Brie Phyllo Tarts {An impressive appetizer!}

Show-stopper Brie Phyllo Tarts are simply elegant and absolutely delicious. They are ready to enjoy in only 15 minutes!!

When you want to impress at a dinner party, you can always win with a Charcuterie Board or these sweet and savory Brie Phyllo Tarts. For more “fancy” appetizers, be sure to also try Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball, Caprese Kabobs, and Cheese Fondue.

Fancy finger foods

We love to have appetizer parties where we eat nothing but delicious finger foods! Perfect for special occasions or holidays, these Brie Phyllo Tarts look (and taste!) like a million bucks.

While they make it look like you are a master chef, these morsels are actually easy to make and whip up in minutes. Baked Brie bites are sweet, savory, and salty all in one mouth full. The entire plate will disappear in a flash!

Create a game day spread, serve as a precursor to a Thanksgiving or Christmas party, or wow your mom on Mother’s day! Really, there is no wrong time to eat these baked Brie phyllo cups!

Making Brie Phyllo Tarts

PREP. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place phyllo cups onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

SHAP + FILL. Gently squish a piece of Brie between two fingers as it will make it fit into the tart better. Place Brie pieces in each cup and top with ½ teaspoon apricot preserves.

BAKE + SERVE. Bake tarts for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped pecans and serve warm.

How to Cut the Brie

We opted to use Brie cheese for this delicious tart, but Havarti cheese can also be used. Use the following step to remove the rind and cut the Brie into small pieces.

1. Freeze. The easiest way to remove the rind and cut even cubes is to wrap the entire cheese round with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and until firm. 
2. Remove rind. Once firm, remove the plastic wrap and place the brie on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the rind off the bottom and top of the brie. Then slice the ride off of the sides. 
3. Dice. Use the remaining piece of brie and cut into 15- ½ inch pieces.

Flavor Variations

The combination of warm brie with apricot preserves and pecans is a delicious and easy appetizer perfect for any party. Since this dish looks extra fancy I really like to use them as a holiday appetizer. Using cranberry sauce and cranberries with slivered almonds is a really nice twist for a Christmas party. Some other variations you can try include: 

• Change the nuts and use chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
• Add a little spice with pepper jelly or a chipotle jam
• Change the jam and try blackberry or raspberry preserves
• Add a salty contrast with bacon crumbles on top
• Add some sweetness with a drizzle with Honey
• Go savory with a basil pesto with sundried tomatoes

Premade mini phyllo cups

Premade mini Phyllo cups make this recipe super easy. Find a package of 15 in the freezer section near the sheets of phyllo dough. Mini phyllo shells need to be thawed before adding the filling and baking.

To keep the shells from getting soggy use the following tips: 

• Add ½ teaspoon gingersnap crumbs into the bottom of the shell before adding the cube of brei. The cookie crumbs will help soak up any moisture leaving the phyllo shell nice and crisp. It will also give a nice hint of ginger to the tarts.
• Once the tarts have been baked, transfer them to a wire rack. If you leave them on a flat surface, the heat coming from the shells will get trapped and cause a soggy bottom.

storing info

Make ahead of time. I don’t suggest baking these ahead of time, however you can prepare them 1-2 hours ahead and store them in the fridge or freezer. To prepare ahead:

• Keep the phyllo shells in the original tray.
• Add the brie, apricot sauce and nuts.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or wrap it again with foil and freeze for 1 month.
• Bake at 350°F, but you’ll need to watch the timing.
• If they were refrigerated, they will bake more quickly. If they came out of the freezer, they may need an extra minute or two. 

STORE. If you happen to have leftovers, line an airtight container with a paper towel and place the baked brie bites inside. Refrigerate for 1-2 days.

Reheat them in the microwave, but they will definitely not be crispy. Instead, reheat them in a 200° oven, or in a toaster oven, until crisp and warm throughout.

for more Pastry Appetizers, try: