Brie and Pear Tarts are an easy, beautiful appetizer made with mini phyllo shells, Brie, pears, pistachios, thyme, and honey. The flavor combo is fantastic and they are made in minutes making them a great last-minute appetizer.
We love these mini tarts for holidays, showers, brunches, and appetizer boards because they look fancy but take hardly any prep. We also love that they come out golden, melty, sweet, and savory for any party. We especially love to serve these for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties because they’re so simple, pretty and delicious!
If you can’t get enough brie, try our Cranberry Brie Bites and Baked Brie Puff Pastry.
Why You’ll Love It + Why it works:
- Super Simple: Easy appetizer that looks elegant with very little prep.
- A Stunnning Addition: Mini phyllo shells make the recipe quick and party-ready.
- A Favorite for Any Occasion: Perfect for holidays, brunches, showers, and appetizer boards.
- Mini Phyllo Shells Save Time: They bake up crisp and golden without making pastry from scratch.
- Brie and Pear Balance Each Other: Creamy Brie pairs perfectly with sweet pear and a little honey.
Brie and Pear Tarts Ingredients
- Mini phyllo tart shells (15): Creates the crisp, bite-sized base and make the appetizer easy to assemble.
- Ripe Brie cheese cut into 15 small chunks (¼ pound): Melts into a creamy, rich center.
- Ripe pear small dice (1): Adds natural sweetness, freshness, and soft texture.
- Shelled pistachios chopped (¼): Adds crunch, color, and nutty flavor. Walnuts or pecans can also work as well.
- Fresh thyme: Adds a light herb flavor that balances the sweet and creamy ingredients.
- Honey or to taste (2 tbsp): Adds sweetness and a glossy finish.
How to Make Brie and Pear Tarts
PREP. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
SHELL. Add mini tart shells to your pan, spaced at least one inch apart from one another. Add a piece of Brie to each cup, along with a pear piece and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
FILL + BAKE. Repeat and fill all cups. Sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with a little bit of honey. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until tarts are golden and cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Make Phyllo Shells
For ease, I buy pre-made phyllo shells from the freezer section at the grocery store. If you wish, you can make your own using five sheets of phyllo dough.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Thaw if the phyllo dough is frozen. Be sure to keep each sheet covered with plastic wrap while you are working with the other sheets so they don’t dry out.
- Lay one thin sheet on a flat floured surface. Brush with melted butter. Add the next thin sheet and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 5 layers.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut 3.5”x3.5” squares.
- Gently arrange each square in a greased mini muffin tin. Poke the dough with a fork to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 7 minutes. The dough will puff up in the middle so you will need to use the back of a spoon to press it down, then continue to bake for another 4-6 minutes or until crisp and golden.
- Do not let them cool in the hot muffin tin, remove them immediately and let them cool on a wire rack.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Cut the Brie into small, even chunks so each tart gets a creamy bite.
- Dice the pear small so it fits neatly inside the phyllo shells.
- Space the tart shells apart on the pan so they bake evenly and stay crisp.
- Watch closely near the end of baking since phyllo shells can brown quickly.
- Make-ahead tip: prep the Brie, pear, and pistachios ahead, then assemble and bake right before serving.
Brie and Pear Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 mini phyllo tart shells
- ¼ pound ripe Brie cheese cut into 15 small chunks
- 1 ripe pear small dice
- ¼ shelled pistachios chopped
- fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp honey or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Add mini tart shells to your pan, spaced at least one inch apart from one another. Add a piece of Brie to each cup, along with a pear piece and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
- Repeat and fill all cups. Sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with a little bit of honey and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until tarts are golden and cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cut the Brie into small, even chunks so each tart gets a creamy bite.
- Dice the pear small so it fits neatly inside the phyllo shells.
- Space the tart shells apart on the pan so they bake evenly and stay crisp.
- Watch closely near the end of baking since phyllo shells can brown quickly.
- Make-ahead tip: prep the Brie, pear, and pistachios ahead, then assemble and bake right before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Prepare the different elements of the tarts in advance so all you have to do is assemble, bake, and serve.
Store-bought phyllo cups are all ready to go. If you make your own cups, they can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the fridge.
The pears can be cubed and treated with an anti-browning agent such as Ball’s Fresh Fruit or dipped in a lemon juice-water mixture. Store in the fridge overnight in an airtight container.
Cube the brie and store overnight in a container in the fridge.
These tarts are best when eaten freshly made, but if you happen to have leftovers, store them in a container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Freeze for 4-6 weeks.
Thaw if applicable. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line the pastries on a baking pan and heat for 20-30 minutes or until warm. To keep the pastries from burning, tent a piece of tin foil over the tarts while reheating.
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This recipe was first shared January, 2023.
We had these over the holidays & I was so surprised that I loved it. I don’t normally like pear. But, the brie & pear together was incredible!! Will definitely make them again!!
Made these for my sisters bridal shower and they were amazing! Such a beautiful appetizer that was delicious.
I love this flavor combination, it is so incredibly tasty!!!!
These are amazing! Everyone loved them and they were so easy to prepare, thank you for sharing!
I’ve actually never cooked with Brie cheese and so I appreciated the info in the post about how to cut it.
I love pears! This is the perfect treat with the cheese. Simple and good.