These Baked Cranberry Brie Bites are what I make when I need appetizers that look fancy but take almost no effort. Flaky pastry cups filled with creamy melted brie and sweet cranberry sauce, baked until golden and bubbly. They look like something from a catering menu but you make them in a muffin tin with store bought dough. I've been making these cranberry brie bites for six years now and they disappear faster than anything else on my appetizer table. People stand around the tray eating them hot because they can't wait.
Why You'll Love These Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
I'm not someone who makes complicated appetizers normally. But these actually work every time and people lose their minds over them.
What Actually Works: These Baked Cranberry Brie Bites use crescent roll dough or puff pastry pressed into a mini muffin tin. You fill each cup with a cube of brie cheese and a spoonful of cranberry sauce. Bake for fifteen minutes until the pastry is golden and the brie melts into gooey perfection. The sweet cranberry plays against the creamy savory brie. Takes maybe twenty minutes total including prep. These cranberry brie appetizer bites work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, or any party where you want easy finger foods.
Why Other Methods Fail: Most puff pastry brie bites recipes mess up the ratio. Some use too much cranberry so they're cloyingly sweet. Others don't use enough brie so you just taste pastry. A few recipes had you wrap brie in whole sheets which is fiddly and time consuming. Some bake at the wrong temperature so the pastry burns before the cheese melts. This baked cranberry brie bites recipe keeps it simple with perfect proportions.
The thing that changed everything: Using a mini muffin tin instead of trying to wrap individual packages. My first batch of Baked Cranberry Brie Bites I tried making little wrapped bundles like some recipe showed. Half of them fell apart. The brie leaked everywhere. They looked messy and took forever to assemble. Started using a muffin tin to hold everything in place and suddenly they were stupid easy. Perfect little cups that all look uniform. The tin keeps the cheese from oozing out while baking. Once I switched to the muffin tin method, these holiday brie bites went from frustrating to my easiest appetizer.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- What You'll Need for Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- How to Make Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- Top Tip
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Storage and Serving Instructions
- What to Serve With Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- My Baked Cranberry Brie Bites Journey
- FAQ
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
Main Ingredients
- Crescent roll dough or puff pastry sheets
- Brie cheese
- Cranberry sauce
- Fresh rosemary
- Honey
Optional Toppings
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Orange zest
- Fresh thyme instead of rosemary
- Sea salt flakes
Nothing complicated here. Everything is grocery store standard. The key is using good quality brie that's not too firm. You want it to melt nicely. Exact measurements are in the recipe card so you get the proportions right.
How to Make Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
1. Prep the Pastry
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Unroll your crescent dough and separate into squares. Cut each square into 4 smaller pieces. Press each piece into a muffin cup to form a little pastry shell. The dough should come up the sides slightly.
2. Add the Filling
Cut brie into small cubes, about half inch pieces. Place one cube of brie in each pastry cup. Top each with a small spoonful of cranberry sauce, maybe half a teaspoon. Don't overfill or it'll bubble over. Add a tiny sprig of fresh rosemary if using.
3. Bake
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the brie is melted and bubbly. The cranberry sauce will get warm and jammy. Watch them closely at the end so the pastry doesn't burn.
4. Finish and Serve
Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes so they firm up slightly. Drizzle with honey while still warm. The honey adds sweetness and makes them look gorgeous. Use a small spoon or offset spatula to carefully remove from the muffin tin. Serve warm.
That's it. You just made Baked Cranberry Brie Bites that look like you hired a caterer. The muffin tin does all the work keeping them shaped perfectly. They're best served warm when the brie is still gooey.
Top Tip
Don't skip spraying your muffin tin really well for these Baked Cranberry Brie Bites. This matters more than you'd think.
Pastry sticks to metal like glue when cheese is involved. My first batch I barely sprayed the tin because I was rushing. Half the cranberry brie bites stuck so hard I had to practically destroy them getting them out. The bottoms ripped off. The cheese glued everything to the pan. I had to soak the tin for an hour.
