Boozy Baked Brie

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If I had to crown one perfect holiday appetizer, it’d be baked brie right out of the oven with plenty of dippers on the side. Melty, gooey and rich, everyone tends to stand over it until it’s gone. This boozy baked brie recipe, though, ups the ante: It’s baked in a Kahlua–brown sugar sauce that’s studded with walnuts. Yum.

The sticky sauce adds a sweet bitterness that cuts through the salty richness of the warm brie and crackers, so it’s a lot more complex than the average baked brie. Set it out with sliced apples and crackers, and use the rest of the Kahlua for cocktails or Kahlua desserts like classic tiramisu or peppermint white Russians.

Ingredients for Boozy Baked Brie

Overhead horizontal image of ingredients arranged on a rustic background. A wheel of Brie cheese rests on a slate board beside a wooden cheese knife, a measuring cup of dark liquid, and a bowl of brown sugar. Scattered walnuts are spread around the cheese and bowl. | [Original] Ingredients shot

Brie cheese: Normally, I’d suggest splurging on the best brie. While you certainly can, it’s not necessary for this recipe. You’ll be warming up the brie and drowning it in the sauce, so you won’t taste much of the nuance that you get from expensive brie.
Brown sugar: The sauce is made with brown sugar for caramelized flavor and golden color.
Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add much-needed texture to the sticky sauce.
Kahlua: Before you use up your bottle making creative Kahlua drinks, save 1/3 cup for this boozy baked brie. Store-bought coffee liqueur is totally fine, but you can make homemade Kahlua if you’re feeling inspired.
Dippers: Make sure your dippers are prepped and ready to go before the boozy baked brie is ready. Set out crackers or slices of firm, crisp, tart apples like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.

Directions

Step 1: Assemble everything into the pie plate

Overhead horizontal image of a person's hands adding brown sugar from a small bowl to a mixing bowl. The mixing bowl contains chopped walnuts and a dark syrup, while a glass saucepan with an amber liquid sits nearby. | [Original] Pouring walnuts into mixing bowl with Kahlua and brown sugar already in bowl

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the brie cheese into a 1/2-quart baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate. In a bowl, stir together the walnuts, brown sugar and Kahlua. Spoon the mixture over the cheese.

Step 2: Bake the brie

Bake everything until the cheese is softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce and walnuts to make sure they’re not burning.

Step 3: Serve it with dippers

Eye level horizontal image of a hand spooning a sweet and savory mixture of chopped walnuts and syrup onto a round of brie cheese, served in a shallow ceramic dish. The glistening syrup and nuts cascade over the creamy white cheese, preparing it as an elegant appetizer. | [Original] Spooning Kahlua mixture over brie cheese in baking dish

Once you pull the dish from the oven, use a spoon to scoop the sauce over the cheese before serving it with crackers or apple slices.

Overhead horizontal image of a baked brie topped with chopped walnuts and honey, served in a light-colored bowl. A slice of the warm cheese has been removed, revealing its melted interior, and a wooden spatula rests in the bowl. Out-of-focus red and green apple slices are visible in the background, suggesting accompaniments.

Recipe Variations

Try other types of nuts: Instead of walnuts, try chopped pecans, hazelnuts or almonds. You can also omit the nuts entirely if you’re avoiding them.
Use another liquor: Not a fan of Kahlua or coffee? Laura Sylvester (the genius reader behind this recipe) suggests trying raspberry liquor instead.
Make ‘em mini: Ever seen those mini wheels of brie at the grocery store? Buy them instead of a big wheel and bake them. Let everyone pick their own mini Brie wheel (or two) and load up the rest of the plates with dippers.

How to Store Boozy Baked Brie

If you have leftover boozy baked brie, allow it to cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat it gently in the microwave to warm the cheese and sauce through again.

Can you make boozy baked brie ahead of time?

You can mix the sauce components for the boozy baked brie ahead of time, but I don’t recommend making or baking the entire dish in advance. The day before serving, mix together the sauce ingredients and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, just before baking, spoon the mixture onto the cheese and bake everything in the oven. It’s one less step!

Boozy Baked Brie Tips

Eye Level horizontal image of a baked brie cheese, cut open to reveal its melted, creamy interior. The warm brie is topped with a glistening mixture of chopped walnuts and a sweet, caramel-colored glaze, likely honey or maple syrup. It sits in a shallow dish, surrounded by a pool of the same sweet sauce.

How can you serve boozy baked brie?

Serve boozy baked brie while it’s still warm from the oven. We suggest dippers like crackers and apple slices, but you could also serve the dip with pear slices, tiny toasts, sliced and toasted French bread, or mini pretzels. This is such a fun holiday appetizer, and I like to make a few holiday cocktails (especially ones with Kahlua) to go along with it. So festive!

Can you wrap the brie in puff pastry?

Yes, you can wrap the brie in puff pastry—brie en croute makes the dish feel even more festive. Once the brie is wrapped in puff pastry, bake it at 400° until the crust is deeply golden brown, about 25 minutes. While it’s baking, cook the sauce components in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly so the sauce doesn’t burn. Pour the sauce over the brie en croute (or around the baking dish so you don’t cover up any decorations) just before serving.

Why did my sauce burn?

If your sauce (or the walnuts) burned, you likely left the dish in the oven too long. You also may not have stirred the sauce mixture enough, and there may have been clumps of sugar that over-caramelized. If you want to make sure this doesn’t happen to yours, you can always bake the brie on its own and cook the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour the sauce over the brie as soon as the cheese comes out of the oven.