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These (almost idiot proof) 5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls are my favorite easy appetizer. They’re quick, simple, and most importantly, everyone LOVES them. Flaky puff pastry, creamy Brie cheese, dried cranberries, and a touch of sweet cinnamon sugar (promise it works). All rolled together then baked to create the perfect cheesy pastry swirls. These are the perfect, sweet and savory festive appetizers that are ideal for holiday entertaining.
There are very few recipes I turn to time and time again. But these fun, slightly sweet yet still savory, pastry swirls have been my go-to Thanksgiving appetizer for years now. It’s not all that often that I repeat recipes in my kitchen, but when it comes to holiday recipes, I LOVE tradition more than anything. Some of you might recognize these from way, way back when. And for some of you, this might be a brand new recipe. Regardless of whether it’s old or new, I am SO EXCITED to be sharing these swirls today. These are one of my mom’s favorite holiday appetizers.
Originally I was going to share a completely different, very dessert-like post today. But then something on Monday morning just told me that I NEEDED to instead share another easy appetizer. I know we just talked about these goat cheese stuffed bacon wrapped dates, but with Thanksgiving next week, and all of the upcoming holiday parties, I figured we needed all of the appetizer recipes we can get our hands on.
Right? Yes, yes, certainly hoping so! Plus, these are just so fun, easy, and DELICIOUS. I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t love this recipe.
Store-bought puff pastry…holiday tip, always keep puff pastry in the freezer, especially during November and December.
Salted butter…just a little, but it goes a long way.
Cinnamon sugar…yes, cinnamon sugar. Again, only just a little, but it’s the secret ingredient here.
Creamy Brie cheese…for obvious reasons. It’s the most delicious ingredient here.
Dried cranberries…a pantry staple that never gets enough love that’s perfect for pairing with creamy Brie.
If you can make cinnamon rolls, you can me these swirls. Just layer the pastry with butter, cinnamon sugar, brie, and cranberries. Roll up the pastry, slice, and bake. DONE. That’s it. These take only minutes to prepare, minutes to bake, and come out of the oven looking more incredible than you could imagine.
Trust me. I make these every year and I’m still taken back every single time I pull them out of the oven. There’s just nothing not to love about bubbly melty Brie with cranberries and flaky pastry. And the addition of a little cinnamon sugar? Just two simple words…
SO GOOD.
Um, yes, it’s that cinnamon sugar. I know it’s odd and unusual, but let me explain. First, you should note that we are not using a lot of sugar, only a pinch and it really goes a long way.
The sweet cinnamon in combination with the cranberries, Brie, and pastry is what makes these swirls sparkle. Literally.
Whenever I’m working with cranberries I always find they need to be paired with something sweet to break up their tartness and highlight just how delicious they really are. Since I love playing with sweet and savory flavor combinations, I tested out the addition of cinnamon. At first I was nervous, but after the first bite, I knew I stumbled across something crazy delicious. The sweet cinnamon adds a nice warmth that pairs perfectly with the creamy Brie and balances out the tart cranberries.
It’s the perfect marriage of flavors and feels especially fitting for this time of year.
These are a little messy. When you pull them out of the oven, you may worry that they’re too messy. But, just let the swirls sit on the pan for a few minutes and the cheese will set and be much easier to work with. They’re still going to be a little messy, but such a great appetizer, and so worth a few sticky fingers! They’re bite-sized and great for prepping in advance and then popping in the oven just as guests arrive.
These take only a few minutes to bake. They’ll come out of the oven just as everyone is settling in and beginning to look for apps.
My biggest tip? Double the recipe. This recipe makes about sixteen pastry swirls, but everyone eats at least two…sometimes more. Again, they’re bite-sized…and so very, very GOOD!
If you make these 5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls, 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 tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Yum! Can you use fresh cranberries? Or dried only?
Hey Annie,
I would stick with dried cranberries with this recipe, I think fresh would be a little bulky to roll up! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look so good! Could they be prepped and frozen? If so, at what point in the process would you freeze them? Thanks so much, I love all of your recipes!
Hey Catherine,
Yes, totally fine to do, you will want to make through step 3 and then freeze. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
A great change up is heat the dried cranberries with Grand Marnier in the microwave for 15-30 seconds (just warming). Let them plump while preparing the pastry, I find using a liqueur to hydrate them a little, increases moist sweeter version and reduces the additional dry chew of the berries
Thank you so much Ann!! xTieghan
Can I use currants instead of cranberries?
HI! I am sure that will be great. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made the cranberry brie tarts. After baking per instructions we had a greasy, inedible mess. The bottom of the tarts look raw & most of the puff pastry did not puff. Any idea what cause this?
Hi Deborah, I am so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It sounds like you had too much Brie on the tart dough. Next time try using 4 ounces of brie. I think that will help with the messiness. You may also need to bake the tart longer to ensure they are crisp on the bottom. All ovens are different so it could be that your oven is not as hot as mine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this help you! Thank you! xTieghan
Excellent! Easy and tasty! Only difficulty—cutting the rind off the Brie. No problem though. Just cheesy fingers! I highly recommend this. Try it, you’ll like it!
Thank you so much Debra! xTieghan
Sooo easy to make!! Would love a savory version?
Thank you Emily! xTieghan
Easy and delicious.These were a big hit at Christmas dinner!
Love that! Thank you so much Nancy! Merry Christmas! xTieghan
Super delicious. Super easy. Only complaint…one batch is NOT enough. :o) Lesson learned.
Haha yes! Thank you so much Karen! xTieghan
These are good and I will probably make them again – my only concern was that they came out very greasy – perhaps 3 Tablespoons of melted butter is too much, since the pastry already has plenty of butter. I might try it with a little less brie, although it is delicious it is also heavy.
Thank you Mark! I am really glad you enjoyed these and hope you love them more with less butter! Thank you! xTieghan
Could you use orange flavored cranberries from Trader Joes?
Hi Jule! I am sure those will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
hello 🙂 It’s very difficult to get my hands on dried cranberries, do you think this would work with fresh too? Thanks for your help!!
Hi! Yes, this works really well with fresh cranberries. I would use an extra tablespoon of cinnamon sugar to balance the tartness from the fresh cranberries. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I made these as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner with my family…even my picky kids loved them! I will definitely be making them again!
Thank you so much Kristi! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for all of you! xTieghan
These were a huge hit at our Thanksgiving celebration. Will be making them again for Christmas!
Thank you Jen! I am so glad you enjoyed these! xTieghan
This was a great twist on baked brie! I subbed out dried cranberries for apple butter and orange marmalade and it delicious. It was messier because of added liquid but still stayed together well. Much easier as an appetizer than traditional baked brie.
Hi Ruth! I am really glad this turned out so well! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan