Apple butter brie bites are an easy, 4-ingredient appetizer for fall. Flaky puff pastry is filled with gooey brie cheese, apple butter, and crunchy pecans.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Flaky, buttery puff pastry is filled with gooey brie cheese, crunchy pecans, and sweet apple butter.
Make ahead: Assemble your bites up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate until baking time. They're best served hot and fresh from the oven!
Yield: 24 bites
Similar to: Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
Ingredients and substitutions
- Puff pastry - Homemade or store bought puff pastry works in this recipe. If your puff pastry is frozen, place it in the refrigerator to thaw for two hours or on the countertop for 30 minutes.
- Apple butter - If you don't have apple butter on hand, other jams or preserves could work as a substitute. Raspberry, strawberry, or apricot jam pairs well with brie (like in my baked brie with apricot jam recipe).
- Pecans - Can be substituted with walnuts.
How to make brie bites
- Roll out puff pastry into rectangles, then slice each sheet into 12 squares.
- Press each square into a greased mini muffin pan, prick the bottom with a fork, and top with a square of brie.
- Top brie with apple butter and pecans.
- Bake until golden brown and melty.
Tips and tricks
Thawing puff pastry - Store bought puff pastry generally comes frozen. To thaw your puff pastry, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw for 2 hours or place on the countertop for 30 minutes. Your puff pastry is ready when it's cold but pliable and unfolds easily.
Slicing puff pastry - Roll your square of puff pastry into a rectangle, then slice each sheet into 12 squares, or a 3x4 grid (3 squares across on the short side, and four squares down on the long side - as shown above).
Use a mini muffin pan - This recipe makes small bites made in a mini muffin pan, not a standard size muffin pan.
Use cooking spray - Add a light layer of cooking spray to your mini muffin pan for easy removal. Your puff pastry bites should pop right out after baking.
Cold brie is easier to slice - Leave it in the refrigerator until you're ready to slice it for best results.
Bake until golden brown - I've added times in the recipe card as a suggestion. For best results, use visual cues. Your puff pastry should look golden brown across the tops, not pale or burnt. Every oven runs at a slightly different temperature, so the time that works for me may not work for you.
Frequently asked questions
You'll need a 24-count mini muffin pan (or two 12-count mini muffin pans) for this recipe. Here's a pan on Amazon that would work great:
- Cuisinart Nonstick Bakeware 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan
Yes, I recommend serving your puff pastry brie bites not long after baking while warm or room temperature. After two hours, leftovers should be discarded.
No, the rind is completely edible and also softens when baked. If you really don't want to include the rind, it can be carefully cut off but will take more prep time and can get messy.
Yes, this recipe serves as a great base to swap out different combinations of cheese, nuts, and jams. Apricot jam makes a great substitute for apple butter. To make savory bites, add pesto or pepper jelly instead of jam.
Apple butter brie bites can be assembled and stored unbaked in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking. I highly recommend serving them within about an hour of baking for a crisp, flaky texture. Refrigerating baked bites can cause sogginess.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Apple Butter Brie Bites
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 8 ounces brie
- ½ cup apple butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly spray a 24 mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface (or a sheet of parchment paper) and roll out into slightly rectangular shapes. Slice each puff pastry sheet into 12 squares, for 24 total squares. Gently press each square into your prepared mini muffin pan.
- Prick the bottom of each puff pastry with a fork.
- Slice brie into 24 cubes and add a cube to each puff pastry cup, topped with 1 teaspoon of apple butter and 1 teaspoon of chopped pecans.
- Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown across the tops.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan and serving. Bites can be served warm or room temperature.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Serve fresh: For best flavor and texture, serve your puff pastry bites within an hour of baking.
- Make ahead: Assemble your puff pastry bites and store in the refrigerator, unbaked, for up to 8 hours before baking.
- Leftovers: Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days but will get soft and lose their crispy texture.
- Variations: Try other flavors of jam, cheese, and nuts as desired. To make savory puff pastry bites, swap out apple butter for pesto or pepper jelly.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!