This is the best savory Baked Brie recipe, hands down. There’s a secret trick to infuse the whole wheel of cheese with tremendous flavor. It’s pretty cool, and very tasty.
Baked brie very often has sweet toppings on it. I’ve had it with maple syrup and nuts and with cranberries, for instance. It’s definitely good. Brie goes very very well with fruity flavors. However, my own taste buds tell me that Brie goes even better with savory flavors.
Check Out This Grilled Brie Video With Variations!
Savory Baked Brie
Thus, the best baked Brie goes light on the sweet. Instead… bring on the garlic and red bell peppers!
The flavor is really incredible. Garlicky cheese, slightly sweet bell pepper. Scoop it onto slices of bread and you’re in heaven.
What other toppings could you use for a savory baked Brie? Pesto, or maybe caramelized onions. Tell me your ideas in the comments!
Making The Best Baked Brie
This baked Brie recipe is actually made slightly differently from others. What you do is to put the wheel of Brie on a rimmed pan. Use a rimmed pan in case your Brie gets a crack in it while cooking and starts to ooze out of the rind. The rim of the pan will make sure that you don’t end up with a big mess in your oven. I use a pizza pan like this or a cast iron skillet like this.
Then you poke holes in the cheese with a fork. You’re making holes in the top flat surface and poking down about halfway into the Brie. Why? Because we’re going to top it with that garlic and red pepper mixture that also contains olive oil and Dijon mustard. The liquid from the mixture is going to soak down into those holes so that you flavor the inside of the Brie as well as the outside. All that garlic seeping right down into the cheese. Mmmm.
Once you’ve got the holes in your Brie and you’ve topped it with your garlic and bell pepper mixture, then you cover it and put it in the fridge for a little while, minimum 1 hour but you can do it a day ahead too.
You’ve already got the Brie on a rimmed baking pan so you’re good to go. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the baking sheet with the Brie on it into the oven. Bake until the cheese is bulging at the sides and soft in the middle, about 20 minutes. Serve it right on that baking pan because it’s too hard to move off of there without it bursting. Please warn everyone that the pan is hot though!
How To Grill Brie
Alternatively, did you know that you can grill it? I’ve got instructions for how to grill Brie over here. Basically, you prep the grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Then you put the wheel of Brie with its toppings onto a large double layer of foil. Crimp the edges up around the sides a bit to act as that rim we discussed above in case your Brie cracks. Then transfer the whole thing, Brie and foil, to the grill. Put down the cover.
Cook until it’s bulging at the sides and soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. Transfer the Brie with foil to a serving plate and dig into the tastiest summer appetizer ever.
I’m so excited about this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do! – Christine :-)
Print
Garlic and Red Pepper Baked Brie
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This is the best Baked Brie recipe, hands down. There’s a secret trick to infuse the whole wheel of cheese with tremendous flavor. It’s pretty cool, and very tasty.
Serve with sliced French bread or water crackers.
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this Garlicky Baked Brie, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz.) wheel of brie
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. chopped chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place brie on a small rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top surface of the brie. Allow the fork to go all the way to the bottom of the cheese but do not pierce the bottom rind.
- In a medium bowl combine the bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and salt. Pile it on the top surface of the brie.
- Cover brie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 15 minutes. If the brie is bulging at the sides and soft to the touch on top, it’s ready. If it’s not soft and bulging, bake for another 5-7 minutes but check on it every minute or so (you want to catch it at the bulging stage not at the oozing-all-over-the-pan stage).
- Sprinkle with chives, if using.
- It’s nearly impossible to move the brie onto a serving plate once it’s soft and gooey. I simply put a pot holder on the table and place the pan of cheese on top (be prepared for the conversation to stop and for everyone to sigh deeply in anticipation). Warn everyone that the pan is hot (mine seems to cool off pretty quickly though). Ensure that everyone has a knife for spreading. Slash the bulging rind and watch the garlicky cheesiness melt out.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
This post originally appeared in February 2011 and was revised and republished in July 2022.
Kaye says
Garlic and red pepper brie
Every hear that someone has covered this with pie crust or puffed pastry – to taste like a bruschetta
Also my husband grabbed a 16 oz wheel of Brie that is the same diameter but twice as thick. How do you suggest adjusting the recipe ingredients. Thanking you in advance.
