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These easy Cranberry Brie Bites are one of my go-to holiday appetizers! I love how the flaky puff pastry holds the creamy brie, tangy cranberry sauce, and a sprinkle of crunchy nuts—every bite feels festive. They bake up in just 15 minutes and always disappear fast at parties, brunches, or family get-togethers.
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Brie Bites
- Ready in just 30 minutes
- Made with 6 simple ingredients
- Rich brie with sweet-tart cranberry in every bite
- Golden puff pastry with pretty pops of festive color
- Perfect bite-sized appetizer for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, brunch, or cocktail parties
If you’re serving these Cranberry Brie Bites for the holidays, try pairing them with my Mini Cheese Ball Bites, Caprese Skewers, or the rich and creamy Million Dollar Dip to complete your appetizer spread.
Ingredients Notes
- All-purpose flour: For dusting your surface so the pastry doesn’t stick.
- Frozen puff pastry: Thaw first. Crescent roll dough or premade pie crust can be used, though they won’t be as flaky.
- Brie cheese (refrigerated): Creamy brie works best, and the rind is completely edible. Mozzarella, gouda, or white cheddar also make good swaps.
- Cranberry sauce: Canned or homemade both work. Try raspberry jam, fig jam, blackberry jam, or even pepper jelly for a twist.
- Walnuts (finely chopped): Adds crunch. Pecans, almonds, pistachios, cashews, or pumpkin seeds can be substituted.
- Fresh thyme leaves: Brings a savory balance. Fresh rosemary or parsley are also great options.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Additions
- Sweet versions – Try raspberry jam, fig jam, or apricot preserves instead of cranberry, and finish with a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.
- Savory versions – Try caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, or a little pesto instead of jam.
- Nut-free option – Skip the walnuts or replace them with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- Cheese swaps – Use gouda, white cheddar, or camembert if you don’t have brie.
- Seasonal twist – Apple butter is perfect in fall, while orange marmalade adds a bright spring flavor.
- Phyllo shell shortcut – Swap the puff pastry for premade phyllo shells for an even quicker, no-cutting option. Bake until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites
- Prep the pastry: Preheat oven to 400°F and spray muffin pans with cooking spray. On a floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet into a rectangle. Cut along the seams, then slice across to create 12 squares. Press each square into the muffin cup cavities.
- Assemble: Cut brie into small pieces and place one in each pastry square. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, a sprinkle of walnuts, and a thyme leaf.
Pro-Note: No need to remove the rind from the brie cheese. The rind is completely edible and softens as it bakes, so you can leave it on. It melts right into the cheese and adds to the creamy texture. - Bake: Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Let cool for 5 minutes, then plate and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use a mini muffin tin for smaller bites (cut pastry into 24 pieces and bake about 12 minutes).
- Slice brie while it’s cold—it’s much easier to cut cleanly.
- Avoid overfilling; the cheese and sauce will bubble as they bake.
- Stick to just the leaves from fresh thyme or rosemary—skip the stems.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating
- Store: Keep these brie and cranberry bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.
- Reheat: Warm a bite in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel, for about 20 seconds.
- Freeze: Store baked bites in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
- Make ahead: Assemble unbaked bites up to 3 days in advance, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
More Easy Holiday Appetizers
If you loved these Cranberry Brie Bites, try one of these festive, party-ready recipes next:
- Baked Brie Appetizer – Warm, melty brie topped with sweet or savory add-ins.
- Baked Salami Appetizer – Crispy, savory, and perfect for snacking.
- Jalapeño Popper Dip – Creamy, cheesy, and just the right amount of spicy.
If you’ve tried this Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Serves — 24
These Cranberry Brie Bites are a quick, festive 15-minute holiday appetizer everyone will love, with flaky puff pastry filled with creamy brie, tart cranberry sauce, and crunchy nuts.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- 2 count box frozen puff pastry thawed and refrigerated
- 8 ounce wheel brie cheese refrigerated
- 1¼ cups cranberry sauce
- ⅔ cup walnuts finely chopped
- 24 fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Spray two muffin pans with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (If you only have one muffin pan, you will need to make this recipe in two batches).
- Sprinkle flour on a hard, clean surface and lay one of the sheets on it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 10×15 inch rectangle (it is originally 9×9 inches).All-purpose flour, 2 count box frozen puff pastry
- Create 12 even squares by cutting the rectangle into three strips lengthwise along the two ready-made folds. Then, cut the squares out by making three cuts, perpendicular to the first cuts, and evenly spread out, to make 12 squares total.
- Lightly press each of the squares into the mold of one muffin pan. If you have two muffin pans you can prepare the other puff pastry sheet and muffin pan in the same way. Otherwise, leave the extra pastry in the refrigerator and prepare it after this pan is finished and cooled.
- Grab the brie cheese from the refrigerator and cut it into 24 small, bite-size pieces.8 ounce wheel brie cheese
- Place one piece of brie into each pastry square in the muffin cavity.
- Scoop a small spoonful (a little less than 1 Tablespoon) of cranberry sauce onto each of the brie cheese pieces.1¼ cups cranberry sauce
- Top each muffin cavity with a sprinkle of walnuts and one thyme leaf.⅔ cup walnuts, 24 fresh thyme leaves
- Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the bites start to bubble and the pastry turns golden brown.
- When finished, take out of the oven and let cool for about five minutes. If you need to make two batches, carefully remove the brie bites to use the muffin pan again. Otherwise, plate and serve warm.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage and Reheating :
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.
- Reheat: Microwave a bite wrapped in a paper towel for 20 seconds.
- Freeze: Freeze baked bites up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
- Make ahead: Assemble unbaked bites up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Use a mini muffin tin to make smaller bites (cut pastry into 24 pieces, bake about 12 minutes).
- Work with cold brie for easier cutting.
- Don’t overfill—the cheese and sauce bubble as they bake.
- Only use leaves from fresh thyme or rosemary, not the stems.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Hi.. Could I use the store bought small pastry cups for this recipe?
You can use store bought pastry cups if you’d like. Just keep in mind that I haven’t tested the recipe with them, so the texture will be a little different since they’re already baked. You’ll just want to warm them long enough to melt the brie and heat the cranberry sauce without overtoasting the cups.
They should still work as a quick shortcut.
looks amazingly easy and few ingredients.
thank you so much, looking forward to more holiday recipes.
Thank you!! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!