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Keto Cranberry Brie Bites are the perfect bite-sized appetizers for the holidays. A tender almond flour crust with a sweet and savory center!
My favorite way to celebrate the holidays is with appetizers and cocktails. We enjoy them as our family meal for Christmas Eve, and then we do it again for New Year’s Eve with friends. There’s just something about little bite-sized nibbles and treats that delights up.
These Keto Cranberry Brie Bites usually make an appearance at least once during the holiday season. They are such a festive addition to an appetizer tray and they look great alongside other finger foods like Keto Stuffed Mushrooms and homemade Boursin cheese.
And they have that sweet and savory thing going on, with melty brie cheese and some sugar-free cranberry sauce. They keep you coming back for more!
Why you will love this recipe
Cranberry and brie is a magical combination, bringing together the tart, the sweet, and the umami flavors. But conventional recipes for cranberry brie bites use pre-made tart shells or canned crescent roll dough. Not exactly keto-friendly stuff!
You do have to make your own keto cranberry sauce and your own low carb pastry for these keto appetizers, but it’s worth it. And it’s not really all that hard if you follow my instructions carefully. Many readers have had great success with this recipe.
The original recipe called for 48 bites, which is great if you are having a big party. But you do need two mini muffin pans to make that many. I’ve cut the recipe back to make 24 bites, which is still plenty! But you can always double it if you need to.
Reader reviews
“Made these last night, cause I had some Brie just sitting in the fridge. I didn’t have the small tart pan, so I made them in my cupcake pan. Turned out perfect, just needed a little more time in the oven. Loved them!!” — Pam
“My Mom and I made these on Christmas Day and loved them! I was nervous about the pastry but it came out perfect. I definitely enjoyed them right out of the oven as opposed to cold. Next time will make the pastry a little bit thicker. Thank you for all your amazing recipes that help me keep keto’ing! Up next, Butter Cake!” — Kari
“These were so impressive…even my keto skeptic sister loved them!” — Cherio
Ingredient Notes
- Cranberry sauce: If you don’t have leftover sugar free cranberry sauce, you will need to make some!
- Almond flour: The crusts for these brie bites are almond flour based, as it makes a much better crust than coconut flour. You could really use any nut flour here, but the pastry may be a little more fragile.
- Sweetener: I add a touch of sweetener to the crust, which I think plays well with the flavors.
- Brie: It’s easier to cut the brie into pieces when it’s cold. You can leave the rind on or remove it. Personally I leave it on as it’s delicious.
- Walnuts: If your walnuts aren’t toasted, toast them gently in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. You can also use pecans.
- Rosemary: I garnish these brie bites with some fresh rosemary. You can also use fresh basil or thyme. Omit if you don’t have any fresh herbs.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, butter, baking powder, and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs and melted butter until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball.
2. Roll it out: Dust a work surface lightly with more almond flour and transfer the dough to the work surface. Cover the dough with waxed paper or parchment paper and roll out to an even ¼″ thickness.
3. Form the tart shells: Cut out the tart crusts using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Lift the cut-outs carefully with an offset spatula and press each lightly into the wells of a 24-count mini muffin pans that are greased. Don’t press too firmly into the bottom of the cup, as they may stick after baking.
4. Par-bake the shells: Gather the scraps and re-roll dough as many times as needed to make 24 tart crusts in total. Bake the crusts at 325ºF for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely to firm up.
5. Add the fillings: Gently press a piece of brie into each tart shell. Add a teaspoon of sugar-free cranberry sauce on top of each bite.
6. Bake the tarts: Return to the oven and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until the brie is bubbly and the edges are just golden brown. Remove and let cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then gently loosen and lift bites out with a small sharp knife. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and rosemary leaves if desired.
Tips for Success
If you have any leftover keto cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, you can use that for the cranberries. I always end up with too much and I freeze it for other uses. But if you’re starting from scratch, be sure to make the cranberry sauce first so it’s ready when you are putting things together.
This keto pastry is easy to work with, because the eggs help bind it together. It’s flexible and easy to place in the mini muffin tins but don’t try to push it down into the bottoms or it may stick more during baking.
The brie will be much easier to work with when it’s cold. Brie is sticky and gooey at the best of times, but more so when it’s warm, so keep it chilled until you cut it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can assemble the bites, cover with foil and put the pans in the fridge overnight. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before baking. One of my readers placed the pastry dough in the muffin pan, froze them overnight, then transferred to a ziploc bag. When it was time make them, simply defrost them, assemble and bake.
These little bites will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can enjoy them cold or reheat in the toaster oven or microwave.
This low carb recipe for Cranberry Brie Bites has 5.1g of carbs and 2.3g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.2g net carbs for 3 bites.
More keto holiday appetizers
Keto Cranberry Brie Bites
Keto Cranberry Brie Bites are the perfect bite-sized appetizers for the holidays. A tender almond flour crust with a sweet and savory center!
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 178kcal
Ingredients
Tart Shells
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free powdered sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
Filling
- 3 ounces brie cut into ½” cubes
- ½ cup sugar-free cranberry sauce
- 3 tablespoon chopped toasted walnuts optional
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
Tart Shells
-
Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a 24-cup metal mini muffin pan. You can also use silicone, although the shells may take a bit longer to bake.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the egg and melted butter until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball.
-
Dust a work surface lightly with more almond flour and transfer the dough to the work surface. Cover the dough with waxed paper or parchment paper and roll out to an even ¼” thickness.
-
Cut out the tart crusts using a 2” round cookie cutter. Lift the cut-outs carefully with an offset spatula and press each lightly into their own cup in the prepared mini muffin pan. Don’t press too firmly into the bottom of the cup, as they may stick after baking (see notes).
-
Gather the scraps and re-roll dough as many times as needed to make 24 tart crusts in total (see notes).
-
Bake the crusts 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely to firm up.
Filling
-
Gently press a piece of brie into each tart shell. Add a teaspoon of sugar-free cranberry sauce on top of each bite.
-
Return to the oven and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until the brie is bubbly and the edges are just golden brown.
-
Remove and let cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then gently loosen and lift bites out with a small sharp knife. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and rosemary leaves if desired.
Notes
The brie will be much easier to work with when it’s cold. Brie is sticky and gooey at the best of times, but more so when it’s warm, so keep it chilled until you cut it.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cranberry Brie Bites
Amount Per Serving (3 bites)
Calories 178
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.97g23%
Carbohydrates 5.11g2%
Fiber 2.31g9%
Protein 6.91g14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
