5-Ingredient Cranberry Brie Tartlets
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All you need is 5 ingredients and 30 minutes to make this easy and festive holiday appetizer! These cranberry brie tartlets have puff pastry, pecans, and rosemary – all the best flavors of autumn and winter. Pop open a bottle of bubbly and lean into the coziness of the season!
Aside from wearing giant sweaters and strolling through crunchy leaves and watching When Harry Met Sally for the 800th time, my favorite part of autumn is all the food. Specifically party food cause this is probably the most social I will be all year. And as an extroverted introvert, my safe space is the snack-and-wine table.
I think we all know a good appetizer can make or break a party. We’ve all been to a get together where the only snack option is a sad, dried out veggie tray. BOO. 🍅🍅🍅 We want cheese! We want crunchies! And we need something that doesn’t require plates or forks.
That’s where these bites come in. They’re basically a little cup of cheesy, buttery goodness and they have the best cranberry compote that I’ve been making ever since I was in culinary school. (Of course, store-bought is a nice hack too.) But here’s a few more highlights!
- These bites have just 5 ingredients and most of them are pre-made.
- You can prep and bake these tartlets in less than 30 minutes.
- Have you had brie and cranberry together? It’s so good!
- Make these for holiday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and everything in-between.
P.S. If you have leftovers, make these brie, turkey, and cranberry sliders. Or use just the leftover brie to make creamy whipped brie or brûléed apple and brie crostini!
5 things you’ll need
- Puff pastry – frozen puff pastry is my secret trick for a quick-and-easy appetizer. I like all-butter puff pastry when I can find it.
- Cranberry compote – you can use cranberry sauce (not canned or jellied), compote, or preserves. If you don’t have leftover sauce on hand, you can find my favorite cranberry sauce in the recipe card.
- Brie – use a nice brie because it’ll add a ton of lovely, creamy flavor! We’re using the rind and cheese in this recipe.
- Pecans – totally optional but I love pecans for a little crunch. You can also use hazelnuts or walnuts.
- Rosemary – for a little garnish. Fresh thyme would be delicious too.
More filling ideas
If you don’t want to use cranberry sauce or compote, you can use pretty much anything jammy. Try fig jam, apricot jam, orange preserves, or anything with fall/winter flavors. Apple, pear, quince, raspberry, or blackberry would be amazing with the brie!
Cranberry compote
If you don’t have a jar of cranberry compote on hand, this is my favorite quick-and-easy recipe! You can use fresh or frozen cranberries.
You want the compote to be nice and thick so it doesn’t melt in the tartlets. When you drag a wood spoon through the compote it should leave a trail and mostly hold its shape. It’ll thicken more as it cools.
Roll the puff pastry
Make sure to keep the puff pastry chilled! Cold puff pastry is key for those flaky layers. If it gets too warm, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.
Fill & bake
If the filling bubbles out of the tartlets, don’t stress! Just gently nudge the filling back into the puff pastry cups with a spoon.
Wine pairing ideas
Of course, you’ll need a good wine to go along with these bites. For this appetizer, I like a wine that’s dry and acidic to cut through the sweet cranberries and rich brie. If you’re a white wine fan, try Sauvignon Blanc, brut champagne, or dry Riesling. A jammy Zinfandel or light Pinot Noir are amazing red pairings!
Refrigerate or freeze
To store leftovers, place them in a single layer in airtight container. Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days. Or, add a layer of parchment paper over the top and freeze them for up to 1 month.
Reheating tips
Reheating cranberry brie bites the right way is key! If you simply microwave them, they’ll come out soggy. Instead, I like to heat them on a sheet pan at 350°F (177°C) until they’re warmed through. This will take 5-10 minutes out of the fridge or 10-15 minutes out of the freezer.
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5-Ingredient Cranberry Brie Tartlets
Ingredients
Cranberry Brie Tartlets
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
- 1/2 cup jarred cranberry compote or jam, or use the recipe below (160 grams)
- 6 ounces brie cheese, cubed (188 grams)
- 24 pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
Cranberry Orange Compote
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (120 grams)
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (80 milliliters)
- 2/3 cup water (160 milliliters)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (160 grams)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan (24-cup)
Instructions
Cranberry Brie Tartlets
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the sheet of puff pastry into an 8×12-inch rectangle. (If the puff pastry is sticking, dust the surface with a small amount of all-purpose flour.) Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the puff pastry into 4 even strips length-wise. Then, cut the puff pastry cross-wise into 6 even strips so you have 24 2×2-inch squares. Press the puff pastry squares into the cups of the mini muffin pan with a pastry tamper or the handle of a wood spoon. Use the tines of a fork to dock the bottoms of the puff pastry cups 2-3 times each.
- Fill each puff pastry cup with 1 teaspoon of cranberry compote, 1 cube of brie, and 1 pecan half. Bake the tartlets for 17-20 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the puff pastry is golden-brown.
- Transfer the tartlets to a platter and sprinkle them with the fresh rosemary. Add sprigs of rosemary for garnish, if desired. Enjoy the tartlets warm or at room temperature.
Cranberry Orange Compote
- Mix the cranberries, orange juice, water, and brown sugar together in a skillet or saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the berries, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes or until the juices are thickened and the berries have burst. When you drag a spoon through the sauce, there should be a trail and the compote should mostly hold its shape.
- Remove the compote from the heat and stir in the orange zest. Transfer the compote to a bowl and let it cool completely. It will thicken more as it cools.
