Baked Brie en Croûte with Honey, Dried Cherries, Rosemary & Pecans
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Golden, gooey, and party-ready—this brie en croûte is the ultimate holiday appetizer that looks as good as it tastes.
When it comes to festive appetizers, you can never go wrong with brie en croûte, which is French for baked brie in a pastry crust. My go-to version combines warm, melty brie, honey, dried cherries, and pecans, all wrapped in a golden pastry. Thanks to store-bought puff pastry, it’s as easy to make as it is impressive.
Wrapping the brie in one large sheet of puff pastry can sometimes result in a thick, doughy bottom layer that doesn’t cook through. To avoid this, I sandwich the brie between two smaller pieces of pastry and crimp the edges with a fork. This not only seals in the cheese but also ensures both layers puff up evenly for a flaky, perfectly golden crust.
“I’ve made baked brie from other recipes, but this is the easiest, most professional looking, and best tasting that I’ve ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Brie en Croûte
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Roll and trim the pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Using a sharp knife, trim the corners to form two neat circles.
Step 2: Assemble the base. Place one of the pastry circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set the cheese in the center (after cutting off the top rind), then drizzle the top with honey.
Step 3: Add the toppings. Sprinkle the dried cherries, pecans, and rosemary over the honey.
Step 4: Prep for sealing. Brush the edge of the pastry with egg wash — this will help the top layer stick when you place it over the cheese.
Step 5: Add the top layer. Lay the second pastry circle over the cheese, pressing it gently against the cheese and bottom pastry. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch border all the way around.
Step 6: Seal it up. Use a fork to crimp the edges all the way around, locking in the cheese. Brush the top and edges with egg wash so it bakes up golden.
Step 7: Make decorations. Use the pastry scraps to cut out leaves (or any shapes you like). Lightly score them with a knife to make the veins.
Step 8: Finish assembling. Arrange the leaves (and a berry or two, if you’d like) on top of the pastry, then brush the decorations with egg wash so they bake up glossy and golden.
Step 9: Bake and serve. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden. Let it rest for at least 45 minutes before cutting — otherwise the cheese will run out. Serve warm with fruit and crackers.
More Holiday Appetizers You May Like
Baked Brie en Croûte with Honey, Dried Cherries, Pecans & Rosemary
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen Puff Pastry, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farm)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (16-oz) Brie cheese round (about 6 in/15 cm) in diameter)
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off the top rind of the brie and discard.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll each pastry sheet out to a 12-in (30-cm) square. Trim the corners of each sheet to form two circles. Set the scraps aside; you'll use those later for decorations. Put one of the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Cut off the top rind of the cheese and place the Brie on top of the pastry, rind side down. Drizzle the top of the cheese with the honey, and then top with the dried cherries, pecans, and rosemary.
- Brush the exposed edges of the pastry with the egg mixture. Cover the Brie with the other pastry circle; press against the sides of the cheese and the bottom pastry to form a tight seal. Using a pizza cutter, cut off the excess dough, leaving a generous 1-in (2.5-cm) border. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Set aside.
- Using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, cut out nine leaves (about 2 in/5 cm long and 1 in/2.5 cm wide) from the scraps. Use a knife to draw the ribs on the leaves, pressing down but not cutting all the way through. Place the leaves on top of the pastry in the shape of a flower, overlapping them slightly and pressing them together in the center. Brush the leaves with the egg mixture. Roll up a ½-in (13-mm) ball of dough and press it in the center; brush the ball with the egg mixture.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes, then serve with fruit and crackers.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn, I made this last year for New Years Eve and it was beautiful to look at and delicious! I am making it again for tomorrow, could it be prepared and today and left in the fridge until tomorrow night to bake?
Happy New Years to you and your family and thank you for always having the perfect recipe when I need one!!
Mary
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can assemble this up to 24 hours ahead of time. Happy new year!
One of the best recipes for baked Brie. If you can find White Gold Honey (product of Canada), it will really really be delicious!
Made this for a Christmas appetizer yesterday – it was delicious and looked great too! I used dried cranberries since I couldn’t find dried cherries at my local grocery store, but what a great topping combo with the chopped pecans, fresh rosemary and honey!
I wanted to make this for Christmas Eve, but there’s no frozen puff pastry to be found in my local area. Shall I try to make it from scratch?
Hi Paula, that would be your best bet. Here’s a recipe you can use. Hope it turns out nicely!
Made this for thanksgiving and it was amazing a family favorite l! Was going to make this on Christmas Eve, but we are stopping at one house on the way to where i’d bring this appetizer. Can this be warmed up in the microwave or what would be the best way to get it warm again?
Hi Colleen, I’d put it in a warm oven for 10 or 15 minutes when you get to your destination. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays Jenn!
I’m planning on making this to take to a Christmas Eve gathering. Do you think dried cranberries would work as well as dried cherries?
Just made my annual quadruple batch of your caramelized pecans. Always a hit!
Hi Jane, Yes dried cranberries are perfectly fine to use here. Enjoy and happy holidays!
I made this for a family gathering last night. Super easy and love that I could make it ahead and with a 40 minute sit time out of the oven, it even frees up the oven for other items. Love the rosemary – it really makes the dish!
Hi! If I make two at once do I need to adjust the baking time? Thanks!
Hi Mallory, they may take another minute or two in the oven, but the time difference will be negligible. Enjoy!
Sorry question. When you cut off one side of the rind, do you place the cut off top face down onto the pastry and then put fig jelly, etc on the top which has the rind or the other way around? Wont cutting the top off have it ooze out?Thanks
Hi Laura, you have the side without the rind face-up. And It doesn’t ooze out much because it has the nuts and dried cherries on top. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I have a 20 oz brie wheel. Do you know if this will still work with the same amount of puff pastry? What about cook time?
Thanks for any advice!
Lindsay
Yes, it should work with the puff pastry. The cook time may be a touch longer but not by much. Hope you enjoy!
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make it for a dinner party! What do you usually serve this with? Any particular fruits or type of bread? Thank you!
Hi Toni, You can serve this with crackers. Just make sure they’re relatively plain so they don’t compete with the flavors of the cheese, etc. Also, if the brie is cool enough, you can slice it and eat it as finger food. Hope that helps, and that everyone enjoys!
Should I toast the pecans first?
Hi Theresa, you can but it’s not necessary. Enjoy!