Cranberry & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Wreath

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

The combination of buttery puff pastry with tart cranberries and tangy goat cheese offers a special flavor.
Healthy gut and heart ingredients like cranberries and pistachios are packed into this tasty treat.
Substitute Brie for goat cheese for a creamy texture and walnuts for holiday flair.

Whether you’re hosting a holiday meal or looking for the perfect potluck dish, our Cranberry & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Wreath is sure to impress. Tart cranberries and tangy goat cheese are enveloped by buttery puff pastry and topped with heart-healthy pistachios for a festive appetizer you’ll want to make (and eat!) again and again. Keep reading for our expert tips, including smart substitutions to use in this recipe for an equally delicious result.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

If you’re preparing this recipe during the winter holidays, you should be able to find fresh cranberries. You can also use frozen cranberries or even opt for premade cranberry sauce to save time.
If your puff pastry wreath is warm after shaping it, put it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. It needs to be chilled to ensure it rises properly in the oven.
If you don’t have 11-inch and 4-inch bowls to help you cut your pastry dough, feel free to use any size bowl and roll out the pastry dough less or more to accommodate.
You can substitute thin slabs of Brie for the goat cheese and use walnuts or pecans instead of pistachios.

Nutrition Notes

Cranberries are packed with heart-healthy antioxidants called anthocyanins. They also have proanthocyanidins, the compounds that keep bacteria from attaching to the bladder, which can help reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. Buy them fresh when you can, but you can get the same nutritional benefits all year round with frozen cranberries.
Tangy goat cheese gives this recipe its creaminess, and a serving of goat cheese has as much protein as a serving of nuts. Goat cheese also has calcium and phosphorus—making this a great choice to maintain healthy bones.
Pistachios, even as a garnish, offer extensive health benefits. As they’re a source of copper and selenium, adding pistachios to your diet can help reduce inflammation in conditions like osteoarthritis and exercise-induced inflammation. They also contain potassium and fiber, which are beneficial for heart health and digestion.

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Ingredients

1/2x

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Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 (4-ounce) log goat cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted pistachios
2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 1 cup cranberries, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice in a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries start to soften and break down, about 10 minutes. Mash with a fork or potato masher until jammy. Pour into a medium heatproof bowl; stir in salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cooled completely, 20 to 30 minutes.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Once the cranberry mixture is cool, place thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 12-inch square. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Invert an 11-inch-diameter bowl onto the center of the dough and use a sharp knife to cut around the edges; discard the edges or reserve for another use. Invert a 4-inch bowl onto the center of the pastry round and lightly score around the bowl with a knife, being sure not to cut through the dough. Remove the bowl; using a sharp knife, cut 4 slits through the smaller scored circle to form 8 triangles meeting in the middle.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Spoon the cranberry mixture around the outside of the center circle, leaving about a ½-inch border around the outer edges of the dough. Crumble 1 (4-ounce) goat cheese log on top of the cranberry mixture. Pull the center point of each triangle up and over the filling to meet the outer edge of the circle; dab a finger in egg wash and pinch to seal. Repeat with the remaining 7 triangles. Brush the pastry evenly with egg wash; discard any remaining egg wash.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Bake until golden brown and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons pistachios and drizzle 2 tablespoons honey over the filling. Cut into 8 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower

To make ahead

Prepare the cranberry sauce (Step 1) up to 1 week in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

The fully assembled cranberry goat cheese wreath is best enjoyed on the day you make it. However, if you have leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. While it may not be as crispy as freshly made, it will still be delicious.
Can I use crumbled goat cheese instead of a goat cheese log?

We recommend using a goat cheese log for this recipe to achieve a soft and creamy result. Crumbled goat cheese will not provide that texture.
What can I do with extra puff pastry?

If you have leftover puff pastry, there are several delicious ways to use it, similar to how you might use extra pie dough. You can cut it into fun shapes and create a sweet dessert that can be dusted with powdered sugar and served with your favorite dessert sauce. Alternatively, you can turn it into crispy puffed crackers seasoned with your favorite spices and spreads. You can also use the puff pastry to make fruit tarts or pigs in a blanket. If you’re not ready to use it right away, store it in the fridge for 1 to 2 days or put it back in the freezer.

Recipe developed by Marianne Williams

EatingWell.com, December 2024

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

274	Calories
16g	Fat
26g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size 1 slice
Calories 274
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 26g	10%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 9g
Added Sugars 5g	10%
Protein 6g	13%
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 4g	20%
Cholesterol 30mg	10%
Vitamin A 52Âµg
Vitamin C 3mg	3%
Vitamin D 0Âµg
Vitamin E 0mg	3%
Folate 27Âµg
Vitamin K 6Âµg
Sodium 227mg	10%
Calcium 34mg	3%
Iron 1mg	8%
Magnesium 12mg	3%
Potassium 75mg	2%
Zinc 0mg	4%
Vitamin B12 0Âµg
Omega 3 0g

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by

Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS

and

Linda Frahm