Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

This Brandy Pecan Baked Brie is to die for – brandy and brown sugar soaked into pecans and toasted over this ooey gooey buttery brie. Served with apples or crackers, and just 5 minutes to prep, this dish is the best appetizer for any get together. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

This baked brie can be served as a standalone appetizer, but it also makes a lovely accompaniment to a charcuterie board. It takes just 5 minutes to prep the day before and bakes up within just a few minutes when guests are arriving. I serve this several times throughout the year, but always when my girlfriends come for my annual Halloween party and murder mystery night.

Brandy Pecan Brie Ingredients:

• Brandy – You can use your favorite brand of Brandy. The alcohol content will burn off during cooking, and the flavor is perfect with the brown sugar and the brie. I have tried the recipe with rum as well, but the flavor really is a bit too strong. Stick to the brandy.
• Pecans – oh my, I feel like pecans and brown sugar were made for each other. They are just so good together – add in the punch from the brandy and the buttery balance of the cheese, and this is a combo not to be altered.
• Brown Sugar – The light brown sugar is a must in this recipe – the sweetness makes the pecans delicious crunchy bits of candy to contrast with the cheese.
• Brie – You can use a regular wedge of brie for this recipe, but I’ve adjusted the recipe I used to use so that I have enough pecans to cover a big ‘ol Costco size round of brie. It ALWAYS gets eaten. Choose a brie that is not coated with any other herbs, nuts, or spices. You also do not want a mold infused brie (one that is a hybrid of bleu cheese and brie). Use a plain brie or even a double cream brie. Yummmmm.

How to Make Brandy Pecan Baked Brie:

The key to making this a successful dish is allowing enough time for the pecans to soak up all the brandy and brown sugar flavor before baking. This really needs at the very least 4 hours, but if you can pop the mixture into the refrigerator the day before you intend to serve, it is best. There are just a few ingredients, making this a breeze to put together. I like to use a Tupperware container that has a lid to mix up the pecans, brandy, and brown sugar. Dump everything in together, put the lid back on, and stash in the refrigerator until it’s cooking time! I like to stir the mixture a couple times, but it’s probably not necessary, it’s just fun to smell the yumminess and know how delicious it’s going to be when it’s all baked up.

Okay, so after a good soak, the pecan mixture is ready to meet its buttery match – the brie. Place the brie in a smallish oven safe dish – a pie plate will work. Give the pecan mixture a final stir and dump it all over the top of the brie. Use a spatula to make sure you get all the sugary liquid out of the tupperware.

Bake at 500 degrees for just 5-6 minutes. Watch it very carefully so the pecans don’t burn. By the time the pecans and sugar are browned, the liquor will be burned off and the cheese will be melted and gooey!

What to Serve with this Baked Brie:

You will want to prep your accompaniments ahead of time since the brie takes just minutes to bake up. It’s delicious with any of your traditional cheese and cracker type crackers. Again, go for a plain variety so that you don’t have competing flavors. I’ve also found crackers with dried fruit and nuts/seeds sometimes work well with the brown sugar, brandy, and brie. Olives in your crackers are too strong and not a good combination. Apples, of course, are also AMAZING with this appetizer. Slice some french bread to go with the brie. It’s good whether the french bread is toasted or soft and fresh.

Oh so good!! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. And if you’re looking for some other yummies to serve at your next dinner party (or distanced driveway meet up), you might like these: