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Sparkling cranberry brie bites are made with sugared cranberries, crackers, jam, and brie cheese are a beautiful and easy holiday appetizer perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve.

sugared cranberry and brie crackers make a beautiful holiday appetizer
 

I’m so happy to share one of my favorite festive holiday recipes with you! Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites are very easy to make and incredibly impressive looking – and tasting. This sugared cranberry appetizer has long been one of my most popular recipes. I just love how beautiful and tasty these are. They are a must make for any holiday party.
 
The sweet and tart cranberries go so well with the creamy cheese and crunchy crackers. If you like spice, try using pepper jelly instead of the cranberry jam or chutney. Vegan friends, try almond milk based soft ripened cheese from Kite Hill. 
 
If you would like to have this recipe in a beautiful glossy hard cover cookbook, be sure to pick up a copy of the Yummy Mummy Kitchen cookbook. There’s a spring/summer version of this recipe in the book too

 
Fresh cranberries are only in season from about October through December, making this appetizer all the more special. Tart cranberries get the perfect amount of sweetness from a dip in maple syrup and a coating of organic sugar. We love these sugared cranberries as a treat all on their own. They are also terrific on any holiday dessert or cheese board. 

How to Make Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

Sugared cranberries in a bowl make a delicious dessert or appetizer when making sparkling cranberry brie bites.

Sugar the Cranberries

The first step in making these beautiful holiday appetizers is to sugar the cranberries. It’s easy, and you can do this step a day or even two in advance, and then assemble just before serving. 
 

Assemble the Bites

Once the cranberries are sugared to glittery perfection, we are ready to assemble. Top the crackers with a slice of your favorite Brie type of creamy cheese. Since I don’t use much dairy anymore, I prefer to use a nut-based “cheese” from Kite Hill. There are so many great tasting dairy free cheeses these days. I also love using a goat cheese style nut cheese from Treeline. 

The chutney helps glue everything together. You could use our homemade Cranberry Chutney, or a store bought one. 

Fresh cranberries are only available this time of year, so grab a bag the next time you’re at the market and sugar those babies up. Last year I used sugared cranberries to top a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving, but they’re also a nice low-guilt treat to satisfy your sweet tooth on their own.

 
 
 

Some sparkling shoes are obviously a must when you’re enjoying sparking hors d’oeuvres. Santa, Darling, every gal needs a pair of these Glitter Louboutins for the Holidays. Santa? Yummy Hubby? You listening? 

If these beauties don’t get you into the holiday spirit, I don’t know what will. Red, sparkling, sweet, tart, and creamy, these Sparkling Cranberry Brie Crackers have everything you could want in a fall or winter hors d’oeuvres.

A close up photo of Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites, a beautiful Thanksgiving or Christmas party appetizer.

Yield: about 16

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Sparkling cranberry brie bites are made with sugared cranberries, crackers, jam, and brie cheese are a beautiful and easy holiday appetizer perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve. To make this a vegan holiday appetizer, use Kite Hill soft cheese.

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup good maple syrup
  • 1 cup organic granulated sugar
  • 16 crackers
  • 8 oz. Brie cheese or Kite Hill almond based soft ripened cheese
  • cranberry chutney or cranberry relish
  • fresh mint for garnish

Instructions

  1. Rinse cranberries and place in a medium bowl. Heat syrup in a small sauce pan just until warm. Pour over cranberries when syrup is warm, not hot, or cranberries may pop. Cool, cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. Drain cranberries in a colander. Place sugar in a large bowl or baking dish. Add cranberries in 2 batches and roll around until lightly coated in sugar. Place on a baking sheet until dry, about 1 hour.
  3. Assemble crackers with one slice of brie, a light layer of cranberry chutney, and 4 or 5 sugared cranberries. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Notes

You can make the sugared cranberries up to one day in advance. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.

© Marina Delio
Cuisine: International / Category: appetizers