Sparkling Cranberry & Brie Bites: Easy Holiday Appetizer

These adorable sparkling cranberry brie bites are the perfect holiday appetizer. They’re easy, elegant, and delicious and work for either Thanksgiving or Christmas!

These little cranberry brie bites are one of my absolute favorite holiday appetizers, and could they be any more festive?!

I first made these a couple of years ago at Thanksgiving and they’re perfect for so many reasons. First of all, they feature cranberries, the quintessential fruit of the holiday. And even better, they taste great without being overly filling!

Because I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is such a big meal that we don’t want super heavy snacks. However, it is nice to have a little something to whet your appetite while you’re waiting for dinner to be served. And they keep people busy, satisfied, and out of the kitchen until you’re ready! 😉

And of course, sparkling cranberry brie bites would be perfect for Christmas, too, because well, red and green!

 

 

These little cranberry brie bites have just a few ingredients, and they take only minutes to make. A win/win when it comes to holiday appetizers in my book!

 

 

The most involved thing you need to do is sugar the cranberries, and it’s actually pretty quick and easy. And you do it a day in advance so you’re ahead of the game! Then all you need to do is grab some cranberry chutney, crackers and brie, and you’re ready to go!

 

 

Once the cranberries have been sugared, they are sweet, but not overly so. I’d say they are the perfect mix of sweet and tart. 

In fact, I couldn’t stop popping them in my mouth when I was making these, haha!

 

 

The combination of the sweet sugar, tart cranberries, along with the richness of the cheese creates a perfect mix. I’m telling you, these are a crowd pleaser – they always go quickly whenever I’ve served them!

 

Yield: 18-20 servings

Sparkling Cranberry & Brie Bites

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These sparkling cranberry brie bites are easy, elegant and delicious - they're the perfect holiday appetizer!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 1 day

Total Time 1 day 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup good maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 box water crackers (such as Carr's)
• 8 ounces Brie cheese
• 1/2 cup cranberry chutney or relish (homemade or purchased - I use Stonewall Kitchen)
• Fresh mint, for garnishing

Instructions

1. Rinse cranberries and place in a medium bowl. Heat the maple syrup in a small saucepan until just warm. Pour over cranberries. (Make sure the syrup is just warm, not hot, or the cranberries may pop). Gently stir with a spoon to coat. Cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.

2. The next day drain the cranberries in a colander (do not rinse). Place the sugar in a large bowl or baking dish. Add half the cranberries and roll them around until they're lightly coated in sugar. Repeat with the other half. Place on a baking sheet and let dry, about 1 hour.

3. To assemble, top the crackers with one slice of brie, a light layer of cranberry chutney, and about 3 cranberries. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Notes

These are best assembled close to when you'll be serving them, otherwise the sugar starts to "melt" on the cranberries and they aren't as pretty.

I usually buy my cranberry chutney (recommended: Stonewall Kitchen) but you could also make your own.

 

These are beautiful, festive and delicious – the perfect holiday appetizer!

 

 

I’m also sharing a few of my favorite serving platters in case you’re in need of a new one for the season!

 

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Sheila
xo

 

 

Be sure to visit some of the delicious holiday appetizers my friends are sharing below!

Holiday Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread – Zevy Joy

The Best Artichoke Dip Recipe – Happy Happy Nester

Baked Feta with Crostini Appetizer – Satori Design for Living

Cranberry Meringue Roulade – Jennifer Maune

 

Brie and Pear Crostini – Lemon Grove Lane

Cranberry Brie Pastry Puffs – My Sweet Savannah

Sparkling Cranberry & Brie Bites – Maison De Cinq

 

Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer – Modern Glam

Easy Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board – Hallstrom Home

Easiest Baked Ravioli Appetizer – Tatertots & Jello

 

Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe – My 100 Year Old Home

Savory Sausage and Mushroom Bruschetta – Twelve On Main

Proscuitto Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers – The Happy Housie

 

*adapted from Epicurious