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This Baked Brie with California Grapes and Beef Bacon is super easy, crazy delicious and ready in only 15 minutes. Not to mention the fact that you only need one dish to get the job done. It’s a must-make appetizer that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, the Holidays or whenever you’re hosting friends for dinner.
Ingredients You Need for the Baked Brie
- Brie: I do think you should source a good-quality brie cheese, but I don’t think you need to break the bank here. The brie is baked until molten inside, so any nuances or subtle flavours that normally make a more expensive cheese special will almost certainly be lost on the palate.
- California Grapes: Roasting some grapes from California alongside the brie is one of the best parts of this recipe. They transform into little pearls of juicy sweetness as they bake in a combination of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup alongside the molten brie. You can use green or red grapes here. I think the red colour makes for a nicer presentation but either will do.
- Beef Bacon: I love the addition of beef bacon to this baked brie. The smoky and salty flavour profile takes the cheese to the next level. I recommend slicing the bacon into lardons (small strips) before roasting so that they cook quickly and evenly. It’s also easier to serve this way. You can substitute pork or turkey bacon, if preferred, or keep it keep it meat-free by omitting the bacon.
- Maple Syrup: A splash of maple syrup will add sweetness and help the bacon caramelize in a shorter period of time. You can substitute honey if preferred.
- Balsamic Vinegar: It might sound strange, but the acid in the balsamic vinegar helps to balance the richness of the bacon. Just be sure to use balsamic vinegar and not balsamic glaze, which is already reduced down to a sweet syrup. As the vinegar bakes, it will naturally reduce down to a glaze.
- Toasted Walnuts: For some texture and nutty flavour, I like to top the baked brie with toasted walnuts. You can either toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat or you can add them to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast them in the oven alongside the brie. You can also substitute a variety of other nuts, such as pecans, pistachios, almonds or hazelnuts.
- Fresh Rosemary: Use any woodsy herb you like here – thyme, rosemary, sage or oregano. I used fresh rosemary because I still have some growing in my planter. Whatever you choose, I highly recommend using a fresh herb. It will give you a much better aroma and colour than anything dried.
How to Make Baked Brie
- Remove the brie from any packaging and place it in the centre of an oven-safe roasting dish.
- Scatter the grapes around the brie. You can leave them on the vines for a nicer presentation or separate them for easy serving.
- Scatter the bacon overtop of the grapes.
- Drizzle everything with the maple syrup and honey.
- Scatter the fresh rosemary leaves overtop.
- Transfer the baking dish to a preheated 400F oven or Traeger grill and bake it until the brie is very soft to the touch and the bacon is cooked, around 15 minutes.
- Remove the brie from the oven or grill. You can serve it directly in the baking dish – just be sure to tell people the dish is hot – or transfer everything to a platter and serve with the endive, pears and crackers.
Gluten-Free Options to Serve with Baked Brie
- Belgian Endive: Not only does the slightly bitter flavour balance the sweetness from the maple syrup and grapes, but the curved shape and firm texture of the endive leaves make them perfect for scooping on the baked brie.
- Sliced Pear: I like to choose very firm pears that are not fully ripe. They’ll be crunchier and firmer, making them better suited for dipping. I also like when they’re still a little sour because it balances the sweetness from the maple syrup. You could also substitute apples if preferred.
- Almond Crackers: These Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers are my favourite of all time. I have at least two Costco-sized boxes in my house at all times. I wish I was joking.
Brie Substitutions
If you can’t find any wheels of brie or you just don’t like this cheese in particular, you have a couple of options.
- Camembert: This cheese has a similarly textured rind and soft interior. It will bake with similar results but will have a noticeably funkier and more pronounced flavour.
- Feta Cheese: It won’t become as molten as the brie, but feta cheese bakes very nicely. It will be much saltier than the brie, but this will balance the sweetness of the grapes and maple syrup.
- Goat Cheese: Similar to feta, goat cheese will soften when baked but it won’t turn as molten and gooey as brie. It also doesn’t have a rind so the presentation will be slightly different.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Even those who don’t like brie will still love this recipe.
Sincerely, someone who doesn’t usually like brie.
- It’s incredibly easy to prepare.
- The ingredients are very easy to find.
- It’s gluten-free.
- It requires only one baking dish.
- It’s ready in 15 minutes.
- You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
- The cheese gets beautifully molten and gooey, similar to a fondue.
- It’s insanely delicious.
Looking for More Ways to Enjoy Grapes?
- California Grapes and Radicchio Salad with Crispy Farro
- Grilled Flatbread with California Grapes, Beef Bacon, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onions
- Grilled Chicken Paillard with California Grapes and Arugula Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with California Grapes and Bacon
- Harvest Steak Salad with California Grapes
- Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs with California Grapes and Sweet Potatoes
- Whipped Ricotta and Roasted Grapes Crostini
- Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with California Grapes and Grilled Chicken
- Easy Waldorf Salad Recipe with Chicken and California Grapes
This recipe was created in partnership with the California Table Grape Commission. All opinions expressed here are the author’s alone.
Baked Brie with California Grapes and Beef Bacon
This Baked Brie with California Grapes and Beef Bacon is super easy, crazy delicious and ready in only 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ pound red Grapes from California
- 8 ounces brie
- 2 strips beef bacon, thinly sliced, substitute pork or turkey
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- ½ cup raw, unsalted walnuts
- 2 Belgian endives, leaves separated, for serving
- 1 bartlett pear, thinly sliced, for serving
- 1 cup almond flour crackers, for serving, substitute crackers of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven or Traeger grills to 400F.
- Place the brie in the center of an oven-safe baking dish and surround it with the grapes, sliced bacon and rosemary. Drizzle the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar overtop and season with black pepper.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven or Traeger and bake until the bacon is slightly crispy, the grapes are slightly tender and the brie is very soft to the touch, around 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the walnuts to a dry skillet. Set it over medium-low heat and toast the nuts, stirring regularly, until they turn golden and fragrant, around 8 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a cutting board and roughly chop them.
- Transfer the brie and grapes to a serving platter and spoon the bacon and sauce overtop. Serve with the endive leaves, pear and crackers.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 615mg, Potassium: 471mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 440IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
Delicious! Although the grapes pair great with this, I prefer them cold. In the first set of instructions, it says to drizzle the syrup and honey on the cheesbut nowhere else does it mention honey – how much etc. I did add some hot honey drizzle to the syrup and it was fabulous too!
Made this last night for a small get together and they were a huge hit! Sooo good! Flavors blended so well. Served with Simple Mills (also my favorite cracker!), sliced pear and endive. While all were delicious, my favorite was the endive. The dish isn’t exactly “finger food” and the endive acted like little spoons making it easier to get all the goodies in each bite. Will definitely make again!!