Baked brie has got to be the most crowd pleasing, easiest appetizer there is. Everyone loves it, it seems fancier than it actually is, and it’s super easy and quick to prepare. Plus there are so many variations you can make!
I remember the first time I ever had baked brie. It was the most magical thing ever, no joke. It was at a Christmas party years and years ago and I had no idea my life was about to change. The host brought out a baked brie out with a huge pile of crackers and all of a sudden I was that one person that was next to the cheese all night. Some people are extroverts, some people are introverts, I’m a cheese-o-vert. Melty brie is my idea of a good party.
What is baked brie?
Baked brie is the best melted cheese ever. Period. It’s brie, that’s baked. That simple, yet compelling and seductive. Cutting through the mild and tender rind to have the brie melt out like lava is addictive. With baked brie, everything is right with the world.
Why you should make baked brie
It’s the easiest appetizer ever. All you do is pop brie into a warm oven (or even the microwave!), put it on a platter, add some crackers and it’s cheese pull heaven. Add some extra flavors and you too can change someone’s world.
How to make baked brie
Bake it in a round, shallow oven proof dish. That’s it!
If you don’t have a dish, place it on parchment paper and then use the parchment to transfer it to a serving plate later on.
What kind of brie for baked brie
There are so many kinds of brie out there with different price points. I tend to grab 8 ounce rounds of brie that’s locally made or something that’s affordable.
Do you take the rind off baked brie?
Nope! The rind of brie is perfectly edible and it helps the brie keep its shape and insulates the insides from drying out. You don’t need to take the rind off when you bake it, just cut straight into it when it comes out of the oven melty and hot. If you don’t prefer to eat the rind, simply remove the top layer before or after baking and dip into the brie like fondue.
What to bake brie in?
Use an oven proof baking dish, skillet, or small rimmed shallow bowl that is just a bit larger than your brie. You can use a gratin dish, a mini cast iron skillet, or even just crumpled up parchment paper that you can then move to a plate after baking.
How long will baked brie stay melted?
If you bake it in a skillet or dish, the dish will help keep the brie scoopable and gooey for about 15 minutes. You can reheat it gently in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time to make it gooey again.
How do you serve baked brie?
I put the dish that it’s been baked on on a platter or a larger dish with crackers or crunchy things around it, kind of like how you would style a charcuterie board. Add a knife so people can optionally use it to scoop up some melty cheese, but most people will just take their crackers, toasts, or whatever and just dip and scoop.
Baked brie ideas
If you’re looking for your own take on baked brie, here are some tips! Add something:
- nutty – a little bit of crunch and nuttiness is never wrong. I like using toasted or candied nuts as opposed to raw ones. Try toasted walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts or even seeds like roasted sesame or sunflower seeds
- sweet – honey, maple syrup, jams, compotes, and fresh fruits highlight the buttery richness of brie.
- savory – most of the time people do sweet things with baked brie but things like crispy bacon, crispy pancetta, roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, or even chili oil are AMAZING.
- herby – fresh herbs are pretty and aromatic, try thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, basil, oregano
Mix and match between the categories, I think 2-3 toppings is ideal. You can top your brie before or after baking, but for herbs, I put them on right before serving.
What to serve with baked brie
- sourdough crackers: amazing with baked brie!
- fruit: grapes, sliced pears, sliced apples, sliced peaches, or berries are delicious!
- nuts: toasted almonds, walnuts, pecans, candied nuts taste amazing with brie.
- kettle chips: this is my absolute favorite mix of high-low. You haven’t lived until you’ve dipped a folded over kettle chip into melty brie!
If you love brie, here are some other brie recipes to try!
- Cran-brie grilled cheese: cranberry and brie
- Four cheese pizza with mozza, parm, brie, and ricotta
- Roast beef and brie puffs
- The best charcuterie board featuring brie
Happy baking!
xoxo steph
Classic Baked Brie
Classics exist for a reason, amirite? This is essentially how you bake brie and warm it to a melty point. Accent the creamy, buttery flavor with a drizzle of honey and some fresh thyme or add your favorite jam or accents for your own take.
