These Vegan Sausage & Cranberry Bites are sweet & savory - the best vegan holiday appetizer that everyone will love!
Prepare yourself to have zero self control, because it is SOOOOO easy to eat the entire tray of these Vegan Sausage & Cranberry Bites! They have a crispy crust, sweet cream cheese, a dash of jalapeño, crispy vegan sausage and a dollop of cranberry sauce to bring some sweetness. They're so tasty and the perfect holiday appetizer!
How to make the dough
When I say "make" the dough, what I really mean is roll it out. We're not really "making" anything. Instead, grab a can of crescent rolls - there are multiple brands that are vegan-friendly, just be sure to check the label before purchasing.
Lay the dough out on a cutting board and pinch together the perforations to seal them up. Cut the dough into 12 squares and place them in an un-greased muffin pan.
Let's make the filling
The filling is a combo of vegan sausage, vegan cream cheese and cranberry sauce. Start off by browning the vegan sausage in a little bit of oil. Shocker, I went with my favorite vegan sausage - Beyond Sausage Spicy Italian! You can swap it for your favorite though!
In a bowl, combine the vegan cream cheese, garlic salt, pepper and jalapeño. The jalapeño is totally optional, but it adds a little crunch and a little spice! Give everything a stir and set aside.
Now, it's time to fill up your muffin cups. Add a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture, the vegan sausage and some pre-made cranberry sauce to each piece of dough. That's it! You're ready to bake! Pop them in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the dough is browned and crispy.
How to serve Vegan Sausage & Cranberry Bites
Pop them out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Place them on a platter, and for some extra fanciness, drizzle with some agave (or maple syrup). That extra hit of sweetness on top is so freaking tasty!
You can serve these warm or at room temperature. You can also make them ahead of time, freeze them, and reheat in the oven (or air fryer) right before serving.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Vegan Sausage & Cranberry Bites
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grab a muffin pan.
- Open the crescent roll package and lay the dough out on a cutting board. Press the perforations to seal them and create 1 large rectangle. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the rectangle into 12 squares. Place 1 square into the bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside.
- Heat some oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan sausage and break apart into bite-sized pieces. Cook until browned - approx. 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Combine the cream cheese, jalapeño, garlic salt & pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- To each dough-lined cup, add a spoonful of cream cheese, sausage and cranberry sauce - you may have some cream cheese leftover. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the dough is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Plate the muffin cups and drizzle with agave. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!
If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!
Shari
These were super easy, quick, and delicious! They look like they took much more work than they actually do. The colors are beautiful for the holidays. Definitely making this again on Christmas!
Charla
I just made these for a Thanksgiving appetizer. They were a hit with my non-vegan family! They have all the flavors I was imagining. So yummy! Thank you for the recipe!!
Rene
So glad it was a hit!
Julie
I finally made these little gems to see if I want to add them to Thanksgiving — absolutely amazing! It’s super easy to make the cranberry sauce (water and sugar dissolved on the stove, add the cranberries and some almond extract, and simmer until thick). I used “Beyond Sausage“ and crumbled and browned it just the way the video shows, and vegan cream cheese. The trick is to not get greedy and over stuff them. And now Pillsbury actually makes their crescent roll dough in a “sheet“ so look for that! Thank you so very much – these are fabulous!
Rene
Ohhhhh...love that it comes in a sheet. So much easier! Glad you liked them!
Betsy
These are my favorite holiday appetizer to make and eat!!!!
Tara
Made these last week and they came out awesome! I ran out of cream cheese so used hummus for some and that also worked so well! 🙂
Amy F H
I used Impossible brand spicy sausage and they turned out great! I was a bit too skimpy with my cranberry sauce so next time (yes, there will be a next time) I'll make sure to add more. Good warm and good cold from the fridge as a mini grab-and-go meal
AJ
Would you be able to share which brand of vegan cream cheese you used? I know they have different consistencies and ingredients so I wanted to make sure I get the best one.
Gail
I'm making these for the office potluck.
Kari M. Henneke
Another great recipe to add to my book from TSV. These cranberry sausage bites were the favorite of the night!
Rene
Awesome! So glad it was a hit Kari!
Jessica
These look amazing! What cranberry did you use?
Rene
I got mine at Trader Joe's, but any pre-made cranberry sauce will work!