Mini Baked Brie Bites – the Easy Holiday Appetizer Every Party Needs!
I’m not sure about you, but my ideal holiday menu consists of an epic snack table where I can graze on different nibbles throughout the day. And no snack table is complete without cheese, right?!? My ideal appetizer spread includes Bejeweled Marinated Goat Cheese, Marinated Olives, and plenty of these Mini Baked Brie Bites.
I love these brie puff pastry bites because they’re just pure deliciousness: gooey melted brie, crisp and buttery pastry, tangy preserves…yes, please! They’re a great standalone appetizer for your holiday snack tables, but they’re also a pretty epic add-on for holiday cheese boards.
Plus, they’re such a simple yet oh-so-fancy way to impress for the holidays! This mini baked brie recipe delivers big on wow factor, but there’s very minimal work involved. The brie bites call for just 3 main ingredients and they come together in about 20 minutes of hands-on prep. An easy, savory-sweet upgrade to traditional holiday cheese boards!
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
How to Make Baked Brie Bites
Making brie puff pastry bites is a super simple process that only takes about 20 minutes of active prep. The rest of the time, the mini baked brie is either chilling in the freezer or baking in the oven – easy!
What Jam Goes Well with Brie? ⇢ The mild flavor and creamy texture of brie cheese pairs well with pretty much any sweet or savory jam, so use whatever you like! Sweet and fruity flavors like whole cranberry sauce, fig preserves, raspberry preserves, and apricot preserves are some of my favorite pairings. For something a bit different, try a sweet and spicy kick from hot pepper jelly, or try using caramelized onions or a savory onion jam. The options are endless!
Roll and cut the puff pastry. Store-bought puff pastry is typically packaged in folded sheets. Once it’s thawed, be sure to carefully unfold one sheet at a time. Use a rolling pin to roll each sheet into a large rectangle (roughly 10×14) to yield 24 three-inch circles to make a dozen baked brie bites. Tip! ⇢ If you have a three-inch biscuit cutter you can use it here, but I use the lid of a wide mouth mason jar to trace out the circles with a paring knife. Easy!
Assemble the mini baked brie bites. Place a heaping half teaspoon of jam or preserves into the center of one of the puff pastry circles, then top it off with a cube of brie cheese. Very lightly brush egg wash around the edge, then top with a second puff pastry circle and crimp the edges well to seal.
Chill the mini baked brie. Place the brie puff pastry bites in the freezer for about 15 – 20 minutes as the oven preheats. Why? ⇢ Chilling the dough before baking keeps it nice and cold so the buttery layers remain separate and then burst open when they hit the heat of the oven. It’s the secret to crispy, flaky layers!
Finish and bake the brie puff pastry bites. Before the mini baked brie goes in the oven, brush a little egg wash over the surface of the pastry and add a generous sprinkle of Turbinado sugar on top. Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
Make Ahead Tips
Feel free to prep these mini baked brie bites up to 3 days ahead of time for extra easy holiday hosting. Once you assemble the puff pastry appetizers, wrap the baking sheet in plastic and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
I can’t wait for you to try these festive Brie Puff Pastry Bites! They are so simple and easy to throw together, and everyone who tries them loves them.
If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations!
Print
Mini Baked Brie Bites (Festive, 3-Ingredient Holiday Appetizer!)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes (mostly inactive)
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Appetizers, Snacks
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Mini Baked Brie Bites are the easiest 3-ingredient appetizer for the holiday season! Mini puff pastry hand pies are filled with brie cheese and cranberry sauce (or your preserves of choice), then baked until the pastry is golden and flaky and the brie is ooey-gooey melted perfection. A simple yet show-stopping holiday treat, perfect for Christmas and New Year’s Eve snacking!
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2 sheets puff pastry (about 18 ounces total), homemade or thawed from frozen (see Recipe Notes)
- 4 ounces brie, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup jam or preserves of choice, such as whole cranberry sauce, fig preserves, raspberry preserves, apricot preserves, pepper jelly, caramelized onions or onion jam, etc.
- 1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
- turbinado sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Roll and cut puff pastry: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper as desired for easy clean up and set aside. Lightly dust a clean, sturdy work surface with flour. Carefully unfold the puff pastry, lightly dusting it with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the puff pastry into an 10×14-inch rectangle. Cut 24 3-inch circles – a 3-inch biscuit cutter works beautifully if you have one, though I just use the lid of a wide mouth mason jar as a template, tracing around it with a paring knife. You will have scraps of puff pastry left over – this is expected! Arrange 12 of the circles on the prepared baking sheet – these will be the bottom of the mini baked brie. Set the remaining 12 circles aside – these will be the top.
- Assemble mini baked brie bites: Place a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of preserves in the center of one of the 12 puff pastry circles on the baking sheet. Top with a cube of brie. Use a pastry brush or your finger to very lightly brush the egg wash around the preserves and brie. Place the reserved puff pastry circles over top. Seal the mini baked brie by pulling the top puff pastry circle over the brie and preserves and pressing it into the egg washed border on the bottom puff pastry circle. Use a fork to crimp the edges, sealing the mini baked brie tightly. Repeat with the remaining 11 mini baked brie.
- Chill the mini baked brie: Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer to chill 15-20 minutes. At this point, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top third of the oven. When the oven is preheated, the mini baked brie will be chilled perfectly!
- Finish the mini baked brie: Once chilled, remove the mini baked brie from the freezer. Brush the egg wash all over the surface of the mini baked brie for a golden brown finish. If desired, generously sprinkle turbinado sugar over top. Use a paring knife to cut a small slit in the center of each mini baked brie.
- Bake the mini baked brie: Transfer the mini baked brie to the oven. Bake 20-22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the mini baked brie are crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly, 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Puff pastry: While you can certainly make your own homemade puff pastry, it’s one of those instances where our store-bought options are just as good. Puff pastry is usually sold in the ‘dessert’ freezer section of the grocery store, next to bread dough and pie crusts. I really like the frozen puff pastry from Trader Joe’s. It’s really affordable, and 1 box contains 2 sheets – perfect for this mini baked brie recipe!
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover mini baked brie will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. I like enjoying leftovers at room temperature – just take them out of the refrigerator and let them warm up for 15-20 minutes before enjoying. You can also reheat these mini baked brie in a warm oven. Place the mini baked brie bites on a baking sheet and transfer to a 200 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through. Due to the pastry, I do not suggest reheating in the microwave – it will get soggy.
- Simple Recipe Adjustments:
- Portions: As written, this recipe yields a batch of baked brie bites to feed a crowd of 12. You can easily halve the recipe to make just 6 mini baked brie bites, which conveniently uses just 1 sheet of puff pastry.
- Make-Ahead Mini Baked Brie: These mini baked brie bites are also very make-ahead friendly! To make ahead of time, I suggest preparing the mini baked brie according to Steps 1-3 of Recipe Directions, above. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’d like to bake them off, simply preheat the oven and finish the mini baked brie according to Steps 4-6 of Recipe Directions, above.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
so easy!! I made a small batch – halving the recipe made a perfect 6 – and my niece and nephew devoured them before anyone else got to try them. I used black raspberry jam. BIG HIT! will def be making again:)