Brie Cheese Bites
on Dec 06, 2024, Updated Dec 27, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I swear half the holiday excitement for me is making fun and festive snacks 🎄 – the creativity is endless. When I think of Christmas apps, Brie cheese is basically the first thing that pops into my head. It’s like the VIP of holiday cheeses — melty, gooey, and the perfect match for both sweet and salty.
My festive Brie Cheese Bites are not only super tasty, they’re a full-on holiday experience and a great way to keep the kids busy! Imagine a tiny Christmas tree, made entirely of cheese 🧀, nuts, and dried fruit. These bite-sized beauties are the ultimate holiday appetizer: rich, creamy Brie paired with the sweet and salty crunch of nuts and dried fruit. Some would say they are Brie-lliant 😉!
Why You’ll Love Brie Cheese Bites
Picture this: the creamy, smooth texture of the Brie cheese 🧀 that practically melts in your mouth, dipped into golden, silky honey 🍯. Now, top this already dreamy pairing with a mix of chopped pistachios and dried cranberries. I mean, come onnnnnn!
The pistachios bring a savory crunch, with a subtle nutty flavor that goes perfectly with the Brie’s creaminess. The cranberries add just the right amount of tartness and chewiness, cutting through the richness of the cheese and balancing ⚖️ the whole bite. Friends, these Brie Cheese Bites are the sweet and salty appetizer you’ve been waiting for.
How to Prepare
🔪 Take a wheel of Brie cheese, place it on a cutting board, and use a knife to cut it into 8 equal triangles.
▶️ Then take each triangle and place it on its side.
👩🍳 Cut it down the middle so that one side of the triangle has the rind and the other has the cream. Repeat this step for all eight brie triangles, so you have 16 equal triangles.
🥨 Now, take a pretzel stick and insert it in the middle of the widest part of the brie triangle, resembling a Christmas tree. Repeat this step for each one.
🌀 Next, add the pistachios and dried cranberries into a food processor. Process until fine. Add onto a plate and set aside.
🍯 Pour some hot honey (spicy honey) onto a plate, take each “brie tree” and dip into the honey with the creamy side of the cheese.
🎄 Now dip each one into the nut and cranberry mixture and plate them up!
Nonna’s Tip 🔪
If your cheese is sticking to the knife when cutting, you can dry dipping the knife in warm water before slicing. Also be sure to wipe the knife clean between cuts for smooth slices.
Variations and Substitutions for Brie Cheese Bites
- Instead of hot honey, you can absolutely use regular 🍯 honey, agave syrup or even 🍁 maple syrup for this recipe.
- You can use any nuts instead of pistachios. Have fun with different flavor combos!
- Make these nut-free by using a seed such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- Try other dried fruits such as dried apricots, dried 🍒 cherries, or raisins instead.
Similar Recipes
Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
35 mins
Garlic Bread Christmas Tree
30 mins
Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
20 mins
Antipasti Christmas Wreath
10 mins
Best Cheese to Use?
If you’re out of Brie, no problem! Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges are a convenient swap since they’re already the perfect size and shape (you won’t have to slice them in half either). You can also use a white cheese like Provolone, Swiss, or Mozzarella, cutting them into triangles for the same effect. And if you’re feeling fancy, Camembert is a great alternative to Brie, offering a similar creamy texture and rind for that elegant touch.
Best Served With
- Serve these Brie Cheese Bites with a beautiful charcuterie board. For some inspo, see my: Simple Charcuterie Board, Holiday Charcuterie Board or Holiday Cheese Board.
- Serve with some wine or 🥂 champagne for a festive treat.
- Serve on a beautiful platter with some 🥖 crostini.
- You can have these pre-arranged on these cute individual charcuterie 🍷 wine glass toppers with some crackers.
Common Questions
You could use Laughing Cow Cheese wedges, any white cheese cut into triangles, or Camembert as well.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can certainly chop the pistachios and cranberries by hand with a knife until small.
Not at all! Feel free to use regular honey, maple syrup or even agave syrup.
No worries! Use regular honey and add a pinch of chili flakes or a dash of hot sauce to create your own spicy honey.
Absolutely! Replace pistachios with crushed seeds (like sunflower or pumpkin) or simply skip them and use only cranberries.
Definitely! Dried cherries, apricots, or raisins would work well as substitutes for cranberries.
If your cheese is sticking, you can dry dipping the knife in warm water before slicing. Also, be sure to wipe the knife clean between cuts for smooth slices.
Brie Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 300 grams Brie cheese , I used double cream, nothing too soft
- ¼ cup hot honey, or regular
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries , craisins
- 16 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Take a wheel of Brie cheese, place it on a cutting board and cut it into 8 equal triangles. Take each triangle and place it on its side.
- Cut it down the middle so that one side of the triangle has the rind and the other has the cream. Repeat this step for all eight brie triangles.
- Once cut, you should be left with 16 equal triangles.
- Now, take a pretzel stick and insert it in the middle of the widest part of the brie triangle, resembling a Christmas tree. Repeat this step for each one.
- Next, add the pistachios and dried cranberries into a food processor. Process until fine. Add onto a plate and set aside. Feel free to chop them by hand with a knife until fine if you don't have a food processor at home.
- Pour some hot honey (spicy honey) onto a plate, take each "brie tree" and dip into the honey with the creamy side of the cheese.
- Now dip each one into the nut and cranberry mixture and plate them up! I like to use mint for garnish to make the plate look pretty but feel free to use herbs like thyme or rosemary instead.
- Enjoy with an extra drizzle of honey on top 😋!
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can I make the brie triangles a day ahead
Of course! Store them in the fridge, spaced apart on parchment so they don’t stick. Enjoy ❤️!
These are great but you can’t make ahead. I did and when someone went to pick up the first on, the pretzel fell off at the base of the cheese as the pretzel had become soft. Either put the toothpick in at the last minute or use a toothpick.
Hi Holly, thanks for the note and suggestion! I’m happy to hear they still turned out well!
I wonder if they can be made ahead, without the pretzel, then put the pretzel in at the last minute? Were the nuts and fruit okay? Or soggy?
Incredible! Our guests loved them. So easy to make.
Make these immediately! I made them for my office potluck and not only did they taste amazing but people were so impressed. Highly recommend 🙌
I am beyond excited to make these for our holiday party this year! I had to do a taste test, of course, and they were so fun to make and eat! The combination of the creamy brie with the crunchiness and sweetness of the nuts and fruit was to die for. Can’t wait to share with my friends and family this holiday season!
I just prepped these for a Christmas party tonight (adding the pretzels last minute so they don’t go soggy), and I had to write to say that these are the cutest, most festive little bites. I am serving them on a big platter and the presentation is just sensational.