Cranberry Brie Bites

Name: Cranberry Brie Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: All-purpose flour (for dusting); 2 count box frozen puff pastry (thawed and refrigerated); 8 ounce wheel brie cheese (refrigerated); 1¼ cups cranberry sauce; ⅔ cup walnuts (finely chopped ); 24 fresh thyme leaves

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This easy Cranberry Brie Bites recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and calls for 5 ingredients that bake into the best small-sized bites.

Serve them as a simple holiday appetizer or pretty party snack, they’re so simple to assemble and bake with the perfect balance of tastes and textures.

Baked Brie And Cranberry Appetizer

The best Cranberry Brie Bites are easily made in minutes with brie cheese, cranberry sauce, walnuts, and fresh thyme, all piled and baked into a flaky puff pastry until bubbly and golden brown.

This simple cranberry brie recipe starts by pressing pre-made dough into a muffin tin and then filling it with small pieces of brie (if I stopped here it would be a bit boring!), then it’s topped with a spoonful of sauce, a sprinkle of nuts, and a leaf of thyme — beautiful and delicious.

Although salty brie and tart cranberry is a classic combination, this cranberry and brie recipe is endlessly customizable.

Brie too tangy? Choose a different cheese. Cranberry sauce too sweet? Swap it for pepper jelly.

Baked brie bites make adorable mini finger food and are so much easier to serve when there’s no scooping or spreading needed.

Why We Love This Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe

Quick and easy to make in 15 minutes.
Only uses 5 ingredients.
Rich and creamy brie pairs perfectly with sweet and tart cranberry sauce.
Melted cheese tucked inside a personal package of golden, puff pastry.
Pretty pops of festive color adds flavor and gives each bite a fancy feel.
Perfect bite-size appetizer for holiday celebrations, weekend brunch, or cocktail parties.

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Ingredients

All-purpose flour: You will not be baking with the flour. It is for dusting only.
Frozen puff pastry
Brie cheese
Cranberry sauce: If you have a homemade cranberry sauce you like to use, feel free to do so, otherwise canned cranberry sauce will work well.
Walnuts
Fresh thyme leaves

Substitutions and Additions

Pick Your Pastry: You can also use refrigerated crescent roll dough or even premade pie crust if necessary, although they may not be as flakey.
Choose Your Cheese: You can try this recipe with mozzarella cheese, gouda, or even a white cheddar cheese if you are hesitant about using brie or don’t have it on hand. Brie is the star of the show, so I recommend using it for this recipe.
Use Another Nut: Pecans, almonds, pistachios, or cashews are other options for this recipe.
Add Other Herbs: A sprig of fresh rosemary or parsley are substitutes that will work well for these bites.

Recommended Tools

Muffin pans
Cooking spray
Rolling pin

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How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites

Prepare The Pastry Puff: Roll out the dough into a 10×15 inch rectangle and cut it into 12 even squares. Press one square into each muffin tin.
Pro Tip: If you have two muffin pans you can prepare the other puff pastry sheet and muffin pan. Otherwise, leave the extra pastry in the refrigerator and prepare it after this pan has baked.
Assemble The Appetizer: Cut the brie into 24 pieces and place one in each pasty square. Top the cheese with cranberry sauce, walnuts, and one thyme leaf.
Bake The Bites: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes or until the bites bubble and the pastry turns golden brown.
Serve: Cool for five minutes, plate, and serve warm. Enjoy!

Tip From Our Recipe Developer

Brie does not have to be at room temperature before baking; you can bake it right from the fridge.
You do not need to remove the rind before baking your brie.

Storage

To Store: Store your cranberry and cheese bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
To Freeze: You can freeze these bites in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to two months.
To Reheat: To reheat from the fridge, place an bite in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel, for 20 seconds. Use the oven to reheat from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the thyme in this brie cranberry bites recipe?

Thyme leaves are an excellent addition to these bites and add a beautiful and savory component. However, you generally just want the leaves and not the entire stem of a thyme sprig.
If you place the thyme into the oven, as directed, the stem will cook and be easy to eat. But, eating the thyme leaves fresh is also a wonderful option, and if you decide to go that route, you will need to separate the leaves from the stem to make them more edible. You can either use a small paring knife to cut off the leaves or gently pull the leaves from the stem.

Can I make my brie and cranberry bites in advance?

Yes, you can make your bites ahead of time. Simply assemble the bites in the muffin pan, and refrigerate them unbaked for up to 3 days before baking. You can also bake and freeze these bites for up to 2 months.

Should I remove the rind on the brie before baking?

No, you do not have to remove the rind on the brie. My first time using brie cheese, I was shocked at the strange rind on the brie. Your first instinct may be to get this rind off, but you don’t need to worry about it. It will melt and disappear into the rest of the cheese and is completely edible. Just cut up the brie wheel like normal, including the rind.

Can I make my brie cranberry bites even smaller?

You can make these bites much smaller by using a mini muffin pan and slicing each pastry sheet into 24 squares instead of 12. This would make 48 total bites after using both pastry sheets, which means you will need to slice the brie into 48 pieces.
Use about a ½ Tablespoon of cranberry sauce and a smaller amount of walnuts. You will also need less amount of time in the oven, so check the bites after 12 minutes or so to see if they are finished.

What if I do not like cranberry sauce?

I used cranberry sauce in this recipe because I love the contrast in flavors between the sweet sauce and the salty brie. However, you can easily top your cheese with blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry jam, or even orange marmalade.

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5 from 7 votes