These Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites are easy and delicious to make. The perfect appetizer, these bites come together with only four ingredients and 20 minutes.
I feel like the appetizer season always coincides with the holiday season. The problem with that is that during the holiday season, you are always making a million other main dishes, side dishes, and desserts for a crowd. It is easy to forget about the appetizers until you are hungry and still have hours to go before dinner.
That is where these Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites come in. These Vegan Cranberry Bites are beyond easy to make and have a ton of flavor from the buttery puff pastry to the tangy cranberry sauce to the smooth cream cheese. Top it off with a sprig or two of fresh rosemary and you will have to stop yourself from eating them all!
For more delicious appetizers, check out this Cranberry Jalapeno Dip or this Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
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Ingredients
Four ingredients make this easy and quick! All ingredients can be found at your local grocery store.
Ingredient Notes
- Puff Pastry- Did you know that most puff pastry is vegan?? The buttery flavor comes from palm oil. It is the same butter flavor that you get from movie theater popcorn. Some people consider palm oil to be a problematic ingredient due to the way that it is sourced, I don't mind using it now and again. Always make sure to double-check that the puff pastry is vegan though. Pepperidge Farms is vegan as well as the Good and Gather Brand at Target, however, Trader Joe's brand is not! So always make sure to check.
- Vegan Cream Cheese- Feel free to use whatever kind you prefer, I use the Trader Joe's brand.
- Cranberry Jelly-I do not do anything fancy with this. I use just jarred cranberry jelly however you can feel free to make your own if you prefer.
Instructions
Remove the Puff Pastry from the freezer and let it thaw a bit before unrolling to prevent breaking. I normally let it thaw on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead of time.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Once thawed, roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface until it's 12 inches x 12 inches. Cut into 12 rectangles each. For a total of 24 bites between the two sheets of pastry.
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and press the puff pastry into the muffin tins. Using a spoon, spoon one teaspoon of vegan cream cheese and one teaspoon of cranberry jelly into each pastry.
Continue until all 24 are filled.
Top with chopped fresh rosemary.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the pastry, has puffed up and is a light, golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a fork to gently remove and place onto a serving plate.
Hint: If the puff pastry bite is stuck to the muffin tin, let cool a bit and then run a butter knife around the edge to loosen it.
Substitutions
- Low Sugar - Replace the cranberry jelly with fresh cranberries tossed with your favorite sugar-free sweetener. Mash the cranberries up and add 1 teaspoon to each bite.
- Cheese - Swap out the vegan cream cheese for a vegan cheddar to give it a sharpness or a vegan brie to mimic the creaminess.
- Savory - Add some crumbled vegan sausage to these bites to give a savory element.
Variations
Try some of these fun ways to spice this recipe up!
Caramelized Onion- Add some caramelized onions to the top of these bites to add savory depth of flavor.
Chipotle Powder-Again with the savory, add ⅛ teaspoon of chipotle powder to the cream cheese before filling to give these a subtle smokey flavor.
Other Fruit Filling Ideas- Try making these with fresh blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries to give these a fresh look. You can also try any type of jam that you want in these bites. I love making them with apricot jam during the springtime.
Check out this other delicious cranberry appetizer!
FAQ's
Of course! If you aren't a fan of puff pastry or don't like the idea of using something made with palm oil, try making these vegan cranberry bites with pre-made pizza dough, pie dough, phyllo dough, or even crescent rolls.
Yes! To cook your vegan cranberry bites in the air fryer, spread them in the basket. Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes. Check at the 7 minute mark to avoid burning the puff pastry.
These vegan cranberry bites have the perfect crunch from the puff pastry, and then you have the creaminess from the cream cheese and the tangy flavor from the cranberry. So much texture and flavor going on there.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment needed for this recipe.
- Muffin Tin
- Sharp Knife
Storage
Store these Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. If needed, reheat in the air fryer to re-crisp them up.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Make this recipe super easy by using a jarred cranberry jelly. You are more than welcome to make your own, but using pre-made jarred jelly makes this recipe so easy!
Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry
- 8 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese
- 2 cups Cranberry Jelly
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
Instructions
- Remove the Puff Pastry from the freezer and let it thaw a bit before unrolling to prevent breaking. I normally let it thaw on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead of time.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Once thawed, roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface until it's 12 inches x 12 inches. Cut into 12 rectangles each. For a total of 24 bites between the two sheets of pastry.
- Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and press the puff pastry into the muffin tins. Using a spoon, spoon one teaspoon of vegan cream cheese and one teaspoon of cranberry jelly into each pastry. Continue until all 24 are filled.
- Top with chopped fresh rosemary.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the pastry, has puffed up and is a light, golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a fork to gently remove and place onto a serving plate.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Giangi Townsend says
Simple and yet so delicious. They are so good and everyone loves them.
Thank you for sharing!
Natalie says
This looks so delicious and so easy to make. I will bake these bites tonight for my boys. Can't wait.
GUSTAVO DE OBALDIA says
Looks so yummy! I am adding these bites to my Thanksgiving table! I love how easy the recipe is!
Priya Maha says
These are so simple to make and yet so delicious. Made this for a family gathering last weekend, and everyone loved them!
Kyleigh says
Such a great holiday app!
Kalin Williams says
YUM these look delicious! I can't believe how easy they are to make
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
I LOVE a small bite and am always looking for more great vegan options. Delicious!
Gloria says
These are perfect for the holiday parites. Easy to make, and delicious to eat. I know they will be a hit.
Amanda Scarlati says
Loved how easy and tasty these were! Making again for girls night next weekend!
Bernice says
What a scrumptious little bite! Our vegan daughter is coming home for Christmas and I'm going to make these for her (and us)!!
Pam Greer says
Perfect for my vegan daughter!
Michelle says
I seriously love making these! They're so simple to make and delicious. Super easy to customize with different fruit too!
Shilpa says
So yummm and so easy to make. We loved them
Amanda says
I love how easy this recipe is- definitely going to be making these for the holidays!
Dawn Conklin says
Love how easy they are to make and they are so delicious! We made them as a snack and I was asked to make them again on Thanksgiving. Everybody loved them!
Brianna says
Sweet, savory and super easy to make! Will definitely make these for my holiday parties.
Holly says
These little bites are so good! I cut the recipe in half and added to a vegan cheese board. I'm planning to make them again using the full recipe for Thanksgiving!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
These looks so good! I pinned them to make it for Christmas, since my sister eats a vegan diet. Thanks for sharing!!
Marinela says
I love cranberry flavor and I'm always in search of new recipe ideas to incorporate them. This recipe for vegan cranberry cream cheese bites is a great idea as a delicious appetizer or quick snack. So simple to make! Thanks!
nancy says
pinned! super delicious bites of sweetness
Amy Liu Dong says
This looks so easy and delicious. Such a perfect dessert to make for my sister's birthday. Yum!
Toni says
I love that this is vegan!
Leslie says
Love the mixture of cranberries and cream cheese! Great recipe!
Carmy says
These little cranberry cream cheese bites are so delightful!
Jen Vinuya says
This is so perfect!!
Lauren Michael Harris says
Vegan food has come so far so fast! I love that there is vegan cream cheese and that it's actually really good! This recipe will for sure be a. hit at Christmas!
Veronika says
This recipe will be perfect for a Christmas dinner party! So easy to make and great flavor combination!
Gwynn says
This recipe was a big hit at Thanksgiving and I'll be making it again for Christmas! Delicious and festive too!
patricia says
What a wonderful appetizer for the holiday season! And also wonderful that they're so easy to make. A win all the way around!
jeny says
These are indeed great appetizers. I love the fact they are vegan, they were so easy and delicious. Some members of our family have dairy allergies and avoid certain foods and these were perfect for them. Also, non-vegans enjoyed them as well. I will be making these cranberry cream cheese bites often.
sara says
This looks like a tasty little bite of festive food! I think you could serve these for an app or as a dessert and I love versatile food! Have you ever made these with another berry?
kaydimaggio says
Thank you Sara! I have made these with apricot and blackberry before, all delicious!
Amy Casey says
We love love love brie in our house. These were the perfect snack to share while watching movies over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Healing Tomato says
Oh my gosh! I am so glad you made a vegan version of these cranberry bites! I am always looking for good vegan desserts. Your recipe has climbed to the top of my vegan desserts list.
Sunrita says
A perfect make it quick appetizer idea that is a sure shot crowd pleasure. Just loved it.