Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
These warm appetizer bites have open, ruffled puff-pastry edges around melted Brie and chunky cranberry sauce. Chopped pecans add crunch, while a short rosemary tip gives each bite a fresh finish. A standard muffin tin gives the pastry its cup shape. For golden edges and filling that stays inside, keep the pastry cold and use only a small amount of Brie and sauce in each cup.
Ingredients for Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 8 oz/225g), thawed but cold
- 4 oz Brie (about 115g), cold and cut into 9 cubes
- 3 tablespoons thick whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (about 15g)
- 9 short, tender fresh rosemary tips
- Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, for the muffin tin
Homemade, canned, or store-bought cranberry sauce works if it is thick and contains whole berries. The Brie rind is edible and can stay on; cold Brie is easier to cut cleanly.
How to Bake Cranberry Brie Bites
- Heat the oven: Preheat to 400°F (205°C). Lightly grease 9 wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Keep the thawed puff pastry refrigerated until you are ready to cut it.
- Shape the cups: Unfold the cold pastry on a lightly floured surface if needed, and cut it into 9 equal squares. Press one square into each greased well, leaving the corners raised and the edges loosely folded. Do not stretch the pastry smooth. If it becomes soft or sticky, refrigerate the shaped cups briefly before filling.
- Add the filling: Place one Brie cube in each cup. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce over each cube, then scatter a small pinch of pecans on top. Keep the filling centered and the pastry edges exposed.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, starting to check at 15 minutes. The pastry should be puffed and richly golden, with melted Brie bubbling around the hot, glossy cranberry sauce. Rotate the pan near the end only if one side is browning faster.
- Rest and serve: Let the bites stand in the tin for 5 minutes so the filling settles. Gently loosen each cup with a thin knife, transfer to a platter, and add a short rosemary tip to each. Serve warm.
How to Prevent Overflow and Soggy Pastry
Thawed puff pastry should bend without cracking but still feel cold. If it warms while you shape the cups, refrigerate it briefly; cold pastry holds its folds better before it reaches the hot oven.
Use one small Brie cube and about 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce per cup. A little bubbling is normal, but extra filling can spill onto the tin and make the bites stick. The greased wells and five-minute rest also help the pastry release without tearing.
Use only short, tender rosemary tips or a few leaves, added after baking. Finely chopped walnuts can replace the pecans in the same amount. If using a mini muffin tin instead, cut smaller pastry squares, reduce the filling, and begin checking for doneness around 11 to 12 minutes rather than using the standard-cup timing.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
To make the bites ahead, assemble them in the muffin tin, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake directly from chilled, allowing a little extra time if needed. Look for golden pastry and bubbling Brie, then add the rosemary after baking.
Cool baked leftovers before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, until hot, and refresh the rosemary. The pastry is crispest soon after its first bake.
Baked bites can also be frozen in airtight storage for up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F until hot, and add fresh rosemary afterward.
For a larger holiday meal, serve the bites before Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per bite, based on 9 bites: 180 calories, 5g protein, 12g fat, and 13g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 400 calories, 10g protein, 27g fat, and 29g carbohydrates. Values vary with the puff pastry, Brie, and cranberry sauce used.
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
For the Brie Bites
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 8 oz/225 g), thawed but cold
- 4 oz Brie (about 115 g), cold and cut into 9 cubes
- 3 tablespoons thick whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (about 15 g)
- 9 short, tender fresh rosemary tips
- Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, for the muffin tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Lightly grease 9 wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
- Keep the puff pastry cold, then unfold it on a lightly floured surface if needed and cut it into 9 equal squares.
- Press one pastry square into each greased muffin well, leaving the corners raised and edges loosely folded. Refrigerate briefly if the pastry becomes soft or sticky.
- Place one Brie cube in each pastry cup.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce over each Brie cube, then sprinkle with a small pinch of chopped pecans. Keep the filling centered and the pastry edges exposed.
- Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden and the Brie and cranberry sauce are bubbling.
- Rest the bites in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Loosen with a thin knife, transfer to a platter, and top each bite with a rosemary tip before serving warm.
Tips
- Keep the puff pastry cold so it holds its folds and bakes into flaky, raised edges.
- Use only one small Brie cube and about 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce per cup to prevent overflow.
- Choose thick cranberry sauce with whole berries rather than thin or runny sauce.
- Leave the Brie rind on if desired; it is edible and cold Brie cuts more cleanly.
- Let the bites rest in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to help the filling set.
Variations
- Walnut Brie Bites: Replace the pecans with the same amount of finely chopped walnuts.
- Mini Muffin Brie Bites: Use a mini muffin tin with smaller pastry squares and less filling, then begin checking for doneness after 11 to 12 minutes.
