Description
Delight your guests with these elegant and easy-to-make Cranberry Brie Bites featuring creamy brie cheese, sweet cranberry sauce, and crunchy pecans baked inside flaky puff pastry. Perfect as a festive appetizer for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 1 8 ounce round Brie cheese
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed in the refrigerator)
- Flour (for dusting work surface)
Toppings
- 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- Sprigs of rosemary for garnish
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Brie: Cut off and discard the rind from the Brie cheese. Place the cheese on a parchment-lined plate in the freezer for 20 minutes. This chilling step firms up the Brie, making it easier to cut into small pieces.
- Preheat and Prepare Muffin Pan: Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃). Generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 equal strips and then crosswise into 6 equal strips, creating 24 small squares. Gently press each square into a muffin cup and prick the bottom with a fork to prevent puffing too much during baking.
- Cut the Brie: Remove the Brie from the freezer and cut into 24 pieces, each about 3/4-inch in size, so each puff pastry square will be filled perfectly.
- Assemble the Bites: Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into the bottom of each puff pastry cup. Press a piece of Brie cheese on top, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped pecans. Optionally add a small pinch of sea salt to enhance flavors.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the Brie is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Allow the bites to cool slightly before gently removing them from the pan. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve warm or at room temperature as a delicious appetizer.
Notes
- These cranberry brie bites make a perfect appetizer for holiday parties and special occasions with their flavorful combination of sweet, savory, and nutty elements.
- Chilling the Brie cheese before slicing helps achieve neat, uniform pieces that fit perfectly inside the pastry squares.
- For extra presentation appeal, garnish each bite with a small rosemary sprig for a festive touch.
- You can prepare these bites ahead of time and bake just before serving to save time during your event.
- If you don’t have mini muffin pans, standard muffin pans can be used but may require fewer bites and longer bake time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 117 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
