If you are looking for the perfect holiday appetizer that is guaranteed to earn rave reviews, stop scrolling. This Cranberry Brie Wreath is the ultimate recipe that combines stunning presentation with effortless preparation. It takes creamy, melted Brie cheese, tart cranberry sauce, and warm, buttery puff pastry, and transforms them into a beautiful, festive edible wreath that is designed to be pulled apart and devoured.
This recipe has become a holiday staple for a reason: it’s incredibly easy to make using a store-bought puff pastry shortcut, yet it looks like a gourmet centerpiece. The process of shaping the wreath is surprisingly simple—it relies on a clever cutting technique that creates those beautiful, twisted “spokes” of pastry. Each segment bakes up golden brown, flaky, and delivers a perfect bite of warm, melted cheese and sweet-tart cranberries.
Forget complicated holiday baking. This Cranberry Brie Wreath is quick, utterly delicious, and the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve celebration. Get ready for your guests to be utterly impressed!
Why the Cranberry Brie Wreath is a Holiday Masterpiece
This recipe is a consistent viral sensation every holiday season for several compelling reasons, making it a guaranteed hit for your blog and Pinterest strategy.
- High Visual Impact: The wreath shape is immediately festive and stunning, making it an instant showstopper on any grazing board or appetizer table. The red and green garnishes add that perfect seasonal color pop.
- Ultimate Pull-Apart Appeal: Appetizers designed to be pulled apart are inherently appealing at parties. This eliminates the need for knives or serving utensils, encouraging casual, communal snacking.
- Flaky Pastry Shortcut: By using store-bought puff pastry, the recipe skips all the time-consuming dough work, drastically cutting down the active prep time while maintaining a luxurious texture.
- Irresistible Flavor Combination: The pairing of savory, nutty Brie, sweet and tangy cranberries, and buttery, baked pastry is a classic gourmet combination that appeals to virtually everyone.
- Freezer-Friendly and Make-Ahead: The wreath can be prepped ahead of time and frozen or refrigerated, making holiday entertaining completely stress-free.
Ingredients
This recipe relies on simple, high-quality ingredients to achieve its incredible flavor.
For the Cranberry Brie Wreath
- 1 package (14.1 ounces) all-butter puff pastry, thawed according to package directions (or 2 tubes crescent roll dough sheets)
- 1 (8-ounce) wheel of Brie cheese (or Camembert), chilled
- 1/2 cup prepared cranberry sauce (homemade or canned whole-berry)
- 1 large egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon milk or water (to thin the egg wash)
Optional Add-Ins (For Flavor and Texture)
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted for best flavor)
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (mixed into the cranberry sauce)
For Garnish
- Fresh rosemary sprigs (to mimic pine needles)
- Extra fresh cranberries or orange slices
Step-by-Step Instructions: The Secret to the Perfect Wreath Shape
The key to this recipe is the simple folding and cutting technique. Follow these steps precisely to get that beautiful spiral design.
Part 1: Prep and Filling (15 Minutes)
- Prep Pastry: Preheat your oven to 400∘F (200∘C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly dust your countertop with flour and gently roll out the puff pastry sheet slightly to even out the edges.
- Cut the Circles: Place a medium bowl (about 7-8 inches in diameter) upside down on the pastry and cut around it to create a large circle. Repeat this process with the second sheet of pastry, or if using one sheet, roll it out longer and cut your second circle.
- Place First Layer: Place one of the pastry circles onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Prep the Brie: Chill the Brie wheel until just before use (it cuts cleaner when cold). Score the top rind of the Brie in a cross-hatch pattern, but do not cut the bottom rind. Place the Brie wheel in the absolute center of the pastry circle.
- Add the Filling: Spread the 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce around the Brie, leaving a 1-inch border of pastry around the edge. If using, sprinkle the pecans/walnuts and orange zest over the cranberry sauce.
- Top the Wreath: Place the second pastry circle directly on top of the filling and align the edges precisely. Use your fingers to gently press and seal the edges all the way around.
Part 2: Shaping and Twisting (10 Minutes)
- Find the Center: Place a small ramekin (about 3 inches in diameter) upside down over the center of the Brie wheel. This serves as your guide and protects the center.
- Cut the Spokes: Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, start at the edge of the pastry and cut slices toward the ramekin, stopping where the ramekin edge is. You should cut 16 to 18 equal strips or “spokes” around the entire circle. Do not cut the center pastry under the ramekin.
- Remove Guide: Carefully remove the ramekin.
- Twist the Strips: Take one strip, gently lift it, and twist it twice (180 degrees). Lay the twisted strip back down on the parchment paper. Repeat this twisting process with every single strip around the circle.
Part 3: Baking and Finishing (30 Minutes)
- Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of milk/water until combined. Brush the entire surface of the twisted pastry with the egg wash. This gives it that beautiful, golden shine.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated 400∘F (200∘C) oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up, deeply golden brown, and the Brie is visibly melted and bubbling slightly under the top layer.
- Garnish: Remove from the oven. If desired, garnish the center and outer edges with small sprigs of fresh rosemary to mimic pine branches. You can also place fresh cranberries in the center.
- Serve: Let the wreath cool for 5 minutes before serving warm directly on the baking sheet or transferring it to a platter.
