In Good FlavorMini Brie Bacon and Apple Butter Bites are flaky pastry cups filled with creamy Brie cheese, smoky bacon, and sweet, spiced apple butter. They are simple yet flavorful, combining sweet, salty, and cheesy flavors. These crowd-pleasing bites are ideal for appetizers, holiday parties, game day, and any occasion in between!
Puff pastry makes everything taste especially delicious, as with my Corned Beef Palmiers and Italian Sausage and Spinach Strudel. In these Brie bites, the buttery puff pastry cups perfectly enhance the creamy, mild Brie, the chewy, salty bacon, and the warm, fragrant apple butter. Their irresistible taste guarantees they will quickly disappear from the platter!
If you want an appetizer everyone will love, try making these! They’re easy to prepare, using only four ingredients. Even with cooking the bacon, only a small amount is needed. (Feel free to use store-bought cooked bacon as a shortcut!) Assembling the puff pastry cups is simple, and then they are baked to perfection.
Ingredients needed:
- 1 package puff pastry sheets—found in the frozen food section. One box contains two sheets. You’ll need to defrost before use.
- Brie cheese—the cheese is covered with an edible white rind. Removing the rind is optional. I prefer it removed, but leave yours on if you wish.
- Bacon—chop and cook in a skillet until crispy. Use store-bought cooked bacon as a substitute, if desired, to save time.
- Apple Butter—this product comes in a jar and can usually be found in the peanut butter section of the grocery store. It is essentially concentrated spiced applesauce with a deep caramelized flavor and warm spices.
Recipe highlights:
- Chop and cook the bacon until brown and crisp.
- Cut the Brie into thirty-two chunks.
- Cut each of the two puff pastry sheets into 16 squares.
- Line mini muffin pans with the puff pastry pieces. To each muffin cup, add a Brie chunk, a few pieces of bacon, and a dollop of apple butter.
- Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 15-18 minutes.
- Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
Can it be prepared ahead of time?
You can prepare these Brie bites almost entirely a day in advance and bake them the next day. Follow the recipe instructions to assemble the bites, but wait to add the apple butter until you’re ready to bake. To prevent the puff pastry from drying out due to exposure to air, cover the baking pan with plastic wrap until you’re ready to bake. Adding the apple butter at this stage would only cause it to stick to the plastic wrap.
How to store and reheat:
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, place on a baking sheet and bake, lightly covered, in a preheated 350° F oven for approximately 5 minutes or until heated through. You can microwave it to reheat, but the puff pastry will not crisp up as well.
They can also be frozen. Double wrap in aluminum foil or place in an airtight freeze-safe container or freezer bag, then freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a preheated 350° F oven for 7-10 minutes or until heated through.
Pro tips for working with puff pastry:
- Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator the day before. If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost it on the countertop, just long enough to thaw, which takes about 30 to 60 minutes. However, it must stay cold. Cold butter in the dough creates the flaky layers when baked. Keeping the puff pastry cold is essential for forming those layers.
- Work quickly to minimize handling of puff pastry with your hands. The heat from your hands can warm the puff pastry, causing the butter to melt too early.
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or are highly rated.)
- Mini muffin pan—I have this particular one. It’s a 24-cup mini muffin pan with a metal reinforced frame for stability and durability. This muffin pan
is nonstick and oven-safe up to 450° F. - Pizza cutter—for cutting the puff pastry into squares.
- Apple butter—I use this brand. You can conveniently purchase it online or at your local grocery store, which will likely be a more affordable option.
- Skillet—this 10-inch stainless steel skillet is used for cooking bacon. It is oven safe and compatible with induction cooktops.
- Slotted spatula—used for cooking the bacon. The slotted feature allows the fat to drain back into the skillet.
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Mini Brie Bacon and Apple Butter Bites
Description
Mini Brie Bacon and Apple Butter Bites are flaky pastry cups filled with creamy Brie cheese, smoky bacon, and sweet, spiced apple butter. They are simple yet flavorful, combining sweet, salty, and cheesy flavors. These crowd-pleasing bites are ideal for appetizers, holiday parties, game day, and any occasion in between!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Add the bacon to a cold skillet on medium heat. Allow it to cook and render the fat, stirring occasionally to brown and crisp evenly on all sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- Slice the Brie into thirty-two pieces, about 1/3 inch thick and 3/4 inch long each. Set aside. Note: Cutting off the edible white rind of the Brie is optional. I prefer to remove it, but you can leave yours on if you like.
- Cut each pastry sheet into 16 squares using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. My pastry puff is 10 inches by 10 inches, which yields sixteen 2.5-inch squares per sheet. If you have larger puff pastry, you will have excess.
- Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray or lightly grease them with a neutral oil. Line each cavity with puff pastry. Place a piece of Brie in each, then add a few pieces of bacon. Dollop a teaspoon of apple butter over the bacon.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the puff pastry is lightly golden brown. Bake in two batches if your muffin pan(s) can’t hold 32 muffins. Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary, optional.
- Makes 32 puff pastry bites.
Notes:
- Defrost the puff pastry sheets in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Alternatively, let them sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, but make sure they are refrigerated immediately after defrosting. The butter in the puff pastry must stay cold.
- If you use silicone muffin pans like the ones I used in this post, add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Also note that puff pastry bakes up lighter than when using a silicone muffin pan.
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