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These melty Brie Puff Pastry Bites are probably the easiest Christmas nibble you can make but with the most impressive results. Golden puff pastry with melted, oozy Brie and sweet cranberry sauce, all in one little mouthful.
Table of Contents
If you’ve seen my other festive recipes with Brie or Camembert like my Camembert en Croute or Deep Fried Brie, these are really big centerpieces and can feel like a lot if you’re just having a few friends round. These little bites are far from that, so cute and individually baked so it’s easy to serve.
Think of them as the low-maintenance cousin of the Brie Crescent Wreath or Camembert in Bread. These take 4 ingredients and are done within 30 minutes. The recipe is easily doubled if you need to make more than 16 and you can prep them ahead of time too. I really think you’ll find these nice and easy for the Christmas season.
Why you will love this Brie puff pastry bites recipe
- They are quick and simple to make.
- Only four ingredients are required to make them.
- They are individually baked so it’s easy to share around with guests and keeps the melted cheese all in one vessel!
- You can make a large batch ahead of time and either freeze or fridge them until ready to use.
Ingredients
- Pre rolled puff pastry – This is one of the best things to keep in the fridge around this time of year. Jus Rol never lets me down if you’re in the UK.
- Cranberry sauce – You can use homemade or store-bought. The tart, fruity flavor pairs perfectly with the creamy Brie.
- Brie – A soft and creamy French cheese known for its mild, buttery flavor. It melts beautifully, making it perfect for these Brie puff pastry bites.
Substitutions and variations
Pre-rolled puff pastry: If you can’t find the pre-rolled puff pastry but can find the blocks, that works too. Just lightly flour a surface and then use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out into a rectangle around 14×8 inch (35×20 cm). You may only need half the block to make 16. Continue the recipe as normal.
Cranberry sauce: You could also use fig jam, raspberry jam, apricot jam, marmalade, or redcurrant jam. Or go more savory and use an onion chutney, tomato chutney, or chili jam.
Brie: Camembert would also work very well here too. You could try with goats cheese too. Look for one with a rind so that it should melt in the same way as Brie.
Additions: As for garnishes/decorations, there are a few options. You could roughly chop some walnuts or pecans. Sprinkle over around halfway through baking the bites so that they melt into the topping and stay stuck down. You could also decorate them after, but I find then the nuts just slide off before you have a bite.
I like to also garnish these bites sometimes with a drizzle of honey once out of the oven. This would be really good if you used goats cheese. Otherwise, once out of the oven, some thyme or rosemary leaves are a good option too. Plus they look pretty. I used chopped chives.
Adding pancetta/prosciutto: You could add some prosciutto or pancetta too. A few pieces of crispy cooked pancetta between the Brie and the cranberry sauce would be good. Or how about some crispy prosciutto on top? Lay a few slices of prosciutto on a baking tray and bake at 428°F (220°C/200C fan) for around 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to firm up. Then crack into shards and scatter on top to add a salty bite.
How to make simple Brie puff pastry bites
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Roll out the puff pastry on the parchment paper that typically comes in the pack. Cut into 16 squares.
TWO: Press each square into a mini muffin pan.
THREE: Place one piece of brie in each puff pastry cup.
FOUR: Add 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce to each, on top of the brie.
FIVE: Beat 1 egg until mixed then use a pastry brush to smooth egg over the pastry.
SIX: Bake for 20 minutes until the brie is melted and the pastry is golden and puffed up. Top with chopped chives once out of the oven.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- A tip to slice the Brie: To make slicing the Brie easier, chill it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using. Brie’s creamy texture can get stuck to the knife and get rather messy when cutting so keeping it very chilled helps.
- To Freeze: After baking and cooling the bites completely, arrange them in a single layer on a baking pan and freeze until firm. You can then transfer the frozen bites to an airtight container or a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake them directly from frozen at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) until warmed through, around 15-20 minutes.
- Mini muffin pan: If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, you could make these in a regular-sized muffin pan. They will be bigger and so less bite-sized but they would work and be delicious. Just adapt the size of the puff pastry squares to fit. Likewise, if your muffin pan is really mini, just make smaller squares of pastry. You’ll end up with more bites in the end.
