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This easy cranberry brie bites recipe is made with puff pastry, brie and dried cranberries. An elegant holiday appetizer everyone loves and perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Mini Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Appetizers
I have been making these bite sized appetizers for Thanksgiving and Christmas for a few years now. The combination of creamy brie cheese, tangy cranberries and flaky pastry is absolutely delicious, and my family always devours them in no time.
While brie cranberry bites are easy to prepare, they can be tricky to get just right. The first time I made them, the result was not pretty, but my family ate them anyway. I finally perfected the technique — because holiday appetizers should look as good as they taste!
Try my cranberry jalapeno dip, baked brie with jam or cranberry orange meatballs next!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a quick run-down of the three ingredients you need. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Puff pastry — I love puff pastry dough for these appetizers, but you can use a can of crescent roll dough. Look for the pastry in the freezer section of your grocery store. It needs to be thawed before using, so either thaw in the fridge overnight or about 2 hours before making the bites.
- Brie — usually in the gourmet section of most grocery stores. You will need about 8 ounces. If you can only find a larger wheel of brie, that’s fine because you may want to double the recipe!
- Dried cranberries — I use Craisins. While most recipes use cranberry sauce, dried cranberries aren’t as messy and won’t overflow while baking. You can definitely use the sauce if you prefer, though.
- Optional garnish — A fresh sprig of rosemary is optional, but looks so pretty with the red cranberries and adds a nice woodsy flavor. Either chop a few leaves or place a couple in the bites after baking. I like to add a little flaked salt for extra flavor, as well.
How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites
First, you need to roll the dough, then cut it into 24 squares. Place the squares into a prepared mini muffin pan and bake for about 8 minutes. Then, slice the brie into 24 cubes, and place each piece of brie into the center of the baked pastry. Top with a few cranberries, and bake for another 8 minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and some flaky salt, if desired. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Storage and Make Ahead
Brie bites are best served warm and usually consumed quickly. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat the cranberry bites in the oven at 300 degrees until warm. To make brie bites ahead of time, you can bake the pastry, allow to cool and finish assembling the bites before baking a second time.
Recipe Tips
Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. You can sprinkle a little flour on the rolling pin to make rolling easier, if needed.
Freezing the brie for 10-15 minutes before slicing makes it easier to cut.
Don’t slice the brie too small or it may be absorbed by the pastry while baking. 1-inch cubes work great. You can put 2 smaller cubes together if needed. You do not need to remove the rind on brie.
Non stick cooking spray works best for making the bites easy to remove.
If the cheese does melt over the top of the mini muffin tin, you can use a knife or spoon to push it back into the pastry right after baking.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 8 oz wheel of brie
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- rosemary sprig optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- Roll the thawed puff pastry sheet into a 10×12 rectangle about ⅛ inch thick
- Cut the pastry into 24 squares about 2 inches wide. You may have to trim the sides a little to make the squares even
- Spray a mini muffin tin lightly with non stick cooking spray
- Place a square of puff pastry into each muffin cup
- Bake on the middle rack for 8 minutes, then remove
- Slice brie into 24 cubes, about 1 inch thick. You may have to combine thinner pieces to make a larger piece
- Place 1 cube of cheese into the middle of each pastry cup
- Top with 4 or 5 dried cranberries
- Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the pastry is light golden brown and cheese is melted
- Place a sprig or 2 of fresh rosemary into each pastry. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove to a serving plate
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Tried this on the family. They loved them. Pretty easy to make and tons of flavor. Going to have these for our next dinner party.
So glad you liked the recipe, Tim!