Baked Camembert with Cranberries and Walnuts

This baked Camembert with cranberries and walnuts is wrapped in golden puff pastry and baked until warm, gooey and irresistible. An easy, elegant French appetizer that looks far more impressive than the effort it takes.

Baked Camembert. Seriously... do I even need to say more?

I mean, what else could life possibly have to offer than warm, melted French Camembert stuffed with cranberries and walnuts and wrapped in buttery, golden puff pastry?

Exactly.

And as if a wheel of molten cheese wasn't already doing enough, this one comes dressed for the occasion in its little golden puff pastry coat. I decorated mine with a bunch of grapes made from the leftover pastry because, apparently, even my cheese needs to look French and fabulous.

Serve this baked Camembert as an appetizer with plenty of crusty baguette for scooping up all that melted cheese the second you cut it open. Or serve it the French way, as the cheese course after the main course and just before dessert.

Yes, in France cheese gets its own course. We have our priorities in order.

And no, it doesn't have to be a particularly fancy dinner. Growing up in France, a cheese course wasn't something reserved for fancy dinners. It was simply part of dinner.

This baked Camembert with cranberries and walnuts is rich, creamy, crunchy, slightly sweet and tart, all under a crisp layer of puff pastry. I am making myself hungry just writing about it.

Jump to:

• The Story Behind This Baked Camembert Recipe
• Why You'll Love This Baked Camembert
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Baked Camembert
• Why Do You Freeze Camembert Before Baking?
• What to Serve with Baked Camembert
• Baked Camembert Variations
• Can I Use Brie Instead of Camembert?
• Can I Make Baked Camembert Ahead of Time?
• A Few Tips for the Best Baked Camembert
• Baked Camembert with Cranberries and Walnuts Recipe

The Story Behind This Baked Camembert Recipe

I first came across this recipe years ago completely by accident while watching Food Wishes on YouTube. It was one of those culinary love-at-first-sight situations where whatever I had planned to cook suddenly became completely irrelevant.

I HAD to make it.

The original recipe was made with Brie, but when I first recreated it for my French blog, I decided to use Camembert instead.

And I still love it that way.

Camembert has a little more personality and a stronger, earthier flavor than Brie, which works beautifully against the sweet-tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts.

But if you prefer a softer and milder cheese, absolutely use Brie instead of Camembert. It's delicious both ways.

Think of Brie as Camembert's slightly more polite cousin.

Why You'll Love This Baked Camembert

This is one of those recipes that looks far more complicated than it actually is.

You need only a handful of ingredients, yet when you bring the finished Camembert to the table-all golden and decorated-and dramatically cut into it to reveal that melted cheese...

People are impressed.

We don't need to tell them how easy it was.

You get:

• Crisp, buttery puff pastry
• Warm, gooey Camembert
• Crunchy walnuts
• Sweet and tart dried cranberries
• A beautiful appetizer that looks made for a French holiday table

It's an easy oven-baked Camembert that works for Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, dinner parties or frankly any occasion when wrapping an entire wheel of French cheese in pastry feels appropriate.

Which, in my opinion, is most occasions.

Ingredients You'll Need

This baked Camembert recipe requires only five ingredients:

Camembert: Use one whole wheel of Camembert. I love its stronger flavor here, but you can substitute a wheel of Brie for a milder result.

Walnuts: Roughly chopped walnuts give the filling a wonderful crunch that contrasts with the melted cheese.

Dried cranberries: Their slight tartness and sweetness balance the richness of the Camembert beautifully.

Puff pastry: Store-bought puff pastry is absolutely perfect here. This is not the moment when we need to prove anything by making puff pastry from scratch.

Egg wash: One egg beaten with a little water gives the puff pastry that beautiful, glossy golden finish.

How to Make Baked Camembert

Making this baked Camembert recipe is surprisingly simple.

Start by slicing the whole wheel of Camembert horizontally through the middle so you have two equal rounds.

Sprinkle the roughly chopped walnuts over one half and the chopped dried cranberries over the other. Gently press the cranberries into the cheese so they stay in place, then sandwich the two Camembert halves back together.

Next, unfold your puff pastry and roll it very lightly with a rolling pin. You want it just a little thinner than it was straight from the package.

Place the stuffed Camembert in the center and bring the pastry up and around the cheese, completely enclosing it. Trim away the excess pastry rather than piling too many layers underneath.

And whatever you do, don't throw those scraps away.

Use them to decorate the top!

I made a little bunch of grapes by cutting small circles of pastry and arranging them together, but leaves, stars, little vines or whatever your inner French pâtissier dreams up will work beautifully.

Brush the entire pastry with egg wash.

Then comes the slightly unusual-but very important-part.

Freeze the wrapped Camembert for one hour before baking it.

Why Do You Freeze Camembert Before Baking?

This step is worth planning for.

