When you need a simple yet stunningly elegant party appetizer, look no further than baked brie with honey. Made in the air fryer, it’s quick and simple but each bite is lusciously creamy with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
In the early 2000s I was obsessed with watching Food Network. I don’t know which show I saw it on — come to think of it, it was probably Sandra Lee’s Semi Homemade because this recipe has that show written all over it — but I couldn’t stop making baked brie topped with a jar of jam and enveloped in Pillsbury crescent dough. It was stupidly delicious and I carried that recipe with me into college where we’d dig into that as we pre-gamed bar or frat party hopping. Because nothing goes better with sticky floors, kegs and drunk people like some baked brie.
This baked brie with honey is a little more elevated and quite possibly the single best holiday appetizer option you can dream of. Instead of the oven, it’s made in the air fryer so it’s ready in 15 minutes max. It’s beyond stunning in presentation and whether you’re making it the center of a larger charcuterie spread or letting it stand alone in all its glory, it will be the thing your guests rave about all night.
The Easiest Party Appetizer
Baked brie is a tried and true appetizer for good reason. There’s really no cooking to it, it’s more of an assembly process. Grab a wheel of brie, drizzle it with honey and bake it in your air fryer. In 10 minutes, you’ll have appetizer gold. Raid the pantry for some nuts and dried fruit and garnish with a sprig of rosemary for festive color.
The Ingredients & Process
Baked brie is pretty forgiving because when you heat up the cheese, even a cheap wheel of brie tastes delicious. That said, I still like to try and grab a decent quality double or triple creme option.
My Pro Tip
Use Room Temperature Brie
Take the brie out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before baking it. Letting it come to room temperature allows it to melt and warm through more evenly. If you’re baking from cold, you’ll need to add a few minutes of cooking time.
With the brie in hand, you’ll also need:
- Honey — as the main complement to the brie in this recipe, I like to select a high quality raw honey. I’ve also made this with manuka honey which is wonderful.
- Pecans — although walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios are also great choices
- Dried cranberries — I also like dried cherries. If you prefer fresh fruit, pomegranates are the perfect color and flavor for the holiday season while berries are great for other times of the year.
- Red pepper flakes — optional
- Fresh rosemary — both for flavor and a pop of green. Other fresh winter herbs like thyme or sage are good choices too, but I’m partial to rosemary.
Making the recipe is as simple as scoring and placing the wheel of brie onto a piece of parchment paper in your air fryer, drizzling with honey (yes, you want to bake it with the honey on top) and red pepper flakes if you’re using them and baking for 10-15 minutes.
My Pro Tip
Don’t Overcook
The key to the presentation of the baked brie is not over-baking it. You want the wheel of brie to maintain it’s shape so the cheese is still contained within. The brie should be soft and thoroughly warmed through in the middle so it’s gooey and luscious, but stop before the cheese starts oozing out. I start checking it around the 8 minute mark. Removing it from the air fryer will take caution as it will be very soft.
Once the baked brie is out of the air fryer, top it with chopped pecans, dried cranberries and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Before serving, I like to drizzle a little bit more honey over top and down the sides for presentation.
What About the Rind?
Removing or keeping the rind in place is all about personal preference. For this recipe, I like to keep it on the brie so that it helps to keep the cheese from oozing out. The rind is perfectly edible but some people prefer to remove it. If you want to, just use a sharp knife to scrape the white outer layer (the rind) off the top and sides.
How to Serve
Traditionally, baked brie is served with a crusty baguette. If you want to enjoy the baked brie with honey on it’s own, that or crackers are a great option and a simple choice with a cheese knife to dig in. I love the Trader Joe’s fig and olive or raisin and rosemary crisps for something like this as they’re sturdy enough to dip into the melty brie without breaking.
If you prefer to make more of a spread or charcuterie board out of it, try some of these suggestions:
- Red and green grapes
- Apple slices
- Pear slices
- Salami, prosciutto and other cured meats
- Nuts
- Marinated olives
- Jam or preserves — try persimmon jam, cranberry ginger jam or fig preserves
More Festive Appetizers
This holiday butternut squash hummus is another stunner. With roasted butternut squash, fresh cranberries and rosemary, it’s as tasty as it is visually appealing.
Turn sweet potato slices into crostini and top them with roasted grapes and cheese. This is a one-bite appetizer you won’t be able to put down.
Every party needs a good dip and this butternut squash goat cheese dip that’s topped with a tart cherry compote is the one for the holiday season.
Baked Brie with Honey
Ingredients
- 1 wheel of Brie cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, or cherries
- Pinch of chili flakes
- Fresh rosemary, to taste
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the brie in a grid pattern, without cutting all the way through. Place the Brie on a piece of parchment paper that fits in the basket of your air fryer. Sprinkle chili flakes on top and then drizzle with honey to coat the entire surface.
- Place the brie in the air fryer and cook at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is soft and melted.
- Remove the brie with the parchment paper or a spatula; be careful, as it will be very soft and may break apart.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans and dried cranberries on top. Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary for flavor and garnish.
- Transfer to a serving plate or board and enjoy immediately with toast, crackers, fresh grapes or apple slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
