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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, on a spring meat and cheese board, or celebrate New Year’s Eve with delightful cranberry brie appetizers.
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.
🎉 It's time to cook! 🎉
Alright, friend! It's your turn to make this delish recipe for your next get-together.
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When you do, please leave a comment and star rating below so we can hear what you think!
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Recipe
Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Pistachios
Ingredients
- 8- ounce wheel of brie
- ¼ cup fig jam
- ¼ cup chopped dried figs
- ¼ cup roasted and salted pistachios chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon brandy optional
- Pinch of salt
- To Serve
- Crackers or Crostini
- Optional: Extra thyme and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the wheel of brie on an oven-safe serving dish or a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Combine jam, figs, pistachios, thyme, brandy, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Top brie with jam mixture and bake until the brie and toppings are hot about 10 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving dish. Top with black pepper and thyme and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use either Brie or Camembert for this recipe
- To store any leftovers, just cover with foil or place in an airtight container and refrigerate
- To reheat, follow the recipe instructions or place on a microwave safe plate and heat until warm (about 45 seconds on high)
Nancy says
I made this for a Thanksgiving appetizer and it was a hit! Making it tonight for Christmas Eve. It is absolutely delicious!!!
Michelle Weiner says
I'm so so happy that it is a hit and party of your holiday celebrations 🙂 Thanks for the comment and happy holidays!
Jan says
Amazing ! Our houseguest made it for us before dinner. Delicious. Served with baguette, sliced pears, and crackers…. Can’t wait to make it for more friends!
Michelle Weiner says
Jan! So fun to hear that your houseguests made it for you all and that you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing and I can't wait for you to make it for more of your friends!