Honey Herb and Fig Baked Brie

If you’re looking for a super easy holiday appetizer, look no further!

Even if you’ve never used brie before, I promise you, you can make this. There’s no puff pastry dough to fool with, just top the brie and bake it.

In our family, we don’t usually do appetizers for holiday dinners, since we all just wait to fill up on dinner later… but I know a lot of people serve appetizers before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

And this recipe is great for that! The honey, herb, and fig flavors match so well with the buttery pistachios, and the gooey brie cheese.

Plus, it comes together in less time than your oven takes to preheat!

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Brie – if you’ve never had or used brie cheese before, it’s a soft and buttery cheese that’s mild in flavor.
• Fig jam – your grocery store may have different varieties, but I prefer to use a fig jam with no additional flavors.
• Dried figs – these are easier to find and are available year-round, which is why I prefer them over fresh figs.
• Rosemary – I do highly recommend using fresh rosemary if possible.
• Pistachios – I buy these already shelled, crush about half of them, and leave the rest whole.
• Honey – local honey is ideal, but any honey will work well.

How to make honey herb and fig baked brie:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Score the cheese. Slicing it in a criss-cross pattern makes it easier to dig into the cheese.
2. Add fig jam. If it’s hard to spread, you can warm it up a bit in the microwave first.
3. Add rosemary. Fresh herbs are best, but dried will work in a pinch.
4. Add figs. Be careful slicing the dried figs.
5. Add nuts and honey. Just about half of the honey, the rest will be added later.
6. Bake and drizzle. Bake until gooey, then drizzle with the remaining honey.

Variations of this recipe

• Cheese – any 8 oz wheel of brie will work for this recipe. I typically use President or Alouette double cream brie.
• Nuts – feel free to substitute your favorite nuts for the pistachios. Some other great alternatives are walnuts, almonds, pecans, or even pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds!
• Herbs – fresh thyme is a great alternative to the rosemary. Or you can add a pinch of dried rosemary or thyme, just be careful, since dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
• Fig jam – if you’d like more fig jam, please feel free to add more to your tastes.
• Honey – instead of traditional honey, try using hot honey (a honey that’s infused with chiles) for a fun extra zip of flavor.
• Dippers – we love to have seed or black pepper crackers, traditional crackers, and crispy baguette slices. But sliced apples (honeycrisps are a favorite) are a great option as well!

Making baked brie ahead of time

I find baked brie tastes best when made right before serving, so I don’t recommend making it ahead of time.

The good news is that this can be prepped and assembled in the time it takes your oven to preheat!

Storage

Leftover baked brie should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4-5 days.