Cranberry Brie Bites

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/19/23
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Cranberry Brie Bites Cranberry Brie Bites

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Chilling Time: 23 mins
Total: 51 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 bites

The combination of brie cheese with cranberry is classic for the holidays, but don't let that stop you making these bite-sized appetizers any time of year. The recipe can be adapted quickly with your favorite cheeses and fillings, making these the perfect party food for holidays, the Super Bowl, and beyond.

Flaky, creamy, and sweet, these easy-to-prepare cranberry brie bites will make all your holiday festivities stress-free, while impressing guests with their beautiful flower-like shape. Even better, there's no need to make the dough—store-bought sheets of ready rolled puff pastry is the secret to cutting down on prep time.

“These strike me as really perfect entree/finger foods for a spread on Thanksgiving or any other Autumnal gathering before the main course is served. The glazed walnuts themselves are pretty tasty, just be careful not to let them burn in the glaze and take them out early if they start looking smoky.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

Cranberry Brie Bites Tester Image Cranberry Brie Bites Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Bites:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 2 ounces chilled brie cheese, rind removed

  • 1 (14 x 10-inch) sheet ready rolled puff pastry

  • 1/4 cup cranberry sauce

For the Glazed Walnuts:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, broken into pieces but not chopped

  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Bites

  1. Gather the bites ingredients.

    Cranberry Brie Bites ingredients Cranberry Brie Bites ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Lightly grease a 12-hole mini-muffin tin with the butter, then pop it into the refrigerator to chill.

    greased muffin tins greased muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Cut the chilled brie into 1/4-inch cubes, put onto a plate, and return to the refrigerator.

    brie cubes in a bowl brie cubes in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Unroll the pastry onto a sheet of baking paper, mark into 2-inch squares and cut with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Puff pastry goes soft quickly, especially if the kitchen is warm; if this is the case, roll gently onto the baking paper and chill for 5 minutes.

    pastry cut into pieces on a cutting board pastry cut into pieces on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Take the muffin tin and pastry squares out from the refrigerator. Insert a pastry square into each muffin well so the points of the square line the sides of the well.

    pastry in muffin tins pastry in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Put a 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each pastry cup and top with a square of brie.

    cranberry sauce with brie in muffin tins cranberry sauce with brie in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Return the filled muffin tin to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

    pastry with cranberry sauce and brie in muffin tins pastry with cranberry sauce and brie in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Make the Glazed Walnuts

  1. Gather the glazed walnuts ingredients.

    glazed walnut ingredients glazed walnut ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and honey and heat until the butter is foaming.

    butter and honey in a skillet butter and honey in a skillet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Raise the heat slightly and add the walnuts. Keep the nuts moving around the pan by shaking gently from time to time for 5 minutes making sure they are covered by the glaze.

    nuts with the butter and honey mixture in the skillet nuts with the butter and honey mixture in the skillet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Tip the glazed walnuts onto a baking sheet lined with paper and use a fork to separate the nuts. Sprinkle with the salt and leave to cool.

    Glazed Walnuts on a baking sheet, sprinkled with salt Glazed Walnuts on a baking sheet, sprinkled with salt

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Bake the Bites

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. Bake for 18 minutes until golden brown and the cheese melts. Some of the cheese may ooze out and burn slightly; do not worry this adds a little crunch and taste.

    Cranberry Brie Bites in muffin tins Cranberry Brie Bites in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Remove from the oven and press a couple of walnut pieces into the melted cheese of each bite. Leave the bites in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove and leave to cool a little more.

    Cranberry Brie Bites in muffin tins Cranberry Brie Bites in muffin tins

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • The bites are best served slightly warm but not hot. The cheese will go hard if they become too cold, but can be warmed in the oven (not in the microwave) if this happens.
  • If you like things a little sweeter, decorate with another tiny spot of cranberry sauce.

Recipe Variation

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
75 Calories
6g Fat
5g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 75
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 21mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)