Cranberry Brie Bites with Puff Pastry are little pastry cups filled with creamy Brie, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, and chopped pecans, then finished with fresh rosemary. Two sheets of puff pastry make 48 mini appetizers for a party, holiday gathering, or a snack board; bake them for 18-20 minutes at 375°F and serve warm or at room temperature.
This is a good place to use leftover homemade cranberry sauce. The pastry does the fancy-looking work, but keeping it cold is what helps the little cups hold their shape. Plan to thaw it in the refrigerator the night before.
Ingredients You'll Need
Puff pastry, Brie, cranberry sauce, pecans, flaky sea salt, and rosemary make the bites; flour keeps the pastry from sticking, and cooking spray prepares the pans. The recipe card below has the amounts.
- Frozen puff pastry: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and keep chilled.
- Brie: Leave the rind on and cut into small pieces.
- Cranberry sauce: Use leftover homemade cranberry sauce or canned whole-berry sauce.
- Pecans: Chop finely so a little crunch fits in each cup.
- Flaky sea salt: Use less if you prefer.
- Fresh rosemary: Divide into small garnish pieces and add after baking.
- All-purpose flour: For the rolling surface.
- Nonstick cooking spray: Thoroughly grease the mini muffin cups.
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Fig preserves, cherry preserves, or apricot jam can replace the cranberry sauce. Chopped walnuts can replace pecans, or leave the nuts out entirely.
Refrigerated Crescent dough cut into small squares works in a pinch. Puff pastry is the choice for the flaky layers shown here; do not confuse the two doughs when shopping.
Tools That Make It Easier
I use these tools when I make Cranberry Brie Bites with Puff Pastry.
- Two 24-cup mini muffin pans
- Rolling pin
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Fork
- Measuring cups and spoons, including a 1-teaspoon measure
- Two rimmed baking sheets
- Small offset spatula for loosening and lifting
- Oven mitts
You'll also need an oven, refrigerator, and freezer for the baking and chilling steps. Have an airtight container ready if you plan to save leftovers.
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Buy Now → How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites
1. Prep the pans and Brie
Thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator. Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds and thoroughly grease two 24-cup mini muffin pans; chill the Brie in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then leave the rind on and cut it into 48 small pieces.
2. Roll and cut the pastry
Lightly flour the work surface and roll one sheet into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle, keeping the second sheet refrigerated. Cut a grid with 4 columns and 6 rows to make 24 pieces.
3. Fit the pastry cups
Fit one pastry piece into each mini muffin cup, gently pressing against the bottom and sides. Pierce each pastry base a few times with a fork.
4. Fill and chill
Add one piece of Brie and 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to each cup, then divide half the pecans and half the flaky salt over the first pan, using less salt if preferred. Refrigerate the filled pan while you repeat with the remaining pastry and ingredients.
5. Bake until golden
Set each muffin pan on a rimmed baking sheet and place one on each oven rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes, exchanging the upper and lower pans halfway through, until the pastry is risen, golden at the edges, and baked through.
6. Rest and garnish
Rest the bites in their pans for 3 minutes, loosen the edges carefully, and lift onto a serving platter. Finish each with a small piece of rosemary and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for Flaky Pastry Cups
Keep the pastry cold and pause for a short refrigerator chill if it becomes soft or sticky. Work with one sheet at a time so the second sheet stays easy to handle.
Use the small portion of filling in the method: one piece of Brie and 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce per cup. The rimmed baking sheets catch overflow without changing the amount of filling.
With one mini muffin pan, keep the remaining ingredients refrigerated while the first batch bakes. Cool the pan before refilling; a hot pan works against that cold-dough handling.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Refrigerate cooled bites in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To bring back the crisp pastry, reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, until heated through and crisp.
Can You Make Cranberry Brie Bites Ahead?
Yes-bake, cool, and freeze the bites without their rosemary garnish for up to 2 months. Freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then move to a freezer-safe container.
Reheat from frozen at 350°F for approximately 15-20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil if the edges brown too quickly, and add fresh rosemary before serving; an overnight assembled-raw holding time has not been provided for this recipe.
