Baked Brie with Apples and Bacon

Baked brie with apples and bacon is a favorite fall appetizer in our house, and it's easy enough to make for every get-together on your calendar. The melty brie gets topped with cinnamon apples and bacon for a sweet and salty combination that's hard to stop eating.

Do you love baked brie? You should try my Baked Camembert with Honey, Pears & Pecans and Baked Brie with Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes!

Once fall rolls around, our calendars fill up fast. It's hard to find dishes to share that won't take up too much time or be too boring. (You think you have a tough time impressing people with your cooking? Try being a food blogger... talk about high expectations!) This apple bacon brie hits all the marks.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't love melty baked brie no matter what you put on it, but when you top it with cinnamon apples and bacon? Perfection. It takes about 35 minutes start to finish, and most of that is cooking the bacon.

Jump to:

• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make Baked Brie with Apples and Bacon
• Sara's Expert Tips
• Variations
• Storage Information
• Recipe FAQs
• More Apple Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Dips & Spreads

Ingredients Needed

• Bacon - I dice mine small before cooking so it crumbles right over the top. Turkey bacon works if that's what you keep on hand, though it won't render as much fat for the apples.
• Apple - I like a Granny Smith here because the tartness balances the brown sugar, but a Honeycrisp works well if you want something sweeter. Peel it or leave the skin on, whichever you prefer.
• Butter - This is what the apples cook in once the bacon comes out of the pan.
• Brown Sugar - Gives the apples that caramelized edge.
• Cinnamon - A must with baked apples.
• Kosher Salt - Just a pinch, so the apple mixture doesn't taste flat.
• Brie Cheese - Look for a wheel instead of a wedge so it keeps its shape as it bakes. I only slice the rind off the top and leave the sides and bottom intact.

Check the recipe card for quantities and instructions.

How to Make Baked Brie with Apples and Bacon

1. Cook the bacon. Cook the diced bacon over medium heat until browned. Move it to paper towels and drain off the excess grease from the pan.
2. Cook the apples. Melt the butter in the same pan and add the diced apple. After a couple of minutes, stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and cook until the apples are just tender.
3. Bake the brie. Slice the rind off the top of the brie, set it on parchment paper in a baking dish, and bake at 325°F until the center feels soft.
4. Assemble and serve. Slide the brie, parchment and all, onto a serving dish. Top it with the apple mixture and then the bacon.

Sara's Expert Tips

• Keep the brie on the parchment paper from start to finish. When it comes out of the oven, you can slide the whole thing onto your serving dish without it falling apart.
• Slice the rind off the top while the brie is still cold from the fridge. Room temperature brie is soft and much harder to cut cleanly.
• Cook the apples just until they're tender but still have a little bite. If they go too long, they turn mushy once they sit on the warm brie.
• If your apples release a lot of liquid, spoon them onto the brie and leave the excess liquid in the pan so it doesn't pool on your serving dish.
• Bake the brie just until the center feels soft when you press it gently. Leaving it in longer won't hurt the flavor, but the wheel can lose its shape and spread thin.
• Camembert works as a substitute. It has a stronger flavor and usually comes in a smaller wheel, so start checking it a few minutes early. If you're curious how the two compare, I break down the difference between brie and Camembert here.

Variations

Pecans - Toss a handful of chopped pecans in with the apples for the last minute of cooking so they toast a little.

Honey - Drizzle a little honey over the top right before serving.

Fresh Thyme - Stir a few thyme leaves into the apples while they cook, or sprinkle them over the top as a garnish.

Rosemary - A small amount of finely chopped fresh rosemary goes well with the apples and bacon. Go easy on it since rosemary can overpower everything else.

Storage Information

Leftover baked brie keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container, though the texture won't be quite as nice as fresh.

To reheat, skip the microwave since it heats unevenly and can turn brie greasy. Instead, warm it in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, checking it often so it softens again without going fully runny.

Recipe FAQs

More Apple Recipes

• Grilled Apples
• Cucumber Apple Salad
• Apple Cobbler with Bisquick
• Fried Apples (Quick & Easy)
• Apple Pecan Cheesecake Recipe
• Cabbage and Apple Slaw

📖 Recipe