Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe

Pastry-covered melty cheese with an autumnal twist.

By
Emily and Matt Clifton
Emily and Matt Clifton: Contributing Writers at Serious Eats
Emily and Matt Clifton
Emily and Matt Clifton are recipe developers, photographers, and cookbook authors. Their two cookbooks are Cork and Knife (2019) and The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook (2021).
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated September 27, 2022

Why It Works

  • Pairing the creamy cheese with a combination of tart and sweet gives it the ideal flavor balance.
  • Adding a puff pastry crust is an easy way to create an impressive party appetizer.
  • Triple-cream cheese gives you the best gooey melt.

Kick off any party with a seasonally dressed baked brie. Whether wrapped in pastry or not, some fruit, jam, honey, or nuts can turn an average cheese into something special.

Baked brie in a pastry shell with apple and pear compote, surrounded by thinly sliced apples, crackers, and whole fruit.

Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton Video: Serious Eats Video

This baked brie with thyme and fig jam gives lots of details on selecting the perfect cheese. Another version, brie with honey and pistachios, is the simplest, forgoing the pastry shell. You don’t need a fancy brie for any of these recipes, any bloomy rind cheese will do, preferably a high-fat triple-cream version.

Tying a parcel of puff pastry around baked brie.

Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton

This rendition is also baked in puff pastry, but we add a layer of sweet, spiced homemade apple and pear compote.

Slicing a round of brie in half.

Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton

For this version, you'll need to slice the wheel in half horizontally, then spread the filling between the two halves as well as on top, creating a higher ratio of jam to cheese, which works well with a milder compote like this one. Then simply shove it in the oven and bake until the pastry is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted—no need to reinvent the wheel here. (Sorry.)

January 2017

Recipe Details

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe

Active 45 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter

  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 1 pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 1/4 cup (60g) sugar

  • 1 small cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • One (6- to 8-ounce; 170 to 225g) round brie, camembert, or other soft-ripened cheese, slightly chilled (see notes)

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting

  • 10-inch square puff pastry dough, kept cold, rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness

  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon (15ml) water

Directions

  1. Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter, and swirl until melted. Add apple and pear and cook, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender and has released most of its liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in sugar, cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes longer. Discard cinnamon stick, if used. Remove from heat and let compote cool to room temperature.

  2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. Using a sharp knife, cut cheese in half horizontally (through the middle). Lay one half on a work surface, cut side up, and spread 3 tablespoons (45ml) of compote evenly over it. Place second half on top and spread another 3 tablespoons (45ml) compote over it.

  4. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Set prepared cheese in center of square, fold dough up and over, and pleat it together on top to enclose cheese. Gently pinch dough together in center to seal gathered pleats. You can tie a bit of kitchen twine on top to hold pleats together if you like, but this is not essential. If dough is no longer cold, chill wrapped cheese for at least 20 minutes. (Cheese can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to bake.)

  5. Set prepared cheese wheel on prepared baking sheet. Brush dough evenly with egg wash. Bake until pastry is crisp and golden brown all over, 25 to 35 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then transfer to a platter. Serve any remaining compote alongside.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, rolling pin, pastry brush, kitchen twine (optional)

Notes

If possible, use a triple-cream bloomy rind cheese, which has a higher fat content than a double-cream cheese and melts better.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300 Calories
19g Fat
26g Carbs
7g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 215mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 96mg 2%
*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.)

More Serious Eats Recipes