Baked Brie
serves 6
15 minutes
6-8 ounce round brie
honey
thyme sprigs
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap the brie (leave the rind on) and place in a small, round shallow oven proof dish.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. To see if it’s melty, gently poke the center of the brie, it should feel melty and wobbly under the rind.
- Remove from the oven and place the dish on a larger serving plate.
- Drizzle with a generous amount of honey and top with fresh thyme.
- Serve with crackers and a knife/spoon to help with scooping.
Jammy Pecan Baked Brie
Holiday vibes all around with this gorgeous baked brie. The red and white is super festive and sweet-tart cranberries and pecans are amazing together with melty brie.
Jammy Pecan Baked Brie
serves 6
5 minutes
15 minutes
6-8 ounce round brie
1/4 cup raspberry jam or jam of choice
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup pecans
1 tbsp brown sugar
rosemary, to finish
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap the brie (leave the rind on) and place in a small, round shallow oven proof dish.
- Top the brie with the cranberry jam.
- Toss the pecans with a bit of oil and brown sugar then place on top of the cranberry jam.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. To see if it’s melty, gently poke the center of the brie, it should feel melty and wobbly under the rind.
- Remove from the oven and place the dish on a larger serving plate.
- Serve fresh rosemary and crackers and a knife/spoon to help with scooping.
Pistachio and Pear Baked Brie
Crunchy, nutty pistachios with warm, melty brie, a crisp pear, and a cracker are so delicious together. I love how the pistachios look against the brie and green Anjou pears echo the green of the pistachios. A little drizzle of honey and flaky sea salt makes this the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
Pistachio and Pear Baked Brie
serves 6
5 minutes
15 minutes
6-8 ounce round brie
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
honey, to drizzle
flaky sea salt
1 pear, thinly sliced
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap the brie (leave the rind on) and place in a small, round shallow oven proof dish.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. To see if it’s melty, gently poke the center of the brie, it should feel melty and wobbly under the rind.
- Remove from the oven and place the dish on a larger serving plate.
- Top with chopped pistachios, drizzle with honey, and finish with flaky sea salt.
- Serve thinly sliced pears, crackers and a knife/spoon to help with scooping.
Apricot and Almond Baked Brie
Apricot jam is velvety, tangy and sweet – and I absolutely love it with brie. When it warms in the oven, it almost turns into a glaze and helps caramelize the almonds a bit. The softness of the brie with the crunch of the almonds is divine.
Apricot and Almond Baked Brie
serves 6
5 minutes
15 minutes
6-8 ounce round brie
1/4 cup apricot jam
2 tbsp chopped almonds
fresh thyme
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap the brie (leave the rind on) and place in a small, round shallow oven proof dish.
- Top the brie with the jam and sliced almonds.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. To see if it’s melty, gently poke the center of the brie, it should feel melty and wobbly under the rind.
- Remove from the oven and place the dish on a larger serving plate.
- Serve fresh thyme, crackers and a knife/spoon to help with scooping.
Mini Baked Brie Bites
Make these when you want to pull out all the stops! Baked brie en croute, the fancy French way of saying brie baked in pastry, is probably going to be one of the best bites you ever put in your mouth. Flaky, buttery puff pastry wrapped around gooey warm brie, and a tiny bit of sweetness from honey or jam. HEAVEN.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 6 mini brie
- 3 tbsp jam jam of choice, or honey
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Gently roll out the puff pastry to a 12x12 square, then cut into 9 equal squares. Place a teaspoon of jam or honey onto each square, then top each square with a mini brie bite.
- Wrap the dough around the brie bite, pressing to secure. Flip the bites over so the smooth side is on top.
- Lightly beat the egg with 1 tbsp water then brush the tops of the pastry with the egg. Score the tops with a sharp knife.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
thank you for all of these, love baked brie, the mini baked brie bites are really nice but so are the pear-pistacchio and jammy flavored bries