Use nonstick spray generously in every cup. Get the bottom and sides. Or use cupcake liners if you want to be extra safe, though that's less traditional looking. Also let these baked brie with cranberry bites cool for at least 2 minutes before trying to remove them. They need time to set up slightly or they'll fall apart.
Cut your brie into uniform cubes so they all melt at the same rate. Different sized pieces means some cups have melted cheese while others have cold chunks.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
Dough Options
Puff pastry instead of crescent dough makes these puff pastry brie bites even flakier and fancier. Takes a few more minutes to bake. Phyllo dough works too for a crispier texture but it's more fragile.
Different Preserves
Fig jam instead of cranberry is incredible with brie. Apricot preserves work great. Raspberry or blackberry jam adds different fruit flavor. Pepper jelly makes them sweet and spicy for your cranberry brie appetizer spread.
Add Nuts
Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top before baking. Adds crunch and makes them look more elaborate. Candied pecans are even better if you have them.
Herbs and Spices
Fresh thyme instead of rosemary changes the flavor profile. A tiny pinch of cinnamon in the cranberry adds warmth. Black pepper on top balances the sweetness.
Make Them Savory
Skip the cranberry and honey. Use caramelized onions or bacon jam instead. Still delicious but less sweet for these holiday brie bites.
Add Protein
Put a small piece of prosciutto under the brie before adding cranberry. Makes them more substantial as an appetizer.
Storage and Serving Instructions
These Baked Cranberry Brie Bites are best fresh but you can prep ahead which saves your sanity on party day.
Make Ahead: Assemble the bites in the muffin tin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before baking. Bake fresh right before serving. This is a lifesaver for holiday parties.
Refrigerator: Store leftover baked bites in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to crisp the pastry back up. Microwave makes them soggy.
Freezer: These don't freeze well after baking because the pastry gets soggy when thawed. You can freeze them unbaked for up to a month. Bake from frozen, just add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
Serving: Serve these mini cranberry brie tarts warm when the cheese is melted. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with honey right before guests arrive. They're still good at room temperature but not as impressive as when they're hot and gooey.Baked Cranberry Brie BiteServing: Serve these mini cranberry brie tarts warm when the cheese is melted. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with honey right before guests arrive. They're still good at room temperature but not as impressive as when they're hot and gooey.
What to Serve With Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
Other Appetizers
Put them on a board with crackers, grapes, salami, olives, and nuts. They work great as part of a bigger spread for Christmas brie appetizer presentations. Pair with other hot appetizers like meatballs or stuffed mushrooms.
Drinks
Champagne or prosecco pairs perfectly with these festive finger foods. White wine like chardonnay or pinot grigio works too. Cranberry cocktails echo the cranberry flavor. Even sparkling cider if you want non alcoholic.
For Holidays
Serve these Baked Cranberry Brie Bites alongside turkey at Thanksgiving. Add them to your Christmas dinner appetizer spread. They work for New Year's Eve parties. Basically any holiday gathering from November through January.
Complete Party Menu
Make these plus a veggie tray, some dips, and maybe one other hot appetizer. That's plenty for most parties. The cranberry brie bites are always the star anyway.
My Baked Cranberry Brie Bites Journey
I discovered Baked Cranberry Brie Bites about six years ago when my sister in law brought them to Thanksgiving. Everyone mobbed them. They were gone in minutes. I asked for the recipe and she laughed because she said they were stupidly easy.
First time I made them I tried getting fancy. Used phyllo dough instead of crescent rolls because I thought that seemed more sophisticated. Cut the brie too small. Overfilled them with cranberry sauce. The phyllo burned before the cheese melted. The cranberry bubbled over everywhere and made a sticky mess in my oven. They looked terrible. My husband ate one to be nice and said maybe we should order appetizers next time.
