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Sweet, Nutty, Buttery
This Baklava Brie Cake takes the classic stuffed brie and layers it with sweet dates, sticky honey, and toasted nuts mixed right into the whipped cheese. We top it with crispy phyllo strands and serve it with homemade honey butter phyllo crisps so you can scoop it all up.
Table of Contents
What Does Baklava Brie Cake Taste Like?
Classic baklava is thin layers of pastry soaked in butter and honey with crushed pistachios in between the layers, then baked until golden. It leaves you with a delicate crunch and a nutty, buttery sweetness with every bite. When you combine that with creamy, savory brie, it’s on another level.
Flakey and Buttery
Working with Phyllo Dough
Phyllo dough looks intimidating until you realize it’s mostly just asking for patience and butter. Once you understand what it wants, it behaves. Here’s everything you need to know to get it right for this recipe specifically.
Thaw it in the Fridge, Not the Counter: Phyllo lives in the freezer aisle. Move it to the fridge the night before and let it thaw slowly — you’ll get more pliable, cooperative dough that’s easier to work with.
If you Forgot to Thaw it Overnight: Leave it on the counter still sealed in its packaging for one to two hours. It won’t be quite as cooperative as a slow fridge thaw, but it works. Avoid the microwave – it thaws unevenly and makes the dough harder to handle.
Keep Unused Dough Covered While You Work: Lay a slightly damp kitchen towel over whatever you’re not actively using. Phyllo does dry out, and dry phyllo cracks — but a towel solves it completely.
A Torn Sheet Isn’t a Ruined Sheet: Phyllo is built to be layered. A small tear disappears entirely once sheets are pressed together and heat does its job. Don’t stop. Don’t start over. Keep going.
Phyllo Dough: Two Ways
Crispy Topping Strands: Keep the phyllo rolled and cut straight across — about ⅛ inch thick. This is the move that gets you distinct strands instead of a tangled mess of strings. Lay them out on a baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter, and toss until every strand is coated. They go into a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, but start checking at 15. Phyllo moves fast in the last few minutes and doesn’t announce itself before it burns. You want deep golden, not dark brown.
Honey Butter Phyllo Crisps: Unroll the remaining sheets and work in layers — butter brushed between each one, a drizzle of honey every three or four sheets. Stack, press firmly, slice into rectangles, and then do something that feels counterintuitive: refrigerate the whole thing for 30 minutes before it goes anywhere near the oven. The chill sets the layers so they bake up crisp and flat instead of separating and puffing. When they do go in, you’ll press a second baking sheet directly on top of them. That weight is what gives them their even, satisfying crunch.
Tips for Whipped Brie
Keep the wheel cold when you slice it: Brie straight from the fridge is firm enough to cut cleanly in half. Let it warm up too much and you’re fighting it. Oil your knife before you slice – it keeps things clean.
Remove the rind while the brie is still cold: This is for the portions going into the food processor only – not the wheel. Cold brie holds its shape and the rind comes off much cleaner.
Let it come to room temperature before it goes into the food processor: Let your brie and cream cheese sit out for about 30 minutes on the counter after the rind is off. This ensures that the cheese is the right temp so it doesn’t over-process and get oily.
Watch the food processor: Stop and scrape down the sides a few times as you go. This should take between 5-10 minutes and just watch it. Keep going until it’s completely smooth with no lumps.
The Brie Cake Series
This Baklava Brie Cake is just one of many different flavor options.
See the full collection at The Brie Cake Series.
Appetizers
Fig, Pistachio and Honey Brie Cake
Appetizers
Whipped Orange Fig Brie Cake
Appetizers
Fresh Truffle Brie Cake
Appetizers
Bada Bing Cherry Brie Cake
Appetizers
French Radish Butter Brie Cake
Appetizers
Roasted Grape Brie Cake
How to Serve
This Baklava Brie Cake is best served straight from the fridge onto the table. Let your guests scoop it onto the honey butter phyllo crisps while everything is still cold and the toppings are fresh. If you’re building a full dinner around it, start with a Grapefruit Elderflower Sour while guests arrive, move into Lamb Loin Chops in Herb Butter alongside a crisp Fennel Apple Salad, and finish with the Pistachio Crème Brûlée – the pistachios bring it full circle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Triple cream gives you the richest, smoothest whipped filling. A standard brie will work but the filling will be less creamy. We’d stick with triple cream if you can find it.
Yes, the rind on brie is completely edible and safe. It’s a natural bloomy rind, not a wax coating. Whether you enjoy it is a matter of taste. In this recipe the rind stays on the wheel to hold the cake together, so you’ll get some with every slice.
You can. Camembert is similar in texture but has a stronger, earthier flavor – so the cake will taste noticeably different. Not wrong, just different.
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 roll phyllo dough, thawed
- 1/4 tsp butter, melted, divided
- 2 tbsp honey, plus more for topping
- 6 oz triple cream brie, rind removed, room-temperature
- 2 oz cream cheese, room-temperature
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, finely chopped
- 3-4 dates, finely chopped
- 1 brie wheel
- chives, chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Crispy Phyllo Topping: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut off about 1/2 of an inch from the end of the phyllo roll and cut it into small strands. Lay them evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle them with about 1 tsp melted butter. Mix it around until each strand is coated. Place in and oven for 20 minutes until golden. Keep an eye on these at around 15 minutes to make sure they don't burn.1 roll phyllo dough
- Honey Butter Phyllo Crisps: Unroll the remaining phyllo sheets. Brush the remaining butter between each sheet, drizzling honey instead every 3 to 4 sheets. Press the stacked sheets firmly together and cut into small rectangles. Line them up on a baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.1/4 tsp butter, 2 tbsp honey
- Whipped Brie: Remove the rind and allow your triple cream brie and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Add them to a food processor and whip until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls.6 oz triple cream brie, 2 oz cream cheese
- Mix the Stuffing: To one of the whipped brie bowls, mix in 1/8 cup chopped walnuts, 1/8 cup chopped pistachios and dates.⅛ cup toasted walnuts, ⅛ cup Toasted pistachios, 3-4 dates
- Assemble the Cake: Oil your knife and make sure your brie wheel is cold. Slice the wheel in half crosswise. Spread the nut and date whipped brie mixture evenly onto the bottom half of the wheel. Place the top half of the brie wheel over the filling and gently press it down. Clean off the sides of the wheel. Spread your remaining nuts on a plate and roll the sides of the brie cake till lightly coated. This shouldn't use all of the chopped nuts, you will be using some for topping. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.1 brie wheel
- Bake the Phyllo Crisps: Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled phyllo rectangles. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the phyllo, then place a second baking sheet directly on top to press them down. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake uncovered for an additional 6 to 10 minutes until golden.
- Top and Serve: Remove the brie cake from the refrigerator. Spread the plain whipped brie evenly over the top of the cake. Top with the remaining chopped nuts, baked phyllo strands, and chopped chives. Drizzle generously with honey before serving.⅛ cup toasted walnuts, ⅛ cup Toasted pistachios, chives
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
