• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Crumb: A Food Blog logo

  • Home
  • About Crumb
    • About Isabelle
    • Press, Awards and Contributions
    • Privacy Policy
  • About the Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Crumb
  • About Isabelle
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » christmas » christmas appetizers » Making Merry: Brie and Cranberry Bites

    Making Merry: Brie and Cranberry Bites

    Dec 5, 2013 · 25 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    It happened again... somehow, December just snuck up on me, stealthy and sneaky-like, bringing with it the usual round of parties and potlucks and baking and shopping and gift-giving and merry-making.

    Cranberry Brie Bites

    That doesn't exactly leave much time for baking, which is where these Cranberry Brie Bites come in.

    At this time of year I'm all about the easy appetizer recipes... probably because at our house, the holidays are synonymous with our big holiday Open House party. And when it comes to appetizers, it doesn't get easier than this.

    Four ingredients. Twenty minutes. That's literally all you need.

    Brie and Cranberry

    Holiday Entertaining Made Easy

    Our holiday open house has been an annual tradition for as long as we've lived in here. It's an excuse to cram our house full with as many friends, family and neighbours as we can possibly fit, and to cover every available surface in the house with various nibbles.

    And while some folks are all about the cookie platters, I think it's the savoury nibbles that are the star of the show. Forget the sweets - give me a fancy cheese board, some saucy meatballs, an assortment of dips and a few crostini, and I'm a happy camper.

    The trick, as I've learned, is to choose appetizers that deliver maximum flavour with minimum effort.

    Meat and cheese boards are a favourite because they can be quickly assembled at the last minute. Dips and spreads are also a good choice, because they can be made ahead and actually taste better after a few days in the fridge. Same goes for cheese balls.

    And obviously, these easy-peasy puff pastry bites with cranberry and brie.

    Cranberry Brie Bites

    Why These Brie and Cranberry Bites are the Perfect Holiday Appetizer

    I've been baked up dozens of batches of these bite-sized pastries over the years, and they've been a huge hit every single time.

    They bake up quick, so they're great as a last minute appetizer for impromptu guests.

    And they travel well, which makes them equally great for a holiday potluck at work, or to tote along to a friend's house for a casual get-together.

    And best of all, they're a great way to use up those cranberry sauce leftovers from Thanksgiving. (And if you don't have any leftovers, then it's the perfect excuse to get a head start on the cranberry sauce for your Christmas dinner... think of it as multi-tasking.)

    The only downside is that these little bites will disappear in half the time they take to make, so I'd strongly suggest popping a second batch into the oven before you put the first one out.

    I mean, that is why most puff pastry packages include two sheets, isn't it? :)

    Cranberry Brie Bites

    A Few Variations on This Recipe

    The beauty of this recipe is that it's actually a pretty basic formula - puff pastry, cheese, fruit, and some optional flavourings.

    From there, the only limit is your imagination (and your appetite).

    For example, I used it to make these equally delicious and equally easy Fig and Cheese Tartlets using a combination of fig jam, grated semi-soft cheese, and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.

    Other options you could try include sundried tomato pesto and cubes of soft feta. Or caramelized onions and grated Swiss cheese. Or pear jam and blue cheese.

    Feeling like something sweet instead? Then turn these into mini cheesecakes using your favourite pie filling and a dollop of sweetened ricotta.

     

    Cranberry Brie Bites

    More Easy Holiday Appetizers

    Need a few more quick and easy appetizers to add to your party menu? Look no further... I've got you covered!

    • Ridiculously Easy Roast Red Pepper Dip
    • Pineapple-Pecan Cheese Ball
    • Killer Artichoke Cheese Bread
    • Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Balsamic Fig Compote

    //

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Brie and Cranberry Bites


    ★★★★★

    4.3 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)
    • Total Time: 20 mins
    • Yield: 24 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    These little bite-sized puff pastry brie and cranberry bites have all the goodness of a fancy baked brie en croute, but come together in a fraction of the time.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
    • ½ cup cranberry sauce, preferably homemade
    • 1 green onion, very thinly sliced
    • 100g (3.5 oz) brie, cut into ½" cubes

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly spray the cups of a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray, and set aside.
    2. Unroll the puff pastry sheet onto a clean work surface, and cut into 24 equally-sized squares. Gently press the pastry into the cups of the prepared muffin tin.
    3. Nestle a cube of brie into each pastry cup, then top with a pinch of green onion. Using a teaspoon measure, drop a spoonful of cranberry sauce to top of the brie.
    4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden-brown on the edges. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a pretty plate and serve.

    Notes

    If you're not a fan of cranberry sauce, you can substitute a fruity jam of your choice - tart cherry, apricot or fig are all perfectly lovely choices!

    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 10 mins
    • Category: Appetiser

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @izzbell on Instagram

    //

    Don't forget to check out the rest of the Christmas treats by the Holiday Food Blog Party gang! Each photo is linked to a different post.

    Christmas Food Party on Jen's Favorite Cookies

    Red Velvet Parfait from Cravings of a Lunatic Cranberry & Brie Bites from Crumb Blog Soft Gingerbread Cookies from Roxana's Home Baking Coconut Spice Cake from Magnolia Days Gingerbread Biscotti from Created By Diane Caramel Biscoff Blossoms from That Skinny Chick Can Bake Mint Sandwiches from Jen's Favorite Cookies White Chocolate Cranberry Layer Cake from Pineapple and Coconut Candy Cane Kiss Brownies from Chocolate Moosey Triple Chocolate Buche de Noel from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle from Hungry Couple NYC Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More
    « Book Review: Butter Baked Goods and The Dunbar (plus a Giveaway!)
    Secret Recipe Club: Debesmanna (Latvian Cranberry Mousse) »
    1.8K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maggie Gillespie says

      November 6, 2019 at 8:24 am

      Can i make these a few days ahead?

