Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

Baked brie in puff pastry takes “rich and luxurious” to a whole new level. Add a few friends and some good tunes playing in the background, and you’ve got yourself a bonafide party situation. When I make this appetizer as part of a big holiday gathering or for a cocktail party with lots of other nibbles, I often like to bake it in a pie plate instead of on a baking sheet. You can serve it directly from the pie plate (which frees up the baking sheet for another use), and the pie plate neatly contains the cheesy goo. It makes for easier scooping without as much need for utensils, too.

The only real advice I’d give you when making this easy appetizer is to let it cool for a good five or 10 minutes before serving it. This gives the melted cheese just a little time to firm up — it will still be gooey and scoop-able, but no longer molten lava oozing across your plate.

Here is everything you need to know about making the easiest baked brie for your next party.

• It’s a low-effort, high-payoff appetizer. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep, this crowd-pleasing appetizer is a classic for a reason.
• It’s so easy to customize. The variations for toppings are endless! Use your favorite jam or preserves for the filling, or top the baked brie with flavorful extras like caramelized onions.

• Puff pastry: This recipe calls for 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry — check out our guide to thawing and working with store-bought frozen puff pastry.
• Brie cheese: You’ll need a wheel of brie cheese in the 8- to 12-ounce range.
• Extras: Add extras like cranberry sauce, roasted nuts and honey, or even jalapeño jelly before baking — you’ll need just a 1/4 cup or so. You can even top the baked brie with caramelized onions or caramelized apples.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside, or bake your brie in a pie plate.
2. Roll out the puff pastry. Dust a work surface with a small amount of flour. Unwrap 1 sheet puff pastry and place it on the flour. Coat a rolling pin with a little flour and roll out the puff pastry into a rough 11-inch square.
3. Wrap the brie in the pastry. Place 1 round of brie in the middle of the pastry. Top with any optional extra toppings, if using. Fold the corners over the brie, forming a neat package. Use your hand to gently press the edges against the brie and neaten up the sides.
4. Transfer the wrapped brie to the baking sheet or pie plate. Place the wrapped brie to the baking sheet or pie plate.
5. Brush with egg. Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Be sure to get the sides and around the folds.
6. Bake until golden-brown. Bake until the pastry is deep golden-brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Serve. Set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the hot cheese time to firm up a little. Serve straight from the pie plate or transfer to a serving platter, and serve warm.

• Pie dough: Pie dough is an excellent alternative to puff pastry in this recipe.
• Mini baked brie: For 1-ounce mini brie wheels, cut the puff pastry into six 3×3-inch squares, wrap each brie, then bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

• Make ahead: The brie can be wrapped in pastry and kept refrigerated for up to a day before baking and serving. Brush with egg wash just before baking.
• To freeze: You can wrap the brie in pastry (hold off on the egg wash), wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, unwrap it, brush with egg wash, and bake directly from frozen. You may need to bake for a few extra minutes for the cheese to fully soften.
• To reheat: Baked brie tastes and looks best right after it’s been baked, but you can reheat it in a 200°F oven until the cheese is warm.

• Jam or preserves: Top with a few spoonfuls jam or preserves, like raspberry jam, apricot jam, or jalapeño jelly.
• Honey and nuts: Top with a few spoonfuls of honey and toasted, chopped nuts especially walnuts or pecans.
• Chutney: Spoon your favorite fruit chutney on top, like mango chutney or cranberry-cherry chutney.
• Cranberry sauce: Top with a few spoonfuls of store-bought or homemade cranberry sauce.
• Caramelized apples: With a sweet, caramel-like flavor and a hint of cinnamon, these caramelized apples will remind you of apple pie filling. Scoop them on top of the brie.
• Caramelized onions: Slowly caramelize onions over low heat until very brown, soft, and sweet. You can stir in a few teaspoons of brown sugar or balsamic vinegar if you like. Scoop over the brie.
• Caramelized onions and mushrooms: Caramelize onions and add chopped or sliced mushrooms in the last half of cooking.

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