Baked Brie with Fig Jam
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Baked brie with fig jam, dried figs, pistachios, and walnuts turns a wheel of cheese into a warm, creamy appetizer without puff pastry.
Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Nuts
One of my secret weapons during the holidays is an appetizer that looks beautiful but takes only a few minutes to assemble. Baked brie is just that: spread on the jam, pile on the figs and nuts, and let the oven soften the cheese. Allow about 25 minutes, including a short rest before serving.
I love the contrast of sweet figs and crunchy nuts against the creamy brie. Half the jam goes into the topping mixture to coat the nuts and dried fruit, and the rest gets spread over the cheese. When you cut through the rind, the warm cheese spills out, ready to scoop up with crackers or toasted baguette.
Cheese is easy to dress up for company, whether I’m making phyllo-wrapped baked feta with honey, fried halloumi, or goat cheese stuffed dates. Serve the brie on its own, or make it the centerpiece of a cheese board with fresh fruit and a few favorite accompaniments. There’s no need to overcomplicate things!
Ingredients for Baked Brie
Five ingredients give you creamy cheese, a sweet fruit topping, and plenty of crunch. Here’s what to look for:
- Brie: Use a 13-ounce round of French brie with the rind intact. Brie is a soft cheese from France, usually made with cow’s milk, with a creamy interior and an edible white rind. A whole wheel gives you a surface for the toppings and helps hold the softened cheese together. You don’t need an expensive cheese from a specialty shop; I often buy mine at the grocery store.
- Fig jam: You’ll need 3 tablespoons, divided between the cheese and the topping mixture. Warm the fig jam briefly so it spreads easily over the rind and coats the chopped figs and nuts. Honey also works.
- Dried Mission figs: Slice 1/4 to 1/3 cup for the topping. These add chewy pieces of fruit alongside the jam and nuts. Use dried figs here, rather than fresh.
- Pistachios: Roughly chop 1/4 to 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios. They add crunch and a little green color to the topping.
- Walnut hearts: Roughly chop 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Their earthy flavor balances the sweet figs, and chopping them makes the topping easier to scoop up with the cheese.
Should You Remove the Rind from Brie Before Baking?
Leave the rind on when baking a whole wheel of brie with jam and nuts. It is edible and helps contain the cheese as the center softens.
I also leave the top rind intact, so I have a surface to spread the jam and pile on the toppings. Once the brie has baked and rested, cut through the rind to release the warm, creamy center.
How to Make Baked Brie with Fig Jam
Bake the topped brie at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Have your crackers or bread ready so you can enjoy the cheese while it’s warm.
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a small cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe dish large enough to hold the 13-ounce wheel of brie, along with a baking sheet to place underneath it.
- Soften the jam. Put 3 tablespoons of fig jam in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
- Mix the topping. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced dried Mission figs, 1/4 to 1/3 cup roughly chopped shelled pistachios, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnut hearts. Add half the softened jam and mix well to coat the figs and nuts.
- Top the brie. Place the brie in the skillet or baking dish, keeping the rind intact. Use a small knife or the back of a spoon to spread the remaining jam over the top and along the sides. Pile the fig and nut mixture on top.
- Bake until softened. Set the skillet or dish on the baking sheet to catch any escaping cheese or toppings and make it easier to handle. Bake on the middle rack for 10 to 15 minutes, until the brie softens. I watch for the edges to begin slumping slightly; a little melted cheese may start to peek through the rind. Start checking at 10 minutes rather than waiting for the wheel to collapse.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let the brie rest for 5 minutes so the cheese can settle and cool slightly. Serve warm with crackers or sliced, toasted baguette, cutting through the rind to scoop up the creamy cheese with the figs and nuts.
Tips for Creamy Baked Brie
A whole wheel of brie makes a beautiful presentation, but knowing when to take it out of the oven matters more than buying an expensive cheese.
- Choose a wheel for presentation. I prefer a whole round because it gives me room to pile on the figs and nuts. A wedge will work, but the exposed cheese can spread into the dish as it softens.
- Coat the figs and nuts before baking. Mix them with half the jam rather than scattering them on dry. The coating helps keep the dried fruit and nuts from drying out in the oven and distributes the sweetness through the topping.
