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Elegant, festive and easy to eat, these jalapeño cranberry brie bites are the perfect party appetizer for the holidays. Creamy brie, tart cranberry, spicy jalapeño and sweet orange come together in the buttery crescent roll dough for a perfectly balanced bite.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
We love easy appetizers, and it doesn’t get much easier than these yummy little jalapeño cranberry brie bites, thanks to a few shortcut ingredients like crescent dough sheets (just unroll and cut) and store-bought orange marmalade.
Sure, you could top these with canned whole berry cranberry sauce for an even faster option, but we promise this is well worth the little bit of extra effort. The flavor of homemade cranberry jam doesn’t even compare!
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- CRESCENT ROLL DOUGH SHEET: Pillsbury makes handy tubes of crescent dough sheets, so all you have to do is pop, unroll and cut.
- FRESH CRANBERRIES: By rough chopping the cranberries in the food processor before cooking, the cranberry jam thickens pretty quickly and has a smoother finished texture.
- ORANGE ZEST: Fresh orange zest boosts the bright citrus flavor of the marmalade.
- ORANGE MARMALADE: By using orange marmalade to make the cranberry jam, you don’t need to use as much sugar, with the added bonus of extra orange flavor.
- JALAPEÑO: The mild heat and bright flavor from the jalapeño really makes the cranberry jam pop. Even if you think you don’t like any added heat, we highly recommend trying it. To pick a mild jalapeño, look for smooth, bright green skin without striations (tiny white/brown lines). Larger peppers are usually a little milder, too.
How to Make Cranberry Brie Bites With Jalapeño
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
PREHEAT AND PREP THE MUFFIN TIN: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
MAKE THE CRANBERRY JAM: Coarsely chop the cranberries in the food processor and combine with the orange marmalade, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the jam has reduced to the consistency of cranberry sauce, 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the fresh jalapeño and orange zest, and set aside.
PREPARE THE DOUGH: Pop open the tube of crescent roll dough and unroll the sheet. Cut it into 24 squares and press one into each cup of the mini muffin tin.
BAKE THE BRIE BITES: Add 2 to 3 cubes of brie to each crescent roll cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the brie has melted and the crescent dough is golden.
TOP WITH CRANBERRY JAM: Top each brie bite with a spoonful of the cranberry jam.
GARNISH AND SERVE: Garnish each brie bite with a few bits of diced jalapeño, if desired. Serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cranberry Brie Bites
No, it’s just a matter of preference. The brie cubes are quite small so the rind doesn’t interfere with the creaminess of the cheese. If you want to remove the rind for a smoother texture, pop the brie in the freezer for a few minutes, then use a sharp knife to slice off the top before cutting into cubes.
Leftover brie bites can be stored, after they’ve completely cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Yes, allow them to cool completely, then flash freeze them individually (making sure they don’t touch) before transferring them to a freezer bag. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. You can bake them straight from the freezer, too.
Sure, just follow the baking instructions on the puff pastry packaging, as it generally bakes at a higher temperature and for a little longer than crescent roll dough. You’ll also want to remember to prick the bottom of each puff pastry bite with a fork before baking. The texture of puff pastry will be somewhat lighter and flakier, while crescent roll dough is a little more tender and chewy. Both are good options for these jalapeño cranberry brie bites, though.
More Easy Holiday Appetizers
- Apple Cranberry Chutney (also delicious with brie)
- Easy Cranberry Cheese Ball (rolled in toasted pecans)
- Crostini with Prosciutto, Ricotta, and Figs (so decadent)
Brie Bites With Cranberry and Jalapeño
Ingredients
- 1 crescent dough sheet
- 4 oz brie, cut into 1/4" cubes
- 6 oz fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced (reserve some for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Coarsely chop cranberries in a food processor. In a pan over medium heat, add cranberries, orange marmalade, sugar, water, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to the consistency of cranberry sauce, 15 to 25 minutes.
- While the cranberry jam cooks, unroll crescent dough sheet and cut into 24 squares. Press each square into the muffin tin.
- Remove the cranberry jam from the heat and allow to cool. Stir in fresh orange zest and jalapeño.
- Divide the brie cubes among each crescent roll cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the brie is melted and crescent rolls are slightly golden.
- After baking, spoon the cranberry jam on top of each brie bite. Garnish with diced jalapeño, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