What to Serve with Cranberry Brie Bites
Serve these bites with sliced pears, grapes, cured meats, and olives. Sparkling cider or a crisp white wine works alongside the sweet-tart cranberry and creamy cheese.
Easy Individual Charcuterie Cups for Parties
Cranberry Pomegranate Jalapeño Dip
How to Make an Epic Charcuterie Board for a Crowd
For a party spread, add Charcuterie Cups and Cranberry Pomegranate Jalapeño Dip. My guide to building a charcuterie board helps pull the rest of the tray together.
A Few Questions Before You Bake
Do I need to remove the Brie rind?
No. Leave the rind on for these bites; the brief freezer chill makes the cheese easier to divide into the 48 small pieces needed for the pastry cups.
Can I use a regular muffin pan?
This recipe is written for two 24-cup mini muffin pans and 48 bites. A regular muffin pan changes the cup size and portions, so the provided filling amounts and baking time do not establish a tested regular-muffin version.
How many pastry pieces come from each sheet?
Each sheet makes 24 pieces. Roll the sheet to 10 by 14 inches and cut 4 columns and 6 rows; the pieces are small rectangles, not equal-sided squares.
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Recipe
PrintCranberry Brie Bites with Puff Pastry
Cranberry Brie Bites tuck creamy cheese, cranberry sauce, and pecans into flaky puff pastry cups. These 48 little appetizers are finished with fresh rosemary.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Resting Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 48 bites 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- 8 ounces Brie cheese
- 1 cup leftover homemade cranberry sauce or canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided into 48 small garnish pieces
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pans
Instructions
- Thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator. Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds and thoroughly grease two 24-cup mini muffin pans. Chill the Brie in the freezer for about 15 minutes, leave the rind on, and divide it into 48 small pieces.
- Lightly flour the work surface. Roll one pastry sheet into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle while keeping the other sheet refrigerated. Cut 4 columns and 6 rows to make 24 pieces.
- Fit each pastry piece into a mini muffin cup, pressing gently against the bottom and sides. Pierce each pastry base a few times with a fork.
- Add one piece of Brie to each cup, followed by 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce. Distribute half the pecans and half the flaky salt over the first pan, using less salt if preferred. Refrigerate the filled pan while you repeat with the remaining pastry and ingredients.
- Set each muffin pan on a rimmed baking sheet and place one on each oven rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes, exchanging the upper and lower pans halfway through baking. The pastry should be risen, golden at the edges, and baked through.
- Rest the bites in their pans for 3 minutes. Loosen the edges carefully and lift onto a serving platter. Finish each bite with a small piece of rosemary and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Timing: Thaw frozen puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator. Prep is 25 minutes; bake 18-20 minutes, then rest 3 minutes. Overnight thawing is additional; no exact number of hours is specified. The single cook-time field uses the upper end of the tested range.
Substitutions: Replace cranberry sauce with fig preserves, cherry preserves, or apricot jam. Chopped walnuts can replace pecans, or omit nuts. Refrigerated Crescent dough cut into small squares can replace puff pastry in a pinch.
Pastry handling: Keep dough cold until baking. If it softens or becomes sticky during assembly, refrigerate briefly before continuing.
Batch baking: With one mini muffin pan, refrigerate remaining ingredients while the first batch bakes. Let the pan cool before refilling; sequential batches take additional elapsed time.
Serving: Serve alongside sliced pears, grapes, cured meats, and olives, with sparkling cider or a crisp white wine.
Storage: Refrigerate cooled bites in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, until heated through and crisp.
Freezing: Freeze cooled bites without rosemary on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for approximately 15-20 minutes, loosely covering with foil if the edges brown too quickly. Add fresh rosemary before serving.
Equipment: Two 24-cup mini muffin pans, rolling pin, cutting board, chef knife, fork, measuring cups and spoons with a 1-teaspoon measure, two rimmed baking sheets, small offset spatula, oven mitts; oven, refrigerator, and freezer. Optional storage equipment: airtight container, freezer-safe container, and foil for shielding during reheating.
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