Hot Honey Pumpkin Butter Baked Brie
This show-stopping fall appetizer shapes flaky puff pastry into an adorable pumpkin that’s almost too pretty to eat. We upgraded the classic version by swapping standard walnuts for toasted pecans, adding a savory pinch of fresh thyme, and finishing the gooey, molten cheese with a sweet-heat drizzle of hot honey and flaky sea salt.
- Total Time47 minutes
- Yield1 wheel (serves 8) 1x
Ingredients
Scale
The Brie & Filling
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
- ¼ cup (60g) pumpkin butter
- ¼ cup (30g) chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 (8-oz / 225g) round Brie cheese
The Finish
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
- 1 cinnamon stick (for the stem)
- 2 tbsp hot honey
- Apple slices, crackers, or crostini (for serving)
Instructions
- Prep the oven and twine: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut 4 pieces of clean kitchen twine (about 15 inches each) and arrange them on the parchment paper in a star shape, crossing exactly in the center.
- Roll the pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed puff pastry out to an 11-inch square. (If the pastry is getting too warm and sticky, pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes).
- Layer the filling: Spread the pumpkin butter in a 4-inch circle in the very center of the pastry. Sprinkle the toasted pecans and fresh thyme evenly over the pumpkin butter, then place the wheel of Brie directly on top.
- Wrap and seal: Gather the corners of the puff pastry, folding them up and over the cheese. Pleat and pinch the seams tightly together to seal the Brie completely so it doesn’t leak while baking.
- Shape the pumpkin: Carefully flip the wrapped Brie over so the smooth side is facing up, and place it directly onto the center of the twine star on your baking sheet. Bring the opposite ends of each string up and over the pastry, tying them together at the top center. You should end up with 8 evenly spaced segments. Crucial tip: Tie the twine snugly to create indentations, but do not pull it too tight—the pastry will expand as it bakes, and tight string will cut right through the dough. Trim off any excess string.
- Glaze and bake: Brush the entire pastry evenly with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the puff pastry is fully puffed, crisp, and a deep golden brown.
- Cool and garnish: Remove from the oven and let the Brie rest on the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully snip the knots and gently pull the twine away. Wedge the cinnamon stick into the top center to look like a pumpkin stem, drizzle the hot honey over the pastry, and serve warm with apple slices, crackers, or crostini.
Notes
- Why it works: Baking the Brie at a robust 400°F (instead of the traditional 350°F) provides the blast of heat necessary to separate the layers in the puff pastry, ensuring it gets genuinely flaky and crisp before the cheese inside completely liquefies.
- The resting rule: Do not skip the 10-minute resting period after baking. If you cut into the pastry straight out of the oven, the molten cheese will flood the plate. A short rest allows the Brie to thicken just enough to ooze perfectly.
Nutrition (per serving — estimates)
Calories: 304 | Total Carbs: 21g (Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g) | Fat: 20g (Saturated: 8g) | Protein: 10g
Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Resting Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 304
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 10g