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These Cranberry Brie Pastry Tarts are my favorite last-minute appetizer. They’re quick, easy, and most importantly, everyone loves them! Puff pastry, creamy brie, and fresh cranberries all baked together to create the perfect cheese filled mini tarts. Finish each tart off with a little fresh thyme for a festive appetizer that’s perfect for holiday entertaining.
Happy day before Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is just as excited as I am. We have all of the family here…and then some…for tomorrow’s big meal. My parents house is very full, and will continue to be through the weekend.
I know this might sound cheesy, but I’m feeling extra thankful this year. It’s been such a busy year. The last two months have been non-stop, and filled with a lot of work and not enough sleep…and I would not change it for a thing. I’m just so excited for all the growth that HBH has seen this year. And so thankful for all you, who loyally read my rambles day in and day out.
It’s funny, when I’m writing each day’s new blog post I never think about how many people will read it, or what you guys might think. I just write and share my life with you all. I love that this space feels like I’m chatting with friends every single day. It’s truly the best, and I’m very thankful to have SO many of you to talk and share my recipes with daily!
Since we’re down to the wire, and somehow Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I wanted to share an incredibly easy recipe that’s also incredibly delicious.
Enter these cranberry brie pastry tarts.
These tarts are hands down one of the most delicious appetizers you can serve up. They still have a nice classic holiday flavor combo. But they’re made into cute tarts that are the best little three bite appetizers. They’re perfect for tomorrow, or any other party this holiday season.
I mentioned the other day that one of my go-to short cut ingredients is puff pastry. I kind of love it. Puff pastry is great for quick dinners, beyond delicious appetizers, and sweet desserts.
That said, if there’s one thing I love to use puff pastry for the most, it’s brie. Brie and puff pastry are like peanut butter and jelly. They’re delicious on their own, but better together (really throwing out all the cheesy lines today…).
As you can imagine, these are simple, but don’t let that fool you, they are so good. I guarantee that if you put these on your appetizer table, every last tart will be gone in minutes.
Start by mixing fresh cranberries with a little brown sugar and cinnamon. Since we’re using fresh cranberries it’s necessary to sweeten them with some form of sugar, or they’ll be too tart to eat. I like to use anywhere from 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar, but use more or less to you taste. The cinnamon adds the perfect warming touch that pairs nicely with the tart cranberries and creamy brie.
Now, cut each sheet of pastry into rectangles and spread with fig preserves. The preserves add another layer of flavor and also help to balance the cranberry’s tartness. You could also use an equal amount of maple syrup or honey.
Top the preserves with slices of brie, add the cranberries, throw them in the oven, and done.
Quick, easy, and perfect.
When these come out of the oven, some of the brie may have melted over the sides of the pastry. Don’t worry, this is totally fine. You just need to scoop any brie that melted off, back onto the tarts. Brie is a melty cheese, so just be aware that will most likely happen.
In my opinion, the meltier and messier the tarts are, the better.
I finished each tart off with some fresh thyme leaves for a pop of festive green color, and a hint of savory flavor. It’s hard to describe just how good these are, but if you love cranberries, and you love brie, you must make these mini tarts.
Promise, they will be the favorite appetizer of the night! I am very much looking forward to making them tomorrow for my family.
Hoping you all have a very wonderful Thanksgiving, full of good food, family, and friends! If you need any last minutes recipe ideas, check out my Thanksgiving menu.
Taking tomorrow off to cook (I’ll be on Instagram though, with fun behind the scenes stories). I’ll be back on Friday with my first ever pot pie recipe!
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you make these cranberry brie tarts be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video Here:
Cranberry Brie Tarts from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
Cranberry Brie Tarts
Servings: 12 makes
Calories Per Serving: 777 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar, use more or less to your taste (I use 2 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 (8 ounce) wheels of Brie, each cut into 12 slices (leave the rind on)
- 1/3 cup fig preserves
- 1 egg, beaten
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
- fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cranberries, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 3. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 rectangles. Spread each rectangle with about 1 teaspoon fig preserves, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top with 2 slices of brie and then mound the cranberries over the brie, pressing them into the brie to adhere slightly (see above photo). 4. Fold the edges of the pastry inward to enclose the brie. Brush the edges of pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the brie melted. Top with fresh thyme. Serve and enjoy!
These are to die for! Made them at Thanksgiving this year and they were a hit. I am hosting a party TONIGHT (!!) and am wondering if this could be baked as the whole sheet then cut for serving? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Heidi,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! I think that would probably be super messy! xx
I’m planning on making these for a pot luck. Can they be made ahead of time (even the previous day) and any suggestions on reheating?
Yes, wondering the same thing. I want to make them Thanksgiving morning, before roasting my turkey, and serve them as an appetizer.
Hey John,
You could assemble these in advance, but I would wait to bake until you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hello,
I work at The Lennox Independent and The Tea Weekly newspapers in South Dakota. Each year we put together a recipe book for the holiday season.
Your recipe caught my eye and I was wondering if I could use it in our booklet.
Thank you!
Hi Julia,
Thanks so much for asking! Sure, as long as credit is given where due, we are totally okay with this! xx
Hi, I have made these before and loved them. I was looking to make them again this weekend for an event however can’t source any fresh cranberries (we live in the UK). Is there any recommended fruit that could be used instead? Maybe a silly question and I should find something else to make !
Hey Jen,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! I think raspberries would also work well for you! xTieghan
I just made them today and they are so delicious! So glad I stumbled across the pics and your recipe on pinterest. Sending lots of love from Moscow, Russia x
Hi Mary,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Loved it! Easy and delicious
Hey McKenzie,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
These were absolutely delicious! I didn’t plan my time well or accordingly, nor did I read the directions thoroughly, HOWEVER, they went off without a hitch. I also had leftovers, bought more puff, and added cream cheese, and those too were good ? thanks Tieghan happy holidays!
Hi Monica,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Holidays!? xT
Hello,
What can be subbed for the fig preserves? I’ve checked every store, including specialty stores, and there’s none to be found.
Thanks so much!
Hey Steph,
You could use honey in place of the preserves. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These were so delicious! I’m a big fan of yours and these tarts!
Hi Kelly,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I mistakenly purchased puff pastry shells instead of the sheets. I baked the shells till they were almost done, then removed the crowns. I prepared the shells following the recipe with the fig preserves, brie and cranberries (which I decided to cook a bit due to my blunder) and returned them to the oven to finish the pastry cooking and to melt the cheese. I’ll make them again with the proper ingredients. However, they were absolutely delicious using the shells!
Hey Andrea,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Hi! Planning to make this for thanksgiving (canadian). Would this recipe work if it’s baked as a whole round Brie? What would you suggest to do differently? Trying to cut down prep time for me 🙂
I’m making these today. Should I cook the cranberries first before they go on the puff pastry and before they go into the oven? Or do they cook enough while in the oven?
I made these at Thanksgiving this year! Siooo good! It was just my husband and I, we wanted to eat them all but had to save room for turkey! I gave to say they were just as good left over and warmed up the next day!!
Hey Carolyn,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are gone within minutes whenever I make them! Depending on the pastry dough you use, some tarts may be bigger than others. It is a larger hand-held treat. I will definitely be cutting them in half like the pictures above for easier eating!
Hey Alexa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I roasted thin apple slices and put them under the Brie and used pepper jelly and dangggg girl! this was awesome! Thanks!
Thank you so much Caroline! xTieghan
Could you use burrata cheese!
Hey Marlene,
I’ve never tested this with burrata cheese, but let me know if you give it a try! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan