If you are looking for a great 3 ingredient appetizer for the holiday season these Cranberry Brie Bites are it! Easy to assemble they are a crowd favorite and they can even be prepped ahead of time!
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Brie and Cranberry Bites
I never turn down baked brie, warm gooey goodness, yum! It is one of my favorite things…
My least favorite thing about it is how awkward it is to eat! Taking turns cutting some with a knife, making sure no one is looking when you go back for thirds…
These brie bites are game changers! Easy to make ahead, easy to place on a platter, easy for guests to serve themselves! No having to wait your turn to cut some off with the knife. Just grab and go!
Serve these appetizers with some delicious drinks like Thanksgiving Punch, Apple Cider Moscow Mule, or a Cranberry Bourbon Smash.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry – The hero of the holiday season in my opinion. You will need to sheets, which is how many is in most packs. Keep the puff pastry in the freezer until 60 to 45 minutes before you are ready to make the brie bites.
- Cranberry Sauce – You can go store bought or homemade for this! If you are looking for a recipe, I have to you covered with my Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe.
- Brie – You will want the 8 ounces round of brie. And yes you will leave the outside rind on when you go to cut it up and bake it.
- Spray Cooking Oil – This can be your favorite cooking spray, whatever you do just remember to use some, the brie bites will be hard to get out if you forget (trust me I speak from experience). I like to use an olive oil spray.
- Optional: Your Favorite Nut – Some people will hate the idea of adding a pinch of nuts, some will love it. When testing this recipe I got in the habit of doing half with and half without and I thought it worked out well. As far as what nut to use I test with both walnut and pecan and liked them both (although I liked the pecan a little more). You could also go with pistachio. Whichever one you choose you will want to finely chop the nuts, a little goes a long way when adding them to the brie bites.
For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.
pro tip
The thawing of the puff pastry isn’t built into the prep time. I find that puff pastry usually takes about 45 minutes to thaw at room temperature. You will want to make sure to take the puff pastry out of the freezer 45 to 60 minutes before you are ready to make the the cranberry brie bites.
Instructions
15 minutes before you are ready to make the brie bites place the brie cheese, in the wrapper but out of the box if applicable in the freezer. This makes it much easier to cut into pieces.
Preheat oven to 400º F. Spray the muffin tins generously with cooking oil.
Roll out the first thawed puff pastry onto a cutting board. Using a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equally parts. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Transfer the cut puff pastry to the muffin tins.
Take the cold brie out of the freezer, unwrap. Cut the cheese into 24 equal parts. (To make it easier to cut 24 pieces I like to cut the brie into quarters and cut each quarter into 6 pieces.)
Place the pieces of brie into the puff pastry lined muffin tins.
Using a spoon scoop about 1 heaping teaspoon of cranberry sauce overtop each of the pieces of brie.
If wanting to use nut place a pinch of finely chopped nuts overtop the cranberry sauce.
Transfer the muffin tins to the oven. Bake 11 to 13 minutes until the cheese is melty and the pastry is golden brown. Let rest 3 to 5 minutes before using a butter knife to carefully loosen the edges and take out the brie bite. Transfer to a platter to serve.
tips, tricks and questions
Can you make cranberry brie bites ahead of time?
Yes! You can assemble the brie bites cover and place in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before you are ready to cook them and serve them.
Can I swap out the cranberry sauce for jam? And what would the best jam be for brie?
Yes! Make these brie bites your own. You can swap out the cranberry sauce for your favorite jam. Some good jams to try that go well with brie would be fig, apricot, or raspberry jam or preserves.
Have an awkward amount of cranberry sauce left?
Make my Leftover Cranberry Sauce Margaritas!
Should you cut the rind off Brie before baking?
No. The rind is fully edible!
If you like this Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe you might also like:
Cranberry Brie Bites
The perfect finger food is these Cranberry Brie Bites! Think baked brie but in individual easy to serve bites. The Perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE eve, or any holiday party!
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 8 ounces brie
- Spray Cooking Oil
- optional: 2-3 tablespoons nuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- 15 minutes before you are ready to make the brie bites place the brie cheese, in the wrapper in the freezer. This makes it much easier to cut into pieces. Preheat oven to 400º F. Spray the muffin tins generously with cooking oil.
- Roll out the first thawed puff pastry onto a cutting board. Using a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equally parts. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Transfer the cut puff pastry to the muffin tins.
- Take the cold brie out of the freezer, unwrap. Cut the cheese into 24 equal parts. (To make it easier to cut 24 pieces I like to cut the brie into quarters and cut each quarter into 6 pieces.)
- Place the pieces of brie into the puff pastry lined muffin tins.
- Using a spoon scoop about 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce overtop each of the pieces of brie.
- If wanting to use nut place a pinch of finely chopped nuts overtop the cranberry sauce.
- Transfer the muffin tins to the oven. Bake 11 to 13 minutes until the cheese is melty and the pastry is golden brown. Let rest 3 to 5 minutes before using a butter knife to carefully loosen the edges and take out the brie bite. Transfer to a platter to serve.
Notes
The thawing of the puff pastry isn't built into the prep time. I find that puff pastry usually takes about 45 minutes to thaw at room temperature. You will want to make sure to take the puff pastry out of the freezer 45 to 60 minutes before you are ready to make the the cranberry brie bites.
This recipe makes 24, so if you don't have 2 muffin tins you will have to make them in 2 batches.
Cranberry sauce can be canned or homemade!
If you are feeling fancy and have the time I suggest garnishing the brie bites with a small sprig of fresh rosemary, it gives it such a festive look!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
2 brie bitesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g
Nutritional data is automated and might not be 100% accurate, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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My SIL brought these over and THEY WERE THE HIT OF THE PARTY. SO YUM!!
How do you prep the brie bites ahead of time?
I need to know how to store them and premade cooking time.
You can assemble the brie bites as per the instructions, cover with foil or wrap, and place in the fridge for 2 days before you are ready to cook them and serve them. Cook time should be the same about 11 to 13 minutes.
Are these mini muffin pans or standard size muffin pans? The recipes uses the word “bites”, but the pictures look like standard size muffin pans. Thanks for the help.
Standard Size Muffin Pans