This cranberry brie bites recipe is a quick and easy appetizer to share! Puff pastry is sliced into squares, filled with cheese and cranberry sauce, then baked until gooey and crisp.
Recipe Science
- Cool puff pastry keeps the butter solid, creating steam during baking, which puffs up the dough for flaky layers.
- The white cheese rind is edible. Trim the sides to avoid chewiness, leaving the top and bottom intact to keep the cheese together.
- Brush the puff pastry cups with whisked egg for a golden, glossy finish. The yolk adds color, while the egg white adds shine.
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Why It Works
Are you looking for a festive holiday appetizer that is simple to make with gourmet results? These cranberry brie bites in puff pastry only require six ingredients to make a fancy starter. I use homemade cranberry sauce when the berries are in season. It’s easy to customize and to create exciting flavor combinations for the holidays and special occasions.
I took my stunning baked brie appetizer and turned it into a mini version! This makes it a lot easier for guests to grab and nibble. Use frozen puff pastry for a quick pastry to defrost and fill. It’s a delicious sweet, tangy, and savory hot appetizer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Puff Pastry: For convenience, use frozen puff pastry sheets. I use the Pepperidge Farm brand. However, I have seen all-butter and gluten-free options at the grocery store.
- Cheese: Use an 8-ounce wheel or wedge of brie cheese.
- Sauce: I fill the pastries with my homemade cranberry sauce. It’s the perfect sweet and tangy condiment for a festive holiday flavor.
- Egg Wash: When baked, the rich egg yolks and white add a golden hue and shiny finish to the puff pastry brie bites.
- Toppings: To add crunch, sprinkle nuts like pecans on top. Chop rosemary sprigs to add as an herbaceous topping for the appetizer.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This cranberry brie bites recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Pastry: Instead of puff pastry, try crescent dough for a more chewy, croissant-like texture.
- Cheese: Slice up pieces of swiss, gruyere, smoked gouda, or white cheddar.
- Sauce: Canned whole cranberry sauce is a good substitution. Instead of cranberry, use jams or preserved ones like strawberry, grape, apricot, orange marmalade, fig, or pepper jelly.
- Nuts: Add chopped pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or candied pecans.
- Herbs: Top with thyme, sage, rosemary, tarragon, or microgreens.
How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites
Step 1: Thaw the Puff Pastry
Defrost in the refrigerator the day before or for 40 minutes at room temperature. Keep the pastry in the packaging until ready to roll and bake. This keeps it from drying out. You want to work with the pastry while it is still cool but pliable. This ensures super flaky and crisp layers.
Step 2: Preheat the Oven
Position the oven rack in the center for even heat distribution, and preheat to 400ºF (190ºC). This temperature ensures the brie melts perfectly while crisping the pastry to golden perfection.
Step 3: Roll Out the Pastry
Roll the pastry sheets into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle and cut twelve 3-inch square pieces per sheet. This will yield 24 brie bites in total.
Arrange each pastry square into the cups so they fill the well and have some overhang on the edges.
Step 4: Prepare the Cheese
Although the white rind is edible, slice the sides off so the brie bites are not so chewy when bitten. You do not have to trim the top or bottom of the rind. It helps hold the soft cheese together when cutting.
Tips for Perfect Execution: It’s easiest to cut cold cheese into 24 small pieces, about 1 inch long and ½ inch wide. Any larger, and they won’t fit inside the pastry cups.
Step 5: Assemble
Lay each piece of cheese flat inside the cup.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each cup. It shouldn’t overflow over.
Step 6: Add Egg Wash
Brush the surface of the puff pastry cups with a whisked egg for a golden brown hue. The yolk adds a deep yellow hue, and the egg white makes the egg wash dry and shiny. You can skip this step, but the puff pastry will appear matte.
Step 7: Bake
Bake the brie bites at 400ºF (200ºC). The high temperature quickly cooks the pastry so that the steam creates crispy layers. In about 10 minutes, the cheese will be hot and bubbly, and the pastry golden brown on the edges and bottoms.
I’ve noticed that some of the cheese may overflow onto the pan. No problem! Use a spoon or knife to scoop it back into the center of the cuts quickly. You don’t want to lose any of the delicious fillings!
Step 8: To Serve
Let the cranberry brie bites cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped pecans and fresh rosemary for extra crunch and aromatics. They taste delicious when served warm for crispy edges and a gooey, cheesy center.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not required because the white rind is edible. The top and bottom rinds hold the super-soft cheese together when slicing. The sides can be trimmed so the brie bites are less chewy.
Yes! The brie bites can be assembled, covered, and baked the next day. Let the pan sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so it’s not cold when added to the oven.
If cranberries are not in season, changing the filling with jam is easy. Delicious options include grape, strawberry, fig, cherry, apricot, and orange marmalade.
Crescent roll dough can be substituted for puff pastry. They are sold in 8-ounce tubes in sheets (preferred) or rolls in the refrigerated section. If using rolls, press the dough together so there are no cut marks. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to create a rectangle, then cut it into 24 squares. There will not be much overhang of the dough in the cup. Fill, egg wash, and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
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Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry sheets, defrosted if frozen
- 8 ounces brie, wheel or triangle
- ¼ cup whole cranberry sauce
- 1 large egg, whisked
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped, walnuts, or pistachios
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, or thyme, optional
Instructions
- Thaw Puff Pastry – Thaw the frozen package overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter until pliable but cool, about 40 minutes. Remove from its packaging when ready to use. If not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Preheat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat to 400ºF (190ºC).
- Prepare the Pastry – Roll the puff pastry sheet into a 12" by 9" rectangle. Cut into 3" squares to yield 12 pieces. Place into a mini muffin tin, forming a bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining sheet. There will be 24 pieces in total.
- Prepare the Cheese – Trim the rind off the sides of the cheese and cut it into 24 even-sized pieces, about 1" long and ½" wide.
- Assemble – Add a slice of brie and 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce to the center of each puff pastry cup.
- Add Egg Wash – Brush the surface of the puff pastry corners with the whisked egg.
- Bake – Bake until the edges are puffed up and golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. If the cheese overflows onto the tin, spoon it back into the center of the pastry cups. Cool in the warm tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving tray.
- To Serve – Garnish with pecans and rosemary. Serve while still warm.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 350ºF (177ºC) until the pastry is warm and crisp.
- Using Crescent Dough: Use an 8-ounce tube of refrigerated crescent dough sheet. Roll into a rectangle, and cut into 24 pieces (they will be smaller than the puff pastry). Fill, egg wash, and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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