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        November 8, 2019 at 3:27 pm

        Great question, Maggie! I generally don't recommend making these more than a day ahead, because the puff pastry just don't hold up very well and will start to go a little mushy in spots from the moisture in the cranberry sauce.
        I have made them the day before to take to parties or work potlucks, though, and they were perfectly delicious even after hanging out overnight at room temp in an airtight container.

        Reply
    2. EISCHENS, LEEANN says

      December 4, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      Could you make these ahead? Or prep them ahead at all?

      Reply
    3. Douglas Spencer says

      November 19, 2018 at 11:19 pm

      "Simple yet Superb"
      Advise first timers to scrimp on sauce to prevent overflow.
      I found only the very tip 1/2 " section of rosemary was soft enough. Anything further down the sprig tasted like eating a tooth pick. Is there another softer herb you'd recommend? Also found best time to be closer to 8 mins vice 10-12.

      Reply
    4. Laney Scheck says

      November 19, 2018 at 11:01 pm

      Question, can you make these a day ahead, how would you approach that exactly?

      Reply
    5. Bonnie F. says

      September 30, 2018 at 8:25 am

      I love brie and puff pastry but usually make one large one but thought this would be a more convenient way to serve it, so I thought I’d give it a try. Here are my thoughts. I cut my pastry up into 24 squares before I got out my mini muffin pan, only to discover a moment later, when I got out the pan, that one sheet of standard puff pastry (Pepperidge Farms) is waaaay too small to cut into 24 pieces. Now maybe you have a micro mini muffin pan or an exceptionally large sheet of puff pastry, but I wound up with squares that do not drape into the mini muffin tin but fall to the bottom and only come a little way up the sides. Consequently the the brie and cranberry runs out and you have a mess (a tasty mess that’s difficult to get out of the tin. Next time, I’ll cut pastry into 12-15 squares, so they nestle nicely into the pan (like in pix). I’d also cut down on the amount of cranberry/jelly used. A teaspoon is too much.

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        October 4, 2018 at 10:10 pm

        Oh dear! Thanks for the feedback, Bonnie. It sounds like the pastry sheets I'm used to are a different size than the Pepperidge Farm ones. I'll take some measurements and update the recipe the next time I have a chance - that way, you can choose to roll out your pastry to the right size so that you can still get the full 24 tarts!

        Reply
    6. Francie Skinner says

      November 27, 2014 at 3:06 am

      I have made something similar for my wedding 6 1/2 years ago. I used apricot fruit spread, feta cheese and caramelized onions. I just tried this with brie, cranberries and used the caramelized onions. I prefer them to green onions. Fabulous!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Jane says

      November 21, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      sprinkled with pecans...

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Bethany O'Neil says

      December 28, 2013 at 2:21 pm

      I used goat cheese instead and love it! Rave reviews from all my tennis friends!!!

      Reply
    9. Georgina says

      December 19, 2013 at 1:41 pm

      I made these last night and they were delicious! I used fig jam instead of cranberry and instead of the onion I topped with a few pieces of candied pecans. Yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe :)

      Reply
    10. PolaM says

      December 16, 2013 at 3:14 pm

      Lovely and easy too! I have to get a mini muffin pan so I can make these tiny, cute bites!

      Reply
    11. Eva says

      December 12, 2013 at 6:51 pm

      I love the combination of fruit and cheese. I'll keep these in mind for New Years.

      Reply
    12. Dina says

      December 11, 2013 at 5:39 pm

      these are great for a party!

      Reply
    13. Diane (createdbydiane) says

      December 9, 2013 at 12:47 am

      I just LOVE brie and cranberries, these look delicious!

      Reply
    14. Robyn says

      December 8, 2013 at 10:48 pm

      OMG i could eat a whole tray of those myself!

      Reply
    15. Carla says

      December 8, 2013 at 5:49 pm

      We usually do a cheese plate for the holidays, so I can see adding these to the menu!

      Reply
    16. Dionne Baldwin says

      December 7, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      These bites are so cute and they sound perfect for our party. I'll take your advice on the second batch since I know everyone will gobble these up. We are pretty big brie fans...who isn't? :D

      Reply
    17. Km Beaulieu says

      December 7, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      I want the whole plate of these. Then more. These look amazing Izz. I may try these over the holidays. I don't do enough appetizers. These would be a big hit.

      Reply
    18. Susan says

      December 7, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Individual baked brie all to myself? I'm sold. p.s. I tend to go more for the savory during this time of year too. I love small bites.

      Reply
    19. Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says

      December 7, 2013 at 11:27 am

      I love brie! These sound fantastic!

      Reply
    20. Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says

      December 6, 2013 at 11:21 am

      I ALWAYS head for the appetizers over the desserts! Chances are good that I'd be duking it out with Liz over that dozen she wants.

      Reply
    21. Anita at Hungry Couple says

      December 6, 2013 at 9:09 am

      I tasted brie with cranberries for the first time this season and got hooked. These wouldn't last an hour in my house! :)

      Reply
    22. Renee says

      December 6, 2013 at 8:06 am

      Anything with brie gets my attention especially when puff pastry is involved. Great appetizer!

      Reply
    23. Liz says

      December 5, 2013 at 10:06 am

      I think I could eat a dozen of these myself! Fabulous!!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Looking for Something?...

    Archives

    Categories

    All images and content Copyright © 2023 Isabelle Boucher | Crumb: A Food Blog · Privacy Policy