Baked Brie is how you transform a good value brie into a spectacular brie. It’s like the best cheese dip you will ever have!! The world’s easiest appetiser, just bake for 15 minutes in the oven OR microwave for 2 minutes (no one can tell the difference…)
Forget expensive cheese platters. THIS is how you wow your friends using a budget brie!
Baked Brie
Baked Brie is, quite simply, the best melted cheese in the world. When you cut through the rind and the inside comes pouring out like lava, you’ll forget all your troubles. It’s like cheese-aholic heaven!
But cheese addiction aside, here’s the practical reason why Baked Brie needs to be on your radar:
It’s the world’s easiest appetiser / party starter!
Just pop a brie in the oven for 15 minutes, or microwave it for 2 minutes. Plonk on a platter, add a mound of crispy crackers and watch the hands dive in to do THIS:
And keep pulling up and up….. LOOK AT THIS CHEESE PULL!!!
How to make Baked Brie
I wasn’t exaggerating when I said you just plonk a brie in the oven. But here’s a practical visual for how to make it.
- What to bake it in – use a round, shallow oven proof dish that’s a bit larger than the brie for baking and serving if you have one. It needs to be shallow, otherwise it’s hard to dip/scoop without touching the hot dish; OR
- Place the brie on crumpled paper – this is what I do.This serves 2 purposes:
- safest way to transfer – Baked Brie is wobbly and delicate, and it would be a tragedy if that Baked Brie burst open mid transfer……
- the crumpled paper helps stop the brie from oozing out all over the table. Melted brie just needs a little bit of coaxing to stop it from running everywhere!
Baked Brie Practical Tips!
- Best Brie – I recommend using an economical brie for this. This recipe works just as well with budget brie as it does top end. If I splurge on expensive brie, I serve it as is because I think it’s a waste to alter it!
- How long it stays gooey – in a ceramic dish, it will stay scoopable for a good 15 minutes or so. On paper, around 10 minutes, then for another 10 minutes or so you can smear it on with a knife.
- How to reheat – seconds in the microwave! A whole brie takes 2 minutes in the microwave, so use that as a baseline for leftover brie.
- Leftovers – AMAZING! The honey / maple syrup will be mixed through when the cheese hardens and it just makes it all the more delicious. Who cares if you have to scrape up the dregs and pop into a small ramekin? OR pile it onto toast and grill! *She swoons at the thought*
Baked Brie is how you get gourmet flavour using a good value brie!
What goes with Baked Brie
Baked Brie is best served with sturdy crackers for scooping up the molten cheese – avoid chips and those wafer thin crackers for serving with cheese as they aren’t strong enough.
And while brie is rich enough and the cheese itself is flavoured enough so that even a plain Baked Brie is amazing, a simple (generous!) drizzle of honey or maple syrup certainly wouldn’t go astray. Sweet honey and the rich, savoury brie goes brilliantly and adds another dimension that takes it from OMG this is sooooo goooood!
Add a a simple bunch of grapes to the serving platter (fruit + cheese is classic, plus just looks good!), and your impressive easy appetiser is complete and ready to wow your family and friends!
“When you cut through the rind, the inside comes pouring out like lava. It’s like the best cheese fondue you will ever have.”
What did that take? All of 2 minutes effort on your part. Unwrap the brie, bake or microwave it. Open packet of crispy toasted bread (or make your own), plonk a bunch of grapes on the side. And voila! Your party starter is ready to impress your family and friends.
Make this once, then come join me at Cheese-aholics Anonymous! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 250 - 500g / 8 - 16 oz round brie (good value is fine! Note 1)
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 1 thyme sprig (optional)
For Serving:
- Crostini or other sturdy crackers
- 1 bunch purple grapes (or green, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Unwrap brie and place in a small, shallow ovenproof dish slightly larger than the brie OR a piece of crumbled baking / parchment paper. (Note 2)
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until melted through. To check, gently touch the centre of the brie - it should feel very soft, like it is about to collapse if you press any harder.
- Carefully transfer to serving plate / board - it's delicate (transfer on paper if you used paper).
- Drizzle with honey, top with sprig of thyme (if using).
- Serve immediately with crostini on the side for scooping. Provide a knife to cut through the rind and a cheese or pate knife (or similar) to scoop cheese up onto crostini.
