Cranberry Brie Appetizers Make Holiday Entertaining Easy

Cranberry Brie Appetizers are the perfect combination of sweet, tart and savory that harmonize perfectly in a single bite. They’re a great crowd-pleasing appetizer and a delicious way to liven up any gathering.

Perfect for holiday entertaining or a romantic date night, these cheesy, fruity bites are sure to tantalize taste buds and leave guests wanting more.

The inspiration for these Cranberry Brie Appetizers came a few years back when we forgot to put the cranberry sauce on the table with the main course at Thanksgiving.

It wasn't until the cheese course, which we always have with dessert in typical French fashion, that anyone noticed. Before long several of us were adding it to the top of our brie. Delicious!

Spicing up the Homemade Cranberry Sauce

For this recipe I made a simple cranberry sauce with cranberries, sugar and orange juice (instead of the usual water) and spiced it up with some gingerbread spices.

If you want it spicy instead of the gingerbread spice, add one half to one whole finely dice jalapeno or Anaheim pepper (seeds and membranes removed) instead.

Don't want to go to the effort to make the cranberry sauce? Don't. Use canned sauce instead. I won't judge.

Serve Cranberry Brie Bites Hot or Cold

To serve it you could just put the brie on a plate, top with the cranberry sauce and add some bread and a knife and let people help themselves.

Or if you want a hot appetizer, smear the brie on the bread, broil for a minute or two then top with a little sauce ...

You can smear the bread with the brie and keep it in the fridge until your party starts. Then just pop them in the broiler and top with the cranberry sauce.

Easy and elegant appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Eve festivities.

Recipe

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Ingredients

 

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½-1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness desired)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅙ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅙ teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces brie
• 1 baguette or several French bread rolls (thinly sliced)

Instructions

 

• Combine cranberries, juice, sugar and spices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until berries are popped and sauce begins to thicken. Refrigerate to cool.
• To serve hot: Smear a small amount of brie on each slice of bread. Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce and serve.
• To serve cold: place brie on a large plate, top with sauce and place bread slices on the side.

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Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey