Pepper jelly and brie phyllo bites are made with just six ingredients and come together faster than you'd ever expect for something this delicious. Super-crispy phyllo, gooey melted brie, sweet-spicy pepper jelly, and salty prosciutto all baked together into little rounds.
I always say that the best party food is the kind that looks like you spent way more time on it than you actually did and these crispy bites are just that. One roll of phyllo, a few fillings, and 30 minutes in the oven and you've got a hot appetizer that outshines everything on the table.
They're warm, crispy, gooey, a little spicy, and it's hard to have just one. Serve them alongside some crispy goat cheese and cheese tartlets for a full spread!
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Why We Love It!
- Sweet, spicy, savory - the pepper jelly brings a sweet heat, brie brings creaminess, and prosciutto has a salty punch. Every bite is perfectly balanced!
- Crispy and gooey - the outsides crisps up into layers of golden pastry, the middle stays warm and melty.
- Incredibly easy - one roll of phyllo (kept stacked), a handful of ingredients, and a straightforward roll and slice method.
- Make for a crowd - this recipe makes 12 bites (but they go fast). Double it for a larger group and find a bigger baking dish!
Ingredients
- Phyllo dough. One roll of thawed phyllo dough, kept stacked - no need to separate the layers for this recipe. Look for it in the freezer section near the puff pastry.
- Brie. An 8oz wheel works great here. No need to remove the rind - it softens and melts right along with the cheese, and it adds flavor.
- Hot pepper jelly. This is the MVP of the filling. It adds a sweet, jammy heat that pairs beautifully with the brie. Any brand works, and you can go mild or hot depending on your preference.
- Salted butter. Melted butter gets poured all over the rolls before baking and is what creates those gorgeous, crispy golden layers.
- Prosciutto. Just two slices, chopped and scattered over the top before baking. It crisps up beautifully and adds a salty, savory finish.
- Fresh rosemary. A little minced rosemary sprinkled over the top adds an herby, aromatic note that makes these taste really elevated. Dried rosemary is a fine swap if that's what you have.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the hot pepper jelly for fig jam, apricot jam, or cranberry sauce for a different flavor profile.
- Use camembert in place of brie - it melts similarly and has a comparable flavor.
- Skip the prosciutto for a vegetarian version, or swap it for crumbled cooked bacon.
- Scatter some chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios over the top along with the prosciutto for extra crunch.
- Use thyme in place of rosemary for a more subtle herby note.
📸 Step By Step Overview
This is a quick visual overview. See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions.
- Step 1: Add the brie and pepper jelly to one of the long edges of the stacked phyllo.
- Step 2: Roll the phyllo tightly around the cheese and jelly into a log.
- Step 3: Use a serrated knife to cut the roll into 12 slices. Some jelly may ooze out, that's ok.
- Step 4: Coat the bottom of the pan with some of the butter.
- Step 5: Add the slices cut side down in the pan (leave space in between), then drizzle the butter slowly over each round.
- Step 6: Add chopped rosemary and prosciutto, then bake until deeply golden.
Pro tip
Bake time
Don't pull these out of the oven too early. You want them deeply golden - not just lightly tan. The extra time in the oven is what gives you those shatteringly crispy phyllo layers.
Tips for Success
- Keep the phyllo layers stacked as evenly as possible.
- Don't forget to butter the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the butter slowly and make sure it seeps in between the layers of phyllo. This is key to even browning and flaky layers.
- Leave a small amount of space between each piece in the baking dish - the pastry layers need room to expand a little as they bake for optimal flakiness.
- Let them cool for just a few minutes before serving. The filling is extremely hot out of the oven, but you do want to enjoy them hot or warm.
- That being said, if you're making them for a party, time it so they come out of the oven right when guests arrive.
Common Questions
Nope! The rind on brie is totally edible and softens as it bakes. It also helps the slices hold their shape while you're assembling the rolls.
You can assemble the rolls and slice them, then cover and refrigerate them for up to a few hours before baking. Add the butter, prosciutto, and rosemary right before they go into the oven. I wouldn't recommend baking them fully ahead of time - they're really best fresh and hot.
No worries! Since you're keeping all the layers stacked together, a few cracks won't affect the final result much. Work quickly once it's unrolled and don't stress about it being perfect.
You can! The texture will be different - puffier and more buttery rather than thin and crispy - but the flavor combination still works beautifully. My prosciutto pinwheels and spinach feta pinwheels uses a similar roll-and-slice technique if you want to see how it's done with puff pastry.
Storage
These brie and pepper jelly phyllo bites are best enjoyed soon after they're baked. Stoe any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
To reheat, pop them in a 375℉ oven for about 8-10 minutes until re-crisped. I'd skip the microwave here - it makes the phyllo soft instead of crispy, and you lose that satisfying crunch that makes these so good.
I do not recommend freezing either the pre-baked or baked bites.
General Tid Bits
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Brie & Pepper Jelly Phyllo Bites
Equipment
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 roll phyllo dough thawed
- 8oz wheel brie cheese
- ½ cup hot pepper jelly
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 2 slices prosciutto chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Unroll the phyllo and keep the layers stacked.1 roll phyllo dough
- Cut the brie into 4 slices and lay them out on the long side of the phyllo along the edge.8oz wheel brie cheese
- Spoon the pepper jelly next to the brie slices.½ cup hot pepper jelly
- Tightly roll the pastry around the filling into a log, then slice into 12 pieces (use a serrated knife).
- Note: try not to squeeze the log too much while slicing. If any jelly oozes out, just add it back on top after you put them in the pan.
- Drizzle a bit of the butter on the bottom of the pan to coat.½ cup salted butter
- Add the phyllo slices cut side down into the baking dish - leave a small amount of space in between so the phyllo has room to expand a bit.
- Slowly pour the remaining melted butter all over the tops and sides of the rolls, getting it in between the layers.
- Sprinkle over the chopped rosemary and prosciutto, then bake for 30-40 minutes until very golden and crispy.½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, 2 slices prosciutto
- Cool slightly, but serve hot or warm.
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