- Watch the cheese, not just the clock. Start checking at 10 minutes. I look for the edges to begin slumping slightly, sometimes with a little melted cheese peeking through the rind. Take the brie out once it has softened; you don’t need to wait for the rind to split or the entire wheel to collapse.
- Give it a short rest, then serve warm. Five minutes lets the cheese settle and cool slightly while the center stays creamy. Have your bread, crackers, and serving knife ready before the brie comes out of the oven. It will firm up as it cools.
- Use a baking sheet underneath the dish. A small skillet can be awkward to lift with oven mitts, especially with toppings piled on the cheese. The baking sheet gives you a larger surface to handle and catches any escaping cheese or nuts.
Baked Brie Topping Variations
I love to play with texture and flavor in baked brie. Keep the combination of something sweet, some dried fruit, and crunchy nuts, then change the toppings to suit what you have.
- Instead of fig jam: Use honey, apricot jam, or orange marmalade. Marmalade brings a citrus flavor with a little bitterness from the peel. You can also make homemade fig jam when fresh figs are in season.
- Instead of pistachios and walnuts: Try roughly chopped pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts. Keep the pieces small enough to scoop up with the softened cheese.
- Instead of dried figs: Use dried apricots, dates, cranberries, or raisins. Slice or chop larger pieces of fruit so you get some fruit and nuts in each bite.
You can also use a wheel of Camembert, another soft French cheese with an edible rind. It has a stronger, earthier flavor than brie. The baking guidance above is for a 13-ounce wheel of brie, so use the cheese’s softened texture as your guide if you choose a different size.
What to Serve with Baked Brie
Crackers and toasted baguette are all you need to scoop up the warm brie and its fig and nut topping. For the baguette, brush the slices with a little olive oil before toasting. I like Arbequina extra virgin olive oil for its mild, fruity flavor.
For a larger spread, make the brie the centerpiece of a cheese board. Add sliced pears, grapes, and plenty of crackers or bread, leaving room around the brie for guests to reach the topping.
A crudités platter adds fresh vegetables alongside the rich cheese. Finish with a little something sweet, like baklava, and serve mulled wine for a holiday gathering. A few thoughtfully chosen dishes are plenty.
Preparing Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
To get a head start: Slice the dried figs and chop the nuts before you begin assembling the brie. Arrange the crackers and other accompaniments while the cheese bakes, and plan to serve it after its 5-minute rest.
To store leftovers: Transfer the leftover brie and toppings to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of serving, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. You don’t need to wait for the cheese to reach room temperature. Keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.
To reheat: Place the leftovers in an oven-safe dish and warm in a 350°F oven until the cheese softens and the dish is heated through. For food safety, reheat leftovers to 165°F in the center. Serve warm.
More Cheese Appetizers to Try
Baked Brie with Fig Jam
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fig jam, or honey, divided
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup dried mission figs, sliced
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup walnut hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 13-ounce round French brie, rind intact
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Soften the jam. Place the fig jam in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
- Mix the topping. In a small bowl, combine the sliced dried figs, pistachios, and walnuts. Add half the jam and mix well to coat.
- Top the brie. Place the brie in a small cast-iron skillet or oven-safe dish, leaving the rind intact. Use a small knife or the back of a spoon to spread the remaining jam or honey over the top and along the sides. Spoon the fig and nut mixture on top.
- Bake until softened. Set the skillet or dish on a baking sheet to make it easier to handle and catch any escaping cheese or toppings. Bake on the middle rack for 10 to 15 minutes, until the brie softens and its edges begin to slump slightly. A little melted cheese may peek through the rind. Start checking at 10 minutes; you don’t need to wait for the wheel to collapse.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let the brie rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with crackers or toasted baguette, cutting through the rind to scoop up the softened cheese and toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Keep the rind on: Brie rind is edible and helps hold the softened cheese and toppings together. An ordinary grocery-store wheel works well; you don’t need an expensive cheese from a specialty shop.
- Topping swaps: Use honey, apricot jam, or orange marmalade instead of fig jam. Replace the pistachios and walnuts with pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts. Dried apricots, dates, cranberries, or raisins can replace the dried figs. Chop larger dried fruit into smaller pieces and coat the topping mixture with half the jam or honey before baking.
