Easy Baked Brie Recipe 3 Flavorful Ways

When are three baked brie recipes better than one? Always! Take your pick or try all three of these easy baked brie recipe ideas for your next party appetizer, and everyone will be saying cheese.

It’s a proven fact that everyone at the party loves a cheese board. It’s the centerpiece of nibbles and bites and small talk to break the party ice. But when you add a little heat to make a bubbly, oozey cheese dip, the party vibe definitely ratchets up a notch.

These three baked brie recipe appetizers start with the basic baking method for baked brie but show off their individual flair for flavor with 3 different topping combinations.

Bake one, or choose all three, and introduce your guests to the easiest way to cheese board.

How to Make Baked Brie

There’s something inherently satisfying when you take that first dip into a molten round of brie cheese. For me, I like to keep things easy so I skip the method of wrapping my brie with puff pastry and add different topping combinations instead. Doing so makes it that much easier to get straight to the good stuff: the brie!

Before we get to the toppings, let’s clear up a few questions about how to make baked brie:

Do you take the rind off brie before baking? No, I keep the rind on, but I do take a sharp knife and run it around the edge of the top of the  brie, removing the tops. Again, I want to make it easy to dip into the cheese.

Do you eat the rind of brie? I am never averse to eating the rind. Some would never try it. The rind is an edible mold that is patted down over and over again as it blooms. It gives brie it’s unique taste and in this recipe acts as a natural bowl as the cheese melts. Eat the rind, or not. The choice is up to you.

Which brie is best for baking? I use 8 ounce rounds of soft-ripened French style brie, usually a double or triple cream. If you choose a larger round, adjust the size of your baking vessel accordingly. You could also use a Camembert or for a touch of blue cheese flavor try a creamy gorgonzola.

What do you bake brie in? Use an oven-proof baking dish or skillet that is just a bit larger than your brie, so that when you cut into the round, the cheese doesn’t ooze and escape all over.

Flavor Combination Toppings for Baked Brie

Baked brie all on its own is a decadent enough appetizer to love. But when you add one, two or even three more ingredients as a topping, that’s when you set your brie apart from the crowd.

There’s a rule of thumb I use when it comes to adding toppings to salads, toasts, and these baked brie:

1. Add something jammy
2. Add a nut for crunch
3. Add a sweet fruit or something super savory
4. Add an aromatic herb for freshness

#1. Baked Brie with Cranberries, Pecans, Fig Jam and Thyme

Brie with sweet dried cranberries, fig jam, and nuts are a classic Christmas and holiday flavor combination with a smattering of fresh thyme leaves to liven things up.

Serve with fruit and nuts or seeded crackers, kettle chips, bagel thins or crackers.

Salty and sweet, this cranberry, pecan, fig jam and thyme flavor combo is a hands-down winner every single time.

• Dried cranberries, dried cherries, or give currants a try
• Candied pecans, toasted pecans, or toasted walnuts add the crunch
• Lush fig jam, or use a spiced pepper jelly as a classic too
• Fresh thyme leaves for the perfect herbal touch

Baked Brie with Cranberries, Pecans, Fig Jam and Thyme

Sweet fig jam and cranberries tops this bubbly baked brie appetizer with candied pecans and thyme.

CourseAppetizer

CuisineFrench

Keywordbaked brie

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Servings8

Calories64kcal

Equipment

• oven safe baking or gratin dish

Ingredients

• 18-ounce round French-style brie
• 1/3cup fig jam
• 1/3cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/4cup candied or toasted pecans , roughly chopped
• 2sprigs fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp knife to cut along the top inside edge of the round of brie, then remove the top rind. If the top is shaggy or uneven, don’t worry, it will smooth as it bakes. Place the brie in a 6-8 ounce gratin baking dish or cast-iron pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
2. Top the brie with fig jam, cranberries and the toasted pecans and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Serve hot with fruit and nut crackers, baguette or kettle chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg