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This baked brie and preserves is a delicious appetizer for entertaining! A creamy wheel of brie topped with sweet fruit preserves and crunchy nuts bakes quickly, creating a gorgeously gooey centerpiece that looks impressive but requires almost zero effort. Perfect for unexpected guests or holiday parties.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This is pure crowd-pleasing magic — the combination of warm, melty brie with sweet preserves and crunchy nuts hits every flavor and texture note your guests crave. That first moment when someone cuts into the wheel and watches the cheese ooze out? Total party-stopping moment.
- This recipe is so adaptable for multiple occasions, you could use fig jam and pistachios one night, apricot preserves and pecans for the next, cranberry sauce and walnuts for the festive season. The formula works with whatever fruit preserves and nuts you have on hand, so you’ll never get bored. Plus, it looks different every time depending on your toppings, which keeps things exciting.
- The brie firms up as it cools, but those first few minutes when the cheese is at peak meltiness are absolutely heavenly. I do not lie, this is the appetizer that disappears before anything else at the party.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- If you start with room-temperature cheese, it can turn into a puddle instead of that perfect gooey-but-still-intact wheel we’re after. Pop it in the oven cold and let the heat work its magic gradually.
- Baking for 12 to 15 minutes creates a soft, runny center, while 10 minutes gives you softened but less melty brie. Start checking at the 10-minute mark and look for the cheese just starting to ooze at the edges. Overbaking causes the cheese to firm back up quickly, which defeats the whole purpose of warm, gooey brie.
- Baked brie is wobbly and delicate after cooking, and trying to move it with a spatula is asking for disaster. Place the brie on a square of parchment paper before baking, then use the paper to lift and transfer the whole thing to your serving platter.
- Score the top rind before baking for easier serving. Making shallow crosshatch cuts through just the rind helps the preserves seep into the cheese and makes it easier for guests to avoid large chunks of rind. While the rind is totally edible, many people prefer to leave it behind, and scoring makes that simple.
Recipe Variations
Change up the Nuts: Swap pistachios for chopped pecans, walnuts for sliced almonds, or try toasted hazelnuts for something a little different. You can even use candied nuts if you want extra sweetness.
Add Bacon: Crumble 2 to 3 strips of cooked bacon over the preserves before adding the nuts. The salty, smoky flavor is ridiculously good with sweet jam and rich brie.
Go Savory Instead: Skip the sweet preserves entirely and top the brie with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, or sautรฉed mushrooms. Finish with fresh thyme and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Make it Spicy: Use pepper jelly instead of fruit preserves, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to your preserves before spreading them on the brie.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the brie with toppings up to 2 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated, then bake it just before serving. Don’t bake it ahead — baked brie really needs to be served warm and fresh from the oven for the best texture.
Honey or maple syrup alone works beautifully! Just drizzle about 3 to 4 tablespoons over the brie before adding nuts. You can also use fresh fruit — try sliced figs, halved grapes, or chopped dried apricots.
The rind is completely safe to eat and has a mild, earthy flavor. Some people love it, others prefer to leave it on their plate. Scoring the top makes it easy for guests to eat around it if they want!
A wheel gives you a better presentation and more surface area for toppings, but a wedge will work in a pinch. Just know that it might ooze more since it doesn’t have the full rind structure to hold it together.
Pop it in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or warm it in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes. Your preserves or honey will be mixed through the cheese when it hardens, making the leftovers even more delicious!
More Tasty Holiday Appetizer Recipes
- โโโโ2-Ingredient Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly Dip
- Brie en Croute
- Perfect Keto Charcuterie Board
- 3-Ingredient Sausage Dip (Stovetop or Crockpot)
- Fully-Loaded Bagel Bar
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (No Marshmallow Fluff!)
- 3-Ingredient Boursin Dip
- Best Ever Cranberry Brie Bites
- Whole30 Grazing Board (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
- Warm Truffle Baked Burrata with Crostini
- Cranberry Brie Dip
- Smoked Cream Cheese
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Baked Brie and Preserves
Equipment
- small baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
For the Baked Brie
- 1 wheel of Brie cheese 8 ounces or about 225 grams, cold from refrigerator
- โ cup good-quality fruit preserves or jam such as fig, mixed berry, or apricot
- ยผ cup chopped nuts such as pistachios, pecans, or walnuts
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional
- 1 small sprig fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme or a few fresh berries for garnish, optional
For Serving
- Sliced baguette, crostini, crackers, apple slices, or pear slices
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350โ. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, making sure the paper extends beyond the brie on all sides.
- Remove 1 wheel of brie (8 ounces) from its packaging and place it on the parchment paper. Keep the brie cold from the refrigerator.
- If desired, use a sharp knife to make shallow crosshatch cuts across the top rind, spacing cuts about ยฝ inch apart and cutting through just the rind layer.
- Spoon โ cup (approximately 5 tablespoons) of fruit preserves onto the top of the brie, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle ยผ cup of chopped nuts evenly over the preserves layer.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and just starting to ooze at the edges. The wheel should still hold its shape.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
- If using, drizzle 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup over the top. Add fresh herb sprig or berries for garnish if desired.
- Use the parchment paper to transfer the brie to a serving platter. Surround with sliced baguette, crackers, and fresh fruit slices. And serve immediately while warm.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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