The sweet and savory baked brie-in-puff pastry is perfect for your next party! This simple recipe delivered savory, melted, gooey cheese baked in a delicate, flaky crust and topped with sweet and tangy cranberry sauce, nuts, and herbs —dig in with fresh crackers, crostini, or fruit.
Treat your guests to an appetizer that looks as amazing as it tastes! Easy baked Brie wrapped in puff pastry is a fun way to make your holiday gathering memorable. The golden-brown crust will give way to a decadent melted cheese center. I like adding cranberry sauce and freshly chopped herbs for flavor and holiday spirit. Your guests will be delighted by the delicious aromas that waft through the air!
Preparing this delicious wheel of melted cheese is easy! Start by placing the wheel of cheese on a pastry sheet, topping it with your favorite ingredients, and wrapping it up. Brush it with butter and bake it until it’s gooey and golden. This dish can be assembled in advance, so you can quickly heat it when ready to serve. Enjoy it with crunchy crackers, crusty bread, or fresh fruit for an irresistible appetizer that won’t last long!
Selecting Your Brie Cheese
Brie cheese has a mild, buttery flavor and a luxurious, creamy texture that melts into a gooey consistency when heated. This French cheese is made from cow’s milk and comes with an edible, white rind treated with Penicillium Candidum for a bloomy finish. Enjoy it melted on crackers for an easy and delicious snack.
For the best results, I recommend using an 8-ounce wheel of Brie for this recipe. If you need to use a different size of Brie, you can find them in mini 0.9 ounces round to 16 ounces. Remember that you may need to adjust the topping amounts and baking time accordingly.
The Main Difference Between Double and Triple Cream Brie
The difference is in fat content and texture. Double cream brie is the typical method; the cheese must have between 60% and 75% milkfat. At over 75% milk fat, Triple cream adds more to the cheese for an even richer and softer texture.
You can melt or spread cheese at room temperature if you’re making this dish. It won’t make much difference in texture, so it’s all up to you!
Preparing Your Pastry
If you’re looking for a more accessible option for making homemade pastry, consider picking up some pre-made frozen puff pastry sheets. You can find these puff pastry dough sheets in the freezer section in most grocery stores. Pepperidge Farm is among the most popular brands. They usually offer gluten-free or all-butter puff pastry sheets. To use them in your recipe, you must leave them at room temperature for around 40 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
After the pastry sheets are cool to the touch but still malleable, you can start rolling. First, sprinkle a bit of flour onto a clean surface and begin rolling your pastry into an 11-inch square. An average 8-ounce wheel of Brie will be about four ½-inches in diameter and about an inch thick, so this amount of dough should be enough to cover the sides, bottom, and top. Try for a 12-inch square if you have a giant brie wheel to ensure the cheese is covered completely.
Adding Yummy Toppings
Put the brie wheel in the middle of your puff pastry. Wrapping and baking are easy, but I like adding a fruity jam, herbs, and something crunchy. If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought cranberry sauce. Or, try something different like fig jam, strawberry jam, raspberry jam, pepper jelly, apple butter, or orange marmalade.
Brie cheese has a delicious buttery richness perfectly balanced by a hint of sweetness and acidity. Try baking with rosemary, brown sugar, and thyme for added fragrance and flavor. Chopped walnuts can add a delightful crunch when dipping, but you can substitute pecan pieces or pistachios. If you want to take it up a notch, try drizzling a bit of honey or maple syrup over the nuts before baking for a caramelized flavor.
Wrapping Up Your Brie
Learning the French technique of en croûte was a great experience! It’s very similar to beef wellington and involves wrapping cheese in pastry.
To achieve a beautiful pleated design, bring up the corners of the pastry sheet and overlap them in the middle. Having the corners face up allows more room for the dough layers to separate during baking, giving you a light and flaky texture.
Applying the Egg Wash
For finishing touches, it’s vital to use an egg wash when folding your pastry. Start by mixing one egg with a tablespoon of water; this will thin the wash’s consistency. Aside from giving your pastry a beautiful golden hue and glossy finish, the wash also helps your pastry stay together, keeping the hot cheese inside.
Scoring the Surface
Slice your puff pastry with a sharp paring knife to create shallow grooves (scores) on top. This ensures the steam can escape and keeps your layers from becoming overly tall in the oven. It’s a quick and simple step that will help your pastry come out perfect!
Easy Baking Tips
Put your puff pastry in the oven and crank up the heat to 400ºF (204ºC). This high temperature will activate steam production and help create the characteristic layered texture.
After about 30 minutes, your puffed pastry should be a beautiful golden brown and feel delightfully crisp and dry. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before digging in, and you’ll be rewarded with a melty cheese center that’s like a gooey lava cake!
