Brie en croute is a classic French dish of warm, melted baked brie cheese encased in puff pastry, and it takes just 10 minutes to prep. In my version, we top the cheese with jam or preserves, chopped nuts, then wrap it in buttery puff pastry and bake until golden brown and flaky. This makes for a delicious and elegant appetizer that’s perfect for any occasion. I find it especially festive at holiday and cocktail parties.
Brie en croute is often served with crudité or crackers. In our house, it’s perfectly acceptable to eat it by the handful (puff pastry is the perfect vessel for scooping and grabbing bits of brie cheese!).
From birthdays and date nights, to the more celebratory Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, brie in puff pastry is everyone’s favorite holiday appetizer!
Check out all of our easy appetizer recipes, including Baked Brie Phyllo Cups and these Mini Grilled Cheese with Brie and Caramelized Onions!
Ingredients For Brie En Croute
- Brie cheese: You’ll want to use a whole wheel of French triple cream brie, which has a high fat content and melts easily.
- Puff pastry: Our preferred brands are Dufour and Athens, but Pepperidge Farm is probably the most widely available in the States.
- Fig spread: We love the combination of sweet fig jam with brie! Apricot preserves or raspberry preserves would be delicious, as well.
- Egg wash: Whisk the egg in a small bowl with a couple teaspoons of heavy cream or water, then brush all over the puff pastry before baking. This helps the brie en croute to develop a deep golden brown color!
- Flaky sea salt and truffle honey, for serving!
Other equipment: serrated knife, a paring knife, a rimmed baking sheet, a piece of parchment paper, and a pastry brush.
For serving, we recommend baguette or crusty bread, apple slices, cracker, or other fruit.
How To Make Brie En Croute
Before you begin, just make sure the puff pastry sheets are defrosted and thawed so you can easily unroll them.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface (or just on top of a piece of plastic wrap for easier cleanup!).
- Prep the brie. Use a serrated knife to slice off the top rind, then spoon on ½ a cup of fig jam (or other preserves). Top with chopped toasted pecans. Place the pastry on top, then carefully flip over and secure. Place seam-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Just before baking, brush the top entirely with egg wash. Use a paring knife to score the top of the dough with an X, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then bake for 25-35 minutes at 400F, or until the pastry has turned golden brown all oven.
- Let the baked brie rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. If you like, drizzle some honey on top. Enjoy warm!
FAQs
Some recipes call for removing the top rind from the Brie. This is completely optional (it’s edible and delicious), but removing it can result in meltier Brie after baking. It also makes a delicious snack while you’re waiting for the cheese to bake… and so we recommend that for this recipe.
Assembled Brie in puff pastry wrapped tightly in plastic wrap can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours before brushing on the egg wash and baking per instructions. We recommend letting the refrigerated brie sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Yes! The puff pastry will be crispest and flakiest on the first day, but the leftovers will keep up to 3 days after baking. To reheat, simply place the brie on a baking sheet then place in and oven preheated to 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is heated through.
Expert Tips
- Broil at the end for golden brown color. You definitely don’t need to do this, but you can get the puff pastry a little darker by broiling under high heat for 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
- Allow the Brie to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. You really don’t want to skip this step, as the cheese will ooze everywhere and still be too hot to eat. Don’t worry, it’ll still be melty and creamy after it cools a little!
- For a richer flavor, brush the pastry with a mixture of melted butter and honey before baking.
- To prevent the pastry from shrinking, prick the top with a fork a few times before baking.
Make Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- Make ahead: Assemble, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Do not brush on the egg wash until ready to bake. We recommend letting the chilled brie sit out at room temp for 30 minutes before baking per instructions.
- Leftovers: Leftover brie en croute can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Assemble the brie wrapped in puff pastry, then freeze until solid. Do not brush the dough with egg mixture until ready to cook. Note: you’ll likely need to add 5 minutes to the overall cook time.
- Reheating: To reheat, simply place the baked brie in a dish then warm in a preheated oven at 350F (175C) for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is heated through.
