What is your favorite part of a holiday meal? I always look forward to a platter full of splendid appetizers. Half the fun comes from their bite-sized advantage, and the other half comes from the room for creativity. Cheese boards, charcuterie boards, veggie trays, you name it – there are plenty of exciting options to choose from! BUT, for an impressive yet unbelievably easy appetizer, you’ll have to make these Cranberry Brie Bites. Here you get buttery puff pastry filled with creamy Brie cheese, then topped with the seasonal favorites of cranberry sauce, candied pecans, and walnut pieces. Baked till golden crisp all around the edges, every morsel of these Brie Bites screams of merry deliciousness! Trust me, it’s going to make an impression.
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Brie Bites
Amazingly tasty! Each bite offers a mix of savory and sweet crunch that no one can resist.So easy yet so elegant – Oh, how festive and inviting these little bites will look on your holiday tray! Best of all, it takes little skill to make them. Fancy but easy!Ideal for make-ahead. That’s the best kind of appetizers because we don’t need the extra stress on the big day.Easy to customize – You can easily change up the nut toppings or the sauce.
You’ll Need Just 5 Ingredients
Frozen Puff Pastry – I’ve made so many holiday appetizers and desserts by using puff pastry! From my dead simple cheese tarts to apple tarts, puff pastry can really do magic! It’s seriously convenient and fail-proof. You can find puff pastry in the freezer section at your local grocery store.Brie Cheese – The soft, creamy cheese has a mild nutty and buttery flavor. Once baked, it melts beautifully against the golden puff pastry cups.Cranberry Sauce – The sweet & tangy cranberry sauce complements the Brie cheese flavor. I used my Homemade Cranberry Sauce, but you could also use store-bought apricot jam, strawberry sauce, blackberry jam, fig jam, or chutney.Candied Pecans or Walnuts – A little touch like the candied pecans and crushed walnuts add a sweet tantalizing crunch to the brie bites.Flake Sea Salt – A sprinkle of flake sea salt intensifies the flavor.(Optional) Fresh Thyme – Not just for the look, but fresh thyme adds a nice fragrance. You can sub with rosemary too.
Tips on Working with Frozen Puff Pastry
Thaw puff pastry, cover with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours, or just set it on the counter for 20-30 minutes (depending on the room temperature).Don’t unfold the pastry right away while frozen; wait a bit longer until the pastry unfolds easily.Gently roll out the pastry and avoid pressing hard, or it will not puff as nicely.Puff pastry works best when cold so it doesn’t stick and melt into your hands. If it comes to room temperature, put it back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until it feels firm but pliable enough to work with.Chill the prepared pastry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce & Substitutions
In this recipe, I used my homemade Easy Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce. It’s our family’s favorite and really easy to make, so I make this sauce frequently as long as fresh cranberries last in the store. You can also make a big batch and keep it in the fridge (for 2 weeks) or freezer (for 3 months). Substitutions – You can use your own cranberry sauce recipe, or substitute cranberry sauce with fig jam, apricot jam, blackberry jam, chutney, or any sauces/jams you have in your mind.
Can I Make Them Ahead and How to Store Them?
Do I get a YES when I say you can make these pastries ahead of time? There are two ways to do this:
Once you assemble the brie bites in the muffin pan, cover it with plastic, and leave them in the refrigerator unbaked for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, just pop the pan in the oven and bake.Assemble and bake the brie bites as the recipe instructed. Let cool, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and leave them in the freezer until harden. Then store the frozen pieces in an airtight container or ziplock in a single layer. They will be good for 2 months.
To reheat – just place the brie bites back in the muffin pan and bake 350ºF (177ºC) for about 10-15 minutes, or until nicely warm. I can’t tell you how much my family enjoys these Cranberry Brie Bites. So be sure to make more. They will likely steal the show!
Other Holiday Appetizers You Might Enjoy:
Cheese TartsJapanese Sweet Potato PieHow to Make a Cheese BoardEasy Apple PieBurrata Crostini with Ikura and Yuzu PepperPopovers with Strawberry Butter
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