Don’t torture your taste buds any longer; dig in! And be sure to leave your ice cream out for a short time! It’ll stay scoopable for around 45 minutes, thanks to its pastry ‘jacket’ that helps keep it warm.
Serve Brie Pastry With
Crackers or slices of crostini
Candied pecans or walnuts
Dried cranberries
Fruit such as sliced apples, pears, strawberries, dried cherries, or figs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Remove the Rind from the Brie Before or After Baking?
It’s not necessary to remove the rind. It’s mild in taste and edible! Plus, the rind will help your cheese stay inside the pastry as it’s baking, preventing leakage. And if you want, you can permanently remove the top layer of the rind so it can melt together nicely and be cheesy with your other toppings.
What Foods Go with Baked Brie?
Welcome to the world of delicious snacking! Here you’ll find an incredible array of fresh fruit – pears, blueberries, strawberries, apple slices, and figs – and jams like apricot, cranberry, strawberry, and fig. Explore bread such as crackers, crostini, or crisps for a savory treat. And remember dried fruit and nuts – from cranberries and apricots to walnuts, almonds, and chopped pecans. Get ready to indulge your taste buds!
Should the Brie Cheese Be At Room Temperature Before I Bake It?
Enjoy your wrapped Brie at its best by taking it out of the fridge just before serving. The high-fat content will ensure it becomes deliciously melted and spreadable when warmed up. For the best results, enjoy your brie cold or just slightly warmed.
What’s the Main Difference Between Brie and Camembert?
Camembert and Brie are soft-ripened cheeses with creamy textures perfect for cracker dipping. The difference lies in their taste and aroma: Camembert is earthy and fermented with a mushroom-like flavor, while Brie is milder, offering a buttery, nutty, and fruity taste. Brie is denser than Camembert, containing 65% milk fat compared to Camembert’s 45%.
How Can I Keep Baked Brie Warm?
After baking your Brie Puff, it should keep warm for 30 to 40 minutes. After that, it will cool down to room temperature. To keep your dish warm longer, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. To rewarm, heat in a 300-degree oven until the cheese is soft enough to scoop.
Preparing Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is crafted with hundreds of layers of fat between the dough. When baked, steam from the ingredients separates the layers. To get a light and flaky texture, keep the dough cold so pockets of fat remain intact instead of melting into the next layer. When rolling, use gentle pressure – pressing too hard will cause the layers to fuse and become dense.
Easy Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
This melty, gooey, cheese-baked flaky puff pastry is topped with sweet cranberry sauce, nuts, and herbs. It's the perfect dippable appetizer.
Preheat Oven - Position your oven rack in the middle and preheat to 400ºF (190ºC). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Defrost Pastry Sheet - Take the pastry out of its packaging and defrost it on a sheet tray for 40 minutes. Once it's relaxed but pliable, use it immediately or cover it and store it in the fridge.
Prep the Egg Wash - Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl in a small bowl and set it aside.
Roll the Pastry Sheet - Lay your defrosted puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. If it is sticky, sprinkle a bit of flour over it. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into an 11-inch square. Take care not to press too hard, as it could cause the puff pastry layers to stick together.
Add in the Filling - Position the Brie at the heart of the puff pastry. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly. Sprinkle rosemary and thyme, followed by chopped walnuts. Add a touch of honey. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Wrapping Up the Brie - Bring one corner of the pastry to the Brie, brush with egg wash, and wrap it in a pleated design. Firmly press down the sides to remove air, and brush the pastry to make it stick. Secure the edges and top.
Creating the Scores - Brush the top and sides with egg wash and make shallow scores on the surface. Vents should be ½" apart and 1" long to allow steam to escape and prevent the surface from getting too puffy.
Baking - Bake your Brie for 30-35 minutes on a paper-lined sheet pan for a golden brown and crisp surface.
Cool - Allow the Brie to cool for 5-10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Serve warm with crostini, crackers, fruit, or baguettes for a delicious snack.
Notes
Making Ahead: Encase your cheese in puff pastry, then brush the top and sides with egg wash. Store in a plastic wrap and a resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Before baking, please give it a final brush of egg wash and score.Servings Per Person: 1/2 oz of cheese.Reheating: Put cheese on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Reheat it in a 300°F oven until the center melts.Selecting Cheese: You can substitute Brie for Camembert to achieve a more robust flavor.Bigger Cheese Wheels: For cheeses between 12-16oz, roll the pastry to a 12-inch square and double the topping. Spread enough to cover the surface, then bake until golden brown, around 30-40 minutes.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
