Oven Baked Brie with Figs and Honey

Name: Oven Baked Brie with Figs and Honey
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 16-ounce Wheel of Brie (or 8-ounce*); fresh figs; toasted almonds; raspberries (optional); 2 tablespoons honey

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This oven baked Brie with figs and honey looks super fancy, but it's surprisingly easy to make! The melted Brie turns into the most amazing cheese dip. Once you cut into it, the melted cheese will pour out like lava. The warm figs drizzled with sweet honey make this appetizer elegant and beautiful, and toasted almonds add a pleasant crunch. I also tossed on some raspberries for bursts of tart berry.

A baked Brie topped with figs and honey oozing melted cheese.

This quick and easy appetizer dish is fabulous for holiday entertaining. Especially since it looks much more impressive and elaborate than it truly is to make. And it is a guaranteed party pleaser; who can resist gooey, melted cheese? I love to serve it with a board covered with crackers, crostini, and fresh fruit. You can even enjoy it after dinner with a beautiful bottle of wine in lieu of dessert.

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What is Brie?
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
What to serve with it
Equipment
Storage
Tips for Success
FAQ
📖 Recipe

What is Brie?

Brie is a soft and creamy, pale white, cow's milk cheese named after Brie, the region of France in which it originated (the modern day Seine-et-Mairne). The flavour is mild, creamy, and buttery, with hints of nuts, fruits, and earth. Its pleasantly mild flavour makes it incredibly versatile to pair with other flavours.

Brie makes one of the absolute best kinds of melted cheese. Melting the Brie is going to make it gooey and delicious, and we are adding in some other wonderful flavours. Because of this, you don't have to go for the most expensive Brie out there. A moderately priced one will work just fine for a baked Brie dish.

What size should you use?

Generally, an 8-ounce wheel of baked Brie will serve 6-8 people. A 16-ounce wheel of baked Brie will serve 12-16 people. I will give you baking instructions for both sizes.

Should you remove the rind before baking Brie?

No, you should keep the rind on while baking Brie. The cheese will become gooey and melted inside the rind while it bakes. Then you can remove part of the rind to access the melted cheese. The rind is also edible, so you can eat it if you like to. Plus I use it in this recipe to set the delicious figs on top of.

A cracker dripping in melted, gooey cheese from the baked Brie.

Ingredients

Brie - Use a wheel of Brie, not a cut wedge. The cheese will heat to a molten, gooey texture inside of the rind, plus there is room on top to put your toppings for the best presentation. A moderately priced wheel is just fine. Once melted and mixed with the toppings it will be absolutely delicious.
Fresh figs - You can use any kind of figs in this dish, but some nice, ripe Mission figs (also known as California figs) are the best ones to use with baked brie. They have purple skins and the sweetest, most flavourful flesh. Figs are like bananas in that they continue to ripen on the countertop and become very perishable once ripe. If you have fresh figs be sure to use them very soon.
Toasted almonds - These add a great crunch to this gooey cheese appetizer.
Honey - Use a good quality honey for a beautifully sweet drizzle on your baked Brie with figs.
Raspberries (optional) - These are completely optional, but I liked the pop of tart berry flavour they added.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Brie - You could use Camembert instead, another cheese from northern France. Just keep in mind that Camembert has a more intense, earthier flavour than brie.
Figs - If you can't get your hands on some fresh figs, you could use fig jam instead.
Honey - You can use truffle honey, or you can mix a drizzle of truffle oil into your honey. If you love truffles this is a great option.

Variations

There are so many toppings you can choose from to adorn your baked Brie, both sweet and savoy. Customize it to your taste to make your ultimate baked Brie appetizer.

