This easy baked camembert recipe is a cheese lover’s delight! With just four ingredients (including bacon!) and super fast prep, this soft and melty camembert is ready to get the party started.
Why We Love This
Baked camembert is melty cheesy comfort food, perfect as a decadent snack or party starter, or served as part of a full entertaining platter.
Topped with crispy bacon, rosemary and honey, it’s full of flavour and so indulgent. Kind of like a quick and easy cheese dip or microwave fondue!
Feel free to tweak the recipe with your favourite toppings (keep reading for more ideas!) and mix and match your dipping ingredients to find your favourite combinations.
Related: Spinach Cob Loaf / Bacon & Cheese Cob Loaf
What is Baked Camembert
Baked camembert is simply a wheel of camembert with the top sliced off that is baked until melted, often served with slices of crusty bread for dipping.
We first learned this recipe in France, where our host taught us his preferred method of ‘baking’ the cheese in the microwave to make it super fast. While oven baked camembert takes around 15 minutes to melt, this version is ready in just a minute or so in the microwave.
Baked camembert is usually served as an appetiser or as a popular party food recipe. The toppings and dipping ingredients vary from region to region, and from household to household. If you’re feeling extra decadent, you can skip the dipping ingredients and eat it with a spoon!
What You’ll Need
- Camembert – No need for the finest, fanciest camembert, just use a regular supermarket brand. You can melt it straight from the fridge, no need to bring it up to room temperature first. Sub with brie if you prefer.
- Bacon – We love topping the cheese with crispy fried bacon for more flavour, but this is totally optional. Leave it out to save time, or sub with ham or prosciutto if you like.
- Herbs – This recipe is amazing with fresh rosemary, sage, oregano or thyme sprigs. Using fresh herbs is essential for the best flavour, so avoid dried herbs.
- Honey – This adds a dash of sweetness to bring out all the flavour in the other ingredients. Sub with maple syrup, fruit jam, marmalade or chutney for different flavour effects. You could even sub with extra virgin olive oil for a more savoury flavour.
How to Make Baked Camembert:
- Fry the bacon and rosemary in a frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes until the bacon is cooked to your liking and the rosemary is fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Slice off the top rind off of the camembert cheese wheel. Place cheese on a microwave safe plate or shallow dish and cook in the microwave on high for around 45 seconds or until the cheese has melted.
- Top the melted camembert with the fried bacon and rosemary and drizzle with honey. Optional: Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Serve immediately with slices of your favourite crusty bread or dig straight in with a spoon!
Wandercook’s Tips
- Camembert Rind – Some people like to slice off the top rind to get right into the gooey melty cheese centre, others prefer to score the top to keep as much rind as possible on the cheese for extra flavour. We find that slicing off the top rind makes it easier to see when the cheese is perfectly melted, but it’s completely up to you. Don’t waste the rind if you do cut it off though – slice it up and pop on some bread while you wait, or dip a piece into the melted camembert afterwards for a double cheese delight.
- Melting the Cheese – You might need to adjust the cooking time to suit the size of your wheel of camembert. Smaller wheels melt faster, larger ones may take a bit longer, up to around 2 minutes max. Keep a close eye on the cheese as it melts, and stop once you see it start to deepen in colour and get nice and melty. Don’t be tempted to cook for too much longer, otherwise you risk overcooking the cheese into a solid lump.
- Crackers – Go for sturdier crackers / avoid super thin ones as they’re more likely to snap as the cheese starts to cool.
FAQs
Yes, if you prefer a more traditional oven baked camembert, you can preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and bake in a shallow dish for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese softens and melts. If you do, why not pop in some fresh baguette slices alongside it to toast and serve afterwards?
The camembert can potentially curdle or turn lumpy if you have the heat too high (usually with an oven) or if you cook it for too long in the microwave. To avoid this, keep your eye on the cheese as it melts, and if you’re worried, check it half way through the cooking process. It’s better to undercook it rather than risk overcooking it.Â
We LOVE baked camembert with slices of fresh or toasted bread, or even homemade damper. It’s also delicious with crackers, grissini breadsticks, or slices of carrot and cucumber for a healthier option.
Serve it as part of a full entertaining platter with grapes, pear or strawberry slices, dried apricots, and nuts such as almonds and walnuts. Add your favourite charcuterie – prosciutto, salami etc.
Yes, you can reheat the camembert if it’s cooled down before you’ve had a chance to finish it. A few quick bursts in the microwave (10-20 seconds at a time) should get it nice and melty again.
These cheeses are quite similar and are made using a similar method. The main difference is that brie has cream added to make the texture softer and creamier, with a more buttery flavour. You can use either cheese for this recipe. Depending where you live, brie may be available in a triangular slice instead of a wheel. If you’re using a slice, just pop it in a suitable dish to microwave or bake in the oven to capture all that melty cheese!
Variations
- Add Crunch – Sprinkle the cheese with crushed nuts before melting.
- Make it Spicy – Sprinkle the cheese with crushed chilli flakes for extra spice!
- Add Flavour – Fry the bacon with finely chopped garlic.
More delicious starters and party recipes:
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating below!
Equipment
- Small frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 camembert cheese whole wheel
- 100 g bacon chopped
- 2 tsp rosemary fresh or dried
- 1-2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Fry the bacon and rosemary in a frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes until the bacon is cooked to your liking and the rosemary is fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.100 g bacon, 2 tsp rosemary
- Slice off the top rind off of the camembert cheese wheel. Place cheese on a microwave safe plate or shallow dish and cook in the microwave on high for around 45 seconds or until the cheese has melted.1 camembert cheese
- Top the melted camembert with the fried bacon and rosemary and drizzle with honey. Optional: Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.1-2 tsp honey
- Serve immediately with slices of your favourite crusty bread or dig straight in with a spoon!
