This holiday appetizer is the perfect blend of fuss-free and fancy, taking less than 15 minutes to prepare while looking as festive and beautiful as it is delicious. Creamy Brie and tart cranberry sauce are nestled inside buttery, flaky phyllo dough, baked until golden and melty, then topped with sweet honey and a sprinkle of toasted pecans and fresh thyme.
Serve them warm straight from the oven on a holiday platter, and you’ve got a holiday appetizer that feels both cozy and elegant. And while they add a festive feel to any Christmas or Thanksgiving spread, these hors d’oeuvres are perfect for New Year’s Eve, cocktail parties, or anytime you want a bite-sized snack that feels really special without a lot of work.
Why We Love These Cranberry Brie Bites
- It’s a simple but impressive appetizer that takes just a few minutes and a handful of ingredients, but looks elegant and festive.
- Sweet or savory? How about both! The combination of creamy Brie, tangy cranberry, sweet honey, crunchy pecans, and earthy thyme is the perfect combo of sweet, savory, and decadent.
- Bite-sized and portable, they make the perfect party food for guests to grab and mingle.
- We love the combo of Brie, cranberry, and pecans for the holidays, but the options are endless! You can substitute cranberry sauce for fig jam, or any other fruit preserves, swap the pecans for walnuts, or go totally nut-free if needed.
How to Make Crispy Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients
Process
Prep Ahead Instructions
Planning for a party ahead of time? You can make a batch, or several, by preparing and either storing them in the refrigerator or freezing them for your next party.
Fully assemble the bites so that they’re ready to go into the oven, but instead, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can even have them prepped on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready to go into the oven, but wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake them. Just remove them from the fridge, discard the plastic, and bake as directed.
Wait to prepare the nuts and add the toppings until you’re ready to bake and serve them.
Freeze Ahead Instructions
If you want to make a big batch or make them weeks ahead of time, assemble the bites and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until fully frozen (3-6 hours), then toss them into a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake them straight from frozen, adding 5 minutes or so to the baking time.
Reheating Instructions for Our Cranberry Brie Bites
Did you make too many brie bites and need to store your leftovers? Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat them in the oven, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place any leftover bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 8-10 minutes or until the phyllo has crisped up again and the brie is warm and melty.
You can also use the air fryer to quickly reheat this appetizer. Just pop them in the air fryer basket at 325˚F for 3-5 minutes or until the phyllo is crisp and the inside is warmed through.
More Appetizer Recipes You Will Love
Crispy Cranberry Brie Bites
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box phyllo dough thawed
- 1 egg beaten
- 15 mini brie bites
- 1 cup cranberry sauce (homemade or storebought)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup honey for drizzling
- 1/4 cup crushed, toasted pecans
- 1 tablespoons minced thyme leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. With the phyllo sheets rolled, very thinly slice to create “thin noodles”.
- Place a small handful of phyllo noodles into a circle on a clean surface.
- Brush a wheel of brie all over with egg wash and place into the center of the phyllo circle. Top brie with a small dollop of cranberry sauce.
- Bring sides of phyllo up into the center and pinch and twist shut.
- Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top with a little more egg wash, then pile a small amount of phyllo on top.
- Repeat steps 3-7 until all wheels of brie have been used.
- Gently brush each brie bundle with melted butter.
- Bake bites for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for5 minutes.
- Transfer to a platter, drizzle with honey, and finish with a sprinkle of crushed pecans and thyme leaves. Serve.
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Can you substitute dried cranberries and puff pastry ?
Yes, although the flavor + texture will be different. You may also need to adjust bake times.
How many sheets of phyllo for each bite?
Three!
Delicious! These look great and I would love to make them but where do you find the mini Brie bites?
You can usually find them at Trader Joe’s or Vons/pavillions, etc
These look great and I would love to make them but where do you find the mini Brie bites?
Hi! These are becoming more readily available these days! You can find them at Trader Joe’s, Vons, pavilions, etc.