My cranberry brie bites with puff pastry skip the fiddly part. Instead of cutting and filling a dozen little squares, I roll one sheet around a thin layer of cranberry sauce and brie, chill it, slice it into 12 rounds and bake them in a muffin tin until flaky. Roll the log a day ahead and they go straight from the fridge to the oven.
A cranberry brie appetizer you can roll the day before
These were a spur-of-the-moment idea. A friend was visiting and wanted something with cranberry, and I didn’t want to cut puff pastry into individual pieces and fill each one precisely. Rolling the whole sheet into a log and slicing it got me there in one move.
My first round had more filling, though, and the pastry came out soggy. So the fix was less, not more.
So the cranberry sauce goes on in a thin layer, the brie goes on in a single layer, and I leave a 1-inch bare strip along the far edge so the seam seals. The log chills for 15 minutes so it slices into clean rounds instead of squashing. Rolling and slicing is the same move as cranberry brie pinwheels. The muffin tin holds each round upright and catches the brie as it melts.
For a second puff pastry appetizer on the same table, my savory apple tart with red onion also starts from one sheet of store-bought pastry.
Brie and cranberry puff pastry, kept simple
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Whole-berry cranberry sauce gives you bits of fruit in every swirl. A can works fine, and if you want it brighter, here’s how to upgrade canned cranberry sauce before it goes on the pastry.
- Brie with the rind on is easier to slice thin, and the rind melts right into the filling in the oven.
- Pecans and thyme are the finish, a little crunch and something green on top. Chop the pecans fine so they settle into the melted brie.
Shruthi’s Top Tips
Tips for flaky brie puff pastry bites
Most of what matters happens before the oven.
- Chill the log until it’s firm, 15 minutes in the fridge or 10 in the freezer, and slice with a serrated knife. A soft log squashes flat.
- Bake until the pastry between the swirls looks dry and flaky, not white. The tops brown before the inside is done, so don’t pull them early.
- Leave them in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around each one. Melted brie glues them to the pan if you try to lift them straight out.
- To make them ahead, roll the log up to a day before, wrap it tightly and refrigerate. Slice and bake straight from the fridge.
How to make cranberry brie bites with puff pastry
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Unroll the pastry with a long side facing you and spread the cranberry sauce in a thin layer, leaving a bare strip along the far edge.
- Arrange the brie slices in a single layer over the cranberry sauce.
- Roll the pastry tightly toward the bare edge and press the seam closed.
- Chill the log until firm, then slice it into 12 rounds and arrange them cut side up in the muffin tin.
- Bake until deep golden and flaky. Let the bites cool briefly before removing them from the tin and adding the pecans and thyme.
How to serve cranberry brie bites with puff pastry
Pile them on a platter while they’re warm and the brie is still soft. They’re two bites each, so they sit well on a holiday spread next to mushroom tartlets and vegetarian stuffed mushrooms. Since the log is rolled the day before, they pair well with a main that’s also done early, like a Wellington you can assemble days ahead. More ideas in my vegetarian Christmas recipes.
Variations
For an egg-free batch, brush the tops with melted butter instead of egg. They brown less, so give them 3 to 5 extra minutes and go by color.
Make-Ahead Cranberry Brie Bites
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Serrated knife
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, about 320 g, thawed but cold
- ½ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce, canned or homemade
- 4 oz brie, rind on, thinly sliced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Unroll the pastry on its paper with a long side facing you.
- Stir the cranberry sauce and spread it in a thin layer over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch bare strip along the far long edge.
- Lay the brie slices in a single layer over the cranberry.
- Roll the pastry up tightly from the near long edge toward the bare strip. Press the seam to seal.
- Chill the log for 15 minutes in the fridge (or 10 in the freezer) until firm. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.
- Slice the log into 12 rounds, about 1¼ inches thick, with a serrated knife. Set each one cut side up in a muffin cup.
- Brush the tops with egg.
- Bake 25 to 28 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and the pastry between the swirls looks flaky and dry, not white.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, run a knife around each one and lift out. Top with pecans and thyme.
Notes
- A thin cranberry layer and a single layer of brie keep the bites crisp. More filling turns the pastry soggy.
- Brush with melted butter instead of egg for an egg-free version. They brown less, so add 3 to 5 minutes and judge by color.
- Roll the log up to 1 day ahead, wrap it tightly and refrigerate. Slice and bake straight from the fridge.
- Stir leftover cranberry sauce into yogurt or spread it on a grilled cheese.
- Best the day they’re baked. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
