Baked brie with pears, honey and walnuts is a chic starter or a tasty, quick dinner for two lazy people like me and my husband who sometimes just want to relax and enjoy something delicious with minimal effort. At the same time, if we want to prepare a fancy aperitif or starter for friends, this is the right idea: everything is prepared in a few minutes and you can work a little in advance, so when needed you just turn on the oven and it’s done. It’s very important to serve the cheese hot and creamy, to spoon it onto crostini with pears caramelized in a pan, accompanied by wildflower honey or chestnut honey if you prefer, and walnuts lightly toasted in the oven. Get some bubbly ready—this delightful recipe pairs divinely.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 toasts
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for baked brie with pears, honey and walnuts
- 4 slices bread
- 5.3 oz brie (lactose-free also fine)
- 1 Abate pear
- 4 walnuts
- 2 teaspoons wildflower honey
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste lemon (juice)
Tools to prepare baked brie with pears, honey and walnuts
- 1 Vegetable peeler
- 1 Knife
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps to prepare baked brie with pears, honey and walnuts
Start by slicing 4 slices of bread and brush them lightly with olive oil. Arrange them on the baking sheet. Then prepare the cheese: score the surface in a crosshatch pattern so it heats and melts more quickly. Place it on the baking sheet next to the bread.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (convection) and bring it to temperature.
Meanwhile, peel the pear with a vegetable peeler, dice it and put it in a bowl with a little lemon juice.
Cook the pear in a pan over low heat for a few minutes until softened, add a little honey and caramelize. Set the pear aside.
Bake the bread and cheese in the hot oven. After a few minutes, remove the bread and leave only the cheese in the oven, placed at mid-height.
Meanwhile prepare the walnuts—4 or a few more if you like. Lightly toast them in the oven during the last 2 minutes of the cheese’s baking time. The cheese should be in the oven for at least 10 minutes in total. If the wheel is larger it may need a little more time; it’s easy to tell when it’s ready because the cuts on the surface will show the cheese melted inside.
Remove from the oven and assemble: place the crostini on the serving plate, spoon the melted cheese on top with the caramelized pears, walnuts and a drizzle of honey. Ready to enjoy one of the most indulgent starters ever, perfect for all our special occasions.
