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This butter candle recipe is made with a roasted garlic brie and butter blend that’s lit at the table and served warm as a savory spread. As the flame melts the center, the brie butter turns soft and spoonable, perfect with crusty bread or crackers. It’s rich, cozy, and dramatic in the best way, with the cheese adding depth and flavor beyond a classic butter candle.
About The Taste
This is whimsical, obviously, but I don’t mess around when it comes to brie. If it isn’t delicious, it’s not worth doing, no matter how fun it looks. This one landed in my Just A Bite series because it’s dramatic, indulgent, and honestly easy. The brie and butter combo does exactly what it should.
This is rich, creamy, and savory. The roasted garlic brie brings depth, the butter keeps everything smooth, and once it’s lit the center turns soft and spoonable. It’s best dragged through crusty bread or crackers while it’s warm. The cheese makes it feel fuller and more intentional than a classic butter candle.
Prep Your Ingredients
The Butter and Brie
Brie Wheel | Softened Butter | Roasted Garlic | Honey | Flaky Salt | Food Processor | Cookie Cutter | Spoon | Knife
Start by setting your butter out to get to room temperature at least 30 minutes ahead. If short on time, cut the butter into small pieces or microwave briefly on low power just until pliable. For the brie, work with it cold so the wheel cuts cleanly and the filling blends smoothly without turning greasy. When scooping out the brie center, take your time. You want to avoid thinning the edges too much, since the shell is what gives the candle structure.
The Wick Setup
Food Safe Wick | Cocktail Pick
Twist the wick strands together tightly so it stands upright once placed. Use a cocktail pick or toothpick to make a clean hole through the bottom of the brie shell before filling. This is easier to do while the shell is empty and helps keep the wick centered later.
The Prep-Ahead
Brie Butter Filling | Brie Shell | Food-Safe Wick
The components can be prepared ahead to make assembly easier, but timing matters once the brie is cut. The brie butter filling can be made 3 to 5 days ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator. The brie wheel can be cut and the candle fully assembled up to 1 day ahead, kept tightly covered. The assembled candle can be stored longer, but the cut brie will slowly lose moisture in the fridge, which can affect the shell’s appearance and strength over time.
Ingredient Swaps
- Brie wheel: Camembert works well too, just keep it cold so the shell holds its shape. Avoid anything runny-soft, it gets harder to keep the edges sturdy.
- Softened butter: Use salted butter if that’s what you have, then go lighter on the flaky salt at the end. The texture stays the same.
- Honey: Maple syrup is an easy swap and stays in the same vibe, just a little deeper and less floral. Keep it a small amount so it does not overpower the brie.
- Roasted garlic: Garlic confit gives a softer, sweeter garlic flavor if you already have it. If you do not want to roast a full head, use a few roasted cloves from a store-bought pack.
- Flaky salt: Any finishing salt works, just add it after blending so you can taste and stop before it gets too salty.
- Food-safe wick: Hemp or cotton both work, just make sure it’s food safe. Avoid anything scented or treated.
- No food processor: A small blender works, or mash and mix until very smooth, but the texture will be a little more rustic.
Similar Recipes
- Bone Marrow Candle: This bone marrow butter candle appetizer is richer, meatier, and very much for people who like things a little extra. The marrow blends with butter into something insanely savory, with chives and tamari giving it depth and saltiness that hits hard once it melts. It’s dramatic in a different way and feels more steakhouse than cheese board, especially with toasted bread and garlic on the side.
- Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Prosciutto: This one leans fully into baked brie territory, but with more structure and intention. The fig jam gets spiced and tucked into the cheese so every bite has heat, sweetness, and richness, and the prosciutto crisps instead of just sitting on top. It comes out molten but contained, dramatic without being messy, and very hard to stop picking at.
- Fig and Brie Appetizer with Whipped Brie Center: This whipped brie with fig, orange, and pistachio is all about layers and presentation. The center is sweet and nutty, the outside stays creamy and clean, and the whole thing slices beautifully once it’s chilled. It’s very giftable, very pretty, and feels more like a finished centerpiece than a casual dip.
- Brie with Blue Cheese and Olives (Dirty Martini Style): This olive and blue cheese-stuffed brie is savory, punchy, and unapologetically bold. The olive filling cuts through the creaminess, and the stuffed olive garnish on top makes it feel intentional and a little extra. It’s one of those appetizers that looks wrapped and polished but eats salty, briny, and rich.
The Perfect Pairings
Milky Dirty Martini: This is how I like to start the night. Cold, briny, and dirty in the right way, especially with those hand-stuffed olives. It sets the tone immediately and makes everything savory on the table hit harder. Also, the glass in the freezer thing is not optional.
Steak with Peppercorn Sauce and French Fries: This is the main event, and it’s high maintenance but worth it. Peppercorn sauce is rich and bold, and fries are obviously the only correct thing to put next to it. The crispy, salty contrast keeps the steak from feeling too heavy, and it gives you something to drag through the sauce when no one’s watching.
Butter Lettuce Salad: This is the fresh side that keeps everything in check. Crisp lettuce, shaved fennel, and a sharp lemony dressing cut through the richness and give you a clean bite between heavier dishes. It’s simple, bright, and exactly what you want on the table alongside steak and fries.
Melon Dessert: This is my favorite kind of ending – cold, juicy, and not too serious. The citrus, Grand Marnier, and vanilla make it feel extra, and the olive oil and flaky salt on top is what takes it into obsessed territory. It’s light, refreshing, and honestly perfect after steak and sauce.
Butter Candle Recipe FAQ
Yes, as long as you use a food-safe wick and let the flame melt the butter gently rather than burn aggressively. You’re just warming the brie butter so it softens and becomes spoonable, not cooking it.
A few minutes is plenty. You want the center to soften and melt slightly, not collapse or pool completely. Blow it out once the butter starts to loosen, then serve right away.
You can fully assemble it up to one day ahead and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator. After that, the cut brie can slowly lose moisture, which affects how sturdy the shell looks when served. See The Prep-Ahead section for more details.
Crusty bread, crostini, or sturdy crackers work best since the butter gets soft as it warms. Avoid anything too delicate that will fall apart once the butter starts melting.
You can, but the wick is part of what makes this fun and functional. Warming it without a flame is fine, but you’ll lose the candle effect that helps control how the butter melts at the table.
I already had a spool but this food-safe wick on Amazon has good ratings.
Chef Nadia’s Tip
- Keeping the brie cold while you shape it makes everything cleaner and sturdier, and it pays off once it’s on the table.
- Don’t overfill the shell, don’t over-salt the blend, and don’t let it sit uncovered too long in the fridge. Following these rules, it looks dramatic and eats exactly how it should.
Butter Candle Recipe with Roasted Garlic Brie
Equipment
- cookie cutter, (slightly smaller than the brie)
- spoon
- cocktail pick, or toothpick
- refrigerator
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz brie wheel
- 2-3 oz softened butter
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed, see notes
- 1 pinch flaky salt
- crispy bread or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Brie Shell: Using a cookie cutter smaller than the brie, press it into the wheel, stopping before cutting all the way through. Using a spoon, carefully remove the rind from the top of the inner circle only, keeping the outer edges intact. Gently scoop out the soft interior of the brie and reserve it, leaving enough behind to maintain the structure of the brie shell.8-10 oz brie wheel
- Create the Wick Opening: Using a cocktail pick, poke a small hole through the bottom center of the brie shell. Twist 4-5 strands of the food safe wick together tightly. Thread the wick through the hole from the bottom so it extends upward through the center of the brie.
- Make the Brie Butter: Add the reserved brie interior, softened butter, roasted garlic cloves, honey, and flaky salt to a food processor. Process until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.2-3 oz softened butter, ½ tablespoon honey, 1 head roasted garlic, 1 pinch flaky salt
- Fill and Set: Spoon the brie butter mixture back into the brie shell, making sure the wick is positioned straight up and in the middle. Smooth the surface with a knife. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the filling to set.
- Finish: Once set, cut the wick about 1 inch long and use a knife to create a small divot around the wick to allow space for lighting. When ready to serve, light your brie butter candle and serve it with some crispy bread or crackers.crispy bread or crackers
Kitchen Cam
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the best wick to use?
Hey Gracia, I already had a spool that I’ve had for a bit, but if you look in the faq or I also added a link in the equipment now to one that is very similar and has good ratings on Amazon.