Once baked Brie with apples emerges from the oven, it’ll turn into everyone’s favorite appetizer. This dish is made with a split wheel of Brie that’s stuffed and topped with a stewed mixture of spiced apple, tart cranberries and crunchy pecans. Everything is baked together until the Brie is oozing from its rind and a cracker scooped inside hits gooey, cheesy gold. Try this Brie for your next holiday gathering, book club meeting or dinner party.
What is Brie?
Brie is a type of soft cow’s milk cheese. It has a buttery, rich and almost fruity-tasting paste that’s surrounded by a bloomy, grayish-white rind made of edible mold. The cheese’s name comes from the place where it originated, the French region of Brie.
Ingredients for Baked Brie with Apples
- Apple: The best apples to use for baking are Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady.
- Cranberries: We cherish the pops of cranberry tartness in this recipe. The brightness freshens up an otherwise rich and spice-filled dish.
- Pecans: You can use regular pecans or candied pecans here. If you’re not a fan of pecans, walnuts (especially candied walnuts!) are a great sub.
- Brown sugar: This sticky sweetener adds a bit of caramelized flavor to the apple mixture.
- Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon imparts its iconic fall flavor to make this baked Brie with apples feel warm and cozy.
- Nutmeg: You can use pre-ground nutmeg for this recipe, but we’ve found that grating nutmeg adds such a bolder, more pronounced nutmeg flavor.
- Brie: This cheese can range in price quite a bit, so buy a wheel of Brie that’s in your budget. There’s no need to get super fancy here as we’re dressing it up with apples, spices, cranberries, sugar and pecans.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the apple mixture
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple, cranberries, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and give everything a good stir. Cook and stir the mixture until the apples are tender, five to seven minutes.
Step 2: Cut the Brie
Cut the Brie in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in a 9-inch pie plate.
Step 3: Assemble the Brie with apples
Spoon half of the apple mixture on the Brie’s bottom half. Replace the Brie’s top, and spoon on the remaining apple mixture.
Step 4: Bake the Brie
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese begins to melt, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve it warm with crackers.
Recipe Variations
- Bake in puff pastry: Also known as Brie en croûte, baked Brie in puff pastry is quite possibly one of the best holiday appetizers. Assemble the Brie according to the recipe’s instructions. Thaw frozen puff pastry sheets and wrap them around the Brie, pinching the seams closed. Brush the outside with egg wash and bake the Brie in a 400° oven until the puff pastry is golden brown.
- Drizzle on a sweetener: A bit of honey drizzled onto the baked Brie sweetens everything up subtly, while bringing out the Brie and apple’s natural sweetness. We also love the glossy finish a tiny bit of honey can create!
- Finish with herbs: Once the baked Brie with apples is out of the oven, sprinkle on fresh herbs to add some brightness. Thyme, rosemary or sage would all work well here.
How to Store Baked Brie with Apples
Have a little bit left over? Let the baked Brie with apples cool to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container. It can last in the fridge for up to three days.
To reheat, bake the Brie in an oven safe dish at 350° until the cheese is melted and the accoutrements are heated through.
Can I make baked Brie with apples ahead of time?
Yes, you can make baked Brie with apples ahead of time. Cook the apple mixture according to the recipe’s instructions, then allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature. From here, you can either store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge, or assemble it into the Brie cheese per the recipe. If you choose to assemble the Brie cheese fully, store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
Bake the Brie with apples using this recipe’s baking instructions. You may need to bake it for a few extra minutes to make up for the overnight chilling time.
Baked Brie Tips
Can I eat Brie cheese’s rind?
Yes, you can eat the rind on Brie cheese. It might look papery, but it’s actually soft and musky tasting, complementing the sweet and creamy center. If you really dislike Brie’s rind, you can cut it off before starting this recipe. (Just know that the crust helps to contain the cheese, so removing the crust will give you a more liquid presentation.)
How should I serve baked Brie?
Serve it with assorted crackers, toasted bread slices or pretzels crisps. This baked Brie would make a stunning centerpiece on a charcuterie board next to caramelized nuts, prosciutto, grapes, jams and crackers.
