Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Pistachios

Ooey gooey melted brie is the coziest appetizer

There’s nothing like warm and cozy ingredients, like nuts, cheese, herbs, and spices, during the colder seasons. It’s the best time of year to eat a lot of food so make sure you go all out with the best snacks and appetizers!

If you need an irresistible snack that won’t take long to prepare, then you’ve gotta try this Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Pistachios. A simple fig jam and pistachio topping is mixed together, then placed on a wheel of brie. After a few minutes in the oven, you can serve the melted brie cheese for holiday parties, get-togethers, or an ultra-creamy and elegant snack.

I don’t think there’s ever a bad time of year for baked brie recipes! Serve them during summer with prosciutto and apricot preserves or baked in a sourdough bread bowl any time of the year!

Ingredients you need

Don’t you just love easy appetizers with minimal ingredients? Even though you only need 7 ingredients, this simple and cheesy recipe is full of flavor! Don’t be afraid to splurge on the higher quality ingredients for the best results

Brie cheese

You can usually find wheels of mid-priced double cream brie at most large grocery stores. If you want to go all out, head to your local cheese shop and experiment with different varieties. You don’t need to get the most expensive wheel because some of the cheese flavor will be hidden by the toppings.

Fig jam

We’re keeping things simple and using storebought fig jam. Try to splurge a bit on the good stuff! The delectable, sweet, and sour flavors will be worth it. 

Mix some sliced dried figs into the jam mixture for extra texture and chew. It’s a whole other layer of deliciousness you definitely don’t want to skip!

Pistachios

Roasted and salted pistachios add gorgeous pops of green, a little saltiness, and some crunch to the fig jam topping. For the most vibrant green pistachios, buy them in the shell. Yes, this is more work, but it’s so worth it for the contrast!

If you’re running low on time, go ahead and buy shelled pistachios. The flavor will be the same but your topping will be mostly brown.

Thyme and brandy

Thyme is usually my go-to herb for warm and cozy fall appetizers. It’s earthy and, in this case, helps round out the sweetness from the fig jam. Fresh thyme is best but you can use dried if that’s what you have at home.

Just a small splash of brandy goes a long way here! It really helps bring all of the intricate flavors together and gives the jam mixture a lot of depth. It’s an optional ingredient so feel free to leave it out or replace it with whiskey, dark rum, apple juice, or white grape juice instead.

How to make baked brie with fig jam

I don’t think holiday appetizers get any easier than this! After a quick prep time and a short trip in the oven, you’ll be slicing and scooping this gooey cheese all evening long:

Customize the flavors

Not a fan of pistachios? Can’t find dried figs anywhere? Customize the flavors of your brie topping with any of these variations:

• Instead of pistachios: While the pop of green pistachios on top of the brown and golden jam offers a beautiful contrast, you can use walnuts, pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds instead.
• Instead of figs: Replace the fig jam with any jam you like! Prune jam, apricot preserves, date jam, or cherry jam will all replicate the same fruity and luscious flavors of figs. Whichever jam you use, stir in some of the whole fruits for an added chew.
• Add more: Dried cranberries, raisins, honey, dried fruits, rosemary, or citrus zest will enhance the flavor of this party appetizer.

Can you make it ahead of time?

If you’re looking to save time, make the fig jam mixture ahead of serving. Mix the jam and topping ingredients together and store the mixture in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Baked brie is best served hot and fresh so I don’t recommend preparing it more than 30 minutes ahead of your guests arriving.

Recipe