These Cranberry Brie Bites are a simple appetizer or party snack that always gets polished off in minutes!
They’re super easy to make only take five simple ingredients and can be ready in 21 minutes! – that’s my kind of recipe.
Nicky’s Notes
When it comes to Christmas, I find I’m always on the lookout for easy snack recipes and party foods.
To be honest, party food always catches my eye anyway – since I’ve got a bit of a weak spot for mini foods like these mini burritos, mini Korean chicken bao buns and these little sausage rolls!
These cranberry brie bites make a comeback every Christmas. Why?
- They’re so easy to make – just 5 ingredients.
- They feel extra festive with the red of the cranberry sauce and the green of the fresh thyme.
- They’re one of those party foods that, even when you think you’re full, you can usually manage just one more!
📋 Ingredients for Cranberry Brie Bites
Abbreviated Recipe
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Brush egg wash all over a puff pastry sheet, then slice into 40 squares. Place one square on top of another to form a double layer of pastry. Do this with the rest of the pastry squares, so you have 20 layered squares. Bake until golden, then add a small chunk of brie to each and bake for another minute, until melted. Top each with a little cranberry sauce and a tiny sprig of fresh thyme.
So simple to make, but they’re always the first to disappear from the buffet table.
Keep these ingredients on standby and you’ll be sure to impress those unexpected guests.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to slice the pastry into squares and then double them up. It’s tempting to double up the pastry and then slice into squares, but this melds the edges together when you cut, so the pastry doesn’t rise as high.
- Go easy on the egg wash – a nice thin layer. Too much can mean the top layer of pastry may slide off when baking in the oven.
Make ahead guide
I don’t recommend making these fully ahead. The melted brie is much nicer when it’s fresh out of the oven. You can partially make them ahead though – so they only take a few minutes to heat and serve.
- Pre-bake the doubled up pastry squares. Then cool and place in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. You can also chop up the brie and refrigerate.
- When you want to to serve, place the pastry squares on a baking tray and top with brie, then cook for 2-3 minutes at 200C/400F (fan) until the brie melts. This will warm the pastry through too.
- Top with the cranberry sauce and thyme before serving.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) and line a baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone liner.
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Unroll the pastry and brush with egg wash, then cut the pastry into approx 40 small rectangles.
400 g (14 oz) ready-rolled Puff Pastry, 1 egg
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Place one rectangle on top of another and repeat with the rest of the pastry, so you have 20 or so ‘doubled up’ rectangles of pastry.
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Place on the prepared tray and bake for 10 minutes. Then take out of the oven.
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Slice the Brie into small slices and place on top of the pastry puffs. Place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the brie.
150 g (5.3 oz) Brie
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Place the puffs on a plate and top each one with a small blob of cranberry sauce and a few fresh thyme leaves, then serve.
6 tbsp cranberry Sauce, fresh thyme leaves to decorate
Do you need to remove the rind from the Brie before baking?
No. The rind on brie tends to be edible and also helps the cheese hold its shape somewhat when in the oven.
Nutrition info is per cranberry brie bite.
Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 101mg | Sugar: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally created in Dec 2015. Updated later with a video and for housekeeping reasons.
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