Brie Christmas Tree Appetizers

Let the countdown to the holidays begin with my Brie Christmas Tree Appetizers. Wedges of Brie transform into festive treats and make the perfect addition to your holiday spread. These edible trees are bright, creamy, fresh, savoury, sweet and couldn’t be more delicious! Arrange them on your favourite holiday platter, eat and be merry!

My Brie Christmas Tree Appetizer recipe starts off with a large wheel of Brie. This soft and creamy French cheese, traditionally made from cow’s milk, is known for its mild yet earthy flavour and butter-like consistency and texture. The Brie is cut into equal wedges and halved, forming trees. A pretzel stick is inserted halfway into the base of each of the wedges of Brie, forming the trunk of a tree, and serving as an edible skewer. These cheesy trees are dipped into honey, adding sweetness, while also serving as the binding agent for the colourful “decorations”.

Every Christmas tree needs a little sparkle by way of lights, ornaments, garlands or tree toppers. That’s where the cranberries, fresh herbs and ground pepper come in! Dried cranberries mimic ornaments, adding a pop of colour, chewy texture and some sweetness. While the fresh herbs, specifically dill, mint and parsley, give these trees their signature green colour, some added texture and earthy, fresh, fragrant and minty tasting notes. Some freshly ground pepper is added to the mix to balance out all the flavours and give these trees a subtle bite! All the ingredients combine to create a creamy, crispy, crunchy, chewy, refreshing, rich, soft, sweet and satisfying bite.

My Brie Christmas Tree appetizers are the epitome of finger food done right! These tasty little gems are a must try for your holiday party or New Year’s Eve festivities. Make them, arrange them on a platter and watch them quickly disappear! This easy appetizer recipe couldn’t be more delicious, comes together in 15 minutes and uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more fun and exciting holiday appetizers, try my Pigs in a Blanket Holiday Wreath, Cranberry Brie Bites, Stuffed Figs, Cucumber Salmon Bites and Baked Brie with Honey recipes!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 8 - 12 (Makes 16 Christmas trees)

Ingredients:

• 450g wheel of Brie

• 16 gluten-free or regular pretzel sticks

• ¼ cup honey

• ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh dill fronds, finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

• ½ tsp coarsely ground pepper

• Crackers, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preparing the Decorations: Pour the honey into a small plate and set aside.

2. Add the chopped cranberries, dill, mint, parsley and ground pepper to a shallow, medium bowl. Mix all the ingredients until fully incorporated and set aside. 

3. Forming the Trees: Unwrap the wheel of Brie and place it onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the Brie into 8 equal wedges and cut each wedge in half lengthwise.  

4. Creating the Tree Trunks: Grab a Brie wedge, insert half of the pretzel stick into the base, leaving the other half exposed. This will serve as the tree trunk or skewer. Repeat the process for the remaining pieces of Brie and pretzels. 

5. Decorating the Trees: Dip the Brie tree into the honey, cut side down, shaking off any excess honey.

6. Place the Brie tree into the cranberry and herb mixture, pressing down ever so slightly to help the “decorations” adhere to the honey. Repeat the process for the remaining trees.

7. Arrange the Brie Christmas Trees onto a large plate or serving platter. Enjoy them on their own or serve them alongside your favourite crackers.