Discover the perfect baked brie recipe to delight your taste buds year-round, with simple tips and seasonal twists that make every bite unforgettable.
What is brie cheese
If you love a rich, soft and creamy cheese – brie will be your new obsession. Brie is a cow’s-milk cheese from France, known for its buttery, creamy interior and soft white (and edible) rind. Brie has a mild, rich, and earthy flavour. You can serve it at room temperature, sliced, or bake it to create a gooey dippable centre for your favourite crackers and breads.
How to prepare brie cheese
Brie is super versatile – you can serve it at room temperature, baked plain, or bake it wrapped in a dough of your choice until its warm and gooey.
If serving your brie at room temperature, you can cut the top of the rind of the wheel off exposing the centre for scooping. Or you can cut the wheel into wedges (again keeping the rind on) and spread it on crackers or a bread of your choice.
If you’re baking your brie, you can bake as-is, scoring the top to allow maximum gooey-ness or wrap it in pastry – either technique creates a gooey dippable centre sure to satisfy.
How to bake brie cheese
When baking Brie, you can bake it as-is (unwrapped) or encased in a pastry dough (wrapped).
Unwrapped: This method is quick, easy, and lets your toppings shine.
Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 375F
Prep your oven-safe dish: Line a small cast-iron skillet, oven-safe dish or baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare your cheese: Place the whole, unwrapped wheel in your dish and gently score the top rind with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern without cutting the sides or bottom.
Top your cheese: Spread jam, jelly, or honey over the scored top, then sprinkle with nuts or herbs.
Bake it: Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the cheese wheel feels soft in the center when gently pressed.
Rest and serve: Remove from your oven and let it rest for roughly 5 minutes, then serve directly in the baking dish or transfer to a serving platter with crostini, crackers or breads.
Wrapped: This method wraps the brie wheel in a flaky, golden crust that seals in the melted cheese.
Preheat your oven: Set the oven to 400°F
Prep your oven-safe dish: Line a small cast-iron skillet, oven-safe dish or baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prep your pastry: On a floured surface roll out puff pastry or phyllo dough wide enough to wrap the wheel of cheese. Spread jam, jelly or honey in the center of the dough.
Prep your cheese: Place the brie wheel on top of the jam, jelly or honey.
Wrap your cheese: Wrap the brie with the pastry by folding the corners over the cheese, working around in a circle to make a closed cheese package. You want to make sure the cheese is completely enclosed! Place it on your baking sheet of choice.
Finish your wheel: Brush the pastry with an egg wash (a mix of egg and a splash of water mixed together and brushed over the pastry, to give it a stunning shine).
Bake it: Bake for 25-30 minutesuntil the pastry is deep golden brown and crisp.
Rest and serve: Remove from your oven and let it rest for roughly 5 minutes, then serve directly in the baking dish or transfer to a serving platter with crostini, crackers or breads.
Should you remove the rind from the brie before baking?
Ideally no, leave the brie rind on – it’s entirely edible and plays an important role.
Acts as a container: It holds the gooey cheese together during baking.
Adds flavour and texture: It provides a subtle earthy taste that contrasts with the creamy insides.
Saves time: Removing the thin, sticky rind is time consuming and wastes a lot of cheese!
The exception: If you absolutely dislike rind, slice off only the top layer before baking so you can scoop out the melted cheese while the sides and bottom maintain the structure.
Bakd brie topping variations for every season
Baked brie is the perfect year-round treat and is a welcome addition to any seasonal table. It pairs beautifully with fresh summer berries and honey, or warm fall cranberries and pecans.
Topping your baked brie can be a fun mix and match experiment, I recommend choosing a sweet, a savory and a crunch option – cooks choice!
You’ll want to start with a chilled wheel of brie, ensure your oven is preheated, do not overbake and always remember to let it rest – even though you’ll want to dig into that melted Brie right away!
Start cold: Keep the brie in the fridge until baking so it does not melt too fast and leak.
Use parchment paper: Line your dish to easily transfer the melty cheese and make cleanup easy.
Use whole wheels of cheese: Always bake an uncut round as it the rind keeps the melted cheese contained.
Don’t over bake: Remove it when the sides bulge and the center indents; over baking will break the rind and change the cheeses texture.
Let it rest: Cool for 5 minutes before serving to allow the cheese set.
What to serve with baked brie
Breads: Crostini, French baguette slices, or crusty artisanal breads
Crackers: Sturdy options like water crackers, Raincoast Crisps, or pepper and olive oil Triscuits
Fruits: Fresh apple slices, pears, and grapes, or dried figs and apricots
Nuts: Toasted pecans, candied walnuts, or almonds
What temperature should baked brie be served at
Your baked brie should be warm enough to be dippable, and cool enough to safely enjoy. Fresh out of the oven the brie will be liquid and very dippable. As it cools the cheese will set and be better suited for spreading or cutting.
FAQs
Where can I buy brie cheese?
Practically anywhere! You will find brie cheese at your local grocery store, typically in the specialty cheese or deli sections. If you can’t find brie, a camembert will work the same.
Do you bake brie covered or uncovered?
Always bake uncovered so the heat circulates and melts the center evenly.
Which jam goes best with brie?
The beauty of brie’s mild flavour is that you can pair it with anything you like! A sweet fig jam, any variety of berry jam, even a jalapeno jelly would be delicious.
Can the brie be served plain, as is, with no toppings?
Of course – it’s a beautifully creamy and mild cheese that stands up on its own. Whether its baked or at room temperature, it can be the star.
Can you make baked brie ahead of time?
Yes and no. You can assemble your cheese wheel with your toppings of choice, and or pastry – cover it, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours. Then bake it just before you are ready to serve it – the bake time might just be a bit longer. If you are wrapping it in pastry, wait to add the egg wash until right before it goes into the oven to avoid soggy dough.
How to store and reheat leftovers
Store: I recommend serving the baked brie on the day it’s made. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat: To reheat leftover baked brie, place the leftover brie on a piece of parchment paper in a baking dish in a preheated 325F oven (or air fryer) until warmed through again. Alternatively, microwave on medium-low until the desired temperature is reached. You can also serve cole by cutting a wedge of brie adding it to a sandwich!
How To Bake Brie Cheese: A Recipe Guide For Every Season
1/2cupjam, jelly or honey of choice(like fig, apricot, cherry or other seasonal jam)
1/4cupchopped nuts(like pecans, walnuts or almonds)
Fresh herbs for garnish like fresh thyme leaves or fresh minced rosemary
Instructions
Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 375F
Prep your oven-safe dish: Line a small cast-iron skillet, oven-safe dish or baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare your cheese: Place the whole, unwrapped wheel in your dish and gently score the top rind with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern without cutting the sides or bottom.
Top your cheese: Spread jam, jelly, or honey over the scored top, then sprinkle with nuts of choice.
Bake it: Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the cheese wheel feels soft in the center when gently pressed.
Rest and serve: Remove from your oven and let it rest for roughly 5 minutes, then garnish with herbs and serve directly in the baking dish or transfer to a serving platter with crostini, crackers or breads.
Notes
Some great flavor combinations you can follow:
Apricot jam with chopped pecans and fresh thyme leaves
Fig jam with chopped pecans or walnuts and fresh rosemary
Honey or hot honey with chopped walnuts and fresh rosemary
Apple jelly with chopped pecans and fresh thyme leaves
Cherry jam with chopped walnuts and fresh thyme leaves