The cheese needs to stay cold long enough for the puff pastry to bake, puff and become beautifully golden before the Camembert completely melts and tries to escape.

And Camembert will absolutely try to escape.

Freezing it for an hour gives the pastry a head start.

After about 50 minutes in the freezer, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).

Transfer the chilled Camembert to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden.

When you see just a little melted Camembert beginning to peek out from its pastry shell, that's usually a very good sign that the party is ready to begin.

Let it sit for just a few minutes, then serve it while the cheese is wonderfully warm and gooey.

What to Serve with Baked Camembert

If you're wondering what to eat with baked Camembert, my first answer should surprise absolutely no one:

A French baguette.

Slices of crusty baguette are perfect for scooping up the melted cheese, cranberries and walnuts together.

But there are plenty of other delicious options. Arrange your baked Camembert in the middle of a large wooden board and surround it with:

• Sliced French baguette
• Toasted sourdough or other crusty bread
• Crackers
• Fresh grapes
• Thinly sliced apples
• Sliced pears
• Fresh figs when they're in season
• Dried figs or apricots
• Extra walnuts or other nuts

The fresh fruit is particularly lovely because its acidity and freshness balance the richness of the cheese and pastry.

So if you've ever wondered what goes with baked Camembert, think of it almost like building a small cheese board around it: bread for scooping, fruit for freshness and perhaps a few extra nuts for crunch.

As for how to serve baked Camembert, you can bring it to the table as a warm appetizer for everyone to share, or serve it the French way after the main course as your cheese course. Either way, cut into it while it's still warm and have that baguette ready for the melted cheese.

Baked Camembert Variations

Cranberries and walnuts are wonderful together, but once you understand the basic method, there are so many ways to change this recipe.

Baked Camembert with Honey

For a sweeter version, add a small drizzle of honey over the nuts before closing the cheese.

You can also drizzle honey over the pastry just before serving. This baked Camembert with honey is especially good with walnuts or pecans.

And if you're searching for a honey baked Camembert, try adding a little fresh rosemary or thyme as well. The combination of sweet honey, herbs and salty cheese is lovely.

Fig and Walnut Camembert

Replace the dried cranberries with finely chopped dried figs, or spread a thin layer of fig jam inside the Camembert before adding the walnuts.

This one is fantastic with fresh pear slices on the side.

Cranberry Sauce and Pecan

For a more festive holiday version, replace the dried cranberries with a thin layer of cranberry sauce and swap the walnuts for pecans.

Just don't add too much sauce or the filling can become difficult to contain inside the pastry.

Apricot and Almond

Use chopped dried apricots with sliced or roughly chopped almonds for a slightly sweeter, more delicate variation.

Pistachio and Cranberry

Swap the walnuts for pistachios. The green pistachios and red cranberries make this especially pretty around Christmas.

Savory Baked Camembert

Not everything involving Camembert needs to be sweet.

Try caramelized onions or sautéed mushrooms with a little fresh thyme for a completely savory variation.

You could also keep it very simple with garlic, rosemary and a touch of black pepper.

The basic rule is simple: choose something with sweetness, acidity, crunch-or preferably all three-to balance that gloriously rich cheese.

Can I Use Brie Instead of Camembert?

Absolutely.

And technically, you'd be taking this recipe back to its roots because the version that originally inspired me was made with Brie.

Camembert has a more pronounced flavor and is the version I personally love, while Brie is usually milder, creamier and a little more approachable if you're serving people who aren't quite ready to pledge allegiance to strong French cheese.

Use whichever one you prefer.

The preparation stays exactly the same.

Can I Make Baked Camembert Ahead of Time?

Yes, and this is a wonderful recipe to prepare ahead when you're entertaining.

You can assemble the Camembert, wrap it in puff pastry and decorate it earlier in the day or the night before. Keep it well chilled in the refrigerator.

Then place it in the freezer shortly before you plan to bake it.

If it has already been refrigerated overnight and is very cold, 30 to 45 minutes in the freezer should be enough.

Then brush with egg wash if you haven't already and bake it just before serving.

That's the best part: all the slightly fiddly work can be finished before your guests arrive, while the dramatic molten-cheese moment happens fresh from the oven.

A Few Tips for the Best Baked Camembert

Don't skip the freezer. It allows the pastry time to brown before the cheese melts completely.

Don't roll the puff pastry too thin. It only needs a light roll.

Seal the pastry well. Melted Camembert is wonderful on your baguette. Less wonderful running across your baking sheet.

Use the pastry scraps. A few simple decorations turn an already delicious recipe into a beautiful centerpiece.

Serve it warm. This is when you get that gorgeous, gooey center everyone is waiting for.

Have the bread ready before you cut into it. This is not a drill.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. It's warm, gooey, ridiculously easy and very French-which is basically my favorite combination.

And if you love easy French cheese appetizers, try my Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey next-another simple recipe that looks far fancier than the effort it takes.

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