Video
Recipe Notes
- Camembert – No need for the finest, fanciest camembert, just use a regular supermarket brand. You can melt it straight from the fridge, no need to bring it up to room temperature first. Sub with brie if you prefer.Â
- Camembert Rind – Some people like to slice off the top rind to get right into the gooey melty cheese centre, others prefer to score the top to keep as much rind as possible on the cheese for extra flavour. We find that slicing off the top rind makes it easier to see when the cheese is perfectly melted, but it’s completely up to you. Don’t waste the rind if you do cut it off though – slice it up and pop on some bread while you wait, or dip a piece into the melted camembert afterwards for a double cheese delight.
- Bacon – We love topping the cheese with crispy fried bacon for more flavour, but this is totally optional. Leave it out to save time, or sub with ham or prosciutto if you like.
- Herbs – This recipe is amazing with fresh rosemary, sage, oregano or thyme sprigs. Using fresh herbs is essential for the best flavour, so avoid dried herbs.
- Honey – This adds a dash of sweetness to bring out all the flavour in the other ingredients. Sub with maple syrup, fruit jam, marmalade or chutney for different flavour effects. You could even sub with extra virgin olive oil for a more savoury flavour.
- Melting the Cheese – You might need to adjust the cooking time to suit the size of your wheel of camembert. Smaller wheels melt faster, larger ones may take a bit longer, up to around 2 minutes max. Keep a close eye on the cheese as it melts, and stop once you see it start to deepen in colour and get nice and melty. Don’t be tempted to cook for too much longer, otherwise you risk overcooking the cheese into a solid lump.Â
- Crackers – Go for sturdier crackers / avoid super thin ones as they’re more likely to snap as the cheese starts to cool.
- Add Crunch – Sprinkle the cheese with crushed nuts before melting.Â
- Add Heat – Sprinkle the cheese with crushed chilli flakes for extra spice!
- Add Flavour – Fry the bacon with finely chopped garlic.Â
Nutrition
24 Comments
Pam
21/04/2020 at 11:18 pmLooks great! I’ve never thought about sauteeing rosemary along with bacon. What an awesome idea!
Wandercooks
22/04/2020 at 9:59 amIt really brings out the aroma of the herb, especially simmering in the bacon fat!
Veena Azmanov
21/04/2020 at 10:45 pmI love your combination and I love the presentation too. Picture perfect. I am drooling. This is delicious.
Wandercooks
22/04/2020 at 9:59 amAww, thank you Veena!
Anna
21/04/2020 at 10:30 pmJust looking at these photos makes my mouth water! Baked cheese is one of my guilty pleasures, and your version of this baked Camembert looks utterly delicious! Love the added crispy bacon on top!
Wandercooks
22/04/2020 at 10:00 amYes! The saltiness from the bacon goes so well with the soft flavour of the cheese.
Rebecca
21/04/2020 at 10:20 pmlove your method to fake bake it in the microwave! I’m up for anything to save time, and this is brilliant!
Wandercooks
22/04/2020 at 10:00 amHaha – Any way to save time in the kitchen and that melty cheese in front of me!
Nart | Cooking with Nart
21/04/2020 at 4:47 pmThis looks absolutely divine! Gotta get me some camembert so I can make this!
Wandercooks
21/04/2020 at 8:38 pmHaha cheers Nart, definitely get your hands on some – you won’t regret! 😀
Martin @ The Why Chef
26/12/2016 at 7:36 amChristmas Day check-in! Just made three of these for supper with all the family. I’m a hero right now! 😀
Wandercooks
26/12/2016 at 9:55 amWoohoo go Martin! Merry Christmas to you, Emma and family! ????????
Mark, Compass & Fork
06/04/2016 at 10:59 pmGreat idea on the baked camembert. The combination of honey, bacon and rosemary with the cheese sounds sublime.
Wandercooks
07/04/2016 at 10:24 amThanks Mark, it’s totally addictive too. (Sorry-not-sorry!) 😀
jayne
06/04/2016 at 9:59 pmThis looks all kind of amazing! don’t think there would be any left of this in my house
Wandercooks
07/04/2016 at 10:23 amNot gonna lie Jayne, the camera may eat first for us food bloggers but this Camembert didn’t last 3 minutes after the shoot!
MyCookingSecrets.com | Krystallia Giamouridou
06/04/2016 at 9:19 pmThere is nothing better than a good baked camembert cheese! Love cheese and I would go for the thyme, sage version you suggested above. THanks for sharing this recipe.
Wandercooks
07/04/2016 at 10:20 amGood idea Krystallia – love how versatile this snack can be depending on your favourite flavour combo. Enjoy!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
06/04/2016 at 8:26 pmThose are lovely flavors! Anything rosemary!
Wandercooks
06/04/2016 at 9:03 pmTotally! Rosemary is amazing – especially with lamb too 😀
Sylvie
06/04/2016 at 6:00 pmThere’s nothing better than warm Camembert!
Wandercooks
06/04/2016 at 7:37 pmAgreed Sylvie! What do you pop on yours? Or do you like it just plain and creamy?? 😀
Martin @ The Why Chef
19/01/2016 at 2:06 pmI was just talking to the wife how some bloggers clearly have exactly the same tastes as I do, then BAM this lands in my inbox about 2 minutes later! She actually said ‘God yes!’ out loud when I showed her it! Love it.
Wandercooks
20/01/2016 at 7:45 pmHahahahaha! Love the reaction. Hope you both enjoy, I tell you…it didn’t last 5 minutes after that photoshoot 😛