Second attempt I used crescent dough like my sister in law said. But I tried wrapping each one individually like some Pinterest recipe showed. Took forever. They kept falling apart. The Baked Cranberry Brie Bites were uneven sizes. Some had too much cheese, others had none. Half of them leaked during baking. They tasted fine but looked sloppy. Not what you want for party food.
Third time I finally used a muffin tin and followed basic instructions. Cut uniform brie cubes. Measured the cranberry sauce. Sprayed the pan properly. Suddenly I had 24 perfect little cranberry brie appetizer bites that all looked professional. Took them to my office Christmas party and three people asked for the recipe. My coworker thought I'd ordered them from a bakery.
Now I make these holiday brie bites for every single holiday gathering. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, even random winter parties. They're my signature appetizer. I've taught probably fifteen people how to make them and everyone says the same thing: why does something this easy look so impressive?
FAQ
What are Baked Cranberry Brie Bites made of?
Baked Cranberry Brie Bites are made with crescent roll dough or puff pastry pressed into mini muffin cups, filled with cubes of brie cheese and cranberry sauce, then baked until golden. Some versions add honey drizzle, fresh rosemary, or chopped nuts. The combination of flaky pastry, creamy melted brie, and sweet tart cranberry creates the perfect sweet and savory bite. They're basically deconstructed baked brie in individual serving sizes.
What kind of cranberry sauce is best?
Canned cranberry sauce works perfectly for cranberry brie bites recipe and is what I use most often. The jellied kind or whole berry both work. Homemade cranberry sauce is great if you have it but not necessary. If using homemade, make sure it's thick enough that it won't run all over. Too watery and it makes the pastry soggy. I usually go with Ocean Spray whole berry from a can because it's easy and consistent.
Do you use puff pastry or crescent dough for brie bites?
Both work great for Baked Cranberry Brie Bites. Crescent dough is easier to work with and cheaper. It bakes up softer and more bread like. Puff pastry is flakier and more impressive looking but takes longer to bake and costs more. I usually use crescent dough for casual parties and puff pastry when I want to look fancy. The muffin tin method works with either one.
How long do baked brie bites stay fresh?
Baked cranberry brie bites are best eaten within 2 hours of baking while they're still warm and the cheese is gooey. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat them, but the pastry won't be as crisp. For best results, assemble them ahead and bake fresh right before serving. They take such a short time to bake that it's worth doing them fresh for parties.
More Recipes You'll Love
After you nail these Baked Cranberry Brie Bites, try my Chinese Beef and Broccoli for an easy weeknight dinner everyone requests. My Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Christmas Trees make another impressive holiday appetizer. And my Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake gives you a show stopping dinner that's easier than it looks.
Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
Equipment
- 1 Mini muffin tin (24 cups) Essential for shaping the bites perfectly
- 1 Cooking spray To prevent sticking
- 1 Sharp knife For cutting dough and brie
- 1 Small spoon For adding cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can crescent roll dough or 1 sheet puff pastry
- 8 ounces brie cheese cut into 24 small cubes
- ½ cup cranberry sauce canned or homemade
- 2 tablespoons honey for drizzling
- Fresh rosemary sprigs optional
- Cooking spray for muffin tin
- Chopped pecans or walnuts optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Unroll crescent dough and separate into squares. Cut each square into 4 smaller pieces. Press each piece into a muffin cup to form a little pastry shell. The dough should come up the sides slightly.
- Cut brie into 24 small uniform cubes, about half inch pieces. Place one cube of brie in each pastry cup. Top each with a small spoonful of cranberry sauce, about half a teaspoon. Don't overfill or it'll bubble over during baking. Add a tiny sprig of fresh rosemary to each if using.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the brie is melted and bubbly. The cranberry sauce will get warm and jammy. Watch them closely at the end so the pastry doesn't burn. The cheese should be completely melted.
- Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes so they firm up slightly and are easier to remove. Drizzle with honey while still warm. The honey adds sweetness and makes them look gorgeous. Use a small spoon or offset spatula to carefully remove from the muffin tin. Serve warm for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Baked Cranberry Brie Bite:
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