Everyone loves warm, ooey-gooey brie. My Baked Brie with Walnuts, Brown Sugar, Honey and Momofuku just takes it to a whole new level. Everyone has his or her own toppings that they serve on their baked brie. I’ve seen jams, nuts, spreads, herbs, sauteed onions, cranberry sauce and more. This year I saw a lot of hype on this new product: chili crunch. It is a chili oil that has sesame seeds and chili flakes in it and can be used as a spread. It can be mild to extremely hot and it just looked really good. In particular, Momofuku Chili Crunch has been promoting it everywhere and I thought I’d give it a try. Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of a lot of heat. I like the flavors and a mild tingle but really don’t like to be blown out of the water. But, I also loved the idea of a little crunch in the sauce (great marketing, guys!) so I bought a jar and went to work “playing” in the kitchen. This is one of my first successful attempts at mixing hot and sweet with a little salty and crunchy. The mix just worked when piled on warm, luxurious brie. Need I say more? LOVED IT! It wasn’t too spicy at all when it was mixed with the sweetness of the honey and brown sugar. It combined together for the perfect bite.
I made it in a mini cast iron skillet and presented it right on the table for my guests to enjoy. The one round of brie was devoured by four as a first course. If this was on a buffet, I can’t promise it would last long…you might want to make a couple! Otherwise, try my individual Fried Brie Bites with Tart Cherry Jam for larger gatherings. I used a different topping in that recipe, but mini individual servings are fun. You certainly could use this topping on them too. I served this baked brie with slices of a toasted baguette but crackers would also work. Give my new spicy and sweet version a try…so far, two thumbs up on the Momofuku.
HOW TO MAKE THE BAKED BRIE
This is a straight forward recipe and is definitely easy to pull together. Start by toasting the walnuts in a small skillet on the stove. This will make them even more delicious and bring out the nutty flavor. Be sure to chop the walnuts into small pieces since they will ultimately be spread on crackers and you want mouthsize pieces.
Then, mix up the honey, sugar, nuts and a little salt in a bowl. Combine everything really well. Feel free to add more honey, sugar and/or salt if you like. I’ve also substituted brown sugar substitute for the brown sugar when I’m trying to cut back on sugar. You could also use agave instead of the honey. This is your brie dish, so make it your own. You could easily substitute other types of nuts too. Try chopped pecans, almonds or hazelnuts in this dish.
Next, place the wheel of cheese in the cast iron skillet and top the wheel of cheese with the Momofuku. Momofuku is very spicy so you decide how much to use. I love this condiment but I don’t use a lot. I like a subtle heat in my dishes. Others may really want to up the spice, so use more. Once you’ve coated the top with the amount of the chili crunch that you like, it is time to top the wheel of brie with the sweet nut mixture.
Spoon the nut topping on top of the brie and spread so it covers the entire top of the wheel of brie. If you want a little extra honey, drizzle it on now.
Pop the skillet into the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is hot and melted on the inside.
Finish with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds which gives the dish a pop of freshness. Top with chopped flat leaf parsley for a little green and more freshness. Serve on a cutting board or on a hot plate with slices of toasted baguette or crackers. It doesn’t get much better than this.
If you like this recipe, please leave a rating and comment below. Let me know what nuts you used and how “hot” you went with the Momofuku chili crunch. I’d love to hear how you made this recipe your own.
If you like the spice, check out my other recipes using this condiment in My Four Favorite Recipes using Momofuku. Looking for other easy, cheesy appetizer recipes? Try these:
Herbs and Lavender Fontina Dip
Baked Brie with Walnuts, Brown Sugar, Honey & Momofuku
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Small wheel of Brie
- 1 Tbsp. Honey
- 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Walnuts, chopped and toasted
- 1/2 Tsp. Kosher salt
- 2 Tsp. Momofuku Chili Crunch
- 1 Tbsp. Flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Pomegranate Seeds
- 1 Baguette, sliced and toasted, and/or crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the unwrapped wheel of brie in a small cast iron skillet.
- Mix the honey, sugar, nuts and salt in a small bowl. Spread the cheese with the Momofuku crunch then top with the nut mixture.
- Bake the cheese for about 20 - 25 minutes until warm and gooey on the inside. Sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley and serve right in the skillet along with the sliced toasted bread and crackers. Dig in!
