Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites (3-Ingredient Appetizer)

Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites are the three-ingredient appetizer I reach for every holiday season: crisp mini phyllo shells, a cube of creamy brie, and a spoonful of sweet-and-spicy red pepper jelly, air fried at a low 250°F until the cheese just melts. Start to finish, they take about 10 minutes, and the air fryer does all the work.

I’ve been making these for years for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and game day, and they disappear faster than anything else on the table. The phyllo shells come already baked, so there’s no dough to roll, no egg wash, and no oven to heat. If you love my Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites, this is the same easy method with a sweet-heat twist.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Three ingredients. Phyllo shells, brie, and red pepper jelly. That’s it.
• Ready in about 10 minutes. Five minutes to assemble, five to seven in the air fryer.
• No dough, no mess. Frozen mini phyllo shells go straight from the box to the basket.
• Sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy. Every bite has all four, which is why they go first at a party.
• Make-ahead friendly. Assemble them in the morning and air fry when guests arrive.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites

• Mini phyllo shells (1 package, 15 shells): Look for them in the freezer aisle near the puff pastry. They’re pre-baked, so you don’t need to thaw them. Keep them in the plastic tray until you’re ready to fill so they don’t crack.
• Brie cheese (4 ounces): Cut into 15 cubes, about ½ inch each. The rind is fully edible and helps the cube hold its shape, but you can trim it off if you prefer a smoother bite. A double-cream brie melts the most evenly.
• Red pepper jelly (⅓ cup): Store-bought is perfect here. Hot pepper jelly or jalapeño jelly works the same way if you want more heat.
• Optional toppings: A few fresh thyme leaves, a pinch of flaky salt, chopped toasted pecans, or a drizzle of hot honey.

How To Make Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites

Step One: Fill the shells. Set the phyllo shells in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Drop one cube of brie into each shell.

Step Two: Add the pepper jelly. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of red pepper jelly on top of each cube of brie. Don’t overfill; the jelly loosens as it heats and will run over the edge if there’s too much.

Step Three: Air fry. Set the air fryer to 250°F (air fryer setting) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. You’re looking for the brie to soften and start to melt and the jelly to turn glossy. Start checking at 4 minutes; every air fryer runs a little differently.

Step Four: Rest and serve. Let the bites sit in the basket for 2 to 3 minutes. The jelly is very hot straight out of the air fryer, and the brie firms up just enough to pick up. Top with thyme, pecans, or flaky salt and serve warm.

Why Air Fry At 250°F?

Most air fryer appetizers cook at 350°F to 400°F, so 250°F looks low. It’s on purpose. The phyllo shells are already baked, so they only need to warm up and stay crisp. At a higher temperature the edges of the phyllo brown and burn before the brie has a chance to melt, and the jelly boils over. Low and slow for a few minutes gives you melted cheese, warm jelly, and shells that still shatter when you bite them. I use the same low setting for my Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites for the same reason.

Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites Recipe Tips

• Chill the brie before cutting. Fifteen minutes in the freezer makes it firm enough to cut clean cubes instead of smearing.
• Skip the cooking spray. The shells don’t stick, and oil spray makes phyllo soggy.
• Fill the shells in the basket, not on the counter. Moving filled shells is how you spill jelly.
• Don’t stack or crowd. Hot air needs to circulate around each shell. Work in batches if your basket is small.
• Pull them early, not late. Brie keeps melting after it comes out. If the cheese is soft at the edges, it’s done.
• Keep the phyllo tray. Leftover empty shells go back in the tray and the freezer for next time.

Recipe Variations

Once you’ve made these once, the phyllo-shell-plus-brie formula is endlessly flexible:

• Apricot: Swap the pepper jelly for apricot preserves, like my Air Fryer Apricot Brie Bites.
• Fig and walnut: Fig jam plus a piece of toasted walnut on top.
• Cranberry: Whole-berry cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving; see Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites.
• Extra heat: Tuck a thin slice of fresh jalapeño under the jelly, or finish with hot honey.
• Bacon: A pinch of crumbled cooked bacon over the jelly before air frying.
• Puff pastry instead of phyllo: If you’d rather have a flaky, golden pastry bite, follow my Easy Air Fryer Brie Bites and add a teaspoon of pepper jelly to each square.
• Wonton cups: My Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Canapes use wonton wrappers in a mini muffin tin; the pepper jelly filling works in those too.

Make Ahead, Storage, And Reheating

Make ahead: Fill the shells with brie and jelly up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the refrigerator on a plate or in the phyllo tray, then air fry straight from the fridge, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time.

Storing leftovers: These are best within an hour of cooking, while the phyllo is crisp. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Reheating: Put them back in the air fryer at 250°F for 2 to 3 minutes. Skip the microwave; it turns the shells soft.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing assembled bites. The jelly weeps and the phyllo loses its crunch. Freeze the unused empty shells instead.

How To Make Pepper Jelly Brie Bites In The Oven

No air fryer, or making a double batch for a crowd? Set the filled shells on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until the brie is soft and the jelly is glossy. The air fryer is faster and keeps the shells crisper, but the oven handles 30 or more at a time.

What To Serve With Pepper Jelly Brie Bites

These are a natural fit on a holiday appetizer table or a game-day spread. I like to put out one or two more hot bites that come out of the air fryer in the same amount of time, like Air Fryer Spanakopita Phyllo Cups or Air Fryer Pepperoni Basil Tomato Puffs, plus a basket of Air Fryer Herb Garlic Bread.

If you bought a jar of pepper jelly for this recipe, use the rest on my Air Fryer Red-Pepper Jelly Wings; the sweet-heat glaze is just as good on chicken as it is on brie. For dessert, Air Fryer Cherry Cheesecake Bites use the same mini phyllo shells, so one box covers both courses.

More Ways To Use Brie In The Air Fryer

Have half a wheel of brie left? For a showpiece version of this flavor, make a whole-wheel Air Fryer Baked Brie topped with pepper jelly, or wrap it in pastry for Air Fryer Baked Brie In Puff Pastry. Leftover brie also makes an excellent Air Fryer Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Sandwich the next day, and my Air Fryer Raspberry and Brie Pull-Apart Bread is the dish I make when I want baked brie without the fuss of a cheese board.

Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites Recipe FAQs

How long do you air fry brie bites? At 250°F, mini phyllo brie bites take 5 to 7 minutes. The brie should be soft and starting to melt and the jelly glossy. Start checking at 4 minutes, since air fryers vary.

Why cook them at such a low temperature? The phyllo shells are already baked. At 350°F or higher the phyllo burns at the edges before the brie melts, and the jelly boils over. 250°F warms everything through and keeps the shells crisp.

Can I make pepper jelly brie bites ahead of time? Yes. Assemble them up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Air fry straight from the fridge and add 1 to 2 minutes.

Do I need to take the rind off the brie? No. The rind is edible and helps the cube hold its shape. Trim it if you prefer a smoother texture.

Can I make these in the oven? Yes. Bake the filled shells on a sheet pan at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until the brie is soft.

Where do I find mini phyllo shells? In the freezer aisle, usually next to puff pastry and pie crusts. One box holds 15 pre-baked shells and does not need to be thawed.