This New Year’s baked apricot brie has a creamy surprise tucked inside: mascarpone mixed with honey-softened dried apricots, chopped almonds and rosemary. Cut into the warm wheel and spoon the filling onto crusty bread for a sweet-and-savory party appetizer.
It makes a lovely centerpiece for New Year’s Eve, but you don’t need to save it for midnight. Serve it at a winter cocktail party or alongside a few favorites from the Christmas appetizer collection.
Jump to:
- What Makes This Baked Brie Different
- Ingredients and Helpful Tips
- How to Make Baked Apricot Brie
- Choose a Dish That Contains the Cheese
- What to Serve With It
- Make-Ahead and Storage Notes
- Variations
- Baked Brie Questions
- New Year’s Baked Apricot Brie Recipe
- New Year’s Baked Apricot Brie with Honey & Rosemary
- More Brie Appetizers
What Makes This Baked Brie Different
The apricots go inside the brie with mascarpone, almonds and rosemary. You slice the wheel horizontally, spread on the filling and put the top back on before baking. There is no puff pastry to roll or wrap.
The dried fruit adds little pockets of sweetness, the almonds bring crunch, and the rosemary keeps the filling savory. A light drizzle of honey over the finished cheese is all it needs.
Ingredients and Helpful Tips
Brie: Use a large 500 g wheel, about 17.6 ounces. A whole wheel gives you two rounds to sandwich together. Keep the rind on and slice the cheese while it is chilled for easier handling.
Dried apricots: Chop the 12 small apricots into small pieces so they spread through the filling. This recipe uses dried fruit, not fresh apricots or a layer of jam.
Mascarpone: Use 130 g of this creamy cheese to bind the filling. Weigh it for a consistent amount.
Almonds and rosemary: Finely chop 20 almonds and measure 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary. Small pieces make the filling easier to spread and scoop.
Butter and honey: Cook the apricots with 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons honey. Keep any extra honey for serving separate from that measured amount.
How to Make Baked Apricot Brie
1. Soften the fruit. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apricots, honey and rosemary. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, then let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the filling. Fold the cooled apricot mixture and chopped almonds into the mascarpone. Letting the fruit cool first keeps the mixture easier to handle.
3. Fill the wheel. Cut the brie horizontally into two rounds, like a sandwich. Spread the filling over the bottom round, then gently replace the top.
4. Bake and garnish. Set the filled wheel in an oven-safe cheese baker or a snug casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for about 25–30 minutes, checking from 20 minutes, until the cheese is soft through the center. If the top browns first, tent loosely with foil. Finish with chopped apricot, rosemary, almonds and a drizzle of honey.
Choose a Dish That Contains the Cheese
Use a dish that holds the wheel comfortably and catches any cheese that escapes as it melts. If you plan to serve directly from an oven-safe cheese baker, place it on a heatproof trivet. If you want to transfer the brie to a platter, line the casserole with baking parchment and leave enough at the sides to lift carefully. Use oven-safe parchment, not wax paper.
The cheese should be soft through the middle, with some bubbling around the edges. Check gently with a utensil instead of pressing hot cheese with your finger.
What to Serve With It
Set out toasted baguette slices, sturdy crackers, apple or pear slices and grapes. Homemade crostini are especially handy for holding a scoop of the warm filling. Put a serving spoon and a small knife beside the dish.
Build the rest of your spread around a mix of warm and cold options. The appetizer portions guide can help you plan the full menu. For a New Year’s finish, serve New Year’s Eve cake ball drops after the savory food.
Make-Ahead and Storage Notes
You can assemble the filled wheel ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. Leave the final honey drizzle and garnishes until serving. Allow for a longer bake if the center is very cold, and use the cheese’s texture as well as the timer to judge readiness.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container and use within 3 days. Follow the two-hour limit for perishable food, or one hour when it is above 90°F.
Variations
Emilie suggests chopped figs, cranberries or dates in place of the apricots; walnuts, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts instead of almonds; and cream cheese instead of mascarpone. These will change the flavor and texture. The apricot-and-mascarpone version is the one shown here.
Baked Brie Questions
Do I remove the rind? No. Leave the rind on and slice through the middle of the wheel horizontally.
Is this baked brie with apricot jam? No. Finely chopped dried apricots are softened in butter and honey, then folded into the filling.
Can I use a small wheel? This version was written for a 500 g wheel. A smaller wheel will need less filling and may bake faster; don’t assume the same timing.
Can I serve it cold? This recipe is intended to be served warm, while the cheese is soft enough to scoop.
New Year’s Baked Apricot Brie Recipe
New Year’s Baked Apricot Brie with Honey & Rosemary
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Have an oven-safe cheese baker or snug casserole dish ready. If using a casserole dish for lifting the cheese out, line it with baking parchment, leaving enough to lift.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped dried apricots, rosemary and measured honey. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- Gently mix the cooled apricot mixture with the mascarpone and chopped almonds. Carefully slice the brie wheel horizontally into two rounds. Spread the filling evenly over the cut face of the bottom half, then replace the top half.
- Place the filled wheel in the prepared dish. Bake uncovered for about 25–30 minutes, checking from 20 minutes, until the cheese is soft through the center and beginning to bubble at the edges. A very cold wheel or a thick ceramic dish may need longer. If the top browns before the center softens, tent loosely with foil.
- Serve from the cheese baker, or carefully lift the brie by the parchment onto a serving dish. Trim excess parchment with scissors, keeping it clear of the hot cheese. Garnish with honey, rosemary, chopped dried apricot and almonds. Serve warm with bread, crackers and fresh fruit; provide a serving spoon and knife.
Notes
More Brie Appetizers
Try pumpkin brie fondue for another warm, shared cheese appetizer, or browse the brie appetizer collection for more ways to serve this party favorite.
Recipe and photography by Emilie L. for AGT. Emilie credits Adeline Cuisine’s stuffed brie as the inspiration for her version.
Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!