Pro Tips for the Ultimate Flaky Wreath
Achieving a perfectly golden, flaky wreath requires attention to the temperature of your ingredients.
- Keep the Pastry COLD: This is the most important tip. Puff pastry gets its flaky layers from cold butter. Work quickly and handle the pastry as little as possible. If the pastry starts to feel warm or sticky, place the entire baking sheet (with the assembled wreath) into the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
- The Brie Strategy: Chill the Brie cheese thoroughly before starting. While the outer rind is edible and usually left on, you can remove the rind on the top of the Brie before placing it on the pastry if you prefer a runnier, gooier center. Leaving the bottom rind on helps contain the melting cheese.
- Cranberry Consistency: If you are using homemade cranberry sauce, ensure it is thick and not too watery. Excess liquid will seep out of the pastry and create a soggy bottom. If using canned, use the thick, whole-berry kind.
- The Edge Seal: Be diligent about pressing the edges of the two pastry sheets together before cutting the spokes. This is your insurance policy against the filling oozing out during baking.
- Don’t Skip the Egg Wash: The egg wash is what gives the pastry its signature deep, golden-brown color and glossy finish. Without it, the wreath will look pale and less appetizing.
Serving Suggestions and Creative Variations
The Cranberry Brie Wreath is perfect on its own, but these simple pairings and variations can elevate the experience.
Pairing and Presentation
- Platter Power: Serve the wreath in the center of a large grazing board surrounded by sweet and savory dippers: crackers, crostini, apple slices, pear slices, grapes, and prosciutto.
- Drizzle Finish: Drizzle a touch of hot honey or balsamic glaze over the top of the baked wreath right before serving for an extra layer of flavor and shine.
- Festive Center: Place a small, red, bell-shaped serving dish filled with extra cranberry sauce, jam, or hot honey in the center of the wreath for a lovely visual and an extra dipping option.
Creative Filling Variations
You can easily swap out the cranberry filling to use this beautiful pastry technique year-round.
- Pesto and Feta Wreath (Green Theme): Skip the cranberry and fill the base with basil pesto, crumbled feta cheese, and finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Garnish with basil or oregano.
- Goat Cheese and Fig Wreath: Use crumbled goat cheese or cream cheese instead of Brie. Spread with fig jam and sprinkle with slivered almonds. This offers a tangy, salty-sweet contrast.
- Bacon Jam and Smoked Gouda Wreath: For a savory twist, fill the center with caramelized onion and bacon jam and substitute the Brie for cubes of smoked Gouda cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme.
- Spicy Pecan Wreath: Mix 1/4 cup of hot pepper jelly (like jalapeño) with the cranberry sauce for a kick of heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make the Cranberry Brie Wreath ahead of time? Yes! This recipe is excellent for make-ahead prep, which reduces holiday stress.
- Full Assembly (24 Hours): Assemble the wreath completely (fill, shape, twist, and egg wash). Place the entire baking sheet, uncovered, in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. Then, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, place it directly in the preheated oven, adding 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing (Up to 1 Month): Fully assemble, freeze until solid, then transfer the wreath (off the baking sheet) to a large freezer bag. When ready to bake, place the frozen wreath back on a parchment-lined sheet and bake from frozen, adding about 15-20 minutes to the total bake time.
- My Brie leaked out! What did I do wrong? Brie leakage is usually caused by two things:
- The Pastry Seal: The edges of the two pastry sheets must be firmly pressed together to contain the filling.
- Baking Temperature: Ensure your oven is fully preheated to 400∘F. If the temperature is too low, the Brie will melt and seep out before the pastry has time to set and puff up.
- Can I use crescent roll dough instead of puff pastry? Yes, you can substitute two sheets of seamless crescent roll dough (the kind that comes in a rectangular sheet) for the puff pastry. The resulting wreath will be softer and slightly breadier than the flaky puff pastry, and the baking time will likely be 5-8 minutes shorter.
- Do I have to use homemade cranberry sauce? No. High-quality canned whole-berry cranberry sauce works perfectly and is a great time-saver. If you use canned jellied cranberry sauce, you may want to stir in a few chopped pecans for texture.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Leftovers are delicious! Place any leftover wreath segments on a baking sheet and reheat in a 325∘F (160∘C) oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pastry is warm and slightly crisp. Avoid the microwave, which makes the pastry soggy.
This Cranberry Brie Wreath is the elegant, simple solution to your holiday appetizer dilemma. Enjoy the compliments!
Don’t forget to Pin this stunning recipe for later and share your favorite holiday appetizer shortcut in the comments below!
Cranberry Brie Wreath
This cranberry brie wreath is a stunning holiday appetizer featuring crescent roll dough filled with creamy brie and sweet-tart cranberry sauce, shaped into a festive wreath. Perfect for Christmas entertaining.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange crescent roll triangles in a circular wreath shape on the baking sheet, overlapping slightly with points facing outward.
- Place brie cubes and small spoonfuls of cranberry sauce along the base of the triangles.
- Fold triangle tips over the filling toward the center, tucking them under to seal the wreath.
- Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and chopped pecans if desired.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs before serving warm.
Notes
Serve warm for the best gooey cheese texture. You can prepare it ahead of time and bake right before serving. Garnish with rosemary sprigs for a festive look.