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These (almost idiot proof) 5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls are my favorite easy appetizer. They’re quick, simple, and most importantly, everyone LOVES them. Flaky puff pastry, creamy Brie cheese, dried cranberries, and a touch of sweet cinnamon sugar (promise it works). All rolled together then baked to create the perfect cheesy pastry swirls. These are the perfect, sweet and savory festive appetizers that are ideal for holiday entertaining.
There are very few recipes I turn to time and time again. But these fun, slightly sweet yet still savory, pastry swirls have been my go-to Thanksgiving appetizer for years now. It’s not all that often that I repeat recipes in my kitchen, but when it comes to holiday recipes, I LOVE tradition more than anything. Some of you might recognize these from way, way back when. And for some of you, this might be a brand new recipe. Regardless of whether it’s old or new, I am SO EXCITED to be sharing these swirls today. These are one of my mom’s favorite holiday appetizers.
Originally I was going to share a completely different, very dessert-like post today. But then something on Monday morning just told me that I NEEDED to instead share another easy appetizer. I know we just talked about these goat cheese stuffed bacon wrapped dates, but with Thanksgiving next week, and all of the upcoming holiday parties, I figured we needed all of the appetizer recipes we can get our hands on.
Right? Yes, yes, certainly hoping so! Plus, these are just so fun, easy, and DELICIOUS. I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t love this recipe.
Here is what you need to make these cranberry brie pastry swirls…
Store-bought puff pastry…holiday tip, always keep puff pastry in the freezer, especially during November and December.
Salted butter…just a little, but it goes a long way.
Cinnamon sugar…yes, cinnamon sugar. Again, only just a little, but it’s the secret ingredient here.
Creamy Brie cheese…for obvious reasons. It’s the most delicious ingredient here.
Dried cranberries…a pantry staple that never gets enough love that’s perfect for pairing with creamy Brie.
If you can make cinnamon rolls, you can me these swirls. Just layer the pastry with butter, cinnamon sugar, brie, and cranberries. Roll up the pastry, slice, and bake. DONE. That’s it. These take only minutes to prepare, minutes to bake, and come out of the oven looking more incredible than you could imagine.
Trust me. I make these every year and I’m still taken back every single time I pull them out of the oven. There’s just nothing not to love about bubbly melty Brie with cranberries and flaky pastry. And the addition of a little cinnamon sugar? Just two simple words…
SO GOOD.
The Secret?
Um, yes, it’s that cinnamon sugar. I know it’s odd and unusual, but let me explain. First, you should note that we are not using a lot of sugar, only a pinch and it really goes a long way.
The sweet cinnamon in combination with the cranberries, Brie, and pastry is what makes these swirls sparkle. Literally.
Whenever I’m working with cranberries I always find they need to be paired with something sweet to break up their tartness and highlight just how delicious they really are. Since I love playing with sweet and savory flavor combinations, I tested out the addition of cinnamon. At first I was nervous, but after the first bite, I knew I stumbled across something crazy delicious. The sweet cinnamon adds a nice warmth that pairs perfectly with the creamy Brie and balances out the tart cranberries.
It’s the perfect marriage of flavors and feels especially fitting for this time of year.
An import note…
These are a little messy. When you pull them out of the oven, you may worry that they’re too messy. But, just let the swirls sit on the pan for a few minutes and the cheese will set and be much easier to work with. They’re still going to be a little messy, but such a great appetizer, and so worth a few sticky fingers! They’re bite-sized and great for prepping in advance and then popping in the oven just as guests arrive.
These take only a few minutes to bake. They’ll come out of the oven just as everyone is settling in and beginning to look for apps.
My biggest tip? Double the recipe. This recipe makes about sixteen pastry swirls, but everyone eats at least two…sometimes more. Again, they’re bite-sized…and so very, very GOOD!
If you make these 5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Looking for other easy appetizer recipes?? Here are my favorites:
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Rolls
Pull-Apart Garlic Butter Bread Wreath
Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread
Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
Easiest No-Boil Brie Mac and Cheese
Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie
The 50 Most Popular Holiday Appetizers and Cocktails (+mocktails)
Bacon Wrapped Date and Goat Cheese Pastry Twists
Watch the How-To Video Here:
5 Ingredient Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls.
Servings: 16 Swirls
Calories Per Serving: 206 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 6 ounces Brie cheese, rind mostly removed and finely diced
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2-4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, using more or less to taste
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Unroll the puff pastry on a clean work surface. Brush the pastry with 1 tablespoon melted butter and then sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle the diced brie and cranberries evenly over the pastry. 3. Starting at the long end, roll the pastry up as tightly as possible (like a cinnamon roll). Brush the roll with the remaining melted butter and then sprinkle the roll with cinnamon sugar to coat. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 swirls.4. Place the swirls on the prepared baking sheet and bake 15-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the pastry golden, these are a little messy. Allow to sit on the pan about two minutes and before transferring to a serving plate. Serve warm.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare through step 3. Place the swirls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake the swirls as directed.
