Baked Brie with Pears, Pistachios, and Honey

A must-have on your holiday menu

Is there a more savory, creamy, and crowd-pleasing snack than baked brie? I don’t think so!

My Garlicky Gooey Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl and my Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Pistachios are two of my go-to’s when I need to make my party guests happy. When the holiday’s roll around, there is no better snack than this comforting Baked Brie with Pears, Pistachios, and Honey.

Every bite of creamy melted brie with sliced pears, thyme, pistachios, and fresh honey encompass the classic flavors of fall and winter. This snack is more on the sweet side, but still well balanced and bright.

The best holiday snack

A holiday charcuterie board is a must-have at all of your holiday parties, but I think this sweet baked brie with pears is the real show stopper.

One or two wheels of warm cheese with sliced fruit, crostini, and crackers on the side is enough to make everyone happy for the holidays, at Thanksgiving, or for New Year’s!

Ingredients

This elegant appetizer is made with simple ingredients! They all balance so nicely together so every bite tastes comforting and sweet. Here’s what you need:

Brie cheese

Brie is a creamy and soft French cow’s milk cheese. It has a really rich flavor and is best served sliced into small wedges, on warm crostinis, or baked whole.

Baking a wheel of brie is one of my favorite party snacks. The bloomy edible rind on the outside keeps the creamy inside from spreading everywhere and making a mess. I especially love baked brie with lots of toppings, like nuts, fruits, jam, deli meat, or honey, for added flavor, texture, and a beautiful presentation.

Pear

You can use any type of pear you like for this recipe. Red pears, like red anjou or red bartlett, will add a nice contrast among the flecks of green pistachios and thyme leaves. Alternatively, you can stay on “theme” and use green pears, like bartlett, bosc, or concord pears.

Pistachios

Crunchy roasted and salted pistachios are one of my favorite ingredients to use around the holidays. For this recipe, they give the pears and brie added texture and a gorgeous green color. I prefer to buy shelled pistachios because they tend to be more green but if you’d rather save time, buy them unshelled.

Lemon juice

For added brightness and to bring balance to the sweet topping. You can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar if you don't have any lemons!

Thyme leaves

Fresh, finely chopped thyme leaves infuse cozy fall flavors into each bite of brie. Mixed together with the pistachios and pears, the herbaceous and slightly nutty thyme helps balance the sweet flavors. You can use fresh rosemary in addition or instead of the thyme if you’d like!

Honey 

Fresh and sweet honey is the finishing touch to this creamy snack. It’s drizzled on top of the brie right when it comes out of the oven for a nice sweetness that takes every bite to the next level.

How to make baked brie with pears and honey

This is a quick and easy recipe you can whip up when you need a crowd-pleasing snack in a pinch! It’s ready in a few short steps:

Serving suggestions!

The brie is baked and the gorgeous pear and pistachio topping is set, so dig in! Surround the pear baked brie with a huge variety of delicious snacks for dipping and spreading. These are a few of my favorites:

• Water crackers
• Toasted baguette slices (crostini)
• Pear slices
• Apple slices
• Jam
• Mixed nuts
• Figs
• Rosemary crackers
• Crusty bread

Can baked brie be made ahead of time?

Baked brie is the best when it’s hot out of the oven. You can prepare the pear and pistachio topping about 30 minutes ahead of serving, but the brie must be served as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Can you reheat baked brie?

Yes! If you end up with leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave or a 350ºF oven.

Because the leftover cheese was already cut into, you’ll need to reheat it on a rimmed baking sheet or in a container with edges so it doesn’t ooze everywhere. 

Recipe