Baked Brie With Apricot Preserves and Crispy Prosciutto

A dreamy, cheesy fall appetizer

Sure, you could make a cheese plate, but that takes time and effort! Why not just buy a wheel of brie, a few apricots, and salty prosciutto and call it a day? This Baked Brie With Apricot Preserves And Crispy Prosciutto is ready in under 30 minutes and will please even the pickiest of guests.

The ultimate holiday appetizer, savory baked brie recipes are easily enjoyed by all. Even though this version has brandy-soaked apricots and jam, it’s definitely more of a savory snack than sweet. The apricot preserves add a hint of sweetness which brings balance to the salty prosciutto.

What is brie?

This soft, melty, and heavenly cheese originated in France but can now be found all over the world. Traditionally made from cow’s milk, brie is very creamy on the inside and has a white, bloomy edible rind on the outside. 

Brie has a rich taste that’s similar to butter. However, as it ages, it can take on a more fruity and earthy flavor. You can bake it whole, like in this recipe, and eat it with crackers, bread, or fruit, or serve it at room temperature on a charcuterie board.

Ingredients

Fun and fancy appetizers don’t need to have complicated ingredients! All you need are a few things you can pick up at your local grocery store:

The brie

Brie is always good, meaning you can spring for the high-quality stuff or stick to a budget-friendly alternative. An 8-ounce wheel of double cream brie will be enough for you and a few guests, or you can buy two and make this recipe along with my baked brie with fig jam.

Make sure the cheese has its rind intact. Without it, the creamy filling will go all over the place.

If you aren’t a huge fan of brie, use camembert or another whole creamy, bloomy cheese like Mt. Tam instead. It will still be super delish! 

Dried apricots and preserves

Apricots are a vibrant orange stone fruit. They aren’t as juicy as peaches but have a similar look. The brandy-soaked dried apricots on top of the brie add a sweet flavor and a little texture, while the preserves melt in your mouth along with the cheese.

Brandy and apricots go hand in hand. The fruit soaks up depths of flavor from the brandy, creating a well-balanced and rich treat. If you want to keep this appetizer free of alcohol, just add the dried fruit as is.

Prosciutto

Prosciutto comes from the hind leg of a pig and is an Italian style cured meat. The leg is cleaned and salted, then left to cure for 2 or 3 months. After the salt is washed off, the meat is left to dry for over a year before it’s sliced and sold.

This long process is well worth the wait. Sliced prosciutto as a refined flavor that’s a fun mix of sweet and salty. It’s the perfect addition to meat and cheese boards or in cheesy pinwheels.

Thin slices of prosciutto will be baked alongside the brie until they’re crispy and have shrunk in size. It’s the savory component that can’t be missed! Bacon or pancetta would be a fun alternative but would have to be cooked separately in a skillet before being added to the brie.

How to make savory baked brie

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the brie to bake. Where does one find the patience? Otherwise, it’s an easy process of making the toppings and assembling everything together!

Helpful tips

This party appetizer is incredibly easy, but there are a few things you should know before attempting it:

The rind is crucial

You can’t bake brie without the rind around the edge. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess! Don’t worry - the rind is still edible (it’s even considered a delicacy).

If you already cut it off (whoops!), bake the brie in puff pastry. Just wrap up the cheese with a sheet of defrosted dough, brush the outside with butter, and bake until golden brown.

Let the oven heat up

Wait until your oven has had time to come up to heat. If you place the brie inside before it’s fully heated, the cheese could melt inconsistently.

Make it ahead of time

Baked brie is best served a few minutes after it’s come out of the oven. If your guests are running late, simply keep the brie and its toppings on a hot plate or in a warm cast iron pan.

The preserves mixture, however, can be made up to 3 days before serving! Just keep it in a jar in the fridge and add it on top of the brie when it’s ready.

Equipment you need

All you need is a rimmed sheet pan, a fish spatula (for transferring the brie to a serving plate), and parchment paper to make this recipe.

Storing leftovers

Keep the leftover brie in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge. Use a container that’s about the same size as the wheel so you can easily scoop up any melted cheese that’s escaped.

If you’ve finished eating and want to eat the leftovers later, simply reheat the brie in the oven until it’s soft and stretchy again (about 5 or 10 minutes).

Recipe