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 & cranberry sauce (or your preserves of choice), then baked until the pastry is golden & flaky & the brie is ooey-gooey melted perfection. A simple yet show-stopping holiday treat, perfect for Christmas & New Year’s Eve snacking!
Ingredients
Scale
- 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 & cut puff pastry: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper as desired for easy clean up & 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 & brie. Place the reserved puff pastry circles over top. Seal the mini baked brie by pulling the top puff pastry circle over the brie & preserves & 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 & golden brown. Remove from the oven & 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 (this is a great recipe), 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 & pie crusts. I really like the frozen puff pastry from Trader Joe’s. It’s really affordable, & 1 box contains 2 sheets – perfect for this mini baked brie recipe!
- Storage & 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 & 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 & 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 & store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’d like to bake them off, simply preheat the oven & finish the mini baked brie according to Steps 4-6 of Recipe Directions, above.