• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cook Well, Eat Well
  • Shop
  • Meet Shinee
  • Contact
Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube

Sweet & Savory

Cook Well, Eat Well

  • New? Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
      • Dips
      • Meat-lovers
    • Desserts
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • French Macarons
      • Pastries
      • Pies
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Salads
    • Seasonal
      • Summer Favorites
      • Easter
      • Christmas
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Game Day
      • Halloween
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine’s Day
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Discover
    • Ingredients
    • Tools
  • Learn
    • Baking Basics
    • Cooking Basics
    • Advanced Techniques
    • How-To’s
  • Share
    • Seasonal
    • Party Planning 101
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Subscribe To Updates
Home » Discover » Ingredients » Brie Cheese 101

Brie Cheese 101

Share
Share on:
By: Shinee Published: 8/25/2022Updated: 8/25/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Sharing is caring!

10 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Learn everything about this beloved, creamy cheese in my ultimate guide to brie, including what it tastes like and how to serve and store it.

A log of brie sliced into discs.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated to try brie, you’re not alone! It took me a while to try this soft French cheese. But I immediately fell in love with its rich, buttery flavor!

Here’s the lowdown on my favorite soft-ripened cheese, Brie Cheese 101!

Table of Contents

  • What is Brie?
  • What does it taste like?
  • How it’s made?
  • Serving Ideas:
  • Proper Storage:
  • Substitutes for Brie:

What is Brie?

Brie is a soft, buttery cow’s milk cheese named after Brie, a region in Northern France. It’s enveloped in a bright white, edible rind with a soft center that’s gooey when baked.

It’s a soft-ripened cheese which means its aged from the outside in. The mold grows on the outside of the cheese and forms the chewy rind and creamy center.

By the way, authentic Brie is only produced in France.

Because it’s made with raw, unpasteurized cow’s milk, it’s illegal in the United States. But don’t worry, there’re pasteurized versions available for us in the States!

What does it taste like?

Brie is rich yet mild with an earthy flavor that resembles mushrooms.

It’s often compared to camembert cheese in terms of flavor and texture, although camembert is a bit more intense and not as soft.

Whatever you do, don’t just scoop out the melt-in-your-mouth center referred to as the paste. Not only is the rind safe to eat, it complements the velvety center with its umami flavor!

How it’s made?

Rennet is added to the raw cow’s milk and warmed to encourage coagulation, thus curds. The cheese is then cut into molds and drained.

It’s removed from the molds, salted, and sprayed with bacteria, then aged for around 4 weeks.

The rind blooms, and the paste ripens until it’s ready to enjoy with a glass of wine and some fig jam. Yes, please!

Serving Ideas:

Brie is humble yet fancy which makes it perfect for a dinner party or holiday table. While it elevates a special occasion, you don’t need a reason or a recipe to enjoy this luxurious cheese.

Thanks to its mild flavor, it pairs well with almost anything.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this versatile cheese.

  • Baked Brie – Bake a wheel of Brie cheese in the oven at 350 degrees until the center is gooey – about 15 minutes. Top with your favorite jam and walnuts. Serve warm with crackers.
  • Brie bites – I love to pair a slice of brie with ritz cracker and jam, especially with spicy pepper jelly or a fig jam!
  • Brie en croute – Wrap a wheel of Brie inside puff pastry brushed with egg wash, then bake at 425°F until the pastry is golden brown. Try filling it with honey, pecans, cranberries, raspberry jam, or caramelized onions!
  • Brie grilled cheese – Use it as a creamy spread for grilled cheese or a panini. It pairs well with sweet and savory ingredients like sliced apples, bacon, ham, or mushrooms.
  • Charcuterie board – Combine nuts, assorted meats, crackers, fresh fruit, spreads, and preserves for a beautiful charcuterie board. Brie makes an eye-catching focal point.

And feel free to get creative with it! Use it to stuff baked chicken, spruce up some mac and cheese, or top a burger with it!

A wheel of baked raspberry brie with baguette chip dipped in the center.

Proper Storage:

  • Don’t suffocate your cheese with plastic wrap, which encourages mold growth. Let it breathe.
  • Instead wrap it loosely in parchment paper and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. If the parchment paper won’t stay on, use tape to secure it.
  • Wrap cut pieces of brie in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Enjoy Brie at room temperature. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator at least one hour before you plan to serve it.
  • And throw it out if you smell ammonia, see any dark mold or if it dries out and hardens.

Substitutes for Brie:

If your local grocery store is fresh out of Brie, don’t panic. Try one of these soft-ripened cheeses to take its place.

  • Camembert cheese – Both are soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese that originate from France. The difference is subtle, which makes it a great substitute if you can’t find Brie.
  • Saint Andre – Saint Andre is a type of Brie with a dense, firm texture and a tangy rind!
  • Coulommiers – Similar to Brie, this cheese is small and thick with a nutty flavor and a creamy texture.
  • Chevre Cheese – Chevre is a type of goat cheese with a tangy flavor and creamy texture.

Related Recipes

  • The BEST Charcuterie Board
  • How to Make an Epic Charcuterie and Cheese Board
  • Summer Cheese Board
    Summer Cheese Board
  • 15-Minute Philly Cheese Steak Grilled Cheese

Never Miss a Recipe!

Subscribe and receive my FREE Portion Planning Cheat Sheet for Cocktail and Dinner Parties.

Previous Post
Raspberry Macarons v2.0 (Improved)
Next Post
Baked Brie (with a cutout)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Made this? Rate this recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Shinee! I’m so happy you’re here! I believe anyone can cook restaurant-quality food at home! And my goal is to help you to become a confident cook with my easy-to-follow recipes with lots of tips and step-by-step photos.

New? Start Here

Browse Specialties

Main Dishes Side Dishes Appetizers Salads Breads & Pastries Cakes Macarons Drinks Browse All
Portion Planning 101
Free Dinner Party Cheat Sheet
Download Now

Popular Recipes

Yellow and white macarons.

French Macarons for Beginners

Best Prime Rib Roast (Bone-In)

This is the simplest and moistest banana bread - easy to make and yields 2 breads! #bananabread

Best Moist Banana Bread Recipe

A plate full of chocolate chip cookies.

Egg Yolk Cookies

How to Make Homemade Pistachio Paste

sliced plain sponge cake layers

Easy Sponge Cake (3 Ingredient Cake)

Valentine's Day Desserts

Pistachio Macarons in a box

Pistachio Macarons

Supreme Chocolate Cheesecake

Supreme Chocolate Cake

Mini strawberry pavlovas on a baking sheet.

Strawberry Mini Pavlova

Pistachio Eclairs

Raspberry lemon tartlets arranged on a rectangular serving platter.

Raspberry Lemon Tartlets

Game Day Eats

Cooked bacon jalapeno poppers on a baking sheet.

finger food:

3-Ingredient Jalapeno Poppers

meat:

Beer BBQ Meatballs

Bean dip in a casserole dish with a portion being scooped with a chip.

dip:

3-Ingredient Bean Dip

appetizer:

Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Crackers

sandwich:

Philly Cheese Steak Sliders

dessert:

5-Ingredient Pineapple Cake

Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube

Never Miss A Recipe

Subscribe and receive my FREE Portion Planning Cheat!

  • Discover
    • Recipe Index
    • Tools & Gadgets
    • Ingredients
  • Learn
    • Baking Basics
    • Cooking Basics
    • Advanced Techniques
  • Share
    • Holidays
    • Appetizers
    • Party Planning 101
  • Back To Top
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
© 2013-2023 Sweet & Savory Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Exclusive member of Mediavine Food
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and Receive My FREE Portion Planning Cheat!