Flaky, creamy, and sweet, these Brie and Jam Puff Pastry Bites are the perfect holiday or party appetizer!
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Personally, I believe that appetizers must have a few key elements to be considered successful. First, they should be easy to make (or make-ahead) and easy to eat. It's even better if they can be consumed in a couple of bites to avoid any mess (like these Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Puff Pastry Bites). Secondly, they should possess a good variety of textures and flavors (like these Caramelized Onion Tarts). And lastly, they should look appetizing (hence the name)! These Brie and Jam Puff Pastry Bites manage to accomplish all of these measures and more!
This appetizer recipe is almost in the style of a classic vol-au-vent, or puff pastry shell that is filled in the middle. It's delicate, flaky, creamy sweet and so delicious.
The only real question to consider is whether you are willing to make the puff pastry from scratch or not. I highly recommend it (it will be a better quality, taste more delicious, and cost less), but I'm also realistic that sometimes we need shortcuts, so store-bought puff pastry is fine too.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam-packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- puff pastry (the easiest route is to use store-bought puff pastry...However, this rough puff pastry recipe is truly easy, or if you really want to go all in, there is a traditional puff pastry recipe available too. For more information, please see below.
- jam (some good flavors that go with brie are cranberry, cherry, plum, but feel free to get creative here)
- brie cheese (use your favorite type of brie here, and see below for more information on how to prep it)
- fresh rosemary (though fresh thyme or chives would also be a good choice here)
- egg wash (which is just egg and water!)
What Type of Puff Pastry to Use
Use either homemade rough puff (it's easier than you think!) or frozen store-bought. If you want to kick it up a notch, you can also try making Traditional Puff Pastry.
If you did choose to make the puff pastry, this Brie and Jam bite recipe only requires a half the batch from the rough puff pastry recipe (about 18 oz). So you can save the other half for another recipe like these Puff Pastry Tomato Tart, something sweet like these Cherry Turnovers, or you can make a double batch of this Brie and Jam Bites!
Is store-bought puff pastry good?
Yes, it's totally fine to use! Just note: depending on the type of puff pastry you buy, the exact quantity of puff pastry bites you get may vary.
Purchased puff pastry typically either comes in one folded 14-ounce sheet or in two folded 8-ounce sheets. But I haven't tried all brands, so your store-bought puff pastry may be different than this.
A Quick Note about the Steps
There are many different ways to make this type of two-bite puff pastry appetizer. Lots of other recipes call for baking in a muffin tin. However, I found that while that method does keep the number of hands-on steps to a minimum, the final product wasn't as good as it could be.
So instead, this recipe is almost a play on a vol-au-vent (a classic French with a hollow puff pastry case filled with either a sweet or savory filling). The instructions call for partially baking puff pastry circles and then making an indentation in the center. This recess is filled with jam and Brie, and then returned to the oven to finish cooking.
I chose this method for two big reasons:
- Adding the brie and jam directly to the unbaked puff pastry resulted in both elements getting overbaked and leaking everywhere.
- Using a muffin tin can results in undercooked puff pastry
So, while my technique has a few extra steps compared to others, please trust that it's worth the effort. Not only are these appetizers actually very stunning, but the taste and texture of the final result make up for the extra 15 minutes of prep work.
Not convinced and wondering if it can be done quicker?
Fine! Bake these in a mini muffin tin all together with the puff pastry jam and brie. However, be warned that I don't think the final result is as good as the one achieved if following all the steps in this recipe.
A Few Notes on Brie
Brie is a soft and creamy cheese known for its velvety texture and subdued, buttery flavor. It has a "bloomy rind" which is perfectly edible. It adds additional textural elements and another flavor component to the cheese. However, if you prefer to cut some, or all of it off, that is up to you. I personally like the added taste and texture it adds, so I leave most of it on.
Step-By-Step Recipe Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. This is not the actual recipe, located at the end of this article and has much greater detail to ensure success.
Step 1: Prepare the puff pastry and stamp out the circles.
Step 2: Press a smaller cutter in the pastry's center (avoid going through it). Use a fork to create steam holes. It helps pastry puff in the right places.
Step 3: Brush with an egg wash, then let it chill in the freezer while the rest of the ingredients are prepared.
Step 4: Cut up the bree and place the jam in a piping bag or ziploc bag with a square corner.
Step 5: Partially blind bake the puff pastry, then push in the center to make an indent.
Step 6: Pipe the jam in the hole.
Step 7: Place a piece of brie in the center.
Step 8: Return to the oven to finish baking.
You can tell the puff pastry bites are done when the pastry is evenly golden and the brie is melty.
Baking Tips
Let me start this off by sharing the golden rule when it comes to working with puff pastry: if at any point your puff pastry is getting warm, place it in the refrigerator or freezer to chill. Warm pastry is sticky and difficult to work with, and if it gets too warm, it can bake up poorly.
A few more tips:
- Chill the puff pastry before baking! Chilling the pastry before baking makes the puff pastry bake up higher.
