Festive Cranberry Brie Bites – The Easiest 3-Ingredient Christmas Appetizer Everyone Loves

Last December, I was scrambling because my in-laws decided to drop by on Christmas Eve—like, two hours notice kind of scrambling. And I’m standing there in my kitchen thinking “what do I have that doesn’t require a grocery store run?” because honestly, the thought of fighting those holiday crowds made me want to cry.

That’s when I spotted it. A wheel of brie sitting in my fridge (leftover from who knows what), a can of cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, and—thank goodness—a box of puff pastry I’d thrown in the freezer. These festive cranberry brie bites literally saved me that night.

Why I’m Obsessed with These Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bites

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’ve tried a million holiday appetizers. The fancy ones that require seventeen ingredients and three hours of prep time. The ones from brie and cranberry bites BBC Good Food that looked amazing but tasted… meh. Even attempted those cranberry brie bites Pioneer Woman style once—burned them because my daughter needed help with her homework right when they were supposed to come out.

But these? These 3 ingredient cranberry brie bites are foolproof. Well, almost foolproof. More on that disaster story later.

The first time I made them, my husband ate six before I could even plate them properly. Six! And he’s the guy who usually just eats chips and salsa at parties. My neighbor texted me the next day asking for the recipe because apparently, her daughter wouldn’t stop talking about “those cheese things.”

The Backstory (Because Every Good Recipe Has One)

I think I first saw something similar on Pinterest? Or maybe Instagram? Honestly can’t remember because my brain is fried from too many late nights. But whoever invented putting brie and cranberry together deserves an award. It’s like… the perfect combo of creamy and tart and slightly sweet. Plus, wrapped in buttery puff pastry? Come on.

Some people get fancy and add pecans or rosemary or whatever. And don’t get me wrong, those versions are probably amazing. But when you’re in a pinch (or just lazy like me on a Tuesday night), the basic three ingredients work perfectly.

What You Need for These Brie Bites with Puff Pastry

Here’s where it gets stupidly easy:

Puff pastry – I use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets. The box comes with two sheets and each sheet makes 12 bites, so 24 total. Which is good because they disappear FAST. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for like 40 minutes. (I’ve forgotten to thaw it before and tried microwaving it. Don’t. Just don’t.)

Brie cheese – Get about 8 ounces. You can use a whole small wheel or cut chunks from a larger one. I’ve used both the kind with the rind and without. Honestly? Keep the rind on. It gets all melty and delicious and nobody notices it’s there. One time I spent fifteen minutes cutting off all the rind because I thought I was supposed to… total waste of time.

Cranberry sauce – The canned jellied kind works great. Ocean Spray is my go-to. Or if you’re feeling fancy (or just have leftovers), whole berry cranberry sauce adds nice texture. I’ve also used that fancy cranberry chutney my mom gave me… worked fine but felt a little extra for what’s supposed to be an easy recipe.

That’s it. Three ingredients. I know the title says festive cranberry brie bites ingredients, but seriously, that’s the whole list.

Can You Make Cranberry Brie Bites Ahead of Time?

YES. This is the best part. These make ahead cranberry brie bites are perfect for people like me who panic-cook the day before a party.

You’ve got two options:

Option 1: Assemble them completely, don’t bake them, and stick them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then bake them right before serving. This is what I do most of the time because warm brie is just… chef’s kiss.

Option 2: Bake them ahead and reheat them for like 5 minutes in a 350°F oven. They’re not quite as good as fresh, but honestly? Still delicious. My sister-in-law does this and nobody complains.

I tried freezing them once (unbaked). Worked okay but the puff pastry got a little weird. Not terrible, just not as flaky. Your call.

How to Make These Festive Cranberry Brie Bites (Step by Step)

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F. I always forget this step and end up standing around waiting for the oven to heat up while my perfectly assembled bites sit there getting sad and room temperature.

Step 2: Unroll your thawed puff pastry on a cutting board. Cut each sheet into 12 squares. I just eyeball it—cut it in quarters, then cut each quarter into three pieces. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Life’s too short for precise measurements on appetizers.