Frequently asked questions
No, I never do. Once it’s baked, it’s not noticeable and I find it wastes a lot of cheese otherwise. When baking, the rind also keeps the Brie together to stop it melty so rapidly.
You can fully assemble the Brie Puff Pastry Bites in the muffin pan and pop them in the fridge, unbaked, for up to 3 days. Then bake when ready. I find the fridge chilling helps the pastry become extra flakey.
You can also bake them then freeze. After baking and cooling the bites completely, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. You can then transfer the frozen bites to an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake them directly from frozen at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) until warmed through, around 15-20 minutes.
Other recipes you might enjoy
I have so many Christmas recipes like these Brie Puff Pastry Bites. Try my Honey Mustard Sausages, Filo Cranberry Parcels, Brie Crescent Wreath or my Camembert en Croute.
Christmas Recipes
Oven Roasted Camembert (Camembert Rôti)
Christmas Recipes
Easy Deep Fried Brie
Comfort Food
Crispy Potato Tart with Filo, Brie & Pancetta
Christmas Recipes
Easy Pesto Tarte Soleil (Puff Pastry Sun)
If you tried this recipe for Brie Puff Pastry Bites or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Brie Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 7 oz Brie, chopped into little chunks
- 5.25 oz cranberry sauce, about generous 1/2 cup
- 1 egg
- Chives, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C/180°C fan).
- Roll out the puff pastry on the parchment paper that typically comes in the pack. Cut into 16 squares. Press each square into a mini muffin pan. The edges will fold over one another but this is fine, it creates texture and looks nice once all puffed up so don't worry about being too neat.
- Place one piece of Brie in each puff pastry cup.
- Add 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce to each, on top of the Brie.
- Beat 1 egg until mixed then use a pastry brush to smooth egg over the pastry.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the Brie is melted and the pastry is golden and puffed up. Top with chopped chives once out of the oven.
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat the bites in a mini muffin pan or on a baking sheet at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) for around 10 minutes until hot all the way through. To Freeze: After baking and cooling the bites completely, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. You can then transfer the frozen bites to an airtight container or a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake them directly from frozen at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) until warmed through, around 15-20 minutes. To make-ahead: You can fully assemble the Brie bites in the muffin tin and pop them in the fridge, unbaked, for up to 3 days. Then bake when ready.More quick tips
Cranberry sauce: You could also use fig jam, raspberry jam, apricot jam, marmalade, or redcurrant jam. Or go more savory and use an onion chutney, tomato chutney, or chili jam. Brie: Camembert would also work very well here. You could try with goat cheese too. Look for one with a rind so that it should melt in the same way as Brie. Additions: Sprinkle some roughly chopped walnuts or pecans over around halfway through baking the bites so that they melt into the topping and stay stuck down. You could also decorate them after but I find that the nuts just slide off before you have a bite. I also like garnish these bites sometimes with a drizzle of honey once out of the oven. This would be really good if you used goat cheese. Otherwise, once out of the oven, some thyme or rosemary leaves are a good alternative to the chives. Add meat: If you like, add some prosciutto or pancetta too. A few pieces of crispy cooked pancetta between the Brie and the cranberry sauce would be good. Or how about some crispy prosciutto on top? Lay a few slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet and bake at 428°F (220°C/200°C fan) for around 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to firm up. Then crack into shards and scatter on top to add a salty bite. Mini muffin pan: If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, you could make these in a regular sized muffin pan. They will be bigger and so less bite-sized but they would work and be delicious. Just adapt the size of the puff pastry squares to fit. Likewise, if your muffin pan is really mini, just make smaller squares of pastry. You’ll end up with more bites in the end.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely loved this recipe, so simple to make but so much flavour! I added an extra layer of filo sheet on the bottom for extra crunchiness.
I am not a Brie lover so never know what to do with it. Made these for Christmas guests and they adored them. So easy and they said they were so tasty.