A soft, gooey baked brie layered with raspberry vanilla preserve, prosciutto, and fresh tarragon, finished with hot honey straight out of the oven. No puff pastry, ready in 20 minutes.
The first time I made this version – cheese cut into pieces rather than baked whole, prosciutto tucked between instead of draped on top, the hot honey going on the second it comes out of the oven – I knew I’d never go back to the whole-wheel method. It’s messier looking before it goes in. It comes out better every time.
This is what I bring out when people are coming over and I want something on the table that disappears fast without taking any real effort. Twenty minutes, one small dish, five ingredients. The brie melts into one gooey pool, the raspberry preserves deepen into something almost jammy and tart, the prosciutto gets slightly crispy where it meets the heat, and the tarragon – the part that always gets questions – cuts through the richness with just enough brightness that the whole thing doesn’t feel heavy.
No puff pastry. No wrapping, sealing, or chilling. Just good ingredients in the right order.
What You’ll Need and Why
Brie – 1 eight-ounce wheel, torn or cut into cubes
Cutting the brie into pieces and pressing them together in the dish is what makes this work without pastry. They melt into each other and create a unified pool of cheese rather than a wheel that holds its shape. Leave the rind on – it holds everything together and you won’t notice it once the cheese is melted.
Camembert works well here too if that’s what you have. The flavor is a little earthier but it pairs just as nicely with raspberry.
Small batch raspberry and vanilla preserve – 3 tablespoons
I use my small batch raspberry vanilla preserve here, which has a softer, more spoonable texture than most commercial jams – it distributes more evenly through the dish and creates those glossy pockets of fruit rather than a surface layer that slides off. If you’re using store-bought, look for something with visible fruit pieces rather than a smooth spread, and avoid anything labeled “fruit spread,” which is usually too liquid.
Fig jam, sour cherry preserves, or a good apricot preserve all work as substitutes and each will shift the flavor in a slightly different direction.
Prosciutto – 3 slices, torn into smaller pieces
The key move here is tucking the prosciutto between the pieces of brie rather than placing it only on top. That way it makes contact with hot cheese on both sides – partially crisping at the edges while staying soft in the center. Three slices is enough. It’s more seasoning than component.
Fresh tarragon – 1 tablespoon leaves
This is the ingredient that makes people ask what’s in it. Tarragon has a faint anise quality – not loud, just present – that cuts through the richness and gives the dish a refinement that thyme or rosemary doesn’t quite achieve in this context. Use fresh. Dried tarragon goes flat and slightly medicinal in the oven.
If you don’t have tarragon, fresh thyme is the closest substitute. Fresh basil added after baking (not before) is also good with raspberry.
Hot honey – 2 tablespoons
Goes on the moment the dish comes out of the oven, not after it cools. The heat of the dish is what lets it spread evenly across the surface. Store-bought hot honey works well here – Mike’s Hot Honey is easy to find and performs well. The heat level should read as warmth, not spice.
How to Make It
Preheat your oven to 380°F.
Slightly lower than most baked brie recipes, and it matters. Higher heat can bubble and separate the outer edges before the center has melted.
Cut or tear the brie into cubes and press them into a small baking dish.
Keep them close together – you want minimal gaps. A 6-inch gratin dish, a small cast iron skillet, or any shallow oven-safe dish that fits the cheese snugly works well. Too large a dish and the pieces spread out instead of melting together.
Add the raspberry preserve throughout the dish.
Don’t just put it on top. Press small spoonfuls down between the cheese pieces as well as over the surface. This is what gives you those fruit pockets in the finished dish rather than a layer that slides off.
Tuck the prosciutto between the brie pieces.
Tear each slice into three or four irregular pieces and press them into the gaps. Some will be partly submerged, some more exposed – that variation is what gives you the range of texture in the final dish.
Scatter fresh tarragon over everything.
Whole leaves or roughly chopped, either works. Keep the pieces fairly large so they hold some texture after baking.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Check at 15. You’re looking for fully melted, bubbling cheese throughout – not just at the edges. The preserve will have darkened slightly and thickened. The prosciutto exposed at the surface should be just starting to color.
Don’t overbake. Brie that goes too long starts to separate and becomes oily rather than creamy.
Drizzle with hot honey immediately and serve right away.
Have the baguette or crackers ready before it comes out of the oven. This dish is at its best in the first ten minutes.
A Few Notes
If your brie is very cold from the fridge, let it sit for about 15 minutes before baking. Cold brie takes longer to melt in the center, which can mean overcooked edges before the middle is done.
You can assemble this up to an hour ahead – press the cheese into the dish, add the preserves and prosciutto, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Add the tarragon right before it goes in. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
For a larger crowd, double the recipe in a wider, shallow dish – a 9-inch oval gratin works well. The bake time extends to about 20 to 22 minutes. What you want to avoid is a deeper, taller dish, which prevents the cheese from melting evenly.
What to Serve With It
A sliced baguette is the right call here. Seedy or rosemary crackers also work well. If you’re building a wider spread, this fits naturally alongside cured meats, fresh figs or pears, and something sparkling – the acidity cuts through the richness nicely.
Variations Worth Trying
The fruit and herb combination is easy to swap depending on what you have. Sour cherry jam and thyme gives you something more savory and deeply flavored. Fig jam with regular honey and fresh thyme is an earthier, quieter version – I have a baked brie with figs and rosemary post that covers that direction in full. A summer version with peaches, prosciutto, and thyme works just as well – I’ve been making that one on repeat, and you can find it here.
FAQ
Do I need to remove the rind before baking? No. It’s edible and holds the cheese together during baking. Once everything is melted you won’t notice it. If you find brie rind strong-tasting, you can peel back the top portion before adding toppings, but leave the sides and bottom.
Can I use a wedge instead of a wheel? Yes – this recipe cuts or tears the brie regardless, so the shape of what you start with doesn’t matter.
Can I make this ahead? You can assemble it ahead and refrigerate, but bake and serve it fresh. It doesn’t reheat well – the texture changes and it can get oily.
Can I use raspberry jam instead of preserves? Yes. Jam will be slightly more liquid. Avoid “fruit spread” which is too thin.
What dish works best? A small gratin dish, a 6-inch cast iron skillet, or any shallow oven-safe dish that fits the cheese snugly. The key is that the pieces are pressed together, not spread out.
Is this gluten-free? The brie and all toppings are gluten-free. Just serve with gluten-free crackers or bread if needed.
Baked Brie with Raspberry Preserves, Prosciutto & Hot Honey
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 380°F.
- Place the brie pieces into a small baking dish, pressing them close together so they melt evenly.
- Add the raspberry preserve throughout the dish, pressing some down between the cheese pieces as well as over the surface.
- Tuck the prosciutto pieces between the brie rather than placing them only on top.
- Scatter fresh tarragon leaves over everything.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the brie is fully melted and bubbling at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with hot honey.
- Serve right away with sliced baguette or crackers.
Notes
- Use a small, snug baking dish – if the dish is too large, the brie pieces spread out instead of melting together into one pool.
- If your brie is cold from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before baking so the center melts evenly.
- This dish doesn’t reheat well – bake and serve fresh.
- To assemble ahead: press the cheese into the dish, add the preserves and prosciutto, cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour. Add tarragon just before baking and add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
- Hot honey goes on immediately out of the oven, not after cooling – the heat of the dish helps it spread.