Step 3: Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Or use those little paper liners if you’re fancy. I learned the hard way (i.e., scrubbing burnt cheese off a muffin tin for 20 minutes) that greasing is NOT optional.

Step 4: Press each puff pastry square into a muffin cup. It’ll look wrinkly and weird. That’s normal. The corners will stick up. Also normal.

Step 5: Cut your brie into small cubes. Maybe half-inch pieces? Ish? Again, not precious about measurements here. Put one piece in each pastry cup.

Step 6: Top each brie cube with about half a teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Some people say a teaspoon but that’s too much in my opinion. It bubbles over and makes a mess. (Trust me on this one.)

Step 7: Bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is all melty and bubbly. Check them at 15 minutes because ovens vary wildly. Mine runs hot so I do 14 minutes exactly.

Step 8: Let them cool for like 5 minutes before trying to remove them from the tin. I know they smell amazing and you want to eat them immediately. But the cheese is LAVA hot. Burned my tongue so many times before learning patience.

The Disaster Story I Promised

So, the second time I made these—feeling all confident because the first batch was perfect—I got distracted. My son knocked over a glass of juice, I ran to grab paper towels, completely forgot about the oven timer.

Twenty-five minutes later, I smelled burning.

These brie cranberry bites crescent rolls (okay, they were puff pastry, but same concept) were basically charcoal. Black edges, smoking cranberry sauce, the works. Had to open all the windows in December. My husband walked in like “what happened?” and I just pointed at the oven with shame.

Made another batch. Set THREE timers. Worked perfectly.

Tips I’ve Learned from Making These Way Too Many Times

Use a mini muffin tin. I tried making them in a regular muffin tin once thinking I’d have fewer to make. They turned into weird giant pastry cups that were impossible to eat in one bite. Defeats the whole point.

Don’t overfill with cranberry sauce. Seriously. It bubbles and spills and caramelizes on your pan and becomes a nightmare to clean.

Let the puff pastry stay cold. If it gets too warm, it’s a sticky nightmare to work with. If this happens, just pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

They’re better warm. But honestly, my kids eat them cold straight from the fridge the next day and claim they’re just as good. Kids are weird.

Add pecans if you want. Sometimes I throw a couple chopped pecans on top before baking. Adds a nice crunch. But then it’s not three ingredients anymore, so…

Variations (For When You’re Feeling Extra)

Sometimes—SOMETIMES—I add a tiny drizzle of honey on top after baking. Makes them even more festive and people think you’re a culinary genius.

Or fresh rosemary. Just a tiny sprig on each one before baking. Very Christmas-y.

My friend swaps the cranberry sauce for fig jam. Haven’t tried it myself but she swears it’s amazing.

Festive Cranberry Brie Bites Calories (If You Care)

Each bite is roughly 80-90 calories. But who’s counting at Christmas parties? Not me. I eat like five and call it dinner.

Why These Work for Every Party

Here’s what I love: they LOOK fancy. Like, people think you spent hours making them. But you didn’t. You spent maybe 20 minutes total. It’s the perfect little lie.

They’re also just the right size. One or two bites, no plate needed, no fork required. Perfect for parties where everyone’s standing around with drinks.

And they work for literally any occasion. Christmas? Obviously. New Year’s? Yes. Random Tuesday because you deserve something nice? Absolutely.

The Final Word on These Cranberry Brie Bites

Look, I’m not saying these festive cranberry brie bites will change your life. But they might change your party game. They’re easy enough that even my husband (who burns toast) could make them. They’re impressive enough that your mother-in-law will finally have something nice to say. And they’re delicious enough that you’ll be making them year-round.

Last week I made them for a book club meeting. Everyone kept asking for the recipe and I was almost embarrassed to say “it’s three ingredients.” But you know what? Simple is good. Simple means you spend less time in the kitchen and more time actually enjoying your party.

Now I keep puff pastry in my freezer permanently. Just in case. Because apparently, I’m the person who brings these to everything now. And honestly? I’m okay with that.

Happy cooking, and may your cheese always be melty!

(Seriously, try these and let me know how they turn out. Or if you burn them like I did. We can start a support group.)