Elevate any gathering with baked cranberry brie bites — flaky pastry, creamy brie, and a bright, tangy cranberry sauce tucked into irresistible, bite-size appetizers. These crowd-pleasing brie bites are quick to assemble, beautiful on a platter, and a smart way to highlight seasonal flavors using Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener for a refined sugar-free finish. Whether you call them brie and cranberry bites, brie bites with cranberry, or brie bites cranberry, the results are consistently elegant and delicious.
At Lakanto, we craft better-for-you sweeteners that help home cooks and professionals create standout recipes without added sugar. Our monk fruit–powered products are trusted for clean taste, reliable performance, and versatility, making Lakanto a leader in sugar-free baking and entertaining.
Why They’re a Go-To Appetizer
Each bite delivers a balanced mix of buttery pastry, rich brie, and sweet-tart cranberry. They look impressive but require minimal effort, making brie and puff pastry bites ideal when you need something elegant without hours in the kitchen. If you prefer brie bites in puff pastry, the flaky layers give a bakery-quality finish every time.
They’re easy to portion, simple to scale, and adaptable to dietary needs and flavor preferences. Make a batch ahead, pop a second tray in the oven mid-party, and let guests serve themselves. Baked cranberry brie bites also travel well for potlucks and look refined on tiered platters.
Perfect for holiday parties, potlucks, New Year’s Eve, brunch buffets, game day spreads, date nights, and wine-and-cheese evenings, these brie and cranberry bites offer a touch of indulgence with a polished presentation. Repeat-worthy for hosts, brie bites with cranberry are a signature small bite that never goes out of style.
Ingredients for Baked Cranberry Brie Bites
Here’s what you’ll need to make brie and cranberry bites:
- Brie: A small wheel or double-cream brie, rind on for structure.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen for homemade sauce, or canned whole-berry sauce.
- Pastry: Refrigerated crescent dough, puff pastry, or mini phyllo shells for brie bites in puff pastry or phyllo.
- Lakanto Sweetener: Lakanto Classic Monkfruit Sweetener with Allulose
- Orange Zest and Juice: Adds brightness to the sauce.
- Vanilla Extract and a Pinch of Salt: Optional, to round out flavor.
- Toppings: Chopped pecans or walnuts, fresh rosemary, or a drizzle of Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup.
Tips for brie and cranberries: Choose brie that feels soft when chilled—double or triple cream melts beautifully. Select firm, glossy cranberries and discard any soft or dull berries. Frozen cranberries work well and can be used straight from the freezer for any brie bites cranberry variation.
Why Lakanto: Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener brings clean, balanced sweetness without added sugar. Golden offers a subtle brown sugar note, while Classic provides a pure, neutral sweetness. With Lakanto, baked cranberry brie bites turn out bright, balanced, and reliably delicious.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the cranberry sauce: Try our homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce — get the recipe HERE
Prepare the pastry: If using puff pastry, thaw and cut into 2-inch squares. For crescent dough, pinch seams and cut into squares. Press into a lightly greased mini muffin tin. If using pre-made phyllo shells, arrange them on a baking sheet. For brie and puff pastry bites, keep pastry cold for best lift.
Fill: Cut brie into 1/2-inch cubes (keep rind on) and place one cube in each pastry cup. Top with about 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to make classic brie and cranberry bites.
Bake: Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 12–15 minutes (10–12 minutes for phyllo shells), until the pastry is golden and the brie is melted and bubbly. Brie bites in puff pastry will puff dramatically and turn deep golden when ready.
Finish and serve: Top with chopped nuts and a small sprig of rosemary. Optional: drizzle lightly with Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup for shine. Serve warm. These baked cranberry brie bites hold nicely on a warm platter for 20–30 minutes.
Baking tips:
- Keep pastry cold until baking for maximum lift.
- Avoid overfilling to prevent spills.
- Dock puff pastry bases lightly to control puffing.
- Use the lower-middle rack for crisper bottoms.
Presentation ideas: Arrange on a wooden board with extra sauce and rosemary sprigs, or use a tiered platter. For cocktail service, offer toothpicks and small plates for easy grab-and-go. Label them as brie bites cranberry to help guests identify the flavor.
Recipe Variations and Customization
Topping ideas: Pistachios add crunch and color; pecans deliver a classic holiday touch. A crack of black pepper or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt enhances contrast. Finish with a light drizzle of Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup for gloss and subtle sweetness on any brie and cranberry presentation.
Flavor swaps: Replace cranberry sauce with sugar-free raspberry preserves, fig compote, or a quick cherry-orange sauce sweetened with Lakanto. For a savory twist, tuck a sliver of prosciutto under the brie and finish with a balsamic reduction — perfect for transforming brie and puff pastry bites into a gourmet canapé.
Dietary substitutions: For gluten-free, use gluten-free puff pastry or gluten-free phyllo cups. For dairy-free or vegan, swap brie with a plant-based brie-style cheese or a creamy cashew spread, and use vegan puff pastry. Sweeten sauces with Lakanto to keep them refined sugar-free, ensuring baked cranberry brie bites remain better-for-you.
Seasonal variations:
- Autumn: Cranberry-apple compote with cinnamon.
- Winter: Pomegranate arils for sparkle.
- Spring: Strawberry-rhubarb sauce.
- Summer: Blueberry-lemon compote.
All variations pair beautifully with Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener for consistent, better-for-you sweetness year-round. Whether you’re making brie bites in puff pastry or quick phyllo cups, Lakanto helps brie bites with cranberry shine every season.
About Lakanto
Lakanto is dedicated to helping people cut sugar without compromising taste. Our monk fruit sweeteners deliver clean sweetness, bake and cook like sugar, and support balanced lifestyles. From holiday brie and cranberry bites to everyday baking, Lakanto products provide dependable results and exceptional flavor — backed by rigorous quality standards and a commitment to innovation.
Choose Lakanto for your baked cranberry brie bites and brie bites cranberry creations. With our Classic and Golden Monkfruit Sweeteners, plus maple and honey flavored syrups, you can craft brie and puff pastry bites that look stunning, taste extraordinary, and fit your wellness goals. That’s why hosts, chefs, and home bakers alike trust Lakanto as a leader in sugar-free sweetening.
