If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, flavor-packed dish to brighten up your holiday table, the Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe is your new go-to. It’s a cozy, shareable bread bursting with melty Brie, tangy cranberry, and fragrant herbs—perfect for sipping hot cider and gathering loved ones around. Trust me, it’s as fun to pull apart as it is delicious to eat, making every bite feel like a festive celebration.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
This recipe effortlessly combines sweet, savory, and herbal flavors into one stunning centerpiece. I love how simple it is to prep but feels elegant enough for holiday guests. You’ll notice the dough bakes up golden and soft, with pockets of gooey Brie melting against bursts of tart cranberry sauce. It’s a fantastic way to add festive cheer without fuss.
- Texture you want: Pull-apart balls that are tender yet sturdy enough to hold gooey Brie inside.
- Flavor that pops: The pop of fresh thyme and rosemary alongside sweet-tart cranberry makes every bite interesting.
- Everyday ingredients: Pantry staples like canned biscuit dough keep it easy, no fancy prep needed.
- Works for any night: Great for holidays, parties, or a cozy snack night with friends.
Ingredient Spotlight
The heart of this Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe is its fresh herbs and quality cheese. Using full-flavored Brie along with fragrant rosemary and thyme will take this from good to memorable. Also, canned biscuit dough makes it approachable even if you haven’t baked bread before.
- Biscuit dough: I always go with refrigerated canned dough for stress-free, fluffy balls.
- Brie: Choose rind-on Brie for that rich melt and slightly nutty flavor—cut into even cubes for best results.
- Fresh herbs: Thyme and rosemary add earthy brightness and an aromatic punch that pairs beautifully with cranberry.
Seasonality & Sourcing
Fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary are easiest to find year-round at most grocery stores or farmers’ markets, but they’re especially abundant and vibrant in fall and winter—perfect for this holiday recipe. When shopping for Brie, aim for a creamy, ripe wheel from the cheese counter for best melt quality. Frozen cranberry sauce can work in a pinch, but whole-berry canned sauce has that fresh, homemade vibe that elevates the bread’s flavor.
Step-by-Step: How to Make It
Step 1 — Prep & Preheat
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and generously spraying a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. This will ensure your pull-apart bread comes out smoothly without sticking. As you open the biscuit dough cans and separate the biscuits, gently tear each into halves—don’t mash them—then flatten slightly in your palm before adding the Brie cube. A common hiccup here is overflattening the dough, which can make the balls dense rather than pillowy. Keep it light and fluffy!
Step 2 — Cook & Build Flavor
After you’ve enclosed the Brie in dough balls and layered them in the Bundt pan with herbs and cranberry sauce, pop the pan into your preheated oven. Bake it for about 40 minutes until the dough turns a gorgeous golden brown and you can see the cranberry sauce bubbling on top. If the tops brown too fast, tent with foil to avoid burning while allowing the cheese to melt inside fully. Underbaked dough will be doughy and not pull apart nicely—so watch for that color and bubble as your cues.
Step 3 — Finish & Rest
Once baked, transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread rest for 10 minutes. This pause lets the Brie settle and the cranberry sugars thicken slightly, preventing a runny mess when you flip it out. After inverting onto a serving plate, you’ll be greeted with that toasty, jeweled pull-apart beauty. Serving it warm keeps the Brie luxuriously melty, but it also holds up well for a short while if guests take their time.
Troubleshooting Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
If your pull-apart bread ends up dry, try brushing the dough balls with melted butter before baking next time for extra moisture and richness. For bland bites, be generous with your fresh herbs or swap plain cranberry sauce for one with bits of orange zest or spices. If the bread feels soggy, be sure not to overload the cranberry sauce layers and allow adequate cooling time to firm up before serving.
Pro Tips
From my kitchen to yours, a few tricks will keep this recipe flawless every time. The dough balls should be snug but not packed too tightly in the pan, so they expand nicely and pull apart effortlessly. Fresh herbs really make a difference, so avoid dried if you can—thyme and rosemary should be bright and fragrant. Also, timing is everything: don’t skip the cooling step to avoid runny cranberry sauce spills. Finally, check your oven temperature with a thermometer when baking refrigerated dough—it varies and affects browning.
- Heat control: Keep the oven steady at 350°F to avoid dough drying before cheese melts.
- Timing window: Bake 40 minutes; check at 35 to avoid over-browning the cranberry’s edges.
- Make-ahead move: Assemble the pan a few hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate; bake right from cold.
- Avoid this pitfall: Don’t overfill the pan; it needs space for dough balls to rise and pull apart.
