Can I assemble these ahead?

Yes, you can make unbaked pastry shells in a muffin tin up to 24 hours ahead of time. Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap to keep the shells fresh, and store them in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve the pastries, you can bake them from the refrigerator and adjust the baking time accordingly. The pastries should be safe to bake in the same muffin tin in which they were made. The shells should hold their shape.

What replaces pecans?

Chopped walnuts and slivered almonds are other options. Pecans can be omitted or substituted with other nuts or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free snack. Other dried fruit jams and preserves besides cranberry sauce include fig and apricot. Other nuts can be used for different textures.

How do I stop brie from spilling?

The mini muffin pan helps keep the pastry and cheese filling in place while baking so that the brie doesn't leak out. The mini muffin pan also provides smaller portions and reduces brie leakage onto the pan. Cutting the brie into small pieces and using less sauce reduces the risk of leakage.

What brie should I buy?

Any store-bought wheel of brie cheese will do. Chilling the cheese may make it easier to cut.

How long do leftovers keep?

Keep leftover chicken and broccoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer.

Thanksgiving Appetizer: Easy Cranberry Brie Bites

By Jonah PikeOct 31, 2026

10 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

Servings

Easy

Level

Jump to recipe

These cranberry brie appetizers provide a simple hot Thanksgiving appetizer for 24 people. Ingredients in the mini pastry cups include whole berry cranberry sauce and pecans, fresh rosemary, and brie cheese. Pastry cups are crisp and browned at the edges and filled with soft brie on the inside.

Thanksgiving Appetizer: Easy Cranberry Brie Bites

I chill puff pastry and brie before assembling to make 24 pizza cutter-cut pieces on a floured surface. Chilling puff pastry before baking allows the layers to expand. A mini muffin pan can help keep brie filling inside puff pastry as it bakes and make it easier to shape chilled pastry dough in each muffin cup.

Add a small amount of cheese and one-half teaspoon of sauce to each cup. Don't add a lot of cheese and sauce, as the cheese and sauce will overflow from the pastry cups and cook in the baking dish. I bake the pastries until the pastry is nicely browned and puffed and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Allow pastries to cool in the baking dish for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Oven temperature is 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes. I like to serve cranberry sauce in individual servings, including whole cranberries. I like to include whole cranberries in the serving cups. Add a sprinkling of rosemary to give a pine aroma without overpowering the brie cheese flavor.

Why we keep this one around

A serving of 24 appetizers is enough for a starter course for buffets where diners serve themselves.
Cranberries and brie make a holiday appetizer with sweet and savory flavors.
Prep time is 10 minutes. The food can be baked in the oven while the table is being set.
The cups of baked goods have fillings, and the tray is well presented when served.
Consider walnuts, slivered almonds, and roasted pumpkin seeds as alternatives to pecans.
Individual cups provide an opportunity to take leftovers home for an additional warm snack.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a mini muffin tin, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 24 equal squares.

Press each pastry square into a mini muffin cup and place one brie cube in the center.

Top each brie cube with about 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce, chopped pecans, and a pinch of rosemary.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed up and the brie is melted and bubbly.

Cool the bites in the tin for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a serving platter and serve warm.

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