This baked brie with red pepper jelly takes minimal effort for the perfect holiday appetizer! On top of melted creamy brie is sweet yet spicy red pepper jelly that is bursting with flavor. It is so dang delicious that you will want to eat the whole thing yourself!
It is the time of year to break out your favorite appetizers for a holiday party or family get-together! This baked brie with red pepper jelly is the perfect appetizer for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, or just the holiday season in general. Paired with buttery creamy brie cheese is flavorful red pepper jelly. It is sweet yet spicy, rich yet bright, and everything you could want in an appetizer.
Not to mention, this is one of the easiest appetizers you'll ever make. Takes two simple ingredients, 10 minutes total to make, and has extremely minimal clean up. Next time you're designated to bring an appetizer to the Christmas party, try making this easy recipe.
If you love brie recipes, you must try my garlic baked brie, pear baked brie, and brie mac and cheese.
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ingredients 🧾
Brie: You will need 1 wheel of brie cheese. I like to get my brie cheese from Costco because it is such a large wheel and great for a crowd; however, you can also use a smaller wheel if serving fewer people. Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that can typically be found in the specialty cheese section at your local grocery store. The label will typically say double cream cheese or triple cream cheese. The difference between these two brie cheeses is the total fat content. Double has 60% fat, and triple has over 75% fat. I prefer a higher fat content brie as it is an extra creamy cheese and leaves a rich mouth feel.
Red pepper jelly: The star of the show... delectable red pepper jelly! You will need one jar of pepper jelly. Oftentimes, it is also called hot pepper jelly. My favorite pepper jelly can be found at most grocery stores or online on Amazon.
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
variations & substitutions 📖
Wrap and bake the brie in pastry. If you prefer a slice-and-eating method rather than dipping with crackers or bread, you can make the exterior of the appetizer pastry. Do this by cutting the brie cheese in half horizontally and adding a layer of pepper jelly between the two brie layers. Place the brie in the center of the dough and then wrap all the edges in puff pastry or crescent roll dough, trimming the excess dough. Seal the edges. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash on top of the puff pastry to give it a golden brown, flaky crust when baking. Then bake for 20-25 minutes. To serve, you can simply cut brie cheese into wedges and enjoy!
Make brie bites instead of a whole wheel of brie. Around the holidays, Trader Joe has the cutest small bite-sized wheels of brie that would make the perfect red pepper jelly brie bites. Simply follow all the same instructions, but place the mini wheels of brie in a muffin tin and add pepper jelly on top of the brie cheese. To serve, you can place the whole mini wheel with the jelly on top of a cracker or crostini.
Swap the red pepper jelly for whatever jam or jelly is your favorite. This brie recipe is so versatile, it can really go with any jam or jelly. Some great options would be apricot, strawberry, or even bacon jam!
tips & tricks 👩🏻🍳
Use a brie baker. A brie baker is a ceramic or stoneware dish that is intended to fit a whole wheel of cheese. This makes it easy to serve the brie because it has walls to prevent the melted cheese from oozing out, but also shallow enough for people to cut and enjoy without burning themselves. My favorite cheese baker is the Staub covered brie baker. If you don't have a brie baker, you can also use a pie plate.
Don't overbake the brie. You want the brie cheese to be just melted and gooey. It's a good thing at 15 minutes, check it by touching the surface of the center of the brie. If it easily pushes down, then that means the cheese under is melted and ready to eat. If you overbake it, it will become hard.
step by step instructions 🔪
Step #1 - Grease the baking dish and preheat the oven. Lightly oil a baking dish or brie baker with olive oil. If using a baking sheet, be sure to put down parchment paper in case the cheese melts and oozes out. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step #2 - Place brie in the dish & top with red pepper jelly. Place the whole wheel of brie in the center of the baking dish. On top of the cheese, add the red pepper jelly. Evenly spread it over the top without having jelly spill over the sides.
Step #3 - Bake the brie. Place the brie in the baking dish in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the brie at 15 minutes to see if it is melted by touching the center of the wheel and pressing. If it is soft and pushes easily, then the cheese under is melted, but if it is still hard to press, then continue to bake for 5 more minutes.
Step #4 - Serve the baked brie. Serve the baked brie alongside crackers, bread, or fresh fruit with a cheese knife. Enjoy right away!
serving suggestions 🍽️
Serve this baked brie with red pepper jelly while hot alongside a cheese knife. Have fresh fruit or your favorite crackers on the side for dipping. My favorite to use is fresh apple slices!
If you are feeling fancy and want to dress up this appetizer, place brie on a serving platter and garnish with a thyme sprig on the sides.
Some great recipes to serve alongside this brie on an appetizer platter would be fried goat cheese balls and air fryer brie bites.
storage & reheating ⏲️
Store leftover brie in a small bowl of Tupperware in the fridge for up to 5 days. To learn more about storage methods and brie expiration, check out my post that answers how long does brie last.
Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. A whole wheel of brie takes 2 minutes to reheat, so gauge the reheat time based on how much brie you have left.
faq’s ❓
The rind or "crust" on brie is completely edible. It is important to leave the rind on the brie when baking it because that is the structure that keeps the melted cheese contained. Otherwise, the cheese would ooze all over and quickly harden.
If serving brie on its own or a charcuterie board, you should use a soft cheese knife to serve it. A soft cheese knife is one with a rectangular blade and various holes in the blade. This ensures that the soft cheese does not stick to the knife since there is not enough surface area for it to stick to.
Baked brie is so delicious served with fresh fruit, bread, crackers, or chips! Most commonly, it is served alongside water crackers or club crackers. Try unconventional chips like bagel chips or pita chips! You can even do crescent rolls or baguette slices to have more of a bite. Fresh fruit like crispy apples or ripe peaches goes amazingly with the buttery flavors of brie. Experiment with what combo you like best to enjoy brie with.
more appetizer recipes
It warms me up to see you make my recipes! Tag me on instagram @essenceeats so I can see your remakes. If you made this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Also, please leave a star rating while you're there ☆
recipe 📋
Baked Brie with Sweet & Spicy Red Pepper Jelly
This baked brie with red pepper jelly takes minimal effort for the perfect holiday appetizer! On top of melted creamy brie is sweet yet spicy red pepper jelly that is bursting with flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons red pepper jelly
- Brie (8 ounce wheel)
Instructions
1. Lightly oil a baking dish or brie baker with olive oil. If using a baking sheet, be sure to put down parchment paper in case the cheese melts and oozes out. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the whole wheel of brie in the center of the baking dish. On top of the cheese, add the red pepper jelly. Evenly spread it over the top without having jelly spill over the sides.
3. Place the brie in the baking dish in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the brie at 15 minutes to see if it is melted by touching the center of the wheel and pressing. If it is soft and pushes easily, then the cheese under is melted, but if it is still hard to press, then continue to bake for 5 more minutes.
4. Serve the baked brie alongside crackers, bread, or fresh fruit with a cheese knife. Enjoy right away!
Notes
Storage Instructions:
Store leftover brie in a small bowl of Tupperware in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating Instructions:
Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. A whole wheel of brie takes 2 minutes to reheat, so gauge the reheat time based on how much brie you have left.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 0g
All nutrition facts are estimations. Please see a physician for any health-related inquiries.
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