme sprigs. Add the spices, lemon juice and zest and honey if the sauce is too sour for your taste.

For the baked brie:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 C, remove all the plastic packaging from the brie and place the brie wheel into a wooden box it comes with. Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Top the baked brie with cranberry sauce, roasted pecans and drizzle with honey. Decorate with thyme sprigs. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy with crusty baguette or ciabatta bread!

Notes

Lingonberries are not only delicious, they also have so many health benefits that they are considered a new superfood! It makes them worth to try if you haven't yet.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 15.8mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?Follow @happykitchen.rocks on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #happykitchenrocks!

Other Appetizer Recipes You’ll Love:

Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Easy Appetizer Served
Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Yummy Drizzled with Honey
Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme - Delicious Running Brie Closeup
Easy Cranberry Baked Brie with Thyme Super Long Image for Pinterest
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Helena

Wednesday 8th of May 2019

This appetizer works best for me when there is a small group of people visiting - always a hit on the table. Yum.

Elena Szeliga

Thursday 9th of May 2019

Glad you enjoyed the recipe Helena! It;s indeed perfect for entertaining :)

Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade

Monday 25th of December 2017

Oh I love brie! So much melty, gooey goodness. This would be gone in minutes in my house!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 26th of December 2017

I know right? My husband nearly ate it all alone :D Thank you Karyl!

Tina

Monday 25th of December 2017

I love baked brie, I never thought to use cranberries, this looks great!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 26th of December 2017

Thanks so much Tina!

Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

Sunday 24th of December 2017

This is my kind of party app! Love the addition of fresh thyme here. Sounds like an amazing combo!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 26th of December 2017

It was so delicious I keep making it for every holiday ;D Thank you Ashley!

Kate

Sunday 24th of December 2017

Those pecans and cranberries look sooooo delicious on top! What a fantastic addition!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 26th of December 2017

Thank you Kate! Love the crunch they give to the cheese :)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Elena Szeliga

avatar

Elena Szeliga is the founder of Happy Kitchen.Rocks, where she shares delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan food, from weeknight dinners to veganized classics and gourmet appetizers. Her recipes have been featured at Better Homes & Gardens, BuzzFeed, Country Living, The Kitchn and Reader’s Digest. Her mission is to help cook easy vegetarian and vegan meals with simple and fresh ingredients. Read more about Elena.

Amazon Influencer Store