Scaling Up Or Down For Larger Or Smaller Groups
Making brie en croute is more about a method than precise measurements. You can use a larger wheel of brie or a smaller one if you’re making baked brie for two people (think: romantic date night in!). Simply use enough jam to create a ¼-½” layer on top of the brie.
If you’re using a smaller wheel of brie, it might make sense to cut the sheet of pastry in half or quarters, based on the size. It’s okay for the pastry to overlap, but if you have 3x as much pastry dough on top as you do on the bottom, it won’t cook evenly. And worse, you could be stuck cutting into raw puff pastry.
How To Serve Baked Brie
Crackers, fruit, and crudité are all you need. Consider serving with sliced or whole raw vegetables, such as cucumber slices, carrot sticks, bell peppers, or celery sticks. For fruit, we love apple slices best.
If you’re going with crackers, we swear by Ritz for an ultra buttery taste or Firehook crackers (garlic & thyme or rosemary sea salt!!).
Variations To Try
- While not technically brie en croute, if you do not have puff pastry, you can use another type of pastry, such as phyllo dough or pie crust. Different texture, but still delicious.
- Try a different type of nut! While you can omit the pecans, we love their added crunch. You could also use almonds, walnuts, or even pumpkin seeds.
- Use a different type of jam! Apricot jam or raspberry preserves are great options if you can’t find fig jam! Or if you have leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving, you could spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce. Sour cherry jam is great as well.
- For a sweeter flavor profile, try topping the brie with a few tablespoons of brown sugar and cinnamon, in addition to the pecans.
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party, a holiday gathering, or simply treating yourself, this dish is sure to be a hit
If you make this Baked Brie En Croute recipe — and we really, really hope you do because it is our favorite appetizer of all time! — please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Flaky Baked Brie En Croute (Brie in Puff Pastry)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 8oz sheet of puff pastry thawed
- 8 oz round of Brie
- ½ cup fig jam (our preferred brand is Dalmatia) or sour cherry jam
- ⅓ cup pecans toasted and finely chopped
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tsp heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
- Truffle honey optional for serving (or regular honey)
- For serving: sliced baguette, crackers, apple slices, or other fruit
Instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry. Preheat an oven to 400F. While it’s heating, roll out the sheet of puff pastry either on a lightly floured surface or on a piece of parchment paper until it’s about 11-inches x 11-inches.
- Prep the brie. Use a serrated knife to slice off the top rind. Cover the top of the cheese with ½ cup fig jam (or sour cherry jam), spreading into an even layer. Top with ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans.
- Wrap in puff pastry. Place the puff pastry directly over the top of the Brie, then carefully flip over and secure the excess pastry by pressing down and sealing. Place the Brie en croute sealed side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Brush with egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 2 tsp heavy cream. Use a paring knife to score the top of the dough with an X. Be careful not to cut all the way through the pastry.
- Bake the Brie in puff pastry. Sprinkle the top with about 1 tsp flaky sea salt, then bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through cook time, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
- Optional, broiling: You definitely don’t need to do this, but you can get the puff pastry a little darker by broiling under high heat for 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
- Rest, then serve. Allow the Brie to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. If you like, drizzle with truffle honey (or regular honey). Recommended for serving: baguette, crackers, apple slices, or other fruit!
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include baguette, crackers, or fruit.
- We recommend using a Triple Cream Brie, which has a higher fat content and melts beautifully.
- To scale up for larger parties: This recipe calls for an 8oz round of Brie, but can be easily scaled up for larger holiday parties with a full 16oz (1lb) Brie round.
- Make-ahead: Brie in puff pastry can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, but do not brush with egg wash until ready to bake. Allow the chilled assembled brie to sit out at room temp for 30 minutes before baking as instructed.
- To freeze: You can assemble ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. Brush with egg wash before cooking, and add an additional 5 minutes to the cook time.
- To remove the rind or not: Some recipes call for removing the top rind from the Brie. This is completely optional (it’s edible and delicious), but removing it can result in meltier Brie after baking. It also makes a delicious snack while you’re waiting for the cheese to bake… and so we recommend that for this recipe.
Let us know your thoughts!