Caramel Apple Bites are the quintessential fall treat. These little bites bring together the best of my favorite autumn treats — caramel apples and apple pie — but they are much easier to make and perfect for bringing to parties and events.
What You’ll Need
These simple ingredients come together to make one amazing appetizer!
- Puff Pastry Sheets – These are a staple in my kitchen so I always have them handy, but if you need to buy them for this recipe you can find them in the frozen section. Just be sure to thaw them before you begin making the recipe.
- Egg – Use a whisk or a fork to lightly beat the egg. You’ll need it for brushing onto the pastry sheets.
- Apple – Core and chop the apple right before making the bites to prevent them from browning.
- Lemon Juice – The lemon juice does double duty — it helps to keep the apples looking fresh and it also balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Cinnamon – Apples and cinnamon are a match made in heaven and they give the bites an incredible aroma.
- Nutmeg – Nutmeg is another spice that beautifully complements the cinnamon.
- Brie – This rich cheese is what gives the bites their creaminess. Be sure to remove the rind from your wheel of brie and slice it into cubes.
- Caramel Sauce – You can use store-bought, but it’s easy to make caramel sauce at home, too.
- Fleur De Sel For Sprinkling – While this is optional, I think it makes these into the perfect salty/sweet treat.
Variations
With a few easy twists, you can transform this into your own signature starter.
- Fruit – Swap out the apples for pears, figs, or peaches. Or, add in dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
- Cheese – Trade out the brie cheese for another type of soft cheese like gorgonzola, blue cheese, or goat cheese. I know it sounds like a weird flavor combo, but creamy and stinky cheese pairs well with sweet flavors.
- Spices – Use a spice blend that you prefer.
- Citrus – Instead of lemon, use lime, orange, or grapefruit juice.
- Nuts – Sprinkle on chopped walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, or other nuts to add a extra texture.
- Sweetener – For a sweeter apple filling, add a bit of brown sugar, honey, or agave syrup.
How to Make Caramel Apple Bites with Brie
Despite that they look fancy, these couldn’t be easier to make!
- Prepare puff pastry. After spreading out the pastry sheets on a well-floured countertop, roll them into a rectangle and slice them into a dozen squares. Then, place each into the wells of the prepared muffin tins that have been greased or sprayed with cooking spray and brush them with the beaten egg.
- Bake. Bake puff pastry in the preheated oven.
- Combine. Place the diced apples in a small saucepan with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook until the apples soften.
- Remove pastry and cool. Take the muffin tins out of the oven and press down the centers with a spoon. Set aside to cool.
- Assemble. When the pastry has cooled fill it first with a piece of brie before adding the apple mix. Then, drizzle it with caramel sauce and add a pinch of Fleur de Sel.
- Serve or store. Serve the bites immediately or store them in the refrigerator. If storing them, allow them to reach room temperature before you serve them.
Common Questions About Caramel Apple Bites with Brie
If you are baking the entire round of brie, leaving the rind on will help the brie retain its shape. However, for this recipe you’ll want to remove the rind since the creamy cheese is being added to the puff pastry.
Some of the best apples to serve with brie are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious.
Brie can be consumed warm or at room temperature. You’ll be able to better taste the flavor of the cheese when it is not cold.
Storage
You can store these in the fridge and just let them come to room temperature on the counter before snacking or serving.
Refrigerator
Place the bites in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer
First, flash-freeze the bites on a baking sheet. The store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. If layering them, place parchment paper in between the layers.
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Caramel Apple Bites with Brie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Puff Pastry Sheets thawed
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 apple cored and chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 ounces creamy brie rind removed and cut into 24 pieces
- 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce
- fleur de sel for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease the wells of 24 mini muffin tins with cooking spray or preferably with vegetable shortening.
- Roll out the puff pasty sheet on a floured surface. Roll each into a rectangle, cut into 12 2-inch squares. Press each square into a muffin well.
- Brush each piece of dough with beaten egg and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the pastry from the oven and using a spoon, pat down the centers of each to make a well large enough for brie and apple mix. Remove the cups from the pan to cool.
- While the pastry is baking, combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Stir the mixture over medium-low heat until the apples are soft.
- Place a small piece of brie in each pastry cup, top with a small amount of apple mix, caramel sauce and sprinkle of Fleur de Sel.
- Serve caramel apple bites warm or at room temperature.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
This was a delightful dessert! Everyone loved it!
OH my gosh, these were SO GOOD. Seriously the best way to eat brie.
These are so perfect! Love apple and brie together, and these make for perfect party favors.
Brie and apple are so good together! Love it!
These are delicious! Love these as appetizers for parties, thank you!