Baked Brie with fig jam is a heavenly delight! If you haven't tried this easy appetizer yet, you should now!
You will love this baked brie recipe, especially if you are a fan of cheese dips with brie and meat charcuterie boards.
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Ingredients
Here is what you need. You will find US and metric measurement details further below in the recipe card.
- Brie — A small wheel of brie cheese. DO NOT remove the rind, it's what holds the creamy cheese inside together.
- Fig Jam — homemade sweet fig jam is better, but store-bought is also ok.
- Walnuts — Broken in pieces. I crush whole walnuts a bit to get various sizes. The walnuts are your topping.
Tip: You can also make variations by adjusting the choice of jams or by using pecans instead of walnuts. This also tastes great with pear jam, quince jelly, sweet apricot jam, raspberry jam with seeds or seedless or a drizzle of honey.
How to make it?
Preparing and baking the baked brie topped with fig jam will take you only about 12 minutes altogether!
Because of the ease involved in preparing baked brie as an appetizer, it turns into a perfect food dish where you get to spend more time with your guests.
Besides serving the baked brie as an appetizer, I like to serve it after the main course meal, just before the dessert, as an extra course.
Step 1
Place the mini brie on a piece of parchment paper.
Spread jam on top of the brie wheel and sprinkle nuts over that.
Step 2
Bake cheese for about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Place on a serving plate and arrange dippers around the cheese.
Serve up quickly!
Dipping options:
- Sliced baguette bread — Paul has a quick baguette bread recipe.
- Crackers
- Flavored breadsticks
- Pita or Taco Chips (I like the jalapeño flavored chips)
- Apple Slices — For guests who are into a low-carb and gluten-free diet
Moreover, I tend to keep fresh fruits around, which help in clearing the taste palate. So, I keep fresh grapes and figs at the side as well.
To drink, you get to pick a good wine.
I noticed that I enjoy dry red wine with my creamy brie, but feel free to use any other red, white, rose or sweet dessert wine (depending on the occasion).
Tips
The trick to baking brie so that it holds its shape is to keep it only for 10–12 minutes in the oven at 180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit.
Don't bake your brie less than 10 minutes because the cheese won't melt and ooze out when you take your first cut.
The whole point of a perfectly baked brie is that the cheese melts on the inside and that the cheese holds its round shape so that your presentation succeeds in front of your guests.
Your brie will lose its shape if you bake your cheese for too long or on a higher heat.
At the same time, keep in mind that every oven is a bit different, hence why I mention 10–12 minutes.
So, if you prepare this for the first time, keep an eye on your brie baking in the oven.
📖 Recipe
Easy Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Walnuts Recipe
Ingredients
For the Baked Brie
- 1 wheel Brie Cheese
- Fig Jam
- Walnuts
Serve with:
- Crackers
- Bread
- Pita Chips
- Apple Slices
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit/ 180 Celcius.
- Lay out a baking sheet on the baking tray. Place your whole brie cheese on the baking sheet.
- Spread the fig jam over the cheese on top (as shown in the video). Sprinkle some of the lightly crushed walnuts over the fig jam.
- Bake the brie with jam and walnuts for about 10 to 12 minutes in the oven.
- Take the cheese from the baking sheet and place into a serving tray/plate with the crackers, bread, and fruits.
- Cut into the cheese and the inner core will come flowing out.
Nutrition
Serving
I absolutely love to serve up brie to my guests as an apéritif, or after a main course meal.
Fig jam and walnut covered brie cheese, makes for a lovely holiday appetizer.
What you can do is get a few different dipping options for your baked brie with fig jam because most people like a choice, and it's fun to dip different pieces of bread, sticks, and crackers into the cheese.
I usually add fresh fruits, besides apple slices, for the presentation to pop, such as grapes, fresh figs, strawberries, cherries, cranberries, pears.
Fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme can be added for aesthetics.
Serve your creamy cheese app with a cheese or cold cuts, such as prosciutto or salami, board as a holiday appetizer.
