Vegan Cranberry Puff Pastry Bites
These vegan cranberry cream cheese puff pastry bites are a sweet, tangy, savory, buttery, and tasty appetizer! Made with store-bought vegan puff pastry, these come together in 10 minutes for an appetizer that is as delicious as it is impressive. Perfect for holiday parties and no one would guess they are dairy free, egg free, nut free, and vegan!
Melty bites of vegan cream cheese covered in a spiced cranberry sauce all tucked inside a square of vegan puff pastry make for a total showstopper of an appetizer!
I love quick and easy recipes like this that take a few pantry staples and elevates them into something totally new. These cranberry puff pastry tarts are a good mix of savory sweet and tart flavors, all folded up in a crispy puff pastry shell.
They make a great appetizer for any Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, and are also delightful for any New Year’s Eve party!
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients, complete with recipe amounts, please see the recipe box below.
- Cranberry Sauce: A can of whole berries makes for the best texture in the finished tarts.
- Puff Pastry: There are lots of different puff pastry available in stores that is secretly vegan! Peperidge Farm puff pastry, Just Rol Puff Pastry and Dufour Puff Pastry are all vegan. I love to have a few rolls on hand – especially during the holidays – to make quick and easy snacks like these!
- Vegan Cream Cheese: Use your favorite vegan cream cheese. For a nut free option, I like the brands Tofutti or Philadelphia Plant Based.
Substitutions
If you need to make these gluten free, there are some brands of gluten free and vegan puff pastry available. Some gluten free brands I recommend to look into are:
- Schar Puff Pastry in either Sheets or Flaky Puff Pastry (is also vegan!)
- Geefree Puff Pastry Sheets
- Jus-Rol Gluten Free Puff Pastry (UK)
- And if you can’t find one in your area, you can make this with a gluten free pie crust. Just roll it into the same shape and bake for 15 minutes before topping it with the toppings.
Variations
- Raspberry Bites: Use raspberry jam in place of cranberries!
- Fig Bites: I suggest using the Fig Butter from Trader Joe’s as it has the right consistency. This is such a good sweet alternative to the tart cranberries!
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
These are so easy to mix up!
- Start with your thawed puff pastry. Roll it out to a size of about 12×16-inches. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife and cut into 12 squares or rectangles. Place one square into a lightly greased muffin pan. If your puff pastry is not sticky, lightly brush each square with plant milk.
- Add a dollop of cream cheese into each cup.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cranberry jelly, orange juice, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Add a heaping spoonful into each cup.
- Bake the puff pastry tarts for 25 minutes or until the pastry has developed a golden color.
- Remove from the oven and carefully remove the tarts from the pan right away. If you let them cool completely in the muffin pan they may stick!
- Add a spring of rosemary to each cup right before serving and enjoy!
How to Store
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Make and cool the puff bites completely. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for 2 hours or until frozen solid. Store the cranberry bites in a freezer safe container with parchment in between the layers for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, reheat directly from frozen in a 350F/180C oven until warmed through.
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, vegan friendly recipes you can subscribe to the newsletter. Did you make these? Please tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! I love to see your creations!
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 lbs puff pastry typically one box
- 1 tablespoon plant milk optional
- 15 oz cranberry jelly whole berry preferred
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 oz vegan cream cheese
- Rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C and grease a 12 cup muffin tray with oil. Set aside.
- Prepare the puff pastry. Roll your thawed puff pastry into an approximate 12×16-inch rectangle. Cut into 12 squares. If your puff pastry is a rectangle, like mine was, you can still cut into 12 rectangles and then fold them over to make squares. Place each square of puff pastry in the muffin cup. If the dough is not sticky, lightly brush with plant milk before sprinkling with the sugar.
- Mix the cranberry sauce. In a small bowl combine the cranberry jelly, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Fill the puff pastry bites. Place 1 teaspoon of cream cheese in each muffin cup. Cover over with a generous tablespoon of the cranberry sauce.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the pastry is a rich golden brown color. I strongly suggest baking these on a parchment lined baking sheet so that any spill over doesn’t mess the oven.
- Cool and remove. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each puff pastry bite to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Place a sprig of rosemary on each tart before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Pie Recipes
Vegan Pie and Tart recipes that are simple, sweet, savory, and totally delicious! From an easy to make pie crust that never fails to delicious fillings like apple pie and blueberry pies, these vegan pie recipes are perfect to make all year long.
