Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites (2024)

Why you need to try these Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

These festive bite-size appetizers are just what 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 co*cktail with bubbles like this Blood Orange French 75 or this Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail.

Or pair these delicious cranberry bites with this Pomegranate Gimlet co*cktail to bring holiday cheer!

If you're serving these bites at a holiday party or brunch, try this vegan Cranberry Orange Bread.

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.

Where to buy puff pastry

As 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 Aussie Bakery, which I found at Whole Foods. Pepperidge Farm makes puff pastry sheets, too. I haven't tried any other brands. Ask someone at your local grocery store if you can't find any puff pastry. You might be able to order it online if your local grocery store delivers.

Substitutions

• Storebought puff pastry - 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 - 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.
• Vegan cream cheese - try Miyoko's plant milk cheese spread in classic chive.

Variations

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.

• Get creative and try other nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, or pecan.
• 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 mixing it with chopped vegan cheese.

Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry on parchment paper and cut it into 16 squares. I did not need to sprinkle the parchment paper with flour using this method, although that's an option to prevent sticking, especially if you're using a marble surface that also helps keep the pastry cool.

Step 3: Separate the squares in the mini muffin tins, gently pressing them at the bottom.

Step 4: Fill the squares with vegan cream cheese.

Step 5: Fill the squares with cranberry sauce and chopped nuts on the vegan cream cheese.

Expert Tip

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.

Helpful Hints

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.

• 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 an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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 I freeze these vegan cranberry cream cheese bites?

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 I reheat these vegan cranberry cream cheese bites?

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.

What is non-dairy cream cheese made of?

The ingredients will vary depending on the brand. The vegan cream cheese I used contains Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Salt, Enzyme, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Mushroom Extract (to help preserve freshness), Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, and Cultures.

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Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

Emily Miller

These Vegan Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites are fabulous for holiday entertaining! Layer vegan cream cheese, cranberry sauce, chopped hazelnuts, and rosemary in puff pastry for irresistible bites that nobody can resist. These are easy to make and even easier to eat.

Nutrition

Serving: 8peopleCalories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 22.3gProtein: 3.7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 1.8gSodium: 165.8mgFiber: 1.3gSugar: 6.2g

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Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.