Appetizers aren’t always seasonal, but this easy cranberry brie crescent ring appetizer is just perfect for the Fall and Winter! This cranberry brie wreath is so pretty to look at, and I’m sure it would make an impressive Christmas wreath. This pineapple crescent wreath appetizer is the perfect appetizer for holiday entertaining.
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Of course there’s more to this Pillsbury brie and cranberry wreath than how it looks. The important thing is how it tastes! Well I can tell you this crescent wreath appetizer is delicious and well worth making.
Pineapple Cranberry Brie Crescent Ring Appetizer Ingredients
There are two components in this easy cranberry brie crescent ring appetizer. You need to make the Pillsbury brie and cranberry wreath first and then the spiked cranberry sauce.
Using canned crescent rolls makes things easy. You will also need butter, sugar, maple extract, pineapple juice, pecans, and cranberries. Oh, and of course the brie itself!
Cranberry Brie Wreath Instructions
Yes this Christmas wreath looks very elegant but don’t worry – it’s easy to make! Once you have all the ingredients to hand, you can get started. You need to unroll the crescent rolls and arrange them around a bowl in a circle. Take a look at the picture and you’ll see what I mean. Now melt the butter and dissolve the sugar in there.
When the butter is golden, you can add the pineapple juice and maple extract. After this, combine the cheese, cranberries, pineapple and nuts in a bowl with some of the butter mixture. Spoon this all over the dough and then fold it over. Now all you need to do is brush the rest of the melted butter on top and bake it for about 35 minutes.
You can expect plenty of flavour from this easy cranberry brie crescent ring appetizer. The tang of the brie contrasts so well the sweet flavours in this baked cranberry brie appetizer. It’s best served warm from the oven with the cranberry sauce for dipping.
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
There are various tweaks you can apply to this crescent wreath appetizer if you want to change it up a little. First of all, although brie is the main ingredient in this dish, feel free to sub camembert instead.
Use shelled pistachios or walnuts instead of pecans if you prefer, or raisins in the place of dried cranberries. The brown sugar can be swapped for white sugar or even your favourite artificial sweetener. Also, you can adjust the sweetness in this easy cranberry brie crescent ring appetizer since it’s pretty sweet and so is the cranberry sauce you’ll serve for dipping.
Try using honey butter crescent rolls for a truly festive flavour. I bet adding some smoked forest ham to the filling would also work brilliantly.
To strengthen the fruity flavour, you might like to add some orange zest to the filling mixture. Feel free to make any tweaks you want to this easy cranberry brie crescent ring appetizer you want. I’m sure you are going to love this Christmas wreath!
Don’t forget to make the Spiked Pineapple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce for dipping!
Can You Make this Cranberry Brie Crescent Ring Appetizer Ahead?
This Pillsbury brie and cranberry wreath is one of those appetizers it’s best to make just before serving. Not only because it’s served hot but also because if it does cool down, the cheese will firm up again and not be all ooey-gooey!
Saying that though, you could always assemble it in advance then bake it later in the day. Some of the filling might leak through the dough but you can try it. I wouldn’t make it more than 24 hours ahead, for the best result.
Can You Freeze a Crescent Wreath Appetizer?
Freezing and thawing can change the texture of the cheese a little, but you can still freeze it. Afterwards, just bake it until it’s golden brown and hot all the way through. I have NOT tried freezing this myself though so I can’t promise anything about how it will come out!
What’s So Special about Brie Anyway?
If you’re a cheese lover, like me, you will already know brie is one of the most delicious cheese options out there! The way it tastes and melts makes it the perfect choice for this crescent wreath appetizer. Brie is rich in vitamins and minerals, Vitamin B12 and riboflavin in particular.
The blooming white mould rind is a real delicacy – nothing else tastes quite like it. Brie is rich, earthy and perfect for baked cranberry brie recipes.
If you like this pineapple cranberry crescent wreath appetizer, you might like this Perfect Cranberry Cosmopolitan Cocktail, Cranberry Lemon Pistachio Cookies or The Best-Ever Texas Cowboy Caviar Dip.
Pineapple Cranberry Brie Crescent Ring Appetizer Recipe
Pineapple Cranberry Brie Crescent Ring with Spiked Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Cans crescent roll 8 oz
- 1/4 Cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Teaspoon maple extract
- 2 Tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1/2 Cup pecans chopped
- `16 Ounces brie
- 1 Cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 Cup pineapple crushed and drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prepare ingredients. Remove crescents from the can and separate into individual triangles. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the bowl you will be using for dip into the center.
- Make a shingle pattern circle with the crescent triangles surrounding the bowl. It should look like a sunburst pattern. Remove the bowl.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until combined. Cook for 5 minutes to lightly brown the butter. Remove from heat, stir in the maple extract and pineapple juice.
- Add sliced brie, dried cranberries, crushed pineapple, and chopped pecans into a medium mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the melted butter and stir until well combined. Spoon mixture over the dough ½” from the center. Fold dough over the cheese towards the center. Tuck the ends under the center.
- Brush the top of the crescents with remaining butter.
- Place into the oven on the center rack and bake for 35 minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Everything in this cranberry brie wreath works so well. The buttery, flaky pastry, melted brie cheese, pineapple and sweet maple cranberries all come together beautifully. So if you’re looking for a tasty holiday appetizer, make this edible Christmas wreath! Don’t forget to make the Spiked Pineapple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
This looks so good! Love that it has pineapple in it
Oh yum, I’d love this so much. I love cranberries and brie, so this would be a hit.
I’ve made this with apricot preserves but this combo sounds better! This would make an awesome appetizer for Thanksgiving.
You had me at Brie! The photos are beautiful…I bet this is delicious!
THis looks spectacular, I love cranberries. But I’m not too fond of Pinapple. I like it in somethings, but others I don’t…
I’m drooling just thinking about this!