Holiday appetizers are some of my favorite things and this Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread just might be topping my list. Who could resist an ooey-gooey molten cheesy treat like this? A lightly toasted boule of bread filled with the creamy goodness of melted brie, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts make this an irresistible pull apart delight. The thing I love most about this appetizer is that it just could not be any easier to prepare as well as delicious. Just what we all need this holiday for sure!
This is one of those recipes that I really enjoy making. There is not a lot of measuring or detailed instructions to follow, you really can’t go wrong.
What you need to get started………….
Boule of Bread – Any kind of round bread works for this and you can pick the size based on the number of people you are planning to serve. This style of bread comes in various sizes. I like a soft sour dough myself, I have tried using a multigrain and found it was a bit too tough but that was just me, it is totally up to your likings.
Wheel or Wedge of Brie – Triple cream is always my favorite type of brie, but any will be good. The amount of cheese you will need will depend on how big of a boule you have and also how cheesy you want this to be.
Dried Cranberries – The natural tart sweet of the dried berries cuts through the richness of the brie and butter, so don’t short yourself on these.
Brown Sugar – The brown sugar coats the walnuts and brings a little sweet crunch to the dish.
Butter – Things are always better with butter of course. I use unsalted.
Chopped Walnuts – I love the flavor and texture nuts bring to this bread. There is no need to toast the nuts, just chop them up and let the brown sugar coating toast them.
Let’s make this…….
Start by heating the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Also line a baking pan with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Cut into the boule using a serrated bread knife. Make cuts horizontally and vertically into the loaf stopping about a half an inch from going through making one inch pieces. When you cut the second direction you need to hold the loaf in shape so as not to tear off any pieces.
Stuff half of the butter into the cuts followed by hunks of the brie.
Pinch together half of the butter with the brown sugar and chopped nuts to for a “streusel”. Crumble over the loaf making sure to get in the cuts.
Top it off with a bit more brie and dried cranberries
Bake the bread for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the bread is toasted. Serve straight out of the oven.
I did not cut the rind off the brie and as you can see it did not completely melt in the oven. If this bothers you or if you are serving guests you might want to remove the rind from your brie.
Easy holiday appetizer recipes for an incredibly delicious brie stuffed pull apart bread.
- 1 Round loaf of bread
- 1 Wheel or Wedge of Brie
- 3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, divided
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
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Position shelf in center of oven and heat to 350°F.
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Slice the bread in to one inch pieces cutting both directions. Be careful not to cut all the way through the loaf.
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Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into small pieces and work them into the cuts.
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Cut chunks of the brie and tuck them into the cuts even across the entire loaf.
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In a small bowl pinch together the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the brown sugar and nuts to create a crumble. Drop evenly in to the cuts. Spread the dried cranberries over the loaf.
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Place the loaf on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasted.
Boule or round breads come in many sizes so pick one for the size of group you are serving.
Also the amount of cheese you use is up to your personal liking. Pile it on as you wish!
