The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries

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Balsamic Cherry Baked Brie — This 3-ingredient baked brie is the perfect last-minute holiday appetizer! It’s salty and sweet, and oh so creamy. This stuff is seriously good!

Balsamic Cherry Baked Brie on white platter with crackers

Easy Baked Brie Appetizer

I love appetizers so much. I’d rather have them than entrees. And of all appetizers, baked brie is my absolute favorite. And this is the best baked brie.

Quite a claim, but it’s that good. It’s such a simple recipe with just three ingredients, but it’s amazing how satisfying, comforting, and just face-stuffing worthy it is.

It pairs salty-and-sweet, with smooth and creamy. Throw in the texture and chewiness from the cherries, and served on top of crunchy crackers, it’s a total slam dunk. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes, making it the perfect last-minute party appetizer.

To make it, slice the top off from a wheel of brie, spoon on a mixture of cherry jam and balsamic vinegar, put the top back on, and bake for 10 minutes. Mindlessly easy.

dipping a chip into Balsamic Cherry Baked Brie

One thing notably absent from this baked brie is puff pastry or any kind of pastry or pie dough. Many times when brie is baked inside dough, the dough overwhelms it, and I find myself having to weed through way too much dry, tasteless bread to find the melty cheese that I covet. If I wanted puff pastry, I’d make cream puffs.

The cheese is melty, luscious, and the saltiness is tempered by sweet-yet-tart cherry jam and balsamic vinegar. I love all things balsamic and could drink balsamic reduction. Plucking out those sweet and tangy cherries from the big pile was so satisfying.

This is without a doubt my favorite appetizer I’ve ever posted. I don’t know why it took me 5 years and hundreds of recipes later to do so, but better late than never.

If it was served at a party, I’d make sure to babysit the table until it was gone. It was so good that it took every ounce of willpower not to devour the whole thing. Definitely and totally worth the cardio.

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries - Only 3 ingredients & ready in 15 minutes! So easy & it really is the best!

What’s in This Baked Brie Recipe?

The ingredient list for this baked brie appetizer is super short, and that’s the beauty of this flavorful recipe! Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy appetizer:

  • Wheel of brie
  • Cherry jam or preserves
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Crackers, bread, etc. for dipping

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries - Only 3 ingredients & ready in 15 minutes! So easy & it really is the best!

How to Bake Brie

Place the brie on a cutting board and carefully cut off one end (you just want to get the rind off). Place the bottom of the brie onto a Silpat-lined baking tray and spoon a mixture of cherry preserves and balsamic over top. 

Loosely place the brie “top” over the preserves, then bake until the cheese has melted. Transfer the gooey cheese to a serving platter using two spatulas, or whatever you think is easiest. 

Brie is best warm and fresh, although it will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, including the cherries. It firms up, but slicing pieces off and serving on crackers or bread works fine.

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries - Only 3 ingredients & ready in 15 minutes! So easy & it really is the best!

Can I Use Fresh Cherries Instead of Preserves? 

Probably, but you’d want to cook them down on the stove with a little sugar to make them nice and jammy before spooning them onto the brie. 

Can I Use Canned Cherry Pie Filling?

No, canned pie filling would result in the wrong texture and flavor. 

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries - Only 3 ingredients & ready in 15 minutes! So easy & it really is the best!

Tips for Making Baked Brie

Be very careful when cutting the top off the wheel of brie. Cutting through the rind can take some muscle, so be patient and go slowly. 

When dolloping the cherry preserves onto the brie, I like to leave a 1-inch margin so the preserves don’t bubble over in the oven and burn. 

This is definitely not a neat and tidy appetizer. Your guests will need to be willing to really dig into it with bread and crackers, but it’s so worth it. 

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries - Only 3 ingredients & ready in 15 minutes! So easy & it really is the best!

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4.63 from 8 votes

The Best Baked Brie with Balsamic Cherries

By Averie Sunshine
This 3-ingredient baked brie is the perfect last-minute holiday appetizer! It's salty and sweet, and oh so creamy. This stuff is seriously good!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients  

  • one 8-ounce wheel of brie
  • about 1/3 heaping cup cherry jam or preserves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • bread, crackers, mini toasts, chips, etc. for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • Place brie on a cutting board and slice off one end of it so that the ‘top’ is about 1/8-inch thick. Cutting through the rind takes a bit of elbow grease. Use a sharp knife, take your time, and be careful.
  • Place base of brie in the center of prepared baking sheet with the top nearby; set aside.
  • In a small bowl, stir to combine the jam and balsamic vinegar. Taste and make sure you like the balance of flavors; adjust if necessary.
  • Spoon jam mixture over the center of brie and keep a bare 1-inch margin around the perimeter to help prevent runoff while baking.
  • Loosely place the brie ‘top’ over the jam mixture.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. In the final moments, jam may runoff which is okay, but keep a watchful eye to make sure it’s not burning if it’s touching the baking sheet.
  • Using two large spatulas or whatever method is easiest, transfer brie to serving platter. Serve immediately with your favorite bread, crackers, etc.

