Baked Brie: A Semi-Homemade Darling for Feeling Wholly Fancy

Over the years we’ve offered a few suggestions for holiday entertaining nibbles. We’ve talked about cheese boards and charcuterie boards (there is a difference), along with other easy to make holiday snacks. This year, we’re all about baked brie.

Baked brie is comfort food at its greatest. You can prep it up to two days ahead of time, and then bake it right before your guests arrive. Baked brie doesn’t even really require a recipe! Preparation takes just a few simple steps and some additions you probably already have in your pantry or freezer.

Baked Brie: Which Cheese to Choose?

You do not need to buy an expensive wheel of brie when making baked brie. An economical double or triple cream brie will do nicely. Look for a wheel about an inch thick so it bakes evenly. Brie pairs well with both sweet and savory toppings.

Camembert is brie’s earthier cousin. It's a delicious option when your toppings are on the savory side. As usual, Serious Eats offers some great tips on which cheese you’ll want to use.

Baked Brie: Rind or No Rind

Although the rind of a wheel of brie is completely edible, not everyone finds it appetizing. You can absolutely remove the rind before baking. Use a baking dish that is only slightly larger than the wheel of brie, like the Emile Henry Cheese Baker. The dish will keep your brie wheel from becoming a brie puddle.

Some wheels of brie are sold in wood containers, which are oven safe as long as they are stapled, not glued. Place the container on a baking sheet to prevent contents from dripping onto your oven coil or floor.

If you do leave the rind on, score the brie before baking. Cut a cross hatch pattern across the top rind to expose the cheese to the heat and let steam escape. Your brie will also bake more evenly.

Baked Brie: Covered or Uncovered

Baked brie on its own is delicious. Baked brie wrapped in another food is divine. Traditional brie en croute is brie wrapped in puff pastry and baked. We encourage you to experiment with other wrappings like phyllo dough, pie dough, or this decadent prosciutto-puff pastry combo from Half-Baked Harvest.

Baked Brie: Top It Off

As promised, baked brie toppings can be as simple as a single ingredient already in your pantry. For example,  Ina Garten’s Baked Brie uses only a generous drizzle of honey.

Shop your pantry and fridge for inspiration. Jam is always a winner. Berries, nuts, and fresh herbs are delicious. Anything you would serve as a side on a cheese board will probably play nicely with your baked brie.

Because baked brie is served with crackers, toast, crudité, or apple slices, we recommend keeping your additions small and scoopable. For example, spread olive tapenade across the top of your brie instead of adding whole olives.

Still looking for inspiration? Think seasonally about your toppings. In the early days of spring, use tender stalks of asparagus and cubed ham. Combine slices of summer’s gorgeous strawberries with a chiffonade of basil and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. We love Samin Nosrat’s Super Simple Cranberry-Orange Sauce with pecans on our autumn table. For chilly winter days, consider caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and crumbled crispy bacon.

Baked Brie: Baking Tips

While it’s hard to imagine, you can overbake brie. Ideally, baked brie will turn out ooey, gooey, and melty. But if you bake it for too long, it will resolidify into a chewy chunk. Most recipes recommend baking unwrapped brie at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to adjust your timing depending on the size of your wheel of brie.

When baking wrapped brie, we recommend following the directions for baking the wrapping. For example, puff pastry usually bakes at 400°F for approximately 20 minutes or until it’s golden brown.

As the brie sits out, it will cool down and lose its soft texture. If this happens before your guests have devoured your wheel of brie, you can pop it back into the oven for a few minutes. Serve baked brie in the same stoneware or cast iron piece you baked it in to help it stay warmer longer.

Hopefully we’ve inspired you to give baked brie a try this holiday season. We’d love to know what delicious combinations you come up with!