Brie and Cranberry Toastie
Brie melts far faster than cheddar, so a brie and cranberry toastie needs a shorter cook, about 3 minutes in a standard toastie maker, and cold brie sliced straight from the fridge. Keep the rind on, place the cranberry sauce in the centre between the slices of brie, and add a handful of rocket or walnuts if you want contrast.
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Recipe: Brie and cranberry toastie
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bloomer or sourdough, trimmed to fit the plates
- 60g brie, fridge-cold, cut into 5mm slices with the rind on
- 1 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 10g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
- A small handful of rocket (about 5g)
- A few thyme leaves or a crack of black pepper
- 10g softened butter for the outside
Method
- Preheat the toastie maker with the lid closed.
- Slice the brie while it is still cold from the fridge. Warm brie squashes and smears instead of cutting cleanly.
- Butter one side of each slice. Place one slice butter-side down on the bottom plate and lay half the brie over it, leaving a 1.5cm border.
- Spoon the cranberry sauce into the centre, scatter over the walnuts and thyme, then add the rest of the brie on top.
- Top with the second slice, butter-side up, and close the lid gently.
- Cook for 3 minutes, checking at 2½. The outside should be golden and the brie just starting to ooze at the seams.
- Open the toastie, tuck in the rocket, close it again and rest for 1 minute before cutting.
Why the timing is shorter
Brie is a soft-ripened cheese with high moisture and fat. It goes from firm to fully molten at a lower temperature than a hard cheese like cheddar and then keeps on going, until it turns thin and oily and runs out of the seal. A standard 4–5 minute toastie cook overshoots; 3 minutes gives you a golden crust with a gooey but still-intact filling.
Starting with cold brie buys you time. The bread has a chance to brown before the cheese liquefies. The rind is edible and acts as a little structure, holding the slices together as they soften. If you dislike it, trim it off but cut the cook to 2½ minutes. Our guide to the best cheese for toasties explains how soft and hard cheeses behave.
Keep the sugar off the plates
Cranberry sauce is roughly half sugar. At toastie plate temperatures, sugar that escapes caramelises within a minute and then turns to black, sticky carbon that welds the bread to the coating. Placing it in a single central spoonful, with brie above and below, stops it reaching the crimp. Avoid spreading it on the bread itself.
If some does escape, unplug the machine and wipe the plates with a damp cloth while they are still warm (not hot). Cooled caramel sets hard. For stubborn residue, see why your toastie is sticking and our cleaning guide.
Other machines and methods
In a deep fill toastie maker, use 90g brie and 1½ tbsp cranberry; cook for about 4 minutes. A panini press suits this toastie well because a thicker sourdough doesn't need to be squeezed into a shell; cook 3–4 minutes. In a frying pan, cook over medium-low for 2 minutes a side (see frying pan toastie). In the air fryer, 180°C for 6–7 minutes.
Variations
- Turkey, brie and cranberry: add 40g sliced turkey and cook 4 minutes; the full leftovers build is in our Christmas leftovers toastie.
- Brie and fig: swap cranberry for 1 tbsp fig jam. Same sugar warning applies.
- Brie, bacon and maple: 2 rashers of crisp streaky bacon, with a drizzle of maple syrup added after cooking, not before.
- Camembert: works the same way but is stronger. Use 50g.
- Brie and apple: 4 thin slices of eating apple with a smear of honey mustard.
Mistakes to avoid
- Room-temperature brie: it melts too fast and leaks.
- Cooking the rocket: it wilts to nothing and goes bitter. Add it after cooking.
- Overfilling: soft cheese expands as it melts. Stick to 60g in a standard machine, and see how to stop toasties leaking.
- Bread that's too big: oversized sourdough won't seal. Check best bread for toasties.
More festive and cheesy ideas are in our toastie recipes hub, and if you're looking for a machine, the best toastie maker guide is the place to start.
FAQs
Should I remove the brie rind?
No need. The rind is edible and helps the cheese hold its shape. Remove it only if you dislike the flavour, and shorten the cook slightly.
Can I use cranberry jelly instead of sauce?
Yes. Jelly is smoother and a little firmer, so it spreads less. Use the same 1 tbsp and keep it in the centre.
Is brie safe in pregnancy if it's toasted?
UK NHS guidance says mould-ripened cheeses like brie are safe in pregnancy when cooked until steaming hot. A short, gentle toastie may not get there, so cook longer or choose a different cheese if this applies to you.