Baked brie kind of has a reputation as a dinner party thing, which is a shame because it’s one of the easiest appetizers you can make. The whole process takes maybe 30 minutes, most of that is the oven doing its thing, and the result looks way more involved than it actually is.
This version uses a brown butter apricot jam filling that I started making by accident — I forgot to watch the butter and it browned on me, and then I just went with it. The nutty, slightly caramelized flavor it adds against the tangy brie is honestly better than plain melted butter. Sliced almonds go in there too for a little crunch, though they mostly soften into the jam. A few fresh thyme leaves if you have them.
A toaster oven is genuinely ideal here. It gets hot fast, the heat is concentrated, and the pastry crisps up beautifully in that smaller space — maybe even better than a full-size oven sometimes. You’ll want a toaster oven baking pan lined with parchment since puff pastry releases a fair amount of butter as it bakes. If your toaster oven runs hot, start checking around the 18-minute mark.
One thing worth knowing: pull the brie straight from the fridge. Cold brie holds its shape better while you’re wrapping it, and gives you a little more margin before it starts oozing through the pastry seams. Room temperature brie can get a bit messy to work with. If you make this kind of thing regularly, a toaster oven with a convection setting will give you the crispiest pastry — just drop the temperature by about 25°F.
Toaster Oven Crispy Brown Butter Apricot and Almond Baked Brie
A small wheel of brie gets wrapped in puff pastry, stuffed with brown butter apricot jam and toasted almonds, and baked until golden and gooey. It's the kind of thing that disappears in five minutes.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat your toaster oven to 400°F. Line the toaster oven baking pan with parchment paper — puff pastry leaks butter and you'll be glad you did this.
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Melt the butter in a small saucepan (or a little toaster-oven-safe dish) over medium heat on your stovetop, swirling occasionally, until it smells nutty and turns a light amber color. Takes about 3-4 minutes. Pull it off the heat immediately.
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Stir the apricot jam into the brown butter. It'll sizzle a bit. That's fine. Add the thyme leaves and almonds and stir to combine. Let it sit for a minute to thicken slightly.
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Unfold your puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. You want it roughly 12 inches square — give it a gentle roll with a rolling pin if needed.
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Spoon about half the apricot-almond mixture into the center of the pastry, roughly the same diameter as your brie. Place the brie on top. Spoon the rest of the mixture over the top of the brie.
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Fold the pastry up and over the brie, pleating it as you go. Flip the whole thing over so the seam side is down on your prepared pan. This is the step where it might look a little rough. That's okay — it bakes up beautiful.
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Brush the outside of the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
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Bake at 400°F for 20-22 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown. Don't pull it early — pale pastry means the inside won't be fully melted. Let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it, or it'll just run everywhere. Serve immediately with crackers or bread.
Notes
The brown butter step takes this from fine to really good — don't skip it. If your puff pastry tears while folding, just press it back together; it'll seal in the oven. Leftovers (if there are any) reheat well at 350°F for about 8 minutes. You can assemble the whole thing and refrigerate it unbaked for up to 4 hours, then egg wash and bake right before guests arrive.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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