- Serving: Allow the full 5-minute rest before serving. Enjoy warm with crackers or toasted bread, or serve as the centerpiece of a cheese board.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container, within 2 hours of serving, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. You don’t need to wait for the cheese to reach room temperature. Keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.
- Reheating: Place leftovers in an oven-safe dish and reheat at 350°F until softened and heated through, reaching 165°F in the center. Serve warm.
- Shop this recipe: Find fig jam at The Mediterranean Dish shop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*This post has been recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Would hot honey mixed with the nuts and dried figs work well with the Brie recipe?
Yes! Honey is a great substitute fort the fig jam here, Jean! Hope you give the recipe a try!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I have many ‘brie’ recipes but I like this with the combo of fig jam and figs, plus TWO of my favorite nuts. You might want to correct your ‘Pro Tip’ which reads “And you do not need an expensive brie wheel from your local grocery store. This recipe works just as well as what you’d buy at an expensive cheese store.” I think you meant to switch your local grocery store and expensive cheese store.
Lol… thanks for catching that Sheila! We’ll get it fixed. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
What are some sugestions that I could use in place of the nuts for people with a nut allergie?
Hi, Cheryl! I’m Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. You can just leave the nuts off. It will still be delicious.
Cheryl, I think pomegranate seeds would give you a crunch plus that burst of juicy flavor.
I have now made this recipe twice and both times to rave reviews. The last time I served it, they asked for the recipe which I gladly shared. It will be my go-to for Baked Brie going forward.
Yesssss! Thanks, Kathleen!
I wasn’t able to find the figs for this recipe but had the fig jam. Everyone loved it. I will be making it every Christmas!
Awesome! Thanks, Annette!
Ending 2022 the right way with this beautiful Brie. Celebrated with fresh mint sprigs on top. Very tasty! Thanks Suzy 🙂
Love this recipe
Have made this quite a few times. Love it!!
Made this for Thanksgiving appetizer. Couldn’t find fresh figs, I used pears instead. It came out beautiful and delicious. Thanks for the great idea
Thanks for sharing your adaptation, Dawn! Yum!
Hello! I would like to take this to a holiday party and would like to bake this and go directly there (just 4 houses away from ours). It will inevitably cool down as the party goes on, so do you think that I could reheat in her microwave? Not sure if her oven will be on. Thanks!
I used dried figs and wish I had used fresh figs instead. Dried figs have no color and color as the photo proves is part of the secret to the success of this dish. I don’t know how this dish was set up for the photo but my version looks nothing like it.
I made this last year for the holidays. It was my first ever Baked Brie. I was slightly intimidated by this recipe, thinking something so beautiful had to require a level of difficulty beyond my kitchen skills. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was so easy and the end result was a beautiful, oozing showpiece. I was so impressed, that very moment I decided it would be the star of my holiday menu every year. I have shown this recipe to others… complete strangers, with raves. As I type this, I’m advance preparing to obtain some items before the holidays arrive. I cannot wait to make this again. I feel this is versatile enough for any holiday by simply changing up the toppings.
Thanks so much for the kind review, Kat!
Very tasty and yummy. Thank you.
what are the red looking Berrys in the picture?
Hi, Patti. Those are just dried cranberries. This recipe is so great in that you can change up the toppings. I give some suggestions at in the post. Hope you give the recipe a try!! 🙂
This was delicious and beautiful to serve! Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure, Barb! Thanks for giving it a try :).
I love to try different toppings on baked Brie and saw this one. Can’t wait to try it. Baked Brie with topping needs a way to keep the toppings on. I agree don’t remove the rind however you omit writing that the top should be scored. You show it in the picture with the jam so thank you. But it’s weird that you don’t say it. Excited to try this recipe
Thanks Diane for the mention about the scoring. I’m new to Brie so appreciate that you mentioned that Before I make this.
Hi! Which brie is sweeter and and more like an almond or nutty flavor. The smell of the last brie I bought reminded me of bleach, I couldn’t eat it. Would that be cow milk or goat milk?