Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pumpkin

This Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pumpkin is the perfect Halloween party food. This is melty cheese season after all and there is nothing more delicious than baked camembert or brie wrapped in puff pastry. I love it with a generous serving of cranberry sauce as the sweet tangy cranberry works so well with the rich creamy cheese.

I make a version of this at Christmas but I couldn't resist this Halloween inspired version. And it's so easy to make! Serve on a board with grapes, crackers, crusty bread and a little extra cranberry and enjoy! If you do want other festive recipes, I am obsessed with these Air Fryer Pigs in Blanket - they would be delicious on a board alongside these baked brie with garlic, if you are feeling really indulgent.

Why you will love this Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry in Puff Pastry:

• It is simple and easy but still looks impressive. Ideal for entertaining.
• It can be made ahead. Perfect for fuss-free entertaining -
• It is full of delicious flavours. Imagine creamy Camembert, tart cranberry sauce, and buttery, flaky puff pastry. 
• It uses budget-friendly, accessible ingredients.

You will need the following ingredients:

See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements

Brie - this is a soft ripened cheese from Northern France. It has a creamy texture and buttery, slightly mushroomy, flavour. When ripened, it has a beautifully soft texture. Once baked (like in a Brie en Croute) it becomes even more gooey.

Garlic - I find 2 cloves is perfect here. As they bake with the brie, they mellow and infuse the cheese with a roasted garlic flavour which is so delicious.

Cranberry sauce - you can use homemade or shop bought. The tart, fruity flavour pairs perfectly with creamy Brie or Camembert.

Ready-rolled puff pastry - I always keep a packet of ready-rolled pastry in the freezer. It is such a time-saving hack. Try to use an all-butter version if you can.

Plain flour - also known as ‘all-purpose flour’. This will help prevent the pastry from sticking to your hands.

Egg - I always use free-range eggs. I also recommend using large eggs stamped with the British Lion mark.

Flaky sea salt - this helps bring out the flavours in this Baked Brie with Garlic recipe. I recommend Maldon Salt Flakes. Their chilli or garlic flavours are both delicious here too.

Warm crusty bread - slices of warm bread or toast are perfect for mopping up the melted cheese once you have sliced into it.

All you need to make the pumpkin is a little string, or garden twine and a cinnamon stick!

Substitutions and Variations

Brie: You can also use camembert here as it will taste the same and melt well too. I use whatever I can find. I wouldn't use something like a cheddar as it doesn't melt the same way. You could try this with a small wheel of goat's cheese too if you like that.

Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry feels rather festive this time of year which is why I like it here but other jams like fig, apricot or blackberry jam would work too. The sweetness of the jam with the cheese is so good. Or try with a caramelised onion chutney or tomato chutney too. You just want it to be sweet.

Garlic: I think garlic works perfectly here but you could swap for herbs (or add herbs alongside!) You could insert sprigs of thyme or rosemary into the slits on the brie for a little twist on the classic.

Here's how to make this simple Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

ONE: Preheat the oven to 220 C/200 Fan. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Using a sharp knife, score the brie on top in a criss cross pattern.

TWO: Insert pieces of garlic into the slits. Then spread over the cranberry sauce.

THREE: Unroll the pastry and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place the cranberry topped brie in the centre cranberry side down. Wrap the pastry around it like a parcel, round it out with your hands. Flip it over.

FOUR:Wrap the string or yarn around the pastry parcel being careful not to make it too tight as you don't want to pierce the pastry. Wrap it round twice to create 6 segments on your "pumpkin" and tie in a bow at the top with the folded pastry on the bottom.

FIVE: Brush generously with the whisked egg to glaze. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes - or until the pastry is puffed up and golden and the filling is gloriously golden and oozy.

SIX: Place onto a flat plate, carefully remove the string - scissors are helpful here! And serve with a cinnamon stick popped in the middle to replicate a pumpkin.  Serve alongside warm crusty bread and extra cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Shaping The Pumpkin: Of course, the pumpkin shape is very cute and festive for the period but if you are making this at another point of the year or don't have string/twine, you can make this as a little baked brie parcel. I would just wrap the brie with the pastry, round it out with your hands and flip it over so the seams are underneath. Then skip the twine step, and continue on with step 5. You could decorate with any pastry offcuts, cutting them into any shape you like and laying on top.

Tying The Twine: When you are tying the twine around the parcel to create the pumpkin shape, be careful to not pierce the pastry as you don't want to give the cheese any opportunity to leak out. You also want to avoid any pastry mishaps. If it's pierced, it may puff up in weird areas and not look as uniform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Recipes You Might Like

Comfort food is so important this time of year. Cooking warm and cosy things that are uncomplicated is my love language and I have plenty of ideas for you. If you are in a festive mood, try my Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets. They are really easy and save on oven space when you might be short on it when cooking a roast dinner. I also recommend my Maple Glazed Carrots. They are sweet and tender, just how they should be. For a hearty dinner, my best-ever Chicken Mini Pot Pies are just perfect. You cannot beat it when it's chilly outside. For something sweet, try this Apple and Blackberry Crumble. It's such a trusty recipe, good every single time. You can amend it depending on which fruits you have on hand. Or this Melt-in-The-Middle Chocolate Cake is for chocolate lovers. This is truly such a decadent dessert, I really love this recipe.

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments…  I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!

Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pumpkin

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This Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pumpkin is the perfect Halloween party food. Serve on a board with grapes, crackers, crusty bread and a little extra cranberry and enjoy!

• Author: Margie Nomura
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
• Category: Dinner Parties
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Halloween
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Baked Brie pumpkins:

• 1 x 250g wheel of Brie (or Camembert)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp good-quality cranberry sauce
• 320g all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Flaky sea salt

To serve:

• 1 x cinnamon stick
• You will also need a length of string, or twine
• Warm crusty bread or toast
• Cranberry sauce

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C/200 Fan. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
2. Using a sharp knife, score the brie on top in a criss cross pattern. Insert pieces of garlic into the slits. Then spread over the cranberry sauce.
3. Unroll the pastry and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place the cranberry topped brie in the centre cranberry side down. Wrap the pastry around it like a parcel, round it out with your hands. Flip it over.
4. Wrap the string or yarn around the pastry parcel being careful not to make it too tight as you don't want to pierce the pastry. Wrap it round twice to create 6 segments on your "pumpkin" and tie in a bow at the top with the folded pastry on the bottom.
5. Brush generously with the whisked egg to glaze. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
6. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes - or until the pastry is puffed up and golden and the filling is gloriously golden and oozy.
7. Place onto a flat plate, carefully remove the string - scissors are helpful here! And serve with a cinnamon stick popped in the middle to replicate a pumpkin.  Serve alongside warm crusty bread and extra cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Chill time: You can skip the chilling time. I find the chilling is important to get the extra flaky texture with the puff pastry but it's still going to be delicious even if you don't have time to chill it.

Make ahead: you can prepare this Baked Brie with Garlic and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pumpkin the day before up until the first egg glaze. Then cover and chill in the fridge overnight. Bake as instructed, 25 minutes before you wish to serve.