Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

These Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites are fabulous for entertaining during the holiday season or all year round! Layer vegan cream cheese, tangy cranberry sauce, hazelnuts, and rosemary in puff pastry for irresistible bites that nobody can resist.

These simple, easy-to-make, and elegant bites are the perfect vegan appetizer or snack for holiday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve; they're so festive and are a crowd pleaser.

Why you need to try these Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

These festive bite-size appetizers are just the thing to make when you have leftover homemade cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.

If you don't have any leftover sauce, I recommend making my homemade cranberry sauce recipe; it comes together in 20 minutes. You can make this cranberry sauce the day before or the week before you make these bites.

If you have the puff pastry thawed, you can have these appetizers ready to be devoured in 30 minutes. I love pairing these bites with a sparkling cocktail with bubbles like this Blood Orange French 75 or this Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail.

Jump to:

• Why you need to try these Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites
• What is puff pastry?
• Ingredients
• Where to buy puff pastry
• Equipment
• How to make vegan cranberry cream cheese bites
• Expert tips
• Can you make these ahead of time?
• Can these be frozen?
• Can these be reheated?
• Substitutions
• Variations
• More holiday recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

What is puff pastry?

Puff pastry is a light, buttery, and flaky pastry dough used in sweet and savory dishes. It is time-consuming and moderately difficult to make, so I buy it! Whether you choose to make it yourself or buy it, it's important to remember to keep it cool and to flour your work surface.

It's a laminated dough that looks similar to a croissant, with hundreds of flaky layers, but it doesn't contain any leavening agents or yeast.

Ingredients

You only need five simple  ingredients to make the perfect holiday appetizer!

• Vegan puff pastry, many brands are accidentally vegan; such as the brands Aussie Bakery and Pepperidge Farm. You can find these in the freezer section of the grocery store near the frozen pie crusts.
• Vegan cream cheese, I like Kite Hill's plain cream cheese alternative which is tangy and works well in this recipe
• Cranberry sauce, preferably homemade with fresh cranberries (not the jellied storebought kind, although that can do in a pinch)
• Chopped hazelnuts
• Chopped rosemary for garnish

Where to buy puff pastry

As I mentioned above, you can usually find puff pastry at all the major grocery stores (and smaller stores too) in the frozen dessert section where frozen pies are sold. It's typically near frozen phyllo. You may see it labeled as puff pastry sheets or puff pastry dough. I've never seen it refrigerated, but maybe you will!

The brand I used for this recipe is called Aussie Bakery which I found at Whole Foods. Pepperidge Farm makes puff pastry sheets too. I haven't tried any other brands. If you can't find any puff pastry, ask someone at your local grocery store! You might be able to order it online if your local grocery store delivers.

Equipment

You don't need any fancy equipment or a food processor. Here is what you need to make these cranberry bites:

• two 12 well mini muffins pans, or a 24-well mini muffin tin. The mini muffin tin helps support the shape of the puff pastry. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you can try a regular muffin tin, but the puff pastry will be more spread out and flat rather than curved at the edges.
• rolling pin
• pastry and pasta cutter wheel (nice to have, not essential)
• chef's knife
• two spoons
• marble board (nice to have but not essential) to keep your pastry cool.

How to make vegan cranberry cream cheese bites

Here is an overview of how to make these delicious appetizers. Find the full instructions in the recipe card. Thaw the vegan puff pastry according to package directions. I usually put it in the fridge the night before.

Oil the mini muffin tins lightly with avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Preheat the oven.

Bake until golden brown, and top with chopped rosemary. To keep the vibrant green color of the rosemary, I garnish it after the bites come out of the oven. Let the bites cool for a few minutes before serving.

Expert tips

Do not use your chef's knife to cut pastry on your marble board; use a pastry cutter or a dull knife; otherwise, your chef's knife will get dull immediately!

Place the frozen puff pastry in the fridge the night before using it. I've had greater success doing this rather than thawing it on the counter before use; I find it's more likely to get gummy in texture.

• Keep the puff pastry cool and flour your work surface. A marble pastry board is perfect for working with pastry since it is naturally cool.
• If your puff pastry gets too warm or gummy, place it back in the fridge.
• If you have trouble separating the folds of the puff pastry, roll it out into an even 9-inch x 9-inch or 10-inch x 10-inch square anyway. It works!
• If you wish to balance the sweetness of the cranberry sauce, add a little salt and pepper. Season to your taste.

Can you make these ahead of time?

Yes, you can make these vegan cranberry cheese bites up to 3 days ahead. Assemble the bites; do not bake them; cover them in plastic wrap or place them in a ziplock bag. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Before serving them, bake them according to the recipe directions, and serve them right out of the oven (let them cool for a few minutes first) or cool to room temperature.

Can these be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze them if you have any leftovers! Thaw them overnight in the fridge and allow them to reach room temperature on the counter before serving them.

Can these be reheated?

If you wish to enjoy them heated, place them in a preheated oven at 350°F and bake for approximately 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't get burnt at the edges. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

Substitutions

• Storebought puff pastry - you can use crescent roll dough instead or phyllo cups. You can substitute puff pastry with phyllo dough, but it won't rise as much, and the result will be crispier.
• Homemade cranberry sauce - you can use cranberry preserves instead of the cranberry sauce. I recommend this over using cranberry sauce from a tin for the best flavor. If the preserves are too thick, thin them with a splash of water, lemon juice, orange juice, or amaretto.

Variations

Get creative and try other nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, or pecan.

To make these throughout the year, you can replace the cranberry sauce with your favorite jam or jelly. Try different preserves, fig jam, mango chutney, cranberry jalapeno dip, or jalapeño pepper jelly. Stir in lemon zest or a little orange zest to change it up.

• Garnish with fresh herbs such as chopped fresh thyme instead of rosemary once the bites are out of the oven.
• I've made a savory version by sauteeing onion, garlic, and tempeh and then mixing it with chopped vegan cheese.

More holiday recipes

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you make this recipe, please take a moment to ★★★★★ star rate it and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.

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