This is the kind of recipe that gives you room to breathe, to mix and match ingredients, and to cook without a hint of stress. There’s a refreshing FREEDOM in grabbing a handful of simple ingredients, filling mini phyllo cups by instinct, and letting the oven handle the rest. No pressure, no precision—just a few minutes of easy prep that reward you with something warm, melty, and unexpectedly elegant.
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Hi There, I'm Tracy!
As a passionate foodie and music enthusiast, I’m here to help you rock your kitchen! I approach recipes creatively, often improvising traditional dishes or crafting my own based on unique dining experiences. Explore my blog for delightful and approachable recipes from breakfast to dinner, including appetizers, desserts, and cocktails. Let’s create meals that leave a lasting impression, paired with music recommendations to groove to while you cook!
Inspirations
When we go out to eat, we hardly ever order an appetizer. It’s not that we don’t like them—we do. It’s just that we usually split a salad before diving into our main dishes. But when the holidays roll around? Bring on the appetizers. There is something about the holiday season that just screams appetizer! Every party invite says the same thing: “Bring an appetizer!” Before Thanksgiving dinner, you warm up your appetite with—you guessed it—appetizers. Before Christmas or Hanukkah dinner? Appetizers. Super Bowl? Yep… appetizers again.
The challenge for me was figuring out something that teases your taste buds without filling you up so much that you can’t attack a holiday meal like a champion. I mean, we all have a pair of favorite stretchy pants, but those are for the grand finale—not the opening number.
I had seen those cute mini phyllo cups in the freezer section, and a plan started to form. What little treasures could I tuck inside those tiny shells that would pack big flavor without becoming a calorie bomb? I needed something small but mighty. I love nuts, so pecans came to mind immediately. But smashing whole pecans into microscopic pieces? Hard pass. Thankfully, pecan chips came to the rescue.
And then came the cheese shop. Whenever I’m at the store, I somehow end up wandering over to that section—even when I have no business being there. But the samples always get me. Little crackers, little cheese, little dollops of jam… and suddenly I knew the next two ingredients. Brie and apricot preserves. They’re perfect together and easy to cut into tiny pieces to snuggle right into the phyllo shells. I was officially on a roll.
I wanted one last pop of color—something festive but not flashy. Enter pomegranate seeds. They strutted in like, “We got this.” And honestly? They did. Once those pretty arils hit the top, these little bites became irresistibly cheerful. They practically beg you to eat them. And maybe have more than one. Or two. Or five. They’re dangerously easy to pop in your mouth, no utensils required.
Four simple ingredients tucked into a crispy little shell—bright, pretty, flavorful, and light enough that your dinner guests won’t be tapping out before the main course. I call that a major holiday win.
Instruments
Sheet pan – where the phyllo cups warm up and find their groove
Parchment paper – the easy-clean backup singer that keeps everything smooth
Chef’s knife – the lead player for slicing that brie into perfect little cubes
Cutting board – the steady stage for all your chopping action
Measuring spoons – the tiny but mighty tools for getting just the right amount
Small spoon – ideal for scooping jam and loading each cup with precision
Essentials
Mini phyllo shells – the crispy little stage for all that melty goodness
Apricot preserves or cranberry sauce – sweet, bright notes that hit the high register
Brie cheese – the creamy, decadent center that melts like a slow groove
Pecan chips – the crunchy bassline that brings balance and texture
Pomegranate seeds – juicy pops of color that finish the bite with sparkle
Pro Tips and Riffs
Faq: Grub Answers and Insights
Apricot Brie Phyllo Cups with Pecans and Pomegranate
- Total Time: 17 - 20 minutes
- Yield: 15 phyllo cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Tiny cups, big flavor. These crispy phyllo shells get loaded with apricot preserves, pecans, and melty brie, then finished with bright pomegranate pops. Quick to assemble, easy to bake, and guaranteed to disappear fast.
Ingredients
15 mini phyllo shells
2 to 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
4 to 5 ounces brie cheese, cut into about 15 small ½-inch cubes
2 to 3 tablespoons pecan chips
1 to 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Arrange the mini phyllo shells on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Bake the empty shells for 3 to 5 minutes, just until lightly toasted. Let them cool for a couple of minutes.
- Spoon about ¼ teaspoon apricot preserves into each toasted shell.
- Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon pecan chips into each cup.
- Top each cup with a small cube of brie.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top each cup with about ¼ teaspoon pomegranate seeds.
Serve warm.
Notes
These amounts are estimates since mini phyllo cups vary in size. Use the measurements as a guide, but fill each cup by feel: a small scoop of preserves, a sprinkle of pecans, and a piece of brie. Starting with about ¼ teaspoon of jam and nuts works well, and you can adjust up or down as long as there’s room for the brie to melt.
These little bites disappear fast, so plan on 2 to 3 pieces per person if you’re serving them as an appetizer alongside other nibbles. If this is your main starter or you’re feeding big snackers, 3 to 4 per person is a safer estimate. The recipe scales easily—just add more shells and increase the fillings as needed.
These are best served warm from the oven, but if you need to reheat them, place them on a sheet pan and warm at 325°F for a few minutes until the cheese softens again.
Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container and reheat in a 325°F oven until the cheese softens and the shells crisp back up. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the phyllo soggy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 - 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
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