Baked Brie with Honeyed Pears, Walnuts & Fresh Thyme
Baked Brie
Warm, gooey brie crowned with honeyed pears, toasted walnuts and thyme—ideal for gatherings.
Nutrition (per serving)
This baked Brie is one of those effortless showstoppers I pull out when friends arrive—creamy, molten cheese under a crown of lightly caramelized pears, crunchy toasted walnuts and a drizzle of honey. It’s approachable, elegant, and tastes like autumn in every bite.
The prep is quick: sauté pears just long enough to soften and coax out their sugars, toast the nuts for depth, then assemble and bake until the Brie is sumptuously oozy. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers and watch it disappear.
Ingredients
- Brie cheese (wheel):8 oz
- Ripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett), cored and sliced:2 pieces
- Unsalted butter:1 tbsp
- Honey:3 tbsp
- Chopped walnuts, toasted:3/4 cup
- Fresh thyme leaves:1 tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice:1 tsp
- Sea salt:1/4 tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper:1/8 tsp
- Sliced baguette or crackers, for serving:1/2 loaf
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F. If your Brie has a thick rind top you want to remove, trim a thin circular lid from the top of the wheel; otherwise leave rind intact.
-
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced pears, lemon juice and 1 tbsp honey and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are just softened and starting to caramelize, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.
-
Spread toasted walnuts and thyme into a small bowl; reserve about 1 tbsp walnut mixture for garnish. Stir remaining walnuts into the warm pears and season with salt and pepper.
-
Place the Brie wheel on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a small ovenproof dish. Spoon the pear and walnut mixture over the top of the cheese.
-
Bake until the Brie is soft and beginning to ooze, 12–15 minutes (longer if using a thicker wheel). Keep an eye so it doesn't overheat and split too much.
-
Remove from oven and drizzle remaining honey over the top. Sprinkle reserved walnut pieces and a few extra thyme leaves for a fresh finish.
-
Transfer to a serving board and serve immediately with sliced baguette or crackers for spreading the warm, gooey cheese.
Tips & Notes
- Choose pears that are ripe but still firm so they hold their shape when sautéed.
- Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant—this adds a deeper, richer crunch.
- If you like, wrap the Brie in puff pastry before baking for a golden, flaky presentation—bake longer at 400°F until pastry is golden.
