Quick and Easy Baked Brie with Garlic

This baked brie with garlic is the perfect last-minute party appetizer. With just 4 ingredients, this melty and gooey cheese dip will please any crowd.

Are you running out of time, and your guests are about to arrive? Throw four ingredients together and wow the crowd with this baked brie with garlic and thyme!

Think of this creation as an impromptu fondue with the best gooey, melty consistency. 

Once you smell the garlic and herbs and see the bubbly cheese out of the oven, it’ll be hard not to dive right in! The only things missing are crusty bread slices and crunchy finger foods.

This garlic baked brie is also cooked in its own box, so prep work and clean-up are a breeze. Talk about a low-effort, mess-free appetizer! 

What Is Baked Brie with Garlic?

Baked brie with garlic is a whole wheel of brie cheese baked into melty perfection.

The top of the cheese is scored with a cross-hatch pattern and then loaded with garlic, thyme, and truffle oil. Dear cheese-aholics, I’m pretty sure this baked brie is the greatest thing since cheese boards! ?

We all know brie is already spectacular, but cutting through its rind and baking it with aromatics and truffle oil?

You’ll get the most delicious lava begging to be dived into! 

It also goes well with just about anything. Whether you love crusty baguette slices or vegetable sticks, they have a place in this baked brie. 

So, if you want to impress guests minus all the stress of kitchen work, consider serving garlic baked brie.

It will satisfy your cheese-pull fantasies and prove that baked brie is not just for sweet things. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Garlic Baked Brie

• 4 Ingredients: This herb and garlic baked brie comes together with just 4 ingredients! Make it any time of the year for any occasion without limitations.
• Practical: Looking for an affordable alternative to a cheese board for your party? This garlic and herb baked brie got you! An 8-ounce wheel can satisfy 6 to 8 guests. 
• Versatile: Serve garlic baked brie with just about anything. You can also customize the gooey cheese dip itself with different toppings. And if you have leftovers, use the melty cheese in other dishes like pasta, sandwiches, and omelets. 

What Does Herb and Garlic Baked Brie Taste Like?

Garlic baked brie tastes gourmet even though it’s only made with 4 ingredients.

I know we often enjoy baked brie on the sweeter side. You can’t really go wrong topping the creamy, buttery cheese with maple syrup, nuts, and jams.

However, this savory, melty cheese dip will give classic fondue a run for its money.

Baked brie with garlic and thyme combines the rich, melt-in-the-mouth goodness of brie with thyme’s delightful earthiness and garlic’s distinct, strong flavor. 

The result? A savory, gooey dip that’s decadent, aromatic, and herby. 

The slivers on the rind are like gateways for the garlic slices. Fresh thyme then adds complexity to the garlic-cheese combo.

And, of course, do yourself a favor and don’t just use ordinary oil or butter for your baked brie. 

Try truffle oil for a rich, umami flavor to enhance the creamy, garlicky brie. ? 

Ingredients For Garlic and Herb Baked Brie

• Brie cheese wheel – For the best baked brie with garlic and thyme, look for a triple-cream wheel of brie cheese. The high-fat content guarantees the perfect melty consistency on your baked cheese. You also want to pick the cheese that comes in its own wooden box to save you an extra dish to wash. 
• Garlic – Both fresh garlic cloves and garlic confit work for this baked garlic brie recipe. I’ll definitely try the latter ASAP!
• Fresh thyme – You can also use dried herbs, but we’re team fresh herbs here for the best flavor! Or, if you want, why not infuse the melty cheese with a variety of fresh AND dried herbs for different layers of flavor? 
• Black truffle oil – Drizzling garlic baked brie with oil is the secret to perfectly soft, gooey cheese. Without oil, the cheese can dry out in the oven. 
• Crackers and crostini – What better accompaniment to garlic and herb baked bree than crunchy, bite-sized appetizers? Scroll down for more yummy ideas on what to dip in baked brie. ?

Tools Needed To Prepare Baked Brie with Garlic and Thyme

• Baking dish for cooking the herb and garlic baked brie

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Baked Garlic Brie

Brie substitute

If you can’t find brie, you can still make a crowd-pleasing melty cheese dip with the soft and creamy camembert cheese.

Just like brie, bake camembert in its wooden box to keep things mess-free.

Truffle oil substitute

No truffle oil? Feel free to substitute it with extra virgin olive oil! 

We’ll top the cheese with oil before baking, so it doesn’t dry out in the oven. Keep in mind that overcooked cheese can become rubbery. 

Thyme substitute 

Another delicious herb that’ll be perfect for baked brie with garlic is fresh rosemary.

Its woodsy, peppery flavor will also taste great with sweet toppings on the gooey brie! Off the top of my foodie head, I’m salivating just imagining baked brie with garlic, rosemary, and a drizzle of honey.

Red chili flakes

Want your guests to keep coming back for more? Give your rich, gooey cheese dip a kick, and sprinkle it with red chili flakes before baking!

