Honey Hazelnut Baked Brie

Festive Baked Brie! Drizzled with a sweet and sour honey sauce and toasted hazelnuts.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated June 23, 2022
Elise Bauer
Honey Hazelnut Baked Brie
Elise Bauer

One of the easiest and most elegant appetizers you can make for a gathering is baked brie.

Baking a round of brie for a few minutes in the oven makes it all melty and oozy, and transforms it from something already wonderful to completely irresistible.

For this baked brie recipe we are making a sweet and sour caramelized honey sauce, and drizzling it over the brie with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

The sweet tartness of the sauce helps cut through the richness of the brie. It's really a perfect way to enjoy this cheese.

Honey Hazelnut Baked Brie
Elise Bauer

The caramelized honey sauce is a classic French glaze called a "gastrique". It's one of those simple tricks of the trade that chefs use to provide razzle dazzle to a dish.

Most references I found for gastrique would have you caramelize the honey first, then stir in some vinegar and reduce. I found that one can just as easily stir honey and vinegar together, bring it to a simmer, and reduce the sauce until it turns a warm shade of amber.

I've also made the sauce with brown sugar in place of honey. That works too! Though I think I prefer the flavor of honey with the brie.

You can use this sauce to swirl over other cheeses as well, melted or not.

Honey Hazelnut Baked Brie

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 6 servings

If starting with raw hazelnuts, toast them by spreading them out on a sheet pan and roasting them in a 350°F for 15 minutes, or until the skins start to split. Remove from oven and place in a clean dish towel, rub to remove the outer skins.

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce, 225g) round brie (we recommend President brand, it melts well)

  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (skins removed), lightly chopped

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar

  • 5 tablespoons honey

  • Pinch salt

  • 1 small sprig rosemary

Method

  1. Make the sauce:

    Place the vinegar, honey, salt, and 5 or 6 needles from the rosemary sprig into a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat on medium high heat until simmering. Then lower the heat to low and simmer until the mixture starts to darken in color and the consistency thickens to a thin syrup, about 5 to 10 minutes. (Note if you find that you have over-reduced the sauce, resulting in hard candy not syrup, you can add water to it and heat it again.)

    honey-hazelnut-brie-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    honey-hazelnut-brie-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    Remove from heat and stir in the hazelnuts.

  2. Bake the brie:

    While the sauce is simmering, start on the brie. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a serrated knife to slice off the very top of the brie round, exposing the cheese on one side. Place on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet (cut side up). Bake until just soft and bubbly, about 15 minutes. (Jiggle the pan to see if the cheese has melted all the way through.)

  3. Drizzle the brie with sauce:

    Remove the brie from the oven and let it cool for a minute or two. Use a metal spatula (or two) to carefully transfer it to a serving dish. Drizzle the honey vinegar hazelnut sauce over the brie. Garnish with the sprig of rosemary.

    Serve with sliced tart apples.

Links:

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry here on Simply Recipes

Gastrique from Bobby Flay via David Lebovitz

Baked Brie with Sun Dried Tomatoes from White on Rice Couple

Baked Brie with Honey and Sliced Almonds from The Lemon Bowl

Baked Brie Graham Cracker Crostini with Lavender Honey from Foodiecrush

Honey Hazelnut Baked Brie
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
217 Calories
14g Fat
16g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 217
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 260mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 122mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.