Baked Brie en Croûte: Melted Cheese Wrapped in Puff Pastry

Dream of irresistible bite-sized brie en croûte: creamy baby brie wrapped in golden, flaky puff pastry and baked until irresistibly gooey. Served with an assortment of jams, chutneys, or a sweet-and-spicy cranberry sauce, these little parcels are a showstopping appetizer that’s as easy as it is impressive.

Baked Brie Puff Pastry

Brie en croûte is simply a wheel of brie wrapped in puff pastry and baked until the cheese is molten and the pastry turns a deep, even golden brown. The contrast of buttery, flaky pastry and warm, melting brie is classic and utterly satisfying.

This recipe uses baby brie rounds for perfectly portioned, adorable appetizers. You can usually find these small wheels at grocery stores, wholesale clubs, or specialty cheese shops. For the pastry, store-bought frozen puff pastry from the freezer works great—just thaw it according to package directions. If you prefer to make your own pastry or want to experiment, croissant or laminated dough can also be used.

How to Bake Brie

Baking brie is straightforward. Begin by thawing frozen puff pastry as instructed on the package—usually about 30 minutes unwrapped at room temperature works well. Roll the pastry gently to even out seams, then cut circles slightly larger than the baby brie rounds. You’ll use two pastry circles per brie: one for the base and one for the top.

Place the bottom circles onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, brush lightly with beaten egg, center a brie round on each, then drape the slightly enlarged top circles over the brie. Smooth the edges, crimp with a fork, brush the packages with egg wash, and bake until puffed and golden. For a larger, shareable option, a full wheel of brie baked in one sheet of puff pastry is also delightful.

Baked Brie with Jam

A fruity spread is a traditional and delicious accompaniment because the acidity and sweetness balance the rich, buttery cheese. Try sweet-and-spicy cranberry sauce, blueberry jam, fig jam, or a simple whole-berry cranberry sauce with a touch of minced jalapeño for a little heat. Use whichever jam, jelly, or preserve you love—this is a very forgiving recipe.

Brie en Croûte Recipe

Essential equipment: a half sheet pan (or baking sheet) and a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. If you don’t have a cutter, a small cup or a knife will work to cut the puff pastry into rounds.

Brie en Croûte

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.

Carefully unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured counter. Roll it gently with a rolling pin just to even out the seams.

Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut 20 puff pastry circles. Place 10 of the circles on the prepared pan as the bottoms. Brush those circles lightly with beaten egg and place one bite-sized brie round in the center of each.

Roll the remaining 10 circles gently so they are about 1/2 inch wider in diameter than before, then drape one over each brie round. Smooth the pastry over and down each brie with your fingers, and use a fork to crimp the top pastry into the bottom to seal.

Brush the sealed pastry packages lightly with the beaten egg. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is lofty, golden-brown, and flaky.

Remove from the oven and let the bites rest on the pan for 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and offer one or more jams alongside. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary, thyme, or parsley and sprinkle pomegranate arils on top for color if desired.