Crispy Baked Camembert Recipe with Cranberry Orange Sauce
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My crispy baked Camembert recipe is a different dish from the familiar whole wheel baked in its box. I coat small whole cheeses in egg and fresh breadcrumbs and then pop them in the oven. The crumbs brown around the rind and the middle gets all ooey gooey. Warm cranberry sauce with orange zest and juice is drizzled on top just before serving.
I’ve made this baked Camembert recipe as an appetizer for four and as a more generous plate for two. I like to leave the cheeses whole until serving because the coating’s neater that way and there’s less chance of cheese leaking all over the place.
If you want the scoopable style instead, my Camembert baked in its box is flavored with garlic, thyme and white wine and is meant for dipping.
Crispy Baked Camembert at a Glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Chilling time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Resting time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Cuisine: European, French
- Main ingredients: Camembert, breadcrumbs, cranberry sauce and orange
- Best cooking method: Breadcrumb-coated and oven baked
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days
Why I Like This Recipe
I like the breadcrumb coating on this because it’s a bit different from the usual baked wheel. The crisp coating around the melty cheese is ridiculously delicious!
I love the cranberry sauce too, especially with a little orange mixed in. I use both the zest and juice in mine, but I recommend only using a small amount of orange, so it doesn’t overpower the cranberry or the cheese.
Baked Camembert Ingredients
- Camembert: Use small whole rounds rather than 1 large one. They work better with the baking time in this recipe. I’ve tried several and this is the one I’ve used before.
- Fresh breadcrumbs: I like fresh breadcrumbs for a fairly fine coating that sticks well to the cheese.
- Egg: This is just to make the breadcrumbs stick, so beat it well before dipping the cheeses.
- Cranberry sauce: Any fairly thick cranberry sauce is fine. I wouldn’t choose a very runny one because it’ll soak into the crumbs more quickly.
- Orange: You’ll need both zest and a little juice. Most of the orange flavor comes from the zest, so don’t swap it for extra juice.
- Lamb’s lettuce: This is optional. I usually just use whatever mild salad leaves I have rather than buying something especially for this recipe.
How to Make Crispy Baked Camembert
Dip each Camembert in beaten egg, then coat it all over with breadcrumbs. Once they’re coated, pop them in the fridge for half an hour. I’ve skipped that before, to save time, but found the crumbs came away in patches, so it’s definitely worth waiting!
Bake the breaded Camembert cheeses at 350°F/175°C for about 30 minutes. While they’re in the oven, you can warm the cranberry sauce with the orange zest and juice in a small saucepan and keep it warm until serving.
Remember to let the Camemberts sit for about 10 minutes when they come out because the cheese in the middle will be extremely hot.
Tips for a Crisp Coating
- Don’t leave gaps in the breadcrumbs: Press them all over the Camembert, including the sides and underneath. Cheese can leak through any bare spots.
- Use small Camemberts: The timing here is for two small rounds. If you want to use one big wheel instead, it’s going to have a longer cooking time. Since the outside will be done long before the middle is even warm, I strongly recommend sticking with smaller cheeses.
- Keep an eye on them near the end: If you see cheese starting to leak out, take them out of the oven rather than waiting for the crumbs to get darker.
- Wait until serving to add the sauce: Spoon it over at the last minute so the breadcrumbs don’t get soggy when the sauce soaks in.
Variations and Substitutions
- Brie: You can use small Brie rounds instead. They’ll taste a little milder and will probably soften a bit faster.
- Panko: Swap the fresh breadcrumbs for panko for a crunchier crust.
- Another fruit sauce: Redcurrant jelly is good here too. You could also use another tart berry sauce that you’d normally serve with cheese. Or if you don’t want the sweetness of fruit, perhaps your preferred chutney instead. Caramelized onion chutney would be good!
What to Serve with Baked Camembert
I usually serve mine with toasted baguette or crackers. Apple slices are good with Camembert too if you want something fresh with all that warm cheese. A few salad leaves work, or you can make a small green salad or add some grilled pear slices to the dish.
If you’re serving a few different cheese dishes, my grilled halloumi salad is another hot option and it’s completely different from the soft Camembert here.
Equipment
- Baking tray: Use one with a rim in case a little cheese escapes.
- Parchment paper: This makes cleanup much easier if any cheese does leak onto the tray.
- Small saucepan: You only need a small pan for warming the cranberry sauce.
- Wooden spoon: To stir the sauce.
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Put any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm them in the oven until hot. The crumbs won’t be quite as crisp the second time around.
- Freeze: I wouldn’t freeze these. Camembert changes texture after freezing and I find the breadcrumb coating doesn’t fare very well either.
- Make ahead: You can coat the Camemberts earlier in the day and leave them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
Baked Camembert Recipe FAQs
No. The Camemberts are coated in breadcrumbs and baked on a lined tray, so you don’t need the wooden box for this one.
You could, though I’d stick with the pair of small ones for this recipe. The baking time’s based on smaller rounds, so a large Camembert would need watching more carefully.
Yes, although whole rounds are much easier to coat and there are fewer places for melted cheese to leak out. I prefer baking them whole and cutting them afterwards.
Yes. Keep it in the fridge, then warm it gently when the Camembert’s nearly ready.
No. Leave it on. It helps hold the cheese together while the middle is getting melty.
More Cheese Appetizers to Try
If it’s the cranberry and cheese combination you like, try my fried Brie with hot cranberry sauce next. It’s similar in some ways, although the Brie’s fried rather than baked.
I’ve also got these cheeseball recipes and a creamy blue cheese dip if you want something people can help themselves to. Or try pears with Stilton and curd cheese if you enjoy fruit with stronger cheeses.
Crispy Baked Camembert with Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 small whole Camembert cheeses, about 9 ounces (250g) total
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 ounces (80g) fresh breadcrumbs
- 7 ounces (200g) cranberry sauce
- Zest of ½ orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Lamb’s lettuce or mixed greens
Equipment
- Baking tray or small baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Small saucepan
- Wooden spoon
Method
- Dip each Camembert in the beaten egg, then coat it all over with the fresh breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs on gently so they adhere well.
- Put the coated cheeses on a plate or tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a baking tray or small baking dish with parchment paper.
- Bake the Camemberts for about 30 minutes, until the crumb coating is golden and the cheese has softened in the middle.
- While the cheese is baking, add the cranberry sauce, orange zest and orange juice to a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until combined.
- Let the baked Camemberts rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut each cheese in half so each person has half a round. Spoon over some cranberry orange sauce and add lamb’s lettuce or mixed greens if using.
Notes
- I use small whole Camembert cheeses instead of one large wheel when making this because the cooking time is less and each person gets their own individual serving.
- Chilling the crumb-coated cheeses for half an hour helps the coating hold together during baking.
- You can swap the fresh breadcrumbs for panko if you want a rougher, crunchier crust.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. I don’t recommend freezing them.
