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These little pastry Brie and Cranberry Bites are THE taste of Christmas. They’re delicious, so easy to make and ideal for serving up as a starter or as canapés at a party.
You can also mix this recipe up a bit with different fillings. I use whatever cheeses I have leftover and make a batch of these in a similar way – the perfect way to finish off your festive cheeseboard.
Cheese and pastry are two of the great joys in life, I think we can all agree. This is a super simple way to bring them together!
All you have to do is add your filling ingredients to a bed of (ready-made) puff pastry, pop them in the oven and you’ve got a perfectly formed Christmas Canapé.
These are ideal for serving as a starter if you’re cooking for a crowd, or just while serving drinks, opening presents or with a glass of mulled wine.
And if you’re catering to a number of tastes, there are plenty of easy filling options (see below).
Why you’ll love this Christmas Canapés recipe
⭐️ Ready in just 30 minutes
⭐️ Hardly any prep needed
⭐️ A great way to use leftover cheese
About this recipe
I love to make my own easy canapés and nibbles at Christmas because they’re a) more impressive, b) more delicious, c) way more cost effective – and d) fun to make!
If you can make time in the usual chaos that is the festive season to make a few of your own creations, I promise you’ll never look back.
You can try my super easy Prawn Canapés or Smoked Salmon Canapés, or get a tiny bit more involved with my Sausage Rolls or Puff Pastry Mince Pies (still really easy).
Oh – and not forgetting this fun (and delicious) Nutella Christmas Tree for breakfast!
As well as the Brie and Cranberry classic combo for these canapés, you could also try:
- Pecan nuts
- Crispy bacon bits – Fry them off before sprinkling on top
- Pine nuts
- Chorizo chunks – Fry until crispy before sprinkling on top
- A drizzle of honey after cooking
- Leftover cooked turkey chunks
- Chunks of leftover cooked stuffing
- Stilton and chutney instead
- Leftover pigs in blankets
- Leftover chunks of Christmas ham
Christmas Canapés ingredients
- Olive oil
- Puff pastry sheet – I like ready rolled sheets.
- Cranberry sauce
- Brie – I leave the rind on as it helps to keep the shape of the cheese.
- Egg – This is to brush on the pastry.
- Sea salt
How to make Christmas Canapés
- Cut the pastry sheet into 12 squares and push into a muffin tin that’s been brushed with olive oil.
2. Spoon the cranberry sauce and then brie into each pastry case. Brush with egg, sprinkle thyme and salt, then bake according to the recipe below.
Substitutions
- Leftovers – Have a go at adding any leftovers into the parcels that you think will work. Anything from Baked Camembert or cheeses and chutneys to olives and nuts would be delicious.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep these in the fridge for 3 days. You can eat them cold or reheat fully in the microwave or oven before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well. Just wait until they are totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Top tips
Pastry
If you’re time rich, feel free to make your own puff pastry. BUT if you’re like me and need the extra time, ready-made puff pastry is the answer! I like to use fresh puff pastry (from the chiller aisle), but you could also use frozen puff pastry. Just make sure it is fully defrosted before you come to use it.
Remove the pastry from the fridge about 10 minutes before you intend to use it for best results.
Serve these warm
These can be served cold but honestly you’re missing a trick if you don’t serve these while they’re still warm and oozing gooey brie – just the best.
FAQ
This makes 12 servings, so if you want more you’ll need to adjust the ingredients accordingly.
The good news with this recipe is, apart from the pastry, you can be a bit free and easy with how much of everything you can put in each one.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Christmas Canapés {Brie and Cranberry Bites}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 375 g Puff pastry sheet
- 100 g Cranberry sauce
- 150 g Brie
- 1 Egg, Beaten
To serve:
- Sea salt, thyme and drizzle of honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C.
- Brush the inside of a muffin tin with the olive oil.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet into 12 squares and push into each muffin hole.
- Spoon in the cranberry sauce and then brie into each pastry case.
- Brush with beaten egg.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
- Sprinkle with salt, thyme and a drizzle of honey to serve.
Notes
- Pecan nuts
- Crispy bacon bits – Fry them off before sprinkling on top
- Pine nuts
- Chorizo chunks – Fry until crispy before sprinkling on top
- A drizzle of honey after cooking
- Leftover cooked turkey chunks
- Chunks of leftover cooked stuffing
- Stilton and chutney instead
- Leftover pigs in blankets
- Leftover chunks of Christmas ham
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Got some cranberry sauce that needs using, bought pastry. Job done . Would you cook from frozen.
So good! The veggie in-laws loved these on Christmas Day. Definitely a recipe to keep for future parties.
So kind of you to share this guide and recipes, love them all – thank you so much 🙂 x
Just about to pop in the oven! very easy to make !
Can I freeze these ?
Yummy. Made this dish and it was full of flavour. The family loved it.
OMG! This recipe looks delicious! I never heard of before. Also, the presentation of the images is awesome! Definitely, I am going to try at home. Thanks for sharing.
Damn, this sounds perfect for out Christmas celebrations. Thanks for sharing!
Ooh thanks, I’ll try this on Boxing Day