Baked Brie with Honey and Walnuts
Warm, melty brie crowned with toasted walnuts and golden honey - pure autumn indulgence
- 1 wheelbrie cheese(8 oz, rind on)
- 0.25 cuphoney(local wildflower preferred)
- 0.5 cupwalnuts(roughly chopped)
- 1 sprigfresh rosemary(leaves only, minced)
- 0.25 tspflaky sea salt
- crackers or sliced baguette(for serving)
Assemble but do not bake until ready to serve. Brie must be served immediately while warm and melty.
- 1Preheat oven to 350°F
- 2Place brie wheel in small oven-safe dish or on parchment-lined baking sheet
- 3Score the top rind in a crosshatch pattern with sharp knife - do not cut through to cheese
- 4Toast walnuts in dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes
- 5Bake brie for 12-15 minutes until soft and bulging but not collapsing
- 6Immediately drizzle with honey and scatter toasted walnuts over top
- 7Sprinkle with rosemary and flaky salt
- 8Serve immediately with crackers or bread for scooping
Room temperature brie bakes more evenly than cold. Don't overbake or the cheese will run out completely. Use a mild, creamy brie rather than an aged, assertive one. The rind is edible and helps contain the melted cheese. Serve on a wooden board for rustic presentation.
Brie cheese originates from the Brie region of the Île-de-France east of Paris, and its history as a prestigious French product stretches back at least to the 8th century CE, when the Frankish king Charlemagne reportedly tasted it in Brie and declared it among the finest cheeses he had encountered — a story recorded in the annals of his court. Brie de Meaux was called the "King of Cheeses" at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 by diplomat Talleyrand, and in 1980 Brie de Meaux received Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status from the French government, restricting the name to cheese produced in the specific Brie region. The soft, bloomy rind is produced by Penicillium camemberti mold, which breaks down the fat beneath the rind and creates the characteristic oozy, creamy texture as the cheese ripens from the outside in. Baking brie — placing the wheel in a hot oven and allowing the rind to hold the melting interior like a vessel — became a fashionable American entertaining preparation in the 1980s, as French cheese culture became accessible through specialty food stores and the influence of food writers including Craig Claiborne and Julia Child. The combination with honey and walnuts draws on the classic French principle of pairing soft cheese with sweet elements — a balance documented in medieval French table service.