Baked Brie Bites in phyllo cups with crispy prosciutto, sweet fig jam, and wedges of fresh figs. These elegant miniature brie cups are perfect for entertaining.
I don’t think I could ever tire of Brie. Decadent, scoopable triple creme, ripened at room temperature to buttery perfection; wheels of baked brie (“en croute” or on their own) with fruit and honey; Brie slices melted onto a croissant for the perfect panini. Serve Brie in any form, and I’ll be a happy woman.
When I’m entertaining, especially during the holidays, I like to make miniature Baked Brie Bites using phyllo cups. They’re easy to prep in advance, are the perfect two-bite poppable size, and everyone always loves them.
These Baked Brie Bites are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crispy and melty. They start with phyllo cups and a dollop of sweet fig jam. Layer with a cube of brie, a few ribbons of prosciutto, and a piece of fresh fig on top for an appetizer that’s perfect with a glass of bubbly.
Phyllo Cups for Baked Brie Bites
Phyllo cups are one of my “go-to” items for easy entertaining. I always keep a supply in my freezer for when I have unexpected guests, or need to pull together a delicious hors d’oeuvre quickly.
Phyllo cups or “shells” are made from layers of phyllo dough, a delicate, unleavened dough that’s about as thick as a piece of tissue paper. Each layer of phyllo is brushed with butter before layering the next, usually stacking about 5-6 layers total.
The layered dough is then cut into squares, fit into the wells of a miniature muffin tin (or a standard muffin tin, if you want larger phyllo cups), and baked until golden and crispy.
Learn to make phyllo cups at home with this tutorial from The Kitchn.
You can buy phyllo cups (or phyllo shells) ready-to-use at most grocery stores. They’re in the freezer case, next to the phyllo sheets, puff pastry, and pie crusts.
Phyllo cups are usually pre-baked and can be defrosted, filled, and served straight out of the freezer with sweet or savory cold fillings. Or, as in this recipe, filled and heated with warm fillings or cheeses.
Wondering the difference between puff pastry and phyllo? Read about it here.
While I prefer to make many things from scratch, store bought mini phyllo cups are typically of good quality. I tend to only make my own when I want a larger diameter cup or a deeper well to hold more filling.
Assembling Baked Brie Bites
I like to buy a wedge of imported double or triple crème for these miniature brie bites. While I generally serve brie “rind-on,” I find that the cheese melts into the phyllo cups better if the rind is trimmed away before cutting into cubes.
For easy entertaining, these Baked Brie Bites can be fully assembled and stored in the refrigerator for a day before baking and serving. Since they only take a few minutes in the oven, I like to prep a few trays and stagger their baking times, serving my guests fresh, melty Brie bites at intervals.
Topping the warm, melted cheese with a juicy wedge of fresh fig gives the Brie bites an extra layer of fig flavor and balances the textures well. Figs and Brie are a match made in heaven.
I’ve been lucky that my local market has been stocking gorgeous fresh figs weekly into December. (It’s unusual for these parts at this time of year, but figs are my favorite, and I’ve been enjoying the extended indulgence.)
If figs aren’t in season in your market, you can omit them entirely (you’ll still get fig flavor from the jam), or substitute soaked dried figs. Instructions follow in the recipe notes.
These Baked Brie bites are delicious with a glass of wine, prosecco, or champagne. They are equally well enjoyed on their own, or passed alongside other hors d’oeuvres.
Need more ideas for holiday appetizers? Don’t miss a few of my favorites:
Bacon, Horseradish, and Gruyère Palmiers
Gouda and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Caramelized Onion and Pear Jam
The Perfect Cheeseboard
A Trio of Deviled Eggs
Baked Brie Bites with Figs and Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Brie
- 2 ounces prosciutto di parma
- 24 phyllo shells , defrosted
- 4 tablespoons fig jam , divided
- 3 large fresh figs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Cut rind from Brie and discard. Cut Brie into 24, 3/4-inch cubes. Stack prosciutto slices, roll, and slice into 1/4-inch thick ribbons.
- Place phyllo shells on prepared baking sheet. Fill each shell with 1/2 teaspoon fig jam, spreading gently. Add one Brie cube to each shell and top with a few pieces of cut prosciutto.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and prosciutto is crisp.
- While the shells are baking, cut each fig into 8 pieces (cut fig in half, and then cut each half in half lengthwise and crosswise, creating 4 pieces per half).
- Remove phyllo cups from the oven and top with a piece of fresh fig. Serve warm.
Notes
PREP AHEAD:
Fully assemble the Brie Bites and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one day before baking as directed and serving.Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
I love the idea of topping these bites with a piece of fresh fig, but sadly, they are not in season. Do you think a slice of Bosc pear would work with the flavors? Thanks in advance.
Hi Karen, I think a piece of fresh pear would be delicious with these flavors. We somehow had figs into January at the market here, but they’re once again gone. Can’t wait until they come back in season!
I am so making these for my next party!!! Except I can never find fresh figs here, so I’ll try soaking the dried figs or skipping them. I’m a little obsessed with brie, and this is literally making my mouth water! DROOL!
I love love love brie!!! And brie with prosciutto, sweet fig jam, and crispy-crunchy fillo shell is pretty much my idea of heaven! I never thought of making my own filo cups and freezing them. Great idea! Although whenever I work with filo dough I usually only oil/butter every other layer. So, 2 sheets, then oil/butter, then another 2 sheets, then oil/butter, and then the final 2 sheets. I just always try to save a few calories here and there and I find that the taste and texture isn’t sacrificed this way.
Lovely pictures! And these look like the perfect finger food!Might just try these at my next office open pot luck!
Baked brie is so oooey gooey good. I will be making some this weekend for our neighbour Christmas get together. These are the perfect bite size appetizers. They will fly off the table for sure.
Give me ALL the figs!! These are just beautiful and I NEED to try them ASAP
This looks SO amazing! So beautiful! What a perfect recipe for a Christmas appetizer! Thanks for sharing! Beautiful picture!
They are so pretty! The flavours sounds perfect and the natural vibrance of the figs makes these look extra special.
Perfect appetizer for the holidays. Love the addition of the Fig, perfect!
If somebody would make this for a new year party, I would start my year the best way possible. Brie, figs prosciutto in phyllo cups. This is what I call food heaven!
What pretty bites of food! The colors and flavor combination is very appealing. I appreciate your description of how to make the phyllo cups and when you choose to make them yourself versus purchasing them. Great recipe!