Description
Elegant bite-sized appetizers featuring golden puff pastry cups filled with creamy melted brie cheese and sweet-tart cranberry sauce. These easy Cranberry Brie Bites are ready in just 20 minutes and perfect for holiday parties, cocktail hours, or any entertaining occasion.
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (8–9 oz), thawed
8 oz wheel of brie cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (rind on)
½ cup cranberry sauce (homemade or quality jarred)
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
All-purpose flour for dusting
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously spray or butter a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
2. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet and roll gently to smooth out fold lines, creating approximately a 10×12 inch rectangle.
3. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 24 equal squares (4 rows by 6 columns), each about 2 inches square.
4. Press each pastry square gently into a mini muffin cup, creating a small cup shape with pastry coming up the sides slightly.
5. Brush the edges of each pastry cup lightly with egg wash for golden color.
6. Place one cube of brie cheese (about ½ inch) in the center of each pastry cup.
7. Top each brie cube with about ½ teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Don’t overfill.
8. If using nuts, sprinkle a few pieces over each bite.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown, and cheese is completely melted and slightly bubbling.
10. Remove from oven and let cool in the tin for 3-5 minutes. This allows cheese to set slightly.
11. Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to gently lift each bite from the tin.
12. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle each bite with a small amount of honey.
13. Garnish with small fresh rosemary sprigs or a light dusting of black pepper.
14. Serve warm for the best melted cheese experience.
Notes
Puff pastry should be cold but pliable when working with it. Thaw in refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 40 minutes.
The white rind on brie is completely edible—keep it on for structure and flavor.
Don’t overfill with cranberry sauce or the pastry will become soggy. Keep to ½ teaspoon per bite.
Assemble unbaked bites up to 4 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate, then add 2-3 minutes to baking time.
Freeze unbaked assembled bites for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen, adding 5 minutes to cooking time.
Baked bites can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350°F for 5-7 minutes—don’t microwave.
For crispier bottoms, bake on the lowest oven rack.
Try variations: fig jam with blue cheese, pepper jelly, or apricot preserves.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 bites
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe, brie appetizer, puff pastry bites, holiday appetizer, party food, easy entertaining