Recipe Notes:
- very shallow bowl or curved plate - the shape of which will hold the cheese in (ovenproof if baking, microwave proof if microwaving ie most normal dinner plates fine); OR
- bake on crumbled paper per recipe directions - the paper makes it easy to transfer the Brie to a serving platter (Baked Brie is delicate and wobbly like jelly, and if it bursts you will cry). Plus by crumpling it, it actually (mostly) stops the cheese from oozing out onto the table (but really, you won't be short of willing participants to dash forward and scoop up brie that's oozing dangerously close to the edge of the serving platter!)
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2014, updated with new photos and recipe video in October 2019.
Life of Dozer
When the treat jar is so close…yet so far… (and so empty…?)
My microwave must have been too powerful because my brie kind of exploded after 30 sec. Any suggestions on what level to have the microwave? I used a 1200W
Oh no Kate!! Try a lower setting and cover it – N x
Oh my goodness Nagi, your site is positively addictive!
Thank you for the compliment Maureen! N xx
I saw this today and immediately bought some Brie that was on special at the supermarket. I had a round baking dish and used the microwave to melt it. It was incredibly fast and convenient and I drizzled some honey over it and some chopped toasted pecans. Five stars!
I like the way you operate Joanna… 😂 N xx
Grrr, note to self! Check pre-emptive text. Discovered! 😯😯
Mind you, I can’t do cartwheels very well!!!! And my gut was wobbling all over the place! 😂
Looks really yummy! But Nagi, who won the competition? I have just dicovered you can do cartwheels 😁😁 I can’t even do a respectable hand stand! 😡
So much knowledge in just one (tiny) person!!
Love your recipes!!
I might be small in height, but my GIRTH more than makes up for it! 😂
Hi, Nagi. I live in Zimbabwe & I’ve been following your blog for over a year now, I love your approach to food, and I have used many of your recipes. With regard to the baked Brie, how about trying it with a good dollop of sweet chilli jam [I make my own]. That is a sublime mix of flavours!
Ooh YES to that!! We actually have some big cheese brands who sell cheese ready packed with sweet chilli (would never be as good as your homemade one though!!) N xx
Nagi your recipes are amazing and thank you again and again and again for your generosity of spirit for sharing so much!
You’re so welcome Deb, I really love sharing my favourite recipes so I’m really happy to hear you are enjoying them! N xx
Oh yes ! Have to admit I have usually bought my usual Brie and thus indeed perchance wasted my scarce dollars : shall try your way and with honey and exactly which leftovers are you talking about ? 🙂 ! Selfishly luvverly on a piece of bread when no one is looking !!
I HEAR you Eha! What leftovers?? 🤷🏻♀️
I slice the top off the Brie and pile on chutney/relish such as tomato and olives, or caramelised onion, before heating. Even more yum…
YUUUUUUMMM!!!
leftovers??
😂
A really lovely and satisfying “go-to” cheese idea that I use all year. Good with thin slices of apple & pear as dippers. Brie is also yummy in quiche.
Oh WOW how have I not thought of brie in quiche???
Oh wow this looks delish. I’ve only really had brie plain so I really should try this. Does it have to be the whole wheel of brie? Because it’s just me that’ll be eating it I don’t think I could finish a whole block (nor would I want to tbh no matter how nice). Can I microwave just a quarter perhaps?
I reckon it’d be fine, the rind would hold all of the melted cheese together. So if you cut a wedge and microwaved that little bit then the cheese will ooze out as it isn’t held together by a whole rind. Just do it in a little bowl ! Shouldn’t make any difference! Good luck! 👍🏻
A slice is fine Lucy, just make sure to squish it into a small dish! N x
Yum! I’ve been making Baked Brie for about 40 years. The first recipe I found said to score an x in the top of the Brie and to spread a bit of butter on top and then cover it in slivered almonds then bake. I skip the butter now. Delicious with some hot pepper jelly on warmed to crusty French or sourdough bread stick. There are many online recipes for Baked Brie! Yummy! From another cheese-aholic!
OMG – YES!!!
I love baked Brie, but what do you do with the leftovers? Especially when you’ve added toppings that are sweet?
I just reheat it. Soooo good.