Baked Camembert is a low-effort recipe that immediately feels generous and made for sharing. In this version, we pair the molten cheese with our avocado honey, a very dark, thick honey with a sweet-savoury profile. Walnuts and thyme add contrast without crowding the dish.
Bring it straight to the table with toasted bread, crisp apple wedges or a green salad. It works as a shared starter or as a simple meal for two.
Ingredients for baked Camembert with honey
Serves 2–4 as a sharing dish
- 1 whole Camembert, about 250 g;
- 2 tablespoons of our avocado honey, about 40 g;
- 30 g shelled walnuts;
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or a small pinch of dried thyme;
- a few twists of black pepper;
- toasted country-style bread, to serve;
- optional: 1 firm apple, cut into wedges.
Timings: about 10 minutes to prepare and 15–20 minutes to bake.
What should you bake the Camembert in?
Always remove the paper, plastic film, label and every other piece of packaging. Set the cheese in a small ovenproof dish that fits it snugly. Only use its wooden box if the manufacturer clearly states that it is suitable for the oven and it contains no incompatible fittings or materials.
Step-by-step method
1. Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan or 190°C conventional. Place the unwrapped Camembert in a small ovenproof dish.
2. Score the rind
Use the tip of a knife to cut a shallow crosshatch pattern across the top. There is no need to remove the rind; the shallow cuts simply help the heat reach the centre more evenly.
3. Start baking
Add half the thyme and a little black pepper. Bake for 12–15 minutes. The centre should begin to soften while the cheese still holds its shape.
4. Add the honey and walnuts
Briefly remove the dish from the oven. Spoon one tablespoon of avocado honey over the Camembert and scatter over the roughly chopped walnuts. Return it to the oven for 3–5 minutes, just long enough to warm the honey and lightly toast the nuts.
5. Finish at the table
Drizzle over the second spoonful of honey and add the remaining thyme. Rest for two minutes, then serve immediately with toasted bread and apple wedges if you are using them.
How do you know when baked Camembert is ready?
The rind should remain intact while the centre yields easily to gentle pressure from a spoon. If it bakes for too long, the cheese can leak and its fat may separate. Treat the timing as a guide: the thickness of the Camembert, its starting temperature and your oven can shift the result by a few minutes.
Why add the honey in two stages?
We split the honey between baking and serving. The first spoonful warms briefly with the cheese and walnuts. The second goes on at the end, preserving its thick texture and aromatic character. It also lets you adjust the sweetness at the table.
Our avocado honey is a very dark amber, almost black. Its thick texture and sweet-savoury profile suit this recipe particularly well, contrasting with the creamy cheese and crisp walnuts.
Three easy accompaniments
Toasted country bread
Cut slices thick enough to stay firm when dipped into the cheese. Toast them during the final minutes of baking.
Fresh apple
A firm apple adds freshness and a clean, crisp texture against the molten cheese. Cut it just before serving to limit browning.
Green salad
To turn the dish into a light meal, add a simply dressed green salad. Keep the vinaigrette low in sweetness so it does not compete with the honey on the cheese.
Easy variations
- With hazelnuts: replace the walnuts with roughly chopped hazelnuts.
- With rosemary: replace the thyme with a very small amount of finely chopped rosemary, which is more assertive.
- Individual portions: use small cheeses suitable for baking and reduce the oven time, checking their texture closely.
Allergens: Camembert contains milk, walnuts are tree nuts and bread generally contains gluten. Check the labels of the ingredients you use, particularly when cooking for someone with an allergy.
A simple baked cheese with a distinctive honey
The recipe depends on measured baking and adding the honey in two stages. The cheese stays molten, the walnuts retain their crunch and the honey gives the finish depth and persistence. To make it at home, discover our avocado honey, harvested in Spain in spring.
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