This Baked Brie with Fig Jam is a classic holiday appetizer that is always a crowd pleaser and takes very little effort to prepare. Inside the golden brown puff pastry is a delicious combination of creamy brie cheese, fig jam, honey, fresh rosemary, and salty gorgonzola cheese.
Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sweet and salty appetizer is great served with crackers, sliced bread, fresh fruit, and crostini. For more quick and easy holiday appetizers, you can also try our Fig and Prosciutto Crostini, Brie and Fig Crostini, or this Spinach Dip Bread Ring.
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Baked Brie with Fig Jam
Appetizers that center around melted cheese are always a hit, but serving something like fondue at a party can be a little messy. That’s why, in my opinion, baked brie is one of the most perfect holiday appetizers.
Not only is it elegant and easy to dress up—baked brie is also super easy to make, takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, and you can even eat the container that holds the gooey, delicious, melted cheese.
For this baked brie, I’ve also added a few complimentary seasonal flavors. Topping the buttery brie cheese is a little sweet fig jam, honey, fresh rosemary, and a little salty gorgonzola cheese. The sweet and salty flavors along with the creamy cheese and crispy flaky puff pastry is something everyone will go nuts over. Keep reading for a few tips, substitution ideas, and step-by-step directions.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Puff Pastry - you will need 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry for this recipe. The easiest way to thaw it is to set it on a countertop at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes, but you can also put it in the fridge for a few hours.
- Brie - you will need one wheel of brie cheese for each baked brie that you make. Most wheels are about 8 ounces which is the perfect size. I like to use triple cream brie because it is extra gooey when melted.
- Honey - the sweet honey melts and almost caramelizes the edges of the puff dough as it bakes. It’s so delicious paired with salty gorgonzola cheese!
- Fig Jam - you can find fig jam or preserves with the rest of the jams and jellies at the grocery store. Homemade fig jam also works, or you could even substitute a few roughly chopped caramelized figs.
- Fresh Rosemary - the floral rosemary should be finely minced so that the flavor spreads throughout. While this is my favorite herb to use, fresh thyme would also be very good.
- Gorgonzola Cheese - gorgonzola cheese is a salty, earthy, and slightly more mild blue cheese that is amazing with sweet flavors like honey and figs. You don’t need much to add a lot of flavor here.
- Egg Wash - to keep the outside nice and shiny after it is baked, brush on a simple egg wash made from whole eggs and a little water.
How to Make Baked Brie with Fig and Puff Pastry
- Prepare the puff pastry. Defrost a sheet of puff pastry either at room temperature or in the fridge, then lay on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Add the brie and other ingredients. Put the Brie wheel into the center of the puff pastry, then top with the honey, minced rosemary, gorgonzola crumbles, and fig jam.
- Fold the puff pastry up. Gently fold each of the four corners of the puff pastry into the center, containing all the ingredients. Brush with a little water when needed to make the puff pastry stay in place, then gently fold each of the four corners in again until you've secured the pastry around the brie.
- Bake. Brush egg wash over the outside, then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20-24 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and shiny.
- Serve warm. Once baked, remove from the oven and place the baked puff pastry on a serving dish or large plate. Serve warm with crackers, baguettes, crostini, or fruit. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can actually assemble this, wrap it well with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge overnight to bake the following day.
Yup! If you really want to get a head start, baked brie can be fully assembled and even egg washed, then wrapped well in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. I recommend also putting it inside a freezer bag, just to be safe. When you are ready to bake, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw and then bake the next day as directed.
There’s nothing worse than cutting into baked brie and having it just sit there, unmelted. The most common reason that your brie isn’t melted is that it has actually been baked for too long!
Overbaking your baked brie can actually cause the outer rind to create too much of a seal, not allowing the cheese to get as much heat. It can also turn the cheese into more of a rubbery texture rather than creamy and gooey.
The best way to make sure it’s nice and runny is to keep the baking time to a max of 25 minutes—longer doesn’t mean it will be runnier!
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Use a different jam. Try using another sweet preserve like apricot jam, strawberry jam, or Cranberry Sauce.
- Serve with toppings. Just before serving, top the baked brie with other toppings that would go well with the flavors. Caramelize figs, prosciutto, toasted walnuts, candied pecans, or even a few slices of candied citrus would all taste amazing and look elegant.
- Warm serve, but not hot! Baked brie is definitely meant to be served warm—otherwise the cheese won’t be gooey. But, it’s a good idea to let it cool for a few minutes first so that it isn’t too runny. You want that perfect level of gooey that starts to run out but stops.
- Cut a slit in the top of the brie wheel. If your brie has an extra thick rind, try cutting a few slits in the top just to allow the heat to get to the creamy insides a little better.
Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store completely cooled leftover baked brie wrapped well in plastic wrap or inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: this can be assembled and egg washed, then wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you are ready to bake, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw and then bake as directed.
- To reheat: preheat your oven to 300 degrees F, then transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil. Warm just long enough to melt the cheese, then enjoy!
Baked Brie and Fig Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry thawed
- 8 ounce Brie Cheese Wheel
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- ¾ cup Fig Jam homemade or store bought
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary minced
- 3 Tablespoons Gorgonzola Cheese
- 1 large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Defrost a puff pastry sheet by removing it from its packaging and laying on the countertop for about 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, then unfold the puff pastry and place it on top. Put the Brie wheel into the center of the puff pastry, then top with the honey, minced rosemary, gorgonzola crumbles, and fig jam.
- Gently fold each of the four corners of the puff pastry into the center, containing all the ingredients. Brush with a little water when needed to make the puff pastry stay in place, then gently fold each of the four corners in again until you've secured the pastry around the brie.
- Beat the egg and water in a small bowl, then use a pastry brush to brush the outside of the pastry with the egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-24 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and shiny.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place the Baked Brie on a serving dish or large plate. Serve warm with crackers, baguettes, crostini, or fruit. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Holiday Appetizer Recipes
- Brie and Fig Crostini
- Ham and Cheddar Cheese Ball
- Brie Bites
- Spicy Italian Meatballs
- Cheese Sausage Dip Recipe
- Garlic Knots
- Jalapeño Artichoke Dip Recipe
- Cheesy Bean Dip
- Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
- Caramel Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Bake
- Pesto and Parmesan Puff Pastry Bake
- More Easy Appetizer Recipes
- More Holiday Recipes
This baked brie and fig puff pastry appetizer is one of the most easy crowd pleaser recipes out there. Wrap store bought puff pastry around a wheel of brie, fig jam, honey, gorgonzola cheese, and fresh rosemary and then bake until golden.
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