How to Bake Brie with Garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz brie cheese wheel
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp black truffle oil
• Crackers and crostini for serving

Tools you need:

• Baking dish

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather the ingredients for baked brie with garlic. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

STEP 2: Remove the plastic cover of the cheese, then return it to its wooden box.

STEP 3: Score the top of the cheese in a criss-cross pattern with the cuts about half an inch apart. Don’t cut too deeply, or the cheese can lose its shape during baking. Just cut through the rind.

STEP 4: Insert the garlic slices into the cuts.

STEP 5: Top with fresh thyme, then drizzle with truffle oil.

STEP 6: Place the brie with garlic and thyme on a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

STEP 7: Once done, allow the garlic baked brie to sit for a few minutes. Serve with crackers and crostini. Enjoy!

What Goes Well with Baked Brie?

This delightful baked brie with garlic and thyme is perfect with crackers and baguette slices. Don’t forget to include knives to keep things hygienic at the party!

Generally, the best finger foods to serve with baked brie should be sturdy for dipping. Think perfectly crusty baguettes and prosciutto mascarpone honeyed arugula bruschetta! 

You can also prepare antipasto skewers featuring olives, tomatoes, and cured meat as your sides for baked brie.

Or, for those who love sweet and salty flavors, try this rich and creamy cheese dip with crisp apple slices, grapes, and peaches!

Then, to take it to the next level with texture variation, top the garlic baked brie with pecans and walnuts.

And if you can’t decide what to serve with baked brie, let me save you the brainstorming and select from our unique charcuterie boards.

Tips About Making Garlic Baked Brie

• Scoring the rind on the brie will make it easy to infuse it with all the delicious flavors of garlic, thyme, and truffle oil. This step is also important for the cheese to melt evenly and keep your oven mess-free. 
• Are you worried your baked brie with garlic will leak through its cheese box? Wrap the outside of the box with foil!
• How much of this baked brie with garlic should you allow per person? You can allocate an ounce of brie per guest, meaning an 8-ounce wheel can serve 6 to 8 guests. However, you also want to consider whether you’ll serve other appetizers at the party. 

How To Store Baked Brie with Garlic

• Make-Ahead:  You can make baked brie with garlic and thyme ahead of time! After inserting garlic slices into the rind, just wrap the wheel in plastic wrap. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 to 24 hours. 
• Fridge: You can refrigerate your leftover baked garlic brie for 2 to 3 days. The key is to ensure it has cooled completely and then keep the cheese in an airtight container. 
• Freezer: Just no. The flavor and texture of your garlic baked brie will no longer be the same once it’s frozen and thawed.
• Reheating: To reheat leftover baked brie with garlic, just pop it in the oven at 300°F until it’s gooey again. 

Do You Take the Rind Off Brie Before Baking?

No. You don’t need to remove the rind from the brie for this baked brie with garlic recipe. 

The brie is here to stay since it will keep the entire wheel intact. Otherwise, you might end up with a messy sea of cheese after it’s baked. 

How Long Should Brie Sit Out Before Baking?

If it came from the fridge, allow your brie to sit out for about 45 minutes before baking. 

This is also applicable if you prepared the baked brie with garlic in advance.

Baking room-temperature brie is crucial to ensure even cooking. If the brie is still cold, it’ll be easy to overbake it.

FAQ About Baked Brie

How long to bake a brie cheese?

The baking time depends on the size and thickness of the brie cheese wheel. An 8-ounce wheel of brie can take around 15 minutes, while a 16-ounce wheel will take longer at around 20 minutes. 

Can you reheat brie?

Yes! You can reheat baked brie between 300 to 350°F for 10 minutes or until it’s soft and melty again. 

What to put on brie?

When baking brie, you can’t go wrong putting herbs like thyme and rosemary on top. You can also use melted butter or olive oil before baking to keep the cheese from drying. And if you want to add more interesting flavors and textures to your baked brie, dry white wine, honey, nuts, or even fruit jams are all great. Our peach jalapeno jam is also perfect with the rich and creamy brie because of its hot, sweet flavor. 

Why is my baked brie rubbery?

Brie can turn rubbery if it is overbaked. After baking for 15 minutes, check if the top is bubbly and melty. If the wheel of cheese is still soft, extend the cooking time for 2 to 3 minutes.

Conclusion

If you’ve been craving a cheese-garlic combo, this baked brie with garlic and thyme will hit the spot, one dunk at a time. 

With just a wheel of brie cheese, garlic, thyme, and truffle oil, you can enjoy pure, melty, gooey cheese heaven with your favorite crackers and crusty bread slices!

It’s also easy to make since you’ll just score the rind, then insert garlic clove slices on top of the cheese. It gets baked in its wooden box, so that’s one less dish to wash!

Trust me, from one cheese lover to another; you’ll throw portion control out the window with this baked brie with garlic and thyme. ?

Want more dips that will keep the crowd happy, like this baked brie with garlic? I bet these recipes will get you excited about hosting:

• Carrabbas Bread Dip
• Smoky Carrot Dip
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Caramel Dip For Apples
• Pumpkin Spice Butter