Jams and compotes: Fig, orange, apricot, or berry jams, cherry reserves, and red pepper jelly are popular. This fresh blueberry compote is absolutely delicious for this purpose with a tiny drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Maple syrup
Cranberry sauce
Caramel sauce: Pairs well with apples
Fresh fruit or berries: Chopped apples, peaches, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate seeds.
Dried fruit: Raisins, cherries, apricots, or dates.
Nuts: Shelled pistachios, toasted pine nuts, roasted hazelnuts, toasted pecans, toasted walnuts, or toasted almonds.
Granola
Caramelized onion
Sautéed mushrooms
Sun-dried tomatoes
Sea salt
Fresh herbs: Sprigs of rosemary or thyme for aromatics.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C.

An unbaked wheel of Brie in a baking dish.

You should bake the Brie in the dish you plan to serve it in. Set the wheel of Brie into the centre of the baking dish, and place it in the preheated oven. Bake a 16-ounce wheel for 20-25 minutes. Bake an 8-ounce wheel for 15-20 minutes.

Prepared toppings arranged on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, cut your figs into quarters and have all other toppings ready to go as well.

At 20 minutes (for 16-ounce) or 15 minutes (for 8-ounce), check to see if it has finished baking. Be careful not to over-bake it or the centre will harden.

How to tell if baked Brie is done: Gently touch the centre of the Brie to test for doneness. The cheese should feel very soft, like the inside is liquid and the rind could collapse if you press any more. You could also test by inserting a toothpick into the centre. It should come out covered in melted cheese.

Place the baking dish on a heat-safe surface. Once it comes out of the oven, arrange the toppings on the brie as quickly as possible because it will only stay melted for a little while.

A honey wand drizzling honey over a fig-topped baked Brie.

Generously drizzle with honey.

Cut into the Brie as if to remove a slice. Pull out that piece of rind, and the delicious, melted cheese will spill out from the inside like molten lava. Your dreamy, baked brie with figs and honey is now ready to be served! Be careful of the very hot cheese when you first break into it.

How long will it stay melted for?

The melted Brie will stay gooey for about 15 minutes if you serve it in its warm baking dish, and knife-spreadable for another 10 minutes. It will stay gooey for 10 minutes on parchment paper and knife-spreadable for another 10 minutes. (See equipment section below).

What to serve with it

Crackers - Choose crackers that aren't too flimsy or they will break in the cheese rather than scoop it up.
Crostini
Toasted bread
Sliced baguette
Fresh fruit - Grapes, sliced apple, or pear. The natural acidity in the fresh fruit will help balance the richness of the cheese.

A baked brie topped with figs and honey.

Equipment

You should bake the Brie in the dish you plan to serve it in. Choose a bake-safe, ceramic dish that is shallow. This is important so that no one will burn their hands reaching into it. It will stay gooey for 15 minutes in the baking dish and knife-spreadable for another 10 minutes.

Optionally, you can line the baking dish with parchment paper and transfer to the serving platter of your choice. However, the cheese will cool faster and you risk causing a premature cheese explosion in the process, so I don't recommend it. It will stay gooey for 10 minutes on paper and knife-spreadable for another 10 minutes.

ceramic baking dish (9.5" round)

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Storage

The Brie will harden as it cools, with honey swirled throughout. Remove any remaining fresh fruit and transfer the cooled cheese to an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

What to do with the leftovers? Enjoy eating the flavour-infused, solidified cheese as is, pile it on top of a slice of bread and grill until it melts, or transfer it to an oven-safe ramekin for remelting.

To reheat Brie, put it in an oven-safe dish in an oven preheated to 350°F/180°C until melted again. Alternatively, you can microwave it for a minute or so, depending on how much you have leftover. Remember that you can only reheat Brie once; any more times and it will gain a rubbery texture.

Tips for Success

Use a wheel of Brie, not a wedge. A wedge will not work for this recipe.
Be careful to not over bake Brie or it will harden in the centre.
Keep a few wheels of Brie in the refrigerator over the holiday season for easy entertaining. Simply pop in the oven and add the toppings for an impressive appetizer or dessert for guests.

FAQ

Is baked Brie safe during pregnancy?

Yes, if you choose a pasteurized Brie and heat it until fully melted inside it is safe to eat while pregnant.

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