Melty pieces of Brie cheese tucked inside personally-sized pieces of golden, buttery puff pastry, then topped with cranberry sauce, pecans, and a sprig of rosemary for festive color, these tasty morsels are a total show stealer. This easy Brie bites are the low-maintenance version of my mini Cranberry Brie Bites, which are essentially like bite-sized versions of a wheel of Brie wrapped in puff pastry. They are delicious but labor intensive. So much stamping and sealing! Today’s version? DEAD SIMPLE. Instead of making little pockets of puff pastry, you cut the pastry sheets into squares, then tuck the squares into mini muffin tins. Add your cheese and the topping of your choice (our favorite is this quick Cranberry Orange Sauce), sprinkle with nuts, then pop them into the oven. In 18 to 20 minutes, your stunning appetizer is ready to serve. We’ve attended a cache of holiday parties, and I have brought some version of these tasty Brie bites to every single one of them. A new party will come along, and I’ll think “I’ll make something else this time!”…and then I find myself right back here. Can you blame me? These brie bites wow the crowd each time I make them. They’re easy on the chef (me!), and since they can be prepped in advance, it’s easy to make them in bulk, then freeze all or a portion until party time.
How to Make Easy, DELISH Cranberry Brie Bites in Puff Pastry
The Ingredients
Puff Pastry. My holiday appetizer secret weapon! I love using this simple, buttery, and flaky freezer staple any chance I get this time of year (and my guests love it too). You can find puff pastry in the freezer section at your local grocery store (buy extra and use it for Spinach Puffs).Brie Cheese. If you have never tried Brie cheese, you need to make this recipe immediately. Brie cheese is buttery, unbelievably creamy, and proves that heaven on earth does, in fact, exist.Cranberry Sauce. I love the combination of the sweet cranberry sauce with the nutty Brie cheese flavor. I used my Homemade Cranberry Sauce here, but you could also use any jam you like.Sea Salt. A pinch of good, flaky sea salt makes the other flavors pop. Don’t skip it.Pecans. The pecans add a nice crunch and special flare.Rosemary. A sprig of fresh rosemary is delicious and beautiful on each Brie bite. Plus the red and green makes them look perfect on a holiday plate.
The Directions
Quick Tips: How to Prepare Brie for Brie Bites
Do I Need to Cut the Rind of Brie Before Baking? No, you do not need to remove the rind before baking the Brie. It is edible and barely noticeable once the Brie is baked. If you prefer to cut the rind off, you can cut it off and use only the inside, but I find it wastes a lot of cheese.I recommend popping the Brie into the freezer for about 15 minutes before preparing the recipe. This will make it easier to slice into pieces for these bites; Brie is so creamy, it tends to come part otherwise (delicious for regular snacking but less convenient for a Brie appetizer).
Recipe Variations + Topping Suggestions
Cranberry Brie Bites. Now that we’ve enjoyed a wide sampling of these baked Brie bites, I feel confident playing favorites. Our #1 is the version of the bites topped with homemade cranberry sauce.Raspberry Brie Bites. This was a close second, made using store-bought raspberry jam in place of the cranberry sauce. Quick and delicious!Fig Brie Bites. I used fig butter purchased at Trader Joe’s; fig jam would work as well. Since figs are quite sweet, I recommend dialing it down to ½ teaspoon per bite. (Are you a fan of figs like me? Be sure to check out these Mini Fig Goat Cheese Bacon Phyllo Bites.)Apricot Brie Bites. The next flavor of jam I want to try. Honestly, the jam possibilities are endless!Pepper Jelly Brie Bites. Sweet and spicy! Use pepper jelly in place of the cranberry sauce.Savory Brie Bites. Instead of jam, use a store-bought savory chutney. Pesto (like these Pesto Pinwheels) would be ultra tasty too.Switch Up the Nuts. Swap the pecans for chopped walnuts or pistachios.
Another fun option is a Brie bite variety plate: Arrange the puff pastry and Brie in the muffin tin as directed. Top some of the pieces with raspberry, some with cranberry, some with pesto, etc. You can use a mix of nuts as well. Then, let guests sample and choose their favorites. Prefer goat cheese over brie? Try these Goat Cheese Balls instead.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
To Store. Store leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.To Reheat. Place bites in a mini muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees F until warmed through. You can also serve these bites at room temperature.To Freeze. Bake the Brie bites as directed and let cool completely. Then arrange the bites in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place in the freezer until solid. Store the frozen bites in a single layer in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, reheat directly from frozen in a 350 degree F oven until hot.To Make Ahead. Fully assemble the bites in the muffin pan, and refrigerate them unbaked for up to 3 days before baking. You can also fully bake and freeze these bites for up to 2 months. See notes on this above.
Mini Muffin Pan Recommendations + A Note on Batch Size
This recipe yields 48 bites, which means that you can either:
Bake ONE Batch (fastest option) using two, 24-cup muffin pans like this. Bake both pans at the same time, placing one pan in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third of the oven; switch the pans’ positions once halfway through.Bake FOUR Batches using two, 12-cup mini muffin pans like this. Bake two pans at the same time, rotating the pans’ positions as directed above.And if you only have one mini muffin pan of any size you can bake these bites in as many batches as it makes sense. I own two, 12 cup pans, so I baked 24 bites (filling both pans) one day, froze the bites, then baked the second 24 bites the next day. I reheated the frozen bites just before party time. No one could tell the difference!
Enjoy the holiday festivities more and stress over what to bring to a holiday party less with these simple, sublime cranberry Brie bites!