Christine Pittman says
Kaye, That’s interesting. I’ve never seen a wheel of brie with those dimensions. It will definitely take longer to heat through to the middle. I’d definitely use a rimmed baking pan (like a cake pan) in case the side of the brie bursts before it’s heated through. You don’t want that cheese all over your oven! Other than that, you’ll just need to cook it for longer. I’d consider using an instant read thermometer to test the temperature at the middle of the cheese. When the middle is at 120F, you should be good to go. Complete melting happens at 130F so when the center is 120F, it will be nice and soft in the middle and oozing and melting towards the edges. I hope that helps. Please let me know how it turns out since I have never tried this with a wheel like that one.
Ali says
I have a small glass pie plate that I would like to bake this in. Would that work out okay? If yes, do you think I would need to adjust the oven temperature and/or the bake time? I’m looking forward to making this for company this week-end. Thanks so much.
Christine Pittman says
Hi Ali,
I think the pie plate will work perfectly. You shouldn’t need to adjust the baking time. Let me know how it turns out.
Everyday Mom says
I would give this 10 stars if I could!!!! I have made this over and over again, although I try not to overdo it so I can enjoy it without overkill. This is another recipe that is amazingly easy and simple. It requires very little ingredients…. usually I already have everything except for the brie wheel. A few desperate times I had to pick up a brie wedge instead of the wheel, as the grocery was out of wheels, and of course it exploded everywhere onto the pan, but I did not care! That is how good this is. I love how the oils permeate the holes in the top of the brie before being put into the oven. I always make sure I take a spatula and scrape every last possible drop out of the pan and onto the brie. Delicious!!!!!! The cook time is always perfect. Sometimes I like to chop up some jalepenos and throw it in with the red peppers for an extra kick. And I always have grapes as an accompaniment with this, as it really compliments the flavor. Love. It.
★★★★★
Shannon says
We’re having this on date night (Saturday) as long as we’re both flu-free. I’m going to try it with feta, though, because I really don’t like brie for some strange reason. I’ll let you know how it goes!
cookthestory says
Hey Shannon, Let me know how it turns out (I sent you an email with more details about using feta). -Chris
Angela says
Delicious! Thanks Christi!
cookthestory says
You’re welcome :).
Dani says
This totally makes me want to visit Manitoba. And although I’m not a brie fan myself, I make melted brie appetizers for guests all the time because everyone else loves it. I’ll have to bookmark this one for the first BBQ of the year.
cookthestory says
Not sure if you’re a fan of other cheeses but: I’ve done a similar dish using goats’ cheese and with feta. I make a boat slightly larger than the cheese out of foil (or use a individual-serving-sized baked pasta dish that is slightly larger than the cheese). Put the cheese in the boat. Poke it all over using a pairing knife (don’t worry if some cheese sticks to the knife or if it’s not pretty because it will be covered with peppers). Top with the pepper mixture and cover loosely with more foil. Bake or BBQ as directed until cheese is soft and easily spreadable. Serve with baguette or crackers or with warmed or grilled pita bread and olives.
Thanks for reading! (And for commenting!)
Barry says
I am enjoying this series very much, can’t wait for the next one.
cookthestory says
Coming right up! (Glad you’re enjoying it.)
Kathy McCaw says
Great story you are a wonderful writer and you describe it exactly the way it is in the Whiteshell. I especially enjoy your love and care toward you brother, sister-in-law and nephew.
cookthestory says
Thank you for all the lovely compliments, Kathy.
I’m happy to hear that my love for my brother, sister-in-law and sweetie-pie nephew shine through :).
jenna laughs says
I love brie!! Especially warm and melty from the oven.
cookthestory says
Me too! This one’s especially tasty because the garlic and pepper flavor actually make it all the way down into the creamy cheese. Sooooo good!
The Girl from the Ghetto says
Mmmm, that recipes sounds wonderful!
cookthestory says
Thanks!
The Mrs says
You had me at “melty brie”…sigh…
cookthestory says
I know. It’s really hard to go wrong when you start with those words.
Barry says
Wonderful description of running a business in the Whiteshell. Please continue writing these great stories, Christi-I love them.
cookthestory says
Thanks Dad! Do you remember the tumbleweed after Labour Day? That was way too funny!