This easy Puff Pastry Appetizer is made with fruit preserves and goat cheese. Topped with fresh thyme it’s an easy bite sized appetizer for any party!
Quick & Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer
Frozen puff pastry dough is one life’s easiest shortcuts. You can use it from appetizers to desserts, and everything in between.
During the holidays, these kind of shortcuts come in handy. I always have a package of puff pastry dough in my freezer for last minute invitations to friends or neighbors houses.
And this puff pastry appetizer can be put together in less than a half an hour. It tastes great warm or at room temperature, which makes for easy entertaining!
Puff Pastry Bites with Cranberry and Cheese
Now, this year our holiday gatherings will be a bit smaller. And we may take a few extra precautions when it comes to sharing food.
These puff pastry bites are a great option if you are looking for an individual serving sized appetizer.
Since this appetizer is made using a mini muffin tin, it creates the perfect bite-sized portion of fluffy melt-in-your-mouth heaven.
Now, I’m sure you’ve seen similar recipes that use brie cheese. But, because I am lactose intolerant, I chose to use goat cheese. Plus, I love the tangy flavor that goat cheese lends to this puff pastry appetizer.
I also think brie can feel a bit heavy. And the last thing you want is to get stuffed on appetizers before the main event: the holiday dinner!
Vegetarian Puff Pastry Appetizer
During the holidays, meals tend to be focused around meat (hello thanksgiving turkey or that big prime rib dinner). So, I love to serve a vegetarian appetizer.
These goat cheese and cranberry puff pastry appetizer bites are vegetarian. And, thanks to the airy puff pastry, they are pretty light.
Plus, the combination of the sweet fruit preserves, tangy goat cheese and fresh thyme is so delicious!
Other Filling Options
The best part of this puff pastry appetizer recipe is all the options you can create for a platter filled with different flavors. I used two different fruit preserves for my platter.
I used cranberry sauce and fig preserves. The rest of the recipe is the same: goat cheese and fresh thyme. The combination is delicious with both varieties. And how fun is it to mix up the flavors all on one plate?
So, here are some other great combinations you could try for this recipe:
- Apricot, Goat Cheese and Rosemary
- Cranberry, Brie and Thyme
- Fresh Pomegranates, Honey and Goat Cheese
- Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Sage
- Carmelized Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese and Parsley
Ok, you get the idea. The possibilities are endless! So, for those last minute holiday get-togethers, keep a package of frozen puff pastry dough in your freezer, a jar of fruit preserves in the pantry and some good cheese in the fridge.
For another easy and yummy recipe, be sure to check out my Holiday Goat Cheese Bites!
13 Holiday Hors d’oeuvres Recipes
Now, today my friends are also sharing some yummy holiday appetizer recipes. It’s just like a progressive cocktail party. How fun! Click the links below the images to visit the posts and see more.
Holiday Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread – Zevy Joy
The Best Artichoke Dip Recipe – Happy Happy Nester
Baked Feta with Crostini Appetizer – Satori Design for Living
Cranberry Meringue Roulade – Jennifer Maune
Brie and Pear Crostini – Lemon Grove Lane
Cranberry Brie Pastry Puffs – My Sweet Savannah
Sparkling Cranberry & Brie Bites – Maison De Cinq
Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer – Modern Glam
Easy Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board – Hallstrom Home
Easiest Baked Ravioli Appetizer – Taterots & Jello
Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe – My 100 Year Old Home
Savory Sausage and Mushroom Bruschetta – Twelve On Main
Proscuitto Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers – The Happy Housie
Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipe
Puff Pastry Appetizer With Goat Cheese and Jam
Equipment
- Mini Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1.5 cups cranberry sauce or any fig preserve
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees fehrenheit.
- Unfold the puff pastry on a flat surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 24 equal sections.
- Place one rectangle of puff pastry in each mini muffin tin. Fill pastry with about 1 tablespoon of jam or cranberry sauce. Top with a small spoonful (about 1 teaspoon) of goat cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees fehrenheit for 18-22 minutes until the edges of the pastry turn golden brown.
- Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
More Puff Pastry Recipes
Here are some of my favorite puff pastry recipes from the archives.
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Shauna
Oh my, these bites look so delicious! And I love that you can change up the recipe so easily too. Thanks for sharing 🙂
ashley
Yes such a great recipe to have in the back of your mind for get togethers 😉
Sheila
These look soo good Ashley! We’re huge fans of goat cheese and you can never go wrong with puff pastry!
Sheila
xo
ashley
I am obsessed with goat cheese. Love anything with it in the recipe 😉
Jennifer Hadfield
This looks so easy. I cant wait to try it. I pinned it to y recipe board. Thankas Ashley!
xoxo
Rhonda Hallstrom
these are the most perfect little appetizers! I think I need to come by and taste some!!
ashley
you are always invited to my home! xo
Janine Waite
I love anything with puff pastry! What a yummy holiday appetizer!
Tanya Ann Derrey
These look fabulous! And im saving the apple tart too, yummy thank you for the great recipes!!
Juliet
This look so delicious! Why oh why do I read blogs when I’m hungry?! Pinned and printed … I think this will make a wonderful Thanksgiving appetizer for our very small gathering. xo
Phyllis
Hi Ashley. These all look delish! But I need to know: to make my life easier when entertaining, can I make the puff pastry tarts ahead, freeze them, and then fill and bake again on the day of my party? If not, would I be better off to to thaw, cut and form the puff pastry and then re-freeze them for filling and baking on the day of my party? Help! I want to do this, but I won’t have the time to do all that work once my guests arrive!
ashley
Hi Phyllis. they are a bit confusing. You have to create a circle with them almost inside out and fit the tabs into the slots. I hope you figured it out. Sorry I didn’t respond sooner.
Linda
The taste was good, simple enough. Used sour cherry spread and fig spread.
However, the pastry stuck to the non-stick muffin pan in a bad way! Perhaps use cooking spray before inserting pastry.
Blanca
Love this appetizer recipe! It sounds asy and delicious!