For The Fastest Baked Brie, Skip Your Oven

Baked brie must be baked and the go-to appliance to get it done is typically the conventional oven in your home kitchen. It's the traditional technique to turn that wheel of creamy cheese into gooey deliciousness whether it's wrapped in phyllo dough or not. These days, however, most of us have a handy air fryer on the counter and there are a few key reasons to make the baked brie right in that basket.

Out of the best cheeses to cook in an air fryer, brie is a great option because it makes the baked appetizer in much less time. For reference, baked brie in the old oven can take up to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the air fryer's rapid heat circulation can result in baked brie in as little as 10 minutes — and it won't take as long to preheat. It can also be an easier mess to clean up, especially if you line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or a silicon insert. Additionally, using an air fryer instead of other appliances is an energy-saving kitchen tip since it reduces energy consumption.

Prepare your brie however you'd like to bake it in the air fryer, perhaps following our fig-baked brie recipe. When it's time to cook, set your air fryer to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it will typically be done cooking in about 10 minutes, it's best to keep an eye on it to see when the cheese is melted enough and ready to serve. For instance, if you wrap the brie in something like phyllo dough, it might need to stay in for up to 15 minutes to crisp the crust and melt the cheese inside. There's no need to flip or rotate the brie while it cooks off in the air fryer — just don't forget to set a timer.

When the baked brie is ready to serve, let it sit for a few minutes to cool before you eat or serve the dish. The easiest way to serve it is with store-bought crackers or crostinis, or you could use the extra time to make our gluten-free garlic and herb crackers recipe. You can also serve the air-fryer baked brie with fruits like apple or pear slices. Homemade breadsticks, a bed of leafy greens, or even mushrooms are ways to make it a more substantial starter.