Brie and Cranberry Phyllo Cups
If you’re looking for a Phyllo Cup Appetizer, you’ve stumbled on to the right place. These Brie and Cranberry Phyllo Cups are easy, delicious, and perfect for gatherings.
P.S. If you like these you’ll also love our other Phyllo Cup Appetizer: Pizza Phyllo Cups
Why You’ll Love This Appetizer
- You can prep them in advance! We’ve tested freezing and thawing fully baked Phyllo Cups and they work.
- This is a great holiday appetizer. Not only to they travel easily and are a breeze to serve but they’d be a perfect addition to a Christmas Dinner.
- Easy. While you can make your own Cranberry Sauce, the canned works well and is much faster.
- A fun hands-on project—get the kids involved brushing the butter on each layer or cutting the dough with a pizza cutter.
Ingredients
You’ll need these four main ingredients, but butter is also key…
Ingredient Notes
- Phyllo dough – Check to see how many sheets come in your package. A standard box of phyllo dough usually contains about 20–24 sheets. If it comes frozen, make sure to fully thaw the dough first.
- Cranberry Sauce – If you don’t love cranberries, you could mix it up with strawberry jam, fig jam, honey, or even pepper jelly.
- Butter – We didn’t picture this, but it’s essential for this recipe. You’ll melt it and brush it on each layer of phyllo dough. Here’s the pastry brush I like for the task.
- Optional garnishes: chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, drizzle of honey, minced fresh or dried thyme or rosemary
Testing Tips from Our Kitchens
- When in doubt, slightly overfill, as the filling will settle as it bakes and cools.
- Don’t get too caught up on making them the perfect squares when cutting. Imperfection goes unnoticed!
- It is not necessary to grease the mini muffin tin, because the butter from the phyllo cups will prevent them from sticking.
- I like to double the recipe when making it for a group. They go fast! You can make two batches or use two pans.
How to Make Phyllo Brie and Cranberry Cups
Here’s a quick overview, but more detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1) Prep the Phyllo Dough: Brush the first sheet of phyllo lightly with melted butter using a small pastry brush, then layer it with the second sheet, and repeat this process with all four sheets of phyllo.
2) Cut and Shape: Cut the layered phyllo dough and gently press each square into the cup of a mini muffin pan.
3) Parbake: Bake until slightly gold in color and remove from oven. Parbaking the shells before adding the fillings helps prevent them from becoming soggy.
4) Filling: Place a small cube of Brie cheese in the center of each phyllo cup.
5) Finish Baking: Return phyllo cups and continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes until edges are golden brown and crispy. Top each cup with cranberry sauce. Garnish with chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, a drizzle of honey, and/or minced fresh or dried thyme or rosemary.
How to Freeze Brie and Cranberry Phyllo Cups
In our testing, these freeze and reheat very well. So go ahead and make these ahead of time!
To Freeze for Later: Store fully-cooked, cooled phyllo cups in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To Prepare from Frozen: To serve, place full-cooked, frozen phyllo cups on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes until warmed through.
FAQs
No, you do not have to remove the rind.
Store phyllo shells in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for a week. To reheat, place phyllo cups on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
Did you know you can freeze leftover phyllo dough for another time? Gently roll up the unused sheets and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag or wrap again in foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2–3 months for best quality.
Brie and Cranberry Phyllo Cups
Ingredients
Phyllo Cups:
- 4 sheets phyllo dough (thawed)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Filling:
- 3 ounces Brie cheese (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons whole cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Optional garnishes: chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, drizzle of honey, minced fresh or dried thyme or rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prep: Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a baking sheet or cutting board, and place the rest on a plate or baking sheet, fully covering with damp paper towels as needed.
- Layer: Brush the first sheet of phyllo lightly with melted butter using a small pastry brush, then layer it with the second sheet, and repeat this process with all four sheets of phyllo.
- Cut and Shape: Cut the layered phyllo dough using a knife or pizza cutter into 15 equally-sized squares (about 3 inches each), and gently press each square into the cup of a mini muffin pan, allowing to phyllo to overlap on itself naturally to form cups.
- Parbake: Bake for 6-8 minutes at 350°F until slightly gold in color and remove from oven.
- Filling: Place a small cube of Brie cheese in the center of each phyllo cup.
- Finish Baking: Return phyllo cups to 350°F oven and continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes until edges are golden brown and crispy. Top each cup with ½ teaspoon cranberry sauce. Garnish with chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, a drizzle of honey, and/or minced fresh or dried thyme or rosemary. Remove from pan, and serve immediately.
Freezer Instructions
Notes/Tips
- Important: You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe.
- The butter can be melted in either the microwave or on the stovetop. To melt in the microwave, place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 15-20 seconds at a time until melted. For the stovetop, place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until it is fully melted.
- It is important to keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp paper towel when not using them to prevent them from drying out.
- Brushing the butter onto the phyllo dough in small, quick strokes will help prevent the phyllo dough from tearing (especially with the first couple layers).
- Olive oil spray can be used as a lighter alternative to melted butter. Spray olive oil in between each sheet of phyllo instead of brushing with melted butter.
- It is not necessary to grease the mini muffin tin, because the butter from the phyllo cups will prevent them from sticking
- It is best to remove the phyllo cups from the mini muffin tin immediately after baking to prevent them from becoming soggy.
Recipe Contributor: Rachel Walters
Pastry Chef Rachel Walters developed and rigorously tested this recipe for Thriving Home.
Rachel grew up in northern Michigan with a family that loved to cook and bake. She attended a career center for culinary and baking and pastry arts in high school and went to college at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated in August 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Food Business Managment and Baking and Pastry Arts, has worked in numerous restaurants, and developed recipes for Thriving Home for years now.
In her free time, she loves to read, listen to true crime podcasts, go on walks, travel, and spend time with her husband.
Find more of Rachel’s desserts here.
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