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    Home » Recipes » Party Food » Crostini

    Cranberry Brie Crostini Appetizer

    Dec 23, 2019(updated Aug 19, 2024)

    By Michelle Weiner

    This easy Cranberry and Brie Crostini is a killer appetizer, fantastic for your next party! It definitely screams fall.
    No ratings yet
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    two pieces of crostini topped with brie cheese, baked cranberry sauce and orange zest on a brown cutting board

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Looking for a delicious and time-saving party appetizer? Turn to this simple and flavor-packed Cranberry Brie Crostini Appetizer! Toasted crostini topped with sliced brie cheese and homemade cranberry sauce packs layers of holiday flavors into an easy two-bite snack.

    close up of a piece of crostini topped with a slice of brie, cranberry sauce and orange zest

    The best Thanksgiving and holiday appetizer!

    We all need to take a little time off from the kitchen once in a while during the holiday season. All of the baking, mixing cocktails, and whipping up creative appetizers can really take it out of us!

    Thankfully, this appetizer is SO easy to make! It’s made up of 3 simple elements:

    1. Toasted crostini
    2. Sliced brie
    3. And homemade cranberry sauce

    All 3 elements can be made days ahead of time and even assembled a few hours before it’s time to eat. It’s the best appetizer to serve when you want to stay out of the kitchen and have fun at the party for once.

    Cranberry brie appetizer ingredients

    Small appetizer, BIG flavor. Head to the farmer’s market or grocery store to pick up this small list of fresh and flavorful ingredients:

    Cranberry sauce

    Guess what? Making cranberry sauce from scratch is actually really easy! All you need are fresh or frozen cranberries, sugar, and a handful of herbs and seasonings to really give it a flavor boost. Mix them all together, bake, and enjoy!

    If you can, use the freshest of ingredients when making cranberry sauce. That means freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and fresh rosemary. It’s definitely the best way to go.

    I like to make homemade cranberry sauce all throughout the holiday season for crostini appetizers, to top of baked brie, or as a simple flavor bomb next to the Thanksgiving turkey.

    ingredients to make cranberry brie crostini on a light grey surface and brown cutting board. There are sliced oranges, orange juice, cranberries, sugars, rosemary and orange zest.

    Brie

    Brie is truly one of my favorite cheeses. It’s a soft cow’s milk cheese from France that has a bloomy edible rind on the outside and a heavenly creamy center on the inside. A wheel of baked brie is delicious for dipping or you can keep it chilled to slice for cheese and meat boards and crostinis.

    Pro tip: Pop the wheel of brie in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before assembly. The cheese is much easier to slice when it’s firm and chilled.

    If you aren’t a huge fan of brie, camembert cheese, whipped ricotta, or another whole creamy, bloomy cheese like Mt. Tam work as delicious substitutes. 

    Crostini

    If there’s one thing you need to know how to make before the holiday season arrives, it’s crostini. These crispy pieces of toasted baguette are incredibly easy to make at home, store well on the kitchen counter and can be topped with radishes and butter, tomatoes and basil, or anything else you like. Also, who can resist that delicious crunch?

    The better quality bread you use, the better the crostini will taste. My preference is Trader Joe’s sourdough baguette but a French or whole wheat baguette will also work in a pinch. The baguette is sliced into rounds, drizzled with olive oil, then lightly toasted until they’re golden brown and crunchy.

    How to make cranberry brie crostinis

    These steps are SO easy! Whip the brie crostinis up in minutes, pass them around, and get back to partying. Here’s how it’s done:

    a close up of baked crostini, topped with flake salt, piled on an antique platter

    Step 1: Toast the crostinis and let them cool.

    a large bowl filled with fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest, chopped rosemary, and pepper.

    Step 2: Mix the cranberries, sugars, orange zest/juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.

    a white baking dish filled with the uncooked cranberry mixture.

    Step 3: Add the cranberry sauce mixture to a baking dish.

    a white baking dish filled with baked cranberry sauce and a large spoon in the middle.

    Step 4: Bake the cranberries until they burst.

    Cutting board with crostini being topped with brie and a cranberry sauce. There are orange peels and a wedge of brie on the board.

    Step 5: Place a slice of brie on the crostinis, add a spoonful of homemade cranberry sauce on top, and enjoy!

    Customize and enhance the flavors

    This easy party snack already has bursts of holiday flavors but these can always be customized or enhanced. Once they’re assembled, feel free to top the brie crostinis with: 

    • A small sprig of rosemary or thyme 
    • Toasted pecans or walnuts
    • Fresh orange or lemon zest
    • A drizzle of balsamic glaze

    large dark wood cutting board topped with crostini topped with brie and cranberry sauce.

    Can you make them ahead of time?

    Absolutely! ​​This is one of the best make-ahead cocktail party appetizers. Follow these tips before it’s time to party:

    • Crostini: Store the toasted crostini in a sealed ziploc bag or container in a cool dark place. They’ll say fresh for up to 1 week.
    • Cranberry sauce: The sauce only gets better as it sits. Make it in the oven up to 3 days before the party, let the batch cool completely, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It also freezes well for up to 6 months.
    • Final Dish: Assemble the crostinis up to 2 hours before the party. Once they’re assembled and set on a platter, cover it loosely and chill. It’s best to take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving so they aren’t super cold.
    Overhead of four crostini on a cutting board each topped with a slice of brie, cranberry sauce, and orange zest.

    Recipe

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    two pieces of crostini topped with brie cheese, baked cranberry sauce and orange zest on a brown cutting board

    Cranberry Brie Crostini

    This easy Cranberry and Brie Crostini is a killer appetizer, fantastic for your next party! It definitely screams fall.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Author: Michelle Weiner
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: christmas, easy, holiday, thanksgiving
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Makes: 16 servings

    Equipment

    • chef knife
    • oxo cutting board
    • baking sheet

    Ingredients

    Crostini

    • 1 baguette about 10 ounces
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon flake salt

    Cranberry Sauce

    • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
    • ½ cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • ⅓ cup orange juice
    • 2 teaspoons orange zest
    • 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    Assembly

    • 12 ounces brie cheese
    • Optional: extra orange zest and rosemary

    Instructions

    To Make Crostini

    • Prheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Thinly slice the baguette about ¼-inch thick. You'll need at least 48 slices.
    • Evenly place sliced bread on two baking sheets and lightly brush both sides with olive oil. 
    • Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
    • Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool before topping.

    To Assemble

    • Increase oven temp to 400 degrees.
    • Mix cranberry sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and trasfer to a 9x13 baking dish.
    • Bake until the berries burst, about 20 minutes.
    • Allow to cool completely, and chill until ready to serve.
    • Slice brie into 48 slices and place on the crostini. Evenly divide cranberry sauce among brie topped crostini.
    • Top with  a little extra orange zest and rosemary and serve!

    Watch the Video!

    Did you make this recipe?Share a pic and tag @cupofzest and use #cupofzest so I can see it!

    Notes

    • This post may contain affiliate links.
    • To make the brie easier to slice, pop it into the fridge for 15 minutes or so.
    • 1 serving = 3 pieces

    Nutrition

    Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 151IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
    « Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Pistachios
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    Michelle

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    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

    After of working in the culinary world for over 10 years, I'm sharing the skills I've learned with you here at Cup of Zest. I'm here to help you invite your friends over more and stress less when cooking for them. Glad you're part of the crew!

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