These festive Blueberry Brie Phyllo Bites are the perfect appetizer for the holiday season- whip them up in under 30 minutes with just 5 ingredients! A delicious combination of sweet blueberries, creamy brie cheese, and crispy phyllo shells, they're a holiday party must-have.
These Blueberry Brie Phyllo Bites are one of my favorite holiday appetizers. These little gems are not only elegant and adorable but also bursting with flavor. They're the perfect finger food for any festive gathering.
Crispy phyllo cups are filled with a luscious blend of melted brie and sweet blueberries. Earthy thyme adds depth of flavor and a drizzle of maple syrup provides the perfect touch of sweetness. It's a blend of sweet, savory, crispy, and creamy goodness all in one mouthful!
What's even better? These blueberry brie phyllo bites are incredibly easy to make, requiring just five simple ingredients. And they can be made in advance. That means you can relax and savor the joy of the holidays while spending quality time with your loved ones.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Packed with Flavor and Texture: A delicious combination of savory, creamy brie paired with the tangy sweetness of blueberries and crispy phyllo all in one mouthful!
- Holiday Party Showstopper: These phyllo cup appetizers are perfect for holiday parties like Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party or New Year's Eve.
- Quick and Easy: Made with just 5 ingredients, this easy appetizer recipe requires minimal prep and baking time.
- Customizable: These baked brie bites can be customized with various fruits, nuts, and jams.
- Portion-Control: Served in small phyllo cups, these little bites offer instant portion control, making them perfect finger foods for any special occasion.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble these brie phyllo bites in advance and pop them in the oven when your guests arrive.
Lightened Up Holiday Appetizer
This tasty appetizer is a quick, easy, and lighter twist on a traditional baked brie. Baked brie is a classic holiday appetizer that involves baking a whole wheel of buttery brie cheese and a variety of toppings like dried fruit and nuts inside a sheet of puff pastry. While it’s delicious, it’s a heavy dish that also takes a long time to bake.
I make these easy blueberry brie phyllo bites with phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. Phyllo is much lower in calories and fat than puff pastry, which is made with large amounts of butter. And they only need about 15 minutes in the oven!
Phyllo Dough vs Phyllo Shells
Phyllo sheets are paper-thin, delicate pastry sheets that can be layered with butter or oil to create flaky, crispy pastries like baklava or savory pies.
On the other hand, phyllo shells (also known as mini phyllo cups), are pre-formed cups made from phyllo dough that come ready to use. They're a convenient, pre-baked option for making quick and easy appetizers or desserts, saving time in the kitchen and offering a crispy base for various fillings.
You can find mini phyllo shells in the freezer section of your grocery store. Whole sheets of phyllo dough can be quite tedious to work with. You have to layer sheets of phyllo with melted butter or oil.
However, phyllo shells are already assembled and cooked! So all you need to do is heat them up in the oven. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Doctor's Tips:
- Blueberries are a convenient way to meet the recommended amount of fruits per day. Fresh blueberries are a source of four essential nutrients – fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. One serving (a handful or a cup) of blueberries contains only 80 calories and naturally occurring sugars.
- I always have fresh blueberries in my fridge or frozen blueberries in my freezer to add a quick boost of nutrition to dishes like oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies.
Ingredients
See recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredient amounts.
- Phyllo shells- also known as mini phyllo cups or pastry shells, they are small, pre-baked pastry cups made from thin layers of phyllo dough. I use these Athens Foods phyllo shells.
- Blueberries- I like to use fresh blueberries for this dish
- Brie cheese- a wedge of brie is enough to make a batch of these baked brie phyllo cups; brie melts wonderfully and is a key part of the dish but you could substitute another soft cheese like goat cheese (but it will change the flavor)
- Maple syrup- can substitute honey
- Thyme- adds earthiness that nicely complements the blueberries; you can substitute fresh rosemary
How To Make Blueberry Brie Phyllo Bites Step-By-Step
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Cut the brie into small pieces, about ½-inch in size (remove the rind).
- Step 2- Mix the blueberries, maple syrup, and thyme together in a bowl.
- Step 3- Arrange the phyllo tart shells on a baking sheet. Place a cube of brie in each phyllo shell, pressing it in to fit.
- Step 4- Top each one with a spoonful of the blueberry mixture.
Bake in the oven at 350°F until blueberries start to soften and brie is melted. Remove from oven and top with any remaining blueberry mixture.
Chef's Tips:
- These blueberry brie phyllo bites can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated. Then, simply pop them in the oven when your guest arrive.
- This recipe is very customizable. Phyllo shells and brie are like a blank canvas. See "Recipe Variations" section below for some ideas!
Recipe Variations:
- Fruit Alternatives: While blueberries provide a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, you can try other fresh fruit instead like raspberries, blackberries, or diced strawberries to complement the creamy brie cheese in these phyllo bites.
- Jam or Preserves Swap: You can replace the blueberries with apricot jam, blackberry jam, fig jam, or pepper jelly for a different twist. You can also use homemade cranberry sauce from your Thanksgiving dinner.
- Savory Twist: Experiment with a savory version by using chutney, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, or smoky bacon.
- Nutty Addition: Add a crunchy element by adding some chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, or walnuts before baking.
- Cheese Variation: Though brie is the star, you can try other soft cheeses like camembert or goat cheese, to add a distinct taste to these bites.
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Recipe
Blueberry Brie Phyllo Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box phyllo shells (15 shells)
- 4 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange phyllo shells on a baking sheet. Cut the Brie into small pieces (about ½-inch). Mix the blueberries, thyme, and maple syrup together in a bowl.
- Place a piece of cheese in each phyllo shell, pushing it down to fit in the shell. Top with a small spoonful of the blueberry mixture.
- Bake in the oven 14-16 minutes, until blueberries start to soften and Brie is melted. Remove from oven. Spoon any remaining blueberries on top and serve.
Notes
- These blueberry brie phyllo bites can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated. Then, simply pop them in the oven when your guest arrive.
- This recipe is very customizable. Phyllo shells and brie are like a blank canvas. See "Recipe Variations" section in the blog post for some ideas!
Dana says
I made these for a small New Year’s get together, and they were amazing! I made them with goat cheese and frozen blueberries since that is what I had on hand. Loved the touch of maple syrup combined with the fresh thyme! I think rosemary would be great here too. A simple and delicious appetizer that will become a go-to for me. Thank you!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That's great, I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Using goat cheese sounds like a great substitution 🙂
Misty says
For some reason I bought cream cheese instead of Brie. Will it work?
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I don’t know, I’ve never made these with cream cheese. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Karen says
Can these be made ahead of time and served at room temperature?
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Sure! These can be served warm or at room temperature. The cheese melts really quickly so you can always stick them back in the oven for a minute or two to heat them up if needed.
url says
Brie is our favorite cheese for parties and blueberries our favorite berries.
You make it so simple putting the 2 together and creating a beautiful appetizer.
Thank you SOnali and wishing you and yours, a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Farrah says
Brie may well be one of my favorite cheeses other than mozzarella! These look so good! <3