This puff pastry recipe for Cranberry Brie Tarts with Bacon & Red Onion brings savory and sweet together in the most delectable way!
There’s an amazing sandwich shop where I live that does hot and cold sandwiches. Two of my favorites are Bacon Cranberry & Brie and Bacon Brie and Red Onions. One is grilled cheese and the other is a hot panini. It’s those two sandwiches that gave me the inspiration for this appetizer.
I’ve seen similar recipes made with just cranberry and brie, but to change it up a bit, I combined some of my very favorite flavors to make one outstanding recipe!
I honestly can’t stress enough how delicious these tarts are! They are the kind of thing that when you taste it, your eyes go wide and you wonder where it’s been all your life. Yep, that good! Serve alongside Easy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and Chicken Salad with Bacon and Green Onions for the perfect party spread. Or check out my Feta and Sweet Pepper Party Swirls for a vegetarian alternative.
Why This Recipe Works
- The sweet, tart flavor of the Cranberry works beautifully alongside the salty bacon, sweet red onions, and creamy Brie.
- The Crispy Puff Pastry is the perfect vessel to hold it all together.
For the Cranberries
For the cranberry aspect of this recipe, used a good quality, English Cranberry sauce. English Cranberry Sauce is not at all like the Jelly can shaped stuff that’s so often used in America (pictured above). It’s more of a jam without being super sweet. If you’re in America, you just use the Whole Cranberry Sauce that comes in a jar.
How to make Cranberry Brie Tarts with Bacon & Red Onion
Start with chopping and cooking the bacon.
Next, saute the sliced red onions until soft.
Add brown sugar.
Saute to coat with until the sugar dissolves.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut the rounds, place them into the sections of the pan and doc with a fork.
Add the onions (a tablespoon at a time).
Next, add the cranberry sauce (a half tablespoon at a time).
Add the Brie.
Top with the cooked bacon.
Bake until golden.
Serve warm. Don’t be like my husband and try to eat them straight out of the oven – you will burn your mouth!
Cook’s Tips
- When using frozen puff pastry, allow thawing overnight before using. This will make the pastry pliable without becoming too soft.
- Flour your worktop before rolling the pastry. This helps to roll out smooth and prevent sticking or pulling.
- Roll Gently – Puff pastry is delicate if use too much force, you’ll lose some of the flakiness.
- Don’t Skip the Docking of the pastry. Docking the pastry before filling will make the edges puff up and the center will stay down.
- Don’t overcook the bacon. The bacon will cook more during baking so cook just until crisp.
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Let's Make Cranberry Brie Tarts with Bacon & Red Onion
Ingredients
- 16 oz Puff Pastry thawed
- 1⁄2 pound Brie cheese
- 1 cup good quality cranberry sauce or cranberry jam
- 1⁄2 pound bacon chopped
- 2 red onions sliced, sauteed and seasoned
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a cookie cutter a little larger than your tartlet pan sections, cut 12 rounds out of the pastry.
- Press each round into a tartlet section set aside.
- If you haven't done so already, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel.
- Remove excess grease from the pan leaving about a tablespoon to cook the onions in. Cook the onions until soft. Add the brown sugar, and cook on medium-low heat another 4 or 5 minutes to caramelize (being careful not to burn them).
- Place 2 teaspoons of cranberry jelly into each section, followed by a teaspoon of the sautéed onions.
- Remove the crust from the top of the cheese. Use a teaspoon to scoop the cheese out, place two teaspoons of cheese into each section.
- Top with the bacon.
- Bake about 15-20 minutes or until puff pastry is browned
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Tips + Notes
- When using frozen puff pastry, allow thawing overnight before using. This will make the pastry pliable without becoming too soft.
- Flour your worktop before rolling the pastry. This helps to roll out smooth and prevent sticking or pulling.
- Roll Gently - Puff pastry is delicate if use too much force, you'll lose some of the flakiness.
- Don't Skip the Docking of the pastry. Docking the pastry before filling will make the edges puff up and the center will stay down.
- Don't overcook the bacon. The bacon will cook more during bacon so cook just until crisp.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but published again in 2018 to include step by step directions, nutritional information, new photos, and a video.
Hrelate says
I tried to make this recipe today! And as my friends also like the cranberry Brie Tarts, they tasted it and just loved it.
Hrelate
Erren Hart says
I made these for my Christmas party on Saturday too! They were a big hit. They’re a favorite of mine!
Henry says
Hello, it looks delicious and tastes the same. Question, the bit about the bacon in the notes, did u intend to write the word bacon again instead of ‘baking’ or was it just a play on words? 😀
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Henry, sadly no it was an error, I did try to see if I could get away with that, but I can’t deny that is a typo! Thank you for pointing it out!
Clive says
Hi Erren. Could these be frozen ?
Erren says
Hi Clive, I haven’t tried freezing them so I can’t tell you for sure. I wouldn’t recommend it though it might change the texture.
Jennifer says
Can I use a muffin pan? I don’t own a tartlet pan.
Erren says
Yes, a muffin pan will work fine
Linda says
You can go wrong with this appetizer???
bristol plasterers says
Hmm this look delicious, thanks for posting up this recipe, looks quite simple to make.
Simon
Erren says
You’re very welcome, Simon 🙂
giorgia says
quale strumento è stato utilizzato per tagliare i tortini? Grazie
Erren says
Ciao Giorgia, ho aggiunto un link nel post che vi porta a Amazon.com. Esso mostra ciò che il prodotto sembra in modo da poter cercare di trovare uno simile. Spero che questo aiuti.
Jen says
Fabulous appetizer! Thank you!
Erren says
Thanks so much Jen! So glad you like them! 🙂
Denise says
What brand of cranberry sauce do you get? I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know there was something other than the type you slice out of a can! Thanks!
Erren says
Hi Denise, Try Oceanspray’s wholeberry sauce. It comes in a jar.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I am seriously impressed with these tartlets.. they are delicious! Loving the combination of the cranberry, brie and bacon. Definitely a recipe I will be recreating.
Erren says
Thanks so much Thalia! I’m so glad you like them! They are seriously delicious!