Baked Brie with Jam is an easy, festive appetizer for entertaining through the year. No one can resist gooey, melted brie cheese topped with sweet fig jam, chopped pecans, and fresh herbs.
Round out your appetizer menu with my French Onion Dip from Scratch and shrimp cocktail with homemade Cocktail Sauce. Check out my entrie collection of easy appetizer recipes for more ideas.
Although I think this Baked Brie with Jam has the holidays written all over it, this is a recipe I turn to all through the year. It’s just so easy to make and everyone absolutely goes nuts for it. From summer BBQ’s to a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve appetizer table – it just works!
But with just 5 minutes (at most!) of hands on prep time, you just can’t beat a round of creamy baked brie for entertaining during the busy holiday season.
You can easily adjust this baked brie recipe to suit the time of year – think peach preserves in summer and fig jam in the fall and winter months. Change it up, make it yours – and it will be delicious for any occasion.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Brie: Double-cream brie has a rich, creamy texture that melts beautifully when baked. Rounds of brie can range in size from 8 ounces all the way up to well over a pound (hello, Costco!). Any size will work with this recipe so just choose a wheel of brie that will fit well in the baking dish you’d like to use (more on that later). The 8 ounce wheels are readily available at most major grocery stores in the gourmet cheese/deli section. The brie I purchased at Costco for a summer party came in at a whopping 1.32 pounds and there was not an ounce of it left.
- Jam: I most frequently use a jar of Dalamatia Fig Spread from my local Safeway’s deli section. Fig goes naturally with the creamy, buttery flavor of brie. Fig jam is slightly sweeter than fig spread and both work well. Sweet and tangy jams like fig, raspberry or apricot work wonderfully to balance the richness of the brie. Even canned cranberry sauce works! Experiment with flavors to match your preferences or the season.
- Nuts: I like to add some chopped pecans for a little texture. Walnuts or pistachios are also a great choice. Or, you can leave them out altogether, if you’d like.
- Fresh herbs: A little fresh rosemary or fresh thyme.
- For serving: I serve my baked brie with crostini and apple slices. For the crostini, all you need is a baguette and a little olive oil. Other items that go well with brie include sliced baguette, crackers, dried fruit, salami, proscuitto, or basically anything you’d include on a charcuterie platter.
How to Make Baked Brie with Jam
Score the rind: Use the tip of a sharp knife to make very shallow cuts about a ½ to 1-inch apart across the surface of the brie, scoring the top of the rind but not cutting into the cheese beneath. Turn the brie and repeat to create a crosshatch pattern. Place the brie in a baking dish. brie baker, or mini cast iron skillet.
- Spoon a nice layer of the spread, jam, or preserves of choice over the top of brie, spreading it out over the top. Sprinkle the nuts and minced herbs over the brie.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s soft enough to easily press the tip of a knife through the rind into the gooey, melted cheese underneath. The time will vary depending on the size of your round of brie.
Best Baking Dish for Brie
A small cast iron skillet, like the one used here, is a great choice. Cast iron heats very evenly which helps the brie soften and melt well. However, any other small, oven-safe baking dish should work just fine. Just be sure there is enough space around the brie for a little expansion as it melts.
If you entertain frequently, it might be worth it to invest in a brie baker. This is an excellent gift idea (with this recipe attached) for family and friends who love to entertain!
If you don’t have a small baking dish that will work, you can also bake brie on a baking sheet. Fold a piece of parchment paper that is large enough to fit under your brie with a 3 inch border. Then, place the brie (on top of the parchment square) on a baking sheet lined with more parchment paper. After baking, you can use the edges of the parchment square to lift the brie and place it in a serving dish.
Tips for the Best Baked Brie
Size: When serving Baked Brie with Jam, plan for 1 to 1.5 ounces of brie per person. This amount assumes the brie is part of a larger spread with other appetizers. If the baked brie is the star appetizer, you might want to plan for closer to 2 ounces per person to ensure everyone gets enough.
Take the Chill Off: Remove the brie from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. This isn’t required but will help it bake more evenly which is more important with larger wheels of brie.
Baking Time: The total baking time will vary depending on the size of your brie round. An 8 ounce round of brie baked for 15 to 20 minutes will hold it’s shape while the interior will be soft and melted when you break into it. If it bakes a little longer, you’ll see the rind begin to open up a bit and the cheese will begin to spill out to the edges of your baking dish. If this is what you’re after, you can add a few cuts around the edges of the rind of the brie before baking to help the process. How melted and gooey you want it is a matter of preference.
Serve with a Variety of Dippers: Baguette slices, crackers, and fresh fruits like apple slices or grapes give guests plenty of options for enjoying baked brie.
Storage and Reheating Tips
To store leftover Baked Brie with Jam, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, place it in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through and gooey. I don’t recommend reheating brie in the microwave because it will likely reheat unevenly and may become oily.
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Baked Brie with Jam
Ingredients
- 1 wheel double creme French brie, 8 ounces or more
- 9 ounce jar fruit spread or jam, fig or other flavor
- 1 tablespoon chopped pecans, or more as desired
- ½ to 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
Optional For Serving
- Sliced baguette or crostini and apple slices, see notes below for more ideas
For the Optional Crostini
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 artisan baguette, sliced
Instructions
- Remove the brie from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking (this isn’t required but will help it bake more evenly – more important with larger wheels of brie).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use the tip of a sharp knife to make very shallow cuts about a ½ to 1-inch apart across the surface of the brie, scoring the top of the rind but not cutting into the cheese beneath. Turn the brie and repeat to create a crosshatch pattern . Place the brie in a baking dish. brie baker, or mini cast iron skillet.
- Spoon a nice layer of the jam, jelly, or preserves of choice over the top of brie, spreading it out over the top. Depending on the size of your brie, you may not need the entire amount. Sprinkle the nuts and minced rosemary over the brie.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s soft enough to easily press the tip of a knife through the rind into the gooey, melted cheese underneath. The time will vary depending on the size of your round of brie. You can bake it longer if you prefer a more melted, gooey result.
- Serve with sliced baguette, crostini, crackers and/or apple slices.
Optional Crostini
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the baguette on the diagonal in ¼-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each piece lightly with olive oil and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the crostini over. Return the baking sheet to the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisped to your liking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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