Storing Leftovers
I end up with leftovers when I eat my baked brie at midnight.
Once you cut open the cheese wheel after the baking process, it will come oozing out. After a few minutes, it will harden.
When the brie is hard again, place your leftover baked brie into an airtight container in your refrigerator.
I like to use rectangular IKEA style glass containers, which can serve as a reheating baking dish as well. Those are good containers for freezing too (if you prefer to do that).
To reheat, place in your oven at a lower heat temperature and gradually heat for 3–5 minutes, or until you can see that it is bubbling.
This zero-waste method won't be a whole wheel of cheese, and it will flow all over, hence why I recommend reheating it in a rectangular baking dish.
What is Brie cheese?
Essentially, brie is a soft Cheese variety from the Brie region in France.
Brie resembles the stinky Camembert cheese in its creamy texture and shape, but not flavor.
Brie cheese is more subtle in flavor and Brie is not a stinky cheese, which makes it a perfect cheese to dip in your cracker or bread!
President makes excellent commercial Brie cheese. They are known for their Camembert cheese.
Otherwise, try to get local artisanal handmade brie from quality producers.
For example, I love to get a local brie which includes green pepper seeds.
Why is it without pastry?
I love baked brie with fig jam, but I'm a bit lazy, so I prepare it without pastry, which can be used to wrap around the brie wheel.
This is known as brie en croute.
Essentially, I always preferred the taste of baked brie without the puff pastry because I want to enjoy the moment when I cut into the almost “naked” baked brie cheese and the cheese starts to melt out.
It's so satisfying to watch it for a few seconds because then I just can't stop myself anymore, and I start to dig in!
At the same time, I tend to serve my baked brie with various crackers and bread and I think with the pastry shell around the baked cheese, it gets too much.
You know what I mean?
I just want to enjoy my cheese, not some baked pie like thing.
More Cheesy Appetizer Ideas
I’m making this for Christmas. I’m using another jam. Either strawberry cherry or pear caramel. Will that be good as well?
Yes, you can make this with another jam too! Strawberry cherry and pear caramel both sound like delicious choices.
I’m making this for Christmas appetizer. Can I use a strawberry or pear jam or cherry?
I answered your other comment. In short, yes. 🙂
I baked two bries using this recipe tonight, one with jalapeno jelly, one with fig preserves. Baked at same time for 15 minutes; they came out perfectly melted covered in the preserves, with perfectly toasted walnuts. I served with an assortment of crackers as well as apple wedges and celery sticks. They were a huge hit. Thanks for the recipe!
You are very welcome Chris! 🙂
Can you freeze leftover brie and reheat in the oven at a later date?
Yes, you can freeze leftover brie and heat it in the over later on.
What are your favorite brands of crackers that you use for dipping? I plan to make this today for a wine tasting appetizer with the fig jam I made from my own figs.
Hi Dennisse. Sorry for the late reply! I like to serve this with saltine, ritz or toasty crackers. I hope this helps. 🙂
Was a delicious Mother’s Day snack 😊 my mom was very impressed lol looks like I put in a lot of work but... 😉
That's wonderful! So happy to read that you and your mum enjoyed it together. 🙂
Can you eat Brie without heating it?
Yes, you can Lynn.
What’s the best way to reheat leftover baked Brie?
Hi Elisabeth,
You can place the leftovers into a small baking dish so that the melted cheese can be collected easily (without a mess). Just reheat it in the oven with the previously used baking settings until you can see that the cheese has melted. Use it as a cheese dip with your favorite dippers.
Do you leave the rind on the outside of the brie or cut it off?
I leave the rind on. If you remove the rind, the cheese will melt in the oven. The rind prevents the cheese from melting before you cut in.
Ya but do you eat the rind?! Loved this recipe btw, made it and it was amazing, ate so much I almost was too full lol! But didn’t eat the rind, wasn’t sure if you were supposed to eat it or not!?
we eat the rind 🙂 all good
its, not it's, for possessives
Thanks for pointing out the writing error, I fixed it.