These super simple to make cranberry brie bites are the perfect appetizer to serve at your next holiday party! The secret to this incredibly easy hors d’ouvres: refrigerated crescent dough. 😉
With Thanksgiving just days away, I am in the baking zone. This year, we’re headed to a friend’s house for a Friendsgiving here in Boston. And of course, I’m making a bunch of things to bring for the festivities.
Typically, when I’m hosting a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving at our own home, I love to set out a few appetizers before the big meal, especially since holidays like this one tend to start pretty early in the day for us. This Thanksgiving charcuterie is a huge hit, and baked brie is always a win.
This year, though, I wanted to try something new. I love an easy and impressive-looking appetizer, and these cranberry brie bites totally fit the bill!
Ooey gooey melted brie perfectly compliments the ever-yummy crescent dough and a burst of sweet and tart cranberry sauce with a bite of roasted pecan = ZOMG, it’s holiday perfection in an easy bite.
Truly, simple as they may be, crowds LOVE them, and trust me, they’ll go fast.
The trick to such an easy appetizer is canned crescent dough. And if you prefer puff pastry, you can easily use thawed pastry sheet dough (from the freezer section) for this recipe as well!
See Also → Sausage and Brie Puff Pastry with Raspberry, Fig and Balsamic Jam
They’re also easy to make ahead. Just prepare the cranberry brie cups the night before or earlier that day, cover in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to pop them in the oven.
If you’re not a fan of eating the rind on brie – even though you can eat it, it’s really just a matter of preference – I find that the rind is easier to cut off after you cut your brie into chunks. I also think it’s easier to cut the rind off if you’re working with a wedge of brie, rather than a wheel of brie.
Also, the cranberry sauce makes these brie cups extra festive for the holidays, but you can easily substitute out fig jam, raspberry preserves, or honey in place of the cranberries. I actually love these brie cups with honey!
Cranberry Brie Cups
Ingredients
- 8 oz tube refrigerated crescent dough
- cooking spray, for pan
- 1 wedge or 8 oz wheel of brie
- whole berry cranberry sauce
- 20 - 24 whole pecans
- sprigs of rosemary, broken into 1" pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. On a flat surface, spread out the crescent dough and cut into 20 or 24 squares (depending on how many muffin cups your pan has.) Note: if you can't get your hands on the crescent dough sheet (i.e., the one without perforations), on a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough, and gently pinch together the seams; then cut into squares. Place each dough square into muffin tin slots.
- Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough. (You can bake the brie with the rind on, or cut it off before putting it into your dough cups.) Top with a small spoonful of cranberry sauce and one pecan. You can also add one small sprig of rosemary per cup, though I often add them after to only a few, since not everyone in our family likes rosemary.
- Bake until the crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
So there you have it: a super simple holiday appetizer to rival all other festive appetizers!
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Be sure to head to our recipe page to check out what else we’re dreaming up in the kitchen. If you make your own cranberry brie cups, tag me on social media (@glitterinclexi) so I can live vicariously through all of your delicious appetizer creations! Plus, I’d love to hear how it turns out (and if you and your holiday guests were just as obsessed as I am!)
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