Variations & Substitutions
Never hesitate to swap ingredients for your family’s preferences. You can trade Brie for camembert or a milder cheese like mozzarella if you want less richness. Cranberry can be replaced with apricot preserves or even fig jam for a different festive touch. Use dried herbs if fresh aren’t available, but toss them in at half the amount since they’re more concentrated. For a dairy-free option, vegan cheese and a fruit-based spread can work surprisingly well.
Great Debates
One classic question: butter or oil on the dough balls? I’ve tried both, and while buttery brush adds richness and helps browning, a light olive oil coating can lend a slightly crisp exterior and keeps it dairy-friendly. Another debate is whether to include the Brie rind. I keep it on for extra flavor and texture, but you can trim it if you prefer a milder bite.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
This dish shines fresh but can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge covered tightly in plastic wrap. Reheat in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes until warm and melty again. For freezing, bake fully, cool completely, then freeze wrapped tightly in foil and plastic. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in the oven. This keeps your textures intact, from soft dough to melty Brie and intact cranberry topping.
Yield & Conversions
This Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe yields one 10-cup Bundt pan’s worth—perfect for serving 8 to 10 guests as an appetizer or side. For a smaller gathering, halve the recipe and bake in a smaller cake pan, adjusting timing to about 30 minutes. Doubling is possible with two pans, but keep spacing consistent for best rise. Metric? Use about 900 grams of biscuit dough, 450 grams Brie, and 400 grams cranberry sauce for accuracy.
Serving Ideas & Pairings
This pull-apart bread pairs wonderfully with warm drinks like mulled cider or a crisp white wine. Serve alongside a simple green salad dressed with a tangy vinaigrette to balance richness. If you want to go savory, offer alongside a charcuterie platter or roasted nuts for a full holiday spread. You’ll love how effortlessly this bread becomes the centerpiece that brings it all together.
FAQs
Absolutely! Homemade biscuit dough works beautifully; just make sure it’s a sturdy dough that can hold the Brie without falling apart. Keep the dough chilled before assembling for easiest handling.
While fresh cranberries are delicious, they’re too tart and firm for this recipe. The canned whole-berry cranberry sauce provides sweetness and a jammy texture that melds well with the cheese and herbs.
Make sure to pinch the dough around the Brie cube fully sealed with no gaps. Also, keep cubes reasonably sized (about 1-inch) so the cheese melts but doesn’t overflow early.
Yes! Use vegan biscuit dough or a similar dough substitute and replace Brie with your favorite dairy-free cheese alternative. Choose a fruit spread without gelatine to swap the cranberry sauce if needed.
Notes, Tools & Special Equipment
A 10-cup Bundt pan is ideal for creating the pull-apart loaf shape, but a fluted tube pan or regular cake pan can work if you adjust spacing. Nonstick spray is essential to prevent sticking, especially with the sugary cranberry sauce. A sharp knife for cubing Brie evenly helps with consistent dough wrapping. For checking oven accuracy, a quick oven thermometer comes in handy since baking times can vary with biscuits.
PrintPrintable Recipe 📖
Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
This Easy Cranberry and Brie Holiday Pull-Apart Bread is a festive and cheesy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. Soft biscuit dough is stuffed with creamy Brie cheese, layered with fresh herbs and whole-berry cranberry sauce, then baked until golden and bubbly. It makes a beautiful centerpiece that’s deliciously shareable and bursting with seasonal flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 (16-oz) cans refrigerated biscuit dough
- 1 lb rind-on Brie, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (14-oz) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Thoroughly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Dough Balls: Open one can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate into individual biscuits. Tear each biscuit in half. Flatten each piece of torn dough in your palm and place one cube of Brie in the center. Carefully pinch the dough around the cheese to fully enclose it, then roll the sealed dough into a small ball. Repeat this process for all dough pieces and Brie cubes.
- Layer the Ingredients: Arrange a layer of the cheese-stuffed dough balls evenly in the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle one-third of the chopped thyme and rosemary over the layer, then evenly spoon one-third of the whole-berry cranberry sauce on top. Repeat this layering process twice more, finishing with a top layer of cranberry sauce.
- Bake: Place the Bundt pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cranberry sauce is bubbling on top.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the pull-apart bread onto a serving plate so the cranberries are on top. Serve warm and enjoy pulling apart the cheesy, sweet, and savory bread.
Notes
- Use rind-on Brie for added flavor, but ensure it is cut into small cubes for easy melting inside the dough.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary provide a fragrant herbal touch; feel free to adjust amounts according to preference.
- Refrigerated biscuit dough makes this recipe quick and easy; for a homemade touch, use your favorite biscuit dough recipe.
- Serve warm for best texture and flavor; leftovers can be reheated briefly in the oven.
- This pull-apart bread pairs well with holiday meals or as a festive appetizer.
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