Cinnamon Sugar: mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.
This post was originally published on November 20, 2019
We love this recipe!! This is one of our Thanksgiving classics! I started serving this when it was first posted it because it was so easy and everybody loved them, so now it is an every year. What is so cool is that my kid is old enough now to make these herself!! So, anybody who is hesitant- definitely make them! They are fine to make the night before Thanksgiving and a really fun recipe to make with family at the best time of year 🙂
Awh that is so amazing! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe and its become tradition! Thank you Elle! xTieghan
Hi..in the middle of making these and having trouble…are there different sizes of pastry..mine is square. Seems like too much cheese & berries to roll up good. Think they will end up unrolling but as long ad they taste delicious i wont care…Mine either look good OR taste good… not both.
Theres nothing wrong with that, but I am sure these look amazing! Thank you so much Marcia! xTieghan
These are great !!!!! Use the floss ?
Thank you Gina!
Great recipe, but if I do it again I’ll put the sugar in the roll after spreading the brie. It just kept picking up off the pastry because of it. Other than that, so easy! Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Would fresh cranberries work just as well?
Hey Devon, Fresh cranberries will be a little bulky to roll up in the pastry, so I am not sure they will work too well. It might be fine, but since I have not tested it, I would recommend sticking with dried cranberries. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I just made these for ladies nite out. omg they look smell and taste wonderful
Thank you for the recipe
I am so happy they turned out amazing for you Jonelle! Enjoy ?
Made these for Christmas morning- they were a hit with the everyone including the kids!! Be sure to serve warm out of the oven or reheat if they have cooled. They are best when brie is melty.
Thank you Nicole! I am so happy everyone enjoyed these and I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Q: do you cut up the Brie, rind and all??
HI! yes, I cut the brie with the rind on, but please remove it if you don’t like the rinds texture. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
Ugh! I failed “idiot-proof.” These babies did not puff and I there was no way I was able to get 16-18 pieces. In my defense, the puff pastry I used had been in my freezer for quite some time, but nothing was mentioned about rolling it out. So my old dough was more square than having a Longer side. I tried cutting the roll but was able to get thin slices and I tried using dental floss without much luck either. My resulting products were flat, greasy and unappealing. Am I just an idiot or do you think the dough I used was just too old? Any advice would be appreciated – nothing can make me feel worse about the outcome than I already do. Please help this idiot!
HI!! What brand pastry did you use? that is the only thing I can think would have cause you to get less rolls. My guess is that the pastry did not puff becasue it was too old. Next time, try using a fresh dough (I like Pepperidge Farms dough best). I think that should really help! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope this has helped! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
Looks yummy. My daughter is allergic to dairy, what do you suggest to replace the Brie?
HI! Honestly, I would just omit the brie completely and not replace it with anything. The rolls will be great minus the cheese I am sure. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
Hello! I am thinking about making these for a holiday pot luck for work. Do you think they’d taste OK if I baked in the morning an then took to work to eat later in the day (about 5 hours later)? Or, any other easy appetizer recipe you’d recommend of yours that would good for this kinda thing? Thanks!
HI! I think they’d be fine if you warmed then a bit. The brie will be cold after 5 hours, but if reheat that should be good. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, I have no way to re-heat at work. Any other appetizers you’d recommend that I could make the night before and just bring in as-is?
What about chex mix?
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These tasted amazing. But my pinwheels opened while baking and looked more like an S. How can I get them to stay in the pinwheel shape? I pinched the seam very tight too.
Hey Jeanine, mine open up a bit too during baking, so I am afraid it is kind of hard to avoid. I just recommend rolling them up as tight as possible. Glad you love these! Thank you and Merry Christmas!
These were yummy and very easy. I think I was too sparing with the cinnamon sugar – next time I’ll use more. If you let the puff pastry thaw for 40 mins as the package says, it will easily roll up without cracking or breaking.
HANG IN THERE.