Baked Brie With Fig Jam: Easy Holiday Appetizer
Perfect for the busy holiday season, Baked Brie with Jam is an elegant appetizer recipe that combines the creamy texture of brie, the sweet flavor of jam, and the crunch of toasty walnuts. This recipe calls for a few simple ingredients, all of which can be found at the local grocery store, making this an easy appetizer your guests will absolutely love!
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What I love most about this recipe is how incredibly simple and versatile it is to create. Every ingredient can be prepped or gathered ahead of time, and you can really customize the ingredients to fit your family’s tastes and budget.
The assembly takes no time at all but the presentation is quite impressive, and the combination of sweet jam and creamy cheese is always a crowd pleaser.
It’s no wonder why baked brie is so popular around the holidays!
This recipe pairs well with other appetizers like ham and cheese crescent rolls, and bold chex party mix.
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Ingredients
With only a handful of ingredients, you can create one of the easiest appetizers guaranteed to impress your guests this holiday season. The best part? It takes no time at all to prepare.
- Brie cheese – Either brie or a Camembert works well for this recipe. Each is a soft cheese with an edible rind, but Brie is super creamy and mild, while Camembert is more earthy.
- Fig jam – I typically use a fig jam recipe with walnuts, but any fruity delicious spread will work. Brie pairs well with any sweet and slightly tart jam.
- Walnuts – I love my baked brie and jam topped with a little bit of crunchy walnuts, for added texture. Use toasted whole walnuts or candied walnuts for the best flavor.
- Maple syrup – Adding a little drizzle of pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup) at the end complements the sweetness of the jam and pairs beautifully with the walnuts. Honey works really well too.
- Fresh rosemary – This is optional, but adding a sprig of rosemary to the skillet once the brie comes out of the oven adds a fresh, and earthy flavor and aroma to the final dish.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and move the oven rack to the middle height position.
Add the wheel of brie cheese to the skillet.
Top with the fig jam or fruit spread of your choice.
Bake the brie at 375F degrees for 15-20 minutes until the jam is warmed and bubbling at the edges and the outside of the cheese wheel looks more rounded.
Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle on the toasted walnuts, and drizzle the top with maple syrup or honey.
Transfer the baking dish to a heat proof serving platter and serve.
Hint: Add fresh herbs like rosemary or fresh thyme to the skillet for extra flavor and garnish.
Substitutions
Feel free to adapt this recipe to ingredients you can find locally or that suit the dietary needs of your family and guests.
- Soft Cheese: If you can’t find brie, Camembert cheese works well, or Fromage D’affinois.
- Shape of cheese: A wedge of brie can be substituted for a wheel if you’re looking for a smaller portion, or if a cheese wheel is hard to come by.
- Walnuts: If you or a guest is allergic to tree nuts, feel free to swap the nuts with roasted and salted seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower) or omit the nuts entirely.
Variations
This easy baked brie recipe is a classic appetizer with unlimited versatility. Have fun and play around with different ingredients to suit your tastes.
- Swap the fig jam – instead of fig jam, you can try sweet apricot jam, tart cranberry sauce, raspberry jam, apple butter, chutney, or spicy pepper jelly. Select your favorite jam, and have fun with it!
- Go nuts – change out the toasted walnuts for crunchy almonds or pecans.
- Garnishes – I love garnishing baked brie with fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
If you want to make your own jam, there are a bunch of homemade options to choose from on the blog, like a fruity mixed berry jam, a tart cranberry sauce, and even a spicy pineapple pepper jelly! If you want to buy prepared jams, I highly suggest any of the flavors from Stonewall Kitchen.
Serving Suggestions
For easy serving, have the host slice a small wedge out of the brie rind and let the melted cheese start oozing out. Serve with water crackers, toasted baguette slices, garlic crostini, and slices of fresh fruit.
Brie can be served at room temperature or warm so that your guests can see the melty cheese and fig jam mingling. Baked brie with jam is perfect for a cheese board, holiday charcuterie boards, or just as a cheesy party appetizer at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Equipment
- Small cast iron skillet (6.5 inch) or a small baking dish. Make sure the interior space of the dish is at least 4.5 inches wide. Au gratin dishes are a really nice size for baked brie, or you can use a small pie plate.
- Serving tray – Pick a serving tray that can tolerate heat, like wood or stoneware. Make sure to place a small towel or hot pad under the hot baking dish when presenting it on a serving tray.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover brie in the original baking dish wrapped in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store the cheese in the fridge and consume within a week
To reheat your brie, bake at 375F degrees for 15 minutes until the center of the cheese melts.
Top tip
If you want to make the appetizer easier to eat, you can slice the top of the rind off the cheese. It will cause melted brie to flood the baking dish, so that is something to consider when it comes to presentation.
I like to leave the cheese rind intact and then slice away a piece of rind at serving time. It’s very inviting for your guests to see the warm, gooey, cheese slowly seeping out and ready for dipping!
FAQ
I do not. The rind is edible and it makes the presentation neater. However, slicing the top of the brie off before baking does make it easier to eat. See my top tip section for more details.
I love using a fig jam. It’s thick, sticky, and robust. I find it pairs really well with creamy brie cheese or soft camembert. For other jam options, see the variations section.
I bake the brie topped with jam uncovered. I add the walnuts after baking to prevent burning.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Baked Brie and Jam:
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Easy Baked Brie With Jam
Perfect for the holiday season, Baked Brie with Jam is an elegant appetizer recipe that combines creamy brie, sweet fig jam, and crunchy walnuts. This recipe is deliciously easy and guaranteed to impress your guests!
Ingredients
- 1 wheel (8 ounces) of brie cheese
- 4 tablespoons fig jam
- Whole walnuts, toasted or candied
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and move the oven rack to the middle position.
- Spray a 6-inch cast iron skillet or small baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the wheel of brie cheese to the skillet and top with the fig jam.
- Bake the brie uncovered at 375F degrees for 15-20 minutes until the jam is warmed and bubbling at the edges and the outside of the cheese looks more rounded.
- Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle on the walnuts to taste, and drizzle the top with the maple syrup or honey.
- Add a sprig of rosemary to the hot baking dish to release the aroma.
- Transfer the baking dish to a heat proof serving platter and serve with crackers, crostini, and sliced fruit.
Notes
*Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 242mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 8g