- Bake on the middle rack: this ensures the puff pastry bakes throughout but doesn't brown too much on the bottom.
- This recipe requires taking the puff pastry out before it is actually done baking. To ensure the best results, work quickly when filling the par-baked puff pastry shells and put it right back in the oven as soon as possible. Making sure all your mise en place is ready before you put the pastry in the oven to par-bake is important.
Serving!
Once the tarts come out of the oven, let them cool briefly. Then sprinkle them liberally with fresh picked thyme leaves (or chives!). These taste best when still warm, but are good at room temperature too.
These puff pastry bites are at their best when consumed on the day they are made. However, I have stored them in both the refrigerator and freezer before. Although they don't taste as good as the fresh ones, once defrosted and reheated, they still taste pretty good! I have had success toasting them from frozen as well as defrosting and then toasting.
More Appetizer Recipes
More Puff Pastry Recipes
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Full Recipe
Brie and Jam Puff Pastry Bites
Flaky, creamy, and sweet, these Brie and Jam Puff Pastry Bites are the perfect holiday or party appetizer!
- Total Time43 minutes
- Yield20 pieces
Ingredients
- ½ batch rough puff pastry or classic puff pastry (or store-bought, see notes)
- All-purpose flour (for work surface)
- Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon of water or cream)
- 1 cup jam-of-choice
- 4 ounces brie cheese
- 4-6 sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Prepare rough puff pastry or defrost frozen puff pastry. If you make it, you will only need half a batch. The remaining half can be frozen. Or, you can double the filling for this recipe and make about 32 bite-sized tarts.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place an oven rack in the middle part of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface (remember, you are only using half of the batch if you've made this rough puff recipe) to about ⅛-inch thickness, or about a 10-by 14-inch rectangle. Or, if you are using store-bought puff pastry, simply remove it from the package according to the instructions and lay it out on a lightly-floured surface so the puff doesn’t stick to the counter.
- Using a 2-¾-inch circle cutter (or similar), stamp out the pastry. You should be able to stamp out at least 16 circles. I don't recommend re-rolling the scraps for this purpose, so place your stamps as closely together as possible and save the scraps for something else.
- Now dock the pastry: Using a 2-inch cutter (or similar), make an indentation in the center of each circle of pastry, but make sure not to press all the way through. Then, take a fork and dock the middle of the pastry to prevent the dough from rising too much during baking.
- Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet spaced evenly apart. Brush each pastry with a thin layer of egg wash.
- Set aside in the freezer or refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Using a bench scraper, a knife, or kitchen shears, cut up the brie into ½-inch pieces (leave the rind on, or take it off). Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Place the jam in a pastry bag or a ziploc bag.
- Remove the puff pastry rounds from the freezer and bake them for 12 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, but not yet golden.
- Working quickly, using a small cookie cutter or a small spoon, press into the center of the par-baked puff pastry in where the middle has puffed up. Pipe about 2 teaspoons of jam into the center of each puff. Then, place a piece of brie in the middle.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the brie is a little melty.
- Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Before serving, pick the rosemary, roughly chop it, and sprinkle it over the tarts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
As a baking site, I will always say homemade puff pastry is better than store-bought. But it's also ok to use store-bought too! Different brands come in various quantities, so you may have more or fewer tarts depending on your brand and your size cutter. But the spirit of the recipe is the same no matter what.
The size of the puff pastry bites can vary, depending on the quantities you wish to bake up. If you want more, use a smaller cutter. During testing, I made as few as 12, and as many as 24 in a single recipe by using a smaller cutter. The baking time will vary slightly, though not by a lot.
Use your favorite type of jam here, but I recommend a cranberry, plum or cherry!
These bites are best eaten on the day they are made. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and reheated in a toaster oven.
The total time to make this recipe depends on whether or not you make your own puff pastry, so keep that in mind.
You can cut all, some or none of the rind off of the brie. Leaving some or all of it on adds an additional element of taste and texture.
Putting the jam in the piping bag isn't strictly necessary, but it makes quick work of adding the jam to the center of the pastry. This is useful since it should be done as quickly as possible to minimize the time the partially baked pastry spends out of the oven. If you don't have a piping bag, use a Ziploc bag with a square corner, then snip off the corner, and, voila, a make-shift piping bag.
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P. Dirks
I tried this for the first time today and it's a winner! Tasty, and as a very beginner baker, found it manageable.
One question: Step 12 states: "Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the cream cheese is puffed up." I assume that the "cream cheese" is just a typo. However, should the brie "puff up"? I found that it just melted (and was fine this way).
Kelli Avila
Hi there! I'm so glad you liked the recipe! And thanks for catching that copy and paste error from a similar recipe of mine. I've fixed it so. The brie should just be a little melty!
Sue S.
Easy and delicious! Sometimes better than the pre-cut Pepperidge Farms shells because you can control the size of the shells. Very nice small to medium individual size shells can be created by choosing the size of your round! Very impressive looking!