This Cranberry Brie Tartlets recipe has a buttery almond flour crust, a filling of creamy brie cheese, and a tart honey cranberry sauce topping! This festive holiday appetizer is SCD, gluten free, grain free, soy free, egg free, and refined sugar free.
With the holidays approaching, I've been wanting to come up with a delicious appetizer that also looks festive.
These rustic cranberry brie mini tarts check all the boxes!
Easy to make, look adorable, gives an option to your gluten free friends/family, and most importantly taste amazing!
The crust has an almost buttery flavor and it holds the warm and gooey brie cheese! The tart honey cranberry sauce rounds out the flavors of this holiday appetizer that's sure to be a favorite!
How to make the honey cranberry sauce
The cranberry sauce is sweetened with honey and infused with fresh rosemary while the addition of lemon adds a bright, refreshing flavor to the sauce.
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I suggest making the cranberry sauce the day before you make the cranberry brie tartlets, this allows the sauce to thicken and the flavors to really meld together!
Note: Feel free to swap oranges for the lemons!
What to do with leftover cranberry sauce
The recipe for this cranberry sauce will yield more than you need for the cranberry brie mini tarts, but here are a few options for leftovers!
- Serve the leftover sauce with your main meal (which is what I do).
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Simply make half of the honey cranberry sauce recipe!
How to make the almond flour crust
This crust recipe is just three ingredients and could not be any easier!
Place almond flour, honey, and melted coconut oil in a bowl and mix until well combined.
The almond flour will be a bit crumbly in the bowl but should hold together when pressed between your fingers.
To mold the almond flour crust you'll need a mini muffin pan.
Place about ½ a tablespoon of dough into each little muffin tin and use either a mini tart shaper (which is in the picture above) or your fingers to make sure the dough is evenly pressed into the pan.
Bake the crust until the edges are a golden brown.
Almond flour tends to burn quickly so keep an eye on it.
Did you know there are 3 different types of brie cheese?!
When I first set out to make this appetizer I had no idea that there were three different kinds of brie cheese until a kind gentleman who works at Whole Foods saw my confused face while looking at them!
There's brie, brie-double cream, and brie-triple cream.
To make a very long story short, you want to buy brie-triple cream because it melts easier.
Assembling the cranberry brie tartlets
Fill the crusts with brie, making sure to use only the soft cheese in between the rinds.
The outer rinds, although delicious, don't melt all that well and give the appetizer an odd chewiness.
After filling the crusts with brie, put them back into the oven just until the cheese melts.
Allow them to cool for at least five minutes on the counter before using the handle of a small spoon to very gently lift the tartlets out of the pan.
Then fill each one with the cranberry sauce, garnish with some lemon zest, and enjoy!
Can I make the tartlets ahead of time?
While the cranberry sauce can be made up 2 days in advance, I suggest making the rest of this appetizer on the day you're planning on serving it.
The crust tends to get soggy if made in advance.
How to store leftovers
If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
You can reheat the tartlets in the microwave or oven. They're pretty tasty straight from the fridge as well.
Here are more appetizers perfect for the holidays!
- Baked Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Tuna Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
- Prosciutto Wrapped Pears
- Roasted Olives
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NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Recipe
Cranberry Brie Tartlets
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup honey
- zest of one small lemon plus more for garnish
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
- 1 sprig of rosemary
Almond Flour Crust
- 1 ½ cups blanched finely ground almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 4 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil melted but not hot
Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces brie-triple cream
Instructions
Honey Cranberry Sauce
- Place the fresh cranberries in a pot over medium heat. Add the honey, lemon juice, zest, and sprig of rosemary. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
- In a few minutes you'll begin to hear popping sounds, which are the cranberries breaking open and releasing their juices. Keep over heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use the back of a fork or a potato masher to gently mash some of the cranberries.
- After 15 to 20 minutes remove pot from heat. Allow the cranberry sauce to cool before discarding the rosemary sprig. Cover the sauce and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours, although overnight is best. This will allow the sauce to thicken before topping the tartlets.
Almond Flour Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl mix together all the crust ingredients. Scoop about ½ tablespoon of dough into each mini muffin tin. Use a mini tart shaper or your fingers to press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of each tin.
- Use a fork to prick holes into the sides and bottom of the dough. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the dough just starts to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and scoop about a teaspoon of brie (don't use the rind) into each tart shell. Place back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before using the handle of a small spoon to very gently loosen the edges of the tartlets and lift out of the mini muffin tin.
- Top with cranberry sauce and garnish with lemon zest. Best served soon after topping with cranberry sauce.
Notes
- I suggest making the cranberry sauce the day before you make the tartlets. This ensures the sauce has thickened and it allows the flavors to really meld together!
- Feel free to use oranges instead of lemon in the cranberry sauce.
- The cranberry sauce recipe will make more than you need. Serve the leftovers with your main meal (it makes a wonderful topping for chicken or steak) or store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Purchase Brie-Triple Cream for this recipe and use only the soft cheese inside the rinds to fill your tartlet shells.
- This recipe is best made the day you'll be serving it. The crust tends to get soggy if made in advance.
Sandra Spitz
Hi! Can these be made a day in advance?
Jennifer Brown
The cranberry sauce can be made in advance but I recommend making the crusts and assembling on the day you're planning to serve to keep the crusts from getting soggy.
Barbara Van Wagner
This looks so yummy. I have a whole bag of frozen cranberries, can I substitute the fresh for these?
Jennifer Brown
Yes you can!