Notes

  • Brie is best warm and fresh, although will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, including the cherries. It firms up, but slicing pieces off and serving on crackers or bread works fine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 179kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 238mg, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Cheesy Appetizer Recipes: 

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Black Currant and Walnut-Stuffed Baked Brie

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Creamy Baked Double Cheese and Onion Dip (gluten-free) – One of my favorite dips and I used to think I hated onions. Stir it together in one bowl in minutes and bake for cheesy comfort food.

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Baked Triple Cheese and Salsa Tortilla Chip Dip — Loaded with 3 kinds of cheese and baked to browned, bubbly, golden perfection.

Baked Triple Cheese & Salsa Tortilla Chip Dip - Loaded with 3 kinds of cheese & baked to browned, bubbly, golden perfection! Always a hit at parties & great for Superbowl! Easy recipe at averiecooks.com

Cranberry Baked Brie — An EASY 15-minute appetizer that’s filled AND topped with richly spiced orange-scented cranberry sauce. Perfect for holiday entertaining! This cranberry brie is salty, tart-yet-sweet, and IRRESISTIBLE!!

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Spicy Chorizo Queso – No processed cheese in this EASY cheese dip that’s ready in 20 minutes!! Wonderfully spicy thanks to the chorizo! Great appetizer for holiday entertaining, parties, and game days!!

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Completely agree that I would take a feast of appetizers over just one ole main dish. Hence why I love tapas. And I have made roasted garlic + rosemary baked brie but baking it with cherries would be phenomenal. Bread + cheese + honey/jam/something sweet is endlessly addictive.. The balsamic would add a nice tart/grown up edge to this too. Will keep this in mind for the next potluck dinner party we have, minimal effort in terms of preparation too :)

  2. This waaaaaaaaaaay beyond a mere appetizer. For me this is a whole meal and I would love every single tantalizing morsel. There would be NO sharing.
    And I would get ill from overeating, BUT I would have fun doing it. Some people drink. Me? I eat baked brie with cherries.

    1. I totally ate this until I had a stomach ache and frankly did not care :) It was so.darn.good. It was a meal, for sure. Mmm, I want to make it again! LOL

  3. Sometimes I think I could eat only appetizers for dinner too! This would definitely be one of them. I love the flavors that you combined in this! I also really like that you left out the puff pastry/pie crust. I totally agree, I love pie crust, but why make it harder to get to the good stuff? :)

  4. Wow! This looks amazing! Couldn’t agree more about appetizers… I love apps as a meal!

  5. Oooo, this looks really incredible. Love brie, loved baked brie, and I really love your idea of pairing it with tart balsamic cherries to contrast with the richness. Yum!!!

  6. Every once in a while we have “appetizer nights” where we eat only appetizers and it’s the best thing ever. This baked brie looks amazing, I love brie anytime but it is so much better when warmed!

    1. Most of my 20s were “appetizer nights” – where we eat only appetizers and it’s the best thing ever AND plenty of wine and liquor :)

  7. I love baked brie and could literally make a meal out of this. Love the balsamic cherries!

  8. As a kid we had appetizers for dinner every single Sunday, it was wonderful! One of my favorite memories from growing up. This looks awesome, I might have to renew our tradition and break out the appetizers next Sunday!

    1. Now that is a super cool story and I think I want to implement it, asap! Seriously! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

  9. This brie looks amazing! And balsamic cherries? What a great idea, Averie! Love the gorgeous pictures of this appetizer!

  10. So yummy… I can not stop looking at it. I have never done any recipe with Brie.. but it is definitely on my list..

  11. I’m falling head over heels in love with cherry. This looks like the best of the best. :)
    Have a beautiful Monday Averie!

  12. Agreed on the appetizers – I could go for those over an entree any day! I love this simple appetizer. I’m intrigued by the cherry/balsamic combination. I bet it’s delicious, and equally delicious with that delightful slice of brie on top!