These Beet and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Bites are the easiest appetizer for any holiday party, and you can make them in under 30 minutes! They're light, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion! They're even freezer-friendly and just as delicious reheated.
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Why You'll Love These Puff Pastry Bites
Simple flavors and buttery pastry - These little bites are made up of just 4 simple things. Good puff pastry, cooked beets, soft goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. You can make them better with garlic powder, fresh chives, and some flaky salt, but that's it! The flavors are super simple but so good.
Easy and quick - The recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes this a great last-minute appetizer, or anytime you want to make something easy, you don't have to think about too much.
Freezer-friendly - Nothing makes a faster snack than these baked bites defrosted whenever you're craving something salty! They freeze and defrost really well, so you can easily freeze any leftovers or make a double batch!
Ingredients
- Puff pastry - The better the pastry, the better the finished dish! I like buying my dough pre-rolled and made with 100% butter from a local vendor. If you can, avoid puff pastry dough with too much, or any, vegetable oil. It won't be as good and flaky. It usually comes frozen, and some packages have two sheets of puff pastry. You'll only need to defrost one.
- Beets - You'll need cooked or steamed beets, not raw beets. You can either steam or cook them yourself, or you can buy them cooked and vacuum-sealed, which makes the preparation much quicker and easier!
- Creamy Goat cheese - Look for soft goat cheese you can crumble. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores, and it usually comes in small logs.
- Garlic powder - I sprinkle some garlic powder on the beets before I bake the puff pastry. This adds more flavor, and I highly recommend it, but you can always skip it.
- Balsamic vinaigrette - A tangy-sweet vinaigrette balances the creaminess of the cheese and earthiness of the beets really well. You'll need extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and sea salt.
Variations and Substitutions
- Cook your own beets - My favorite way to do this is by steaming in a steamer basket. You can also boil them in water, but they will be more watery. If you prefer, you can also roast them in the oven with the skin on, wrapped in aluminum foil. This will dry them out a little more than steaming, but work as well. It's important to roast the beets covered, though, otherwise they would dry out too much.
- Egg wash - You can brush the edges of the puff pastry cups with whisked egg before baking to make them shiny and more golden, but I don't find it necessary.
- Different cheese - If you don't have goat cheese, you can use crumbled feta or even brie or camembert instead.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly brush or spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- If your puff pastry isn’t already rolled out, roll it out into an about 2-3mm (⅛-inch) thick sheet on a floured surface.
- Cut it into 24 squares with a sharp knife and place each square into the prepared muffin pan. Use a fork to prick the bottom of each cup a few times.
- Add 2-4 small pieces of diced beets into each cup and sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Top the beets with crumbled soft goat cheese. You can push the cheese in a little bit to avoid it falling off in the oven. Don’t overfill the cups too much.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on the corners. Each oven may be different, so keep an eye on them towards the end to prevent them from burning.
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- While they’re baking, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or a jar, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Take the puff pastry bites out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in the pan. Once they're set, carefully transfer them to a plate.
- Drizzle each bite with a little bit of the vinaigrette and serve immediately. You will probably have vinaigrette leftover. You can save it for later or drizzle it on the bites again once they soak up the first round.
Tips & Tricks!
- Keep the dough cold - It's also easier to handle, and if you allow it to get warm, you risk the pastry not rising.
- Keep the oven hot - You want to bake puff pastry at at least 400°F. Lower temperatures might not make it rise as much.
- Prick the bottom of each cup with a fork - This lets air through the puff pastry, so it doesn't rise on the bottom.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store any leftover puff pastry bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. They’re best stored plain without the vinaigrette, and drizzled after reheating, but I’ve done it both ways, and they’re still crispy after reheating, even if you do drizzle them all right away.
Freezer: You can also freeze these bites in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Once reheated, they regain their crispiness and taste almost as freshly baked!
Reheating: If refrigerated, reheat them on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes. If frozen, defrost them in the fridge overnight first, on the counter for 30-60 minutes, or reheat them from frozen in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 15 minutes. Make sure they're hot all the way in the middle.
FAQs
This could be because of various reasons. The most common is that the pastry is too warm and the butter melts, or that it's overrolled. It could also be because the oven wasn't hot enough. It should be at least 400°F.
Other Puff Pastry Recipes
If you have more puff pastry you need to use up or want to try some similar recipes, check out the four below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Appetizers.
- Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bites
- Puff Pastry Mushroom Tart
- Zucchini Puff Pastry Tart (also with crumbled goat cheese)
- Spinach and Feta Triangles
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Print📖 Recipe
Beet and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Bites
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 6-12 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Beet and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Bites are the easiest appetizer for any holiday party, and you can make them in under 30 minutes! They're light, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion! They're even freezer-friendly and just as delicious reheated.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or cooking oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (10x10” or similar size)
- 6 oz cooked beets, diced into small pieces
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1.5-2 oz soft goat cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly brush or spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- If your puff pastry isn’t already rolled out, roll it out into an about 2-3mm (⅛-inch) thick sheet on a floured surface.
- Cut it into 24 squares and place each square into the prepared muffin pan. Use a fork to prick the bottom of each cup a few times.
- Add 2-4 small pieces of diced beets into each cup and sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Top the beets with crumbled soft goat cheese. You can push the cheese in a little bit to avoid it falling off in the oven. Don’t overfill the cups too much.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on the corners. Each oven may be different, so keep an eye on them towards the end to prevent them from burning.
- While they’re baking, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or a jar, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Take the puff pastry bites out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then carefully transfer them to a plate.
- Drizzle each bite with a little bit of the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Notes
Vinaigrette: I add about ½ teaspoon to each bite. You’ll most likely have leftover vinaigrette, which I like to keep either on the side, and drizzle more on later or keep it in the fridge if I have leftover bites so that I can drizzle them after reheating.
Fridge: You can store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. They’re best stored plain without the vinaigrette, and drizzled after reheating, but I’ve done it both ways, and they’re still crispy after reheating, even if you do drizzle them all right away. Reheat them on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes.
Freezer: You can also freeze these bites in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight first or reheat them in the oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes.
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Veronika Sykorova says
These are as good as the puff pastry you use! I highly recommend using a good quality all butter puff pastry for the best flavor!