Cheese pairing guide
What goes with Brie?
Brie goes best with fig jam, pears, honey and walnuts, on a plain baguette or water cracker. Sweet, juicy and crunchy partners give a mild, creamy cheese the contrast it's missing.
The 3 best pairings for Brie
The perfect Brie bite
One from each job on the board: something sweet, something crunchy, something salty or briny, and a drink.
All 59 pairings, ranked by type
excellent great good. Each list starts with the strongest matches. Stars show how well backed a pairing is: a named top pick, explained on both ingredient pages, or part of a proven combination.
Something sweet (20)Something crunchy (33)Something salty or briny (2)Another cheese (3)Finishing touches (1)
Something sweet 20
Fruit, jam and honey balance salt and richness.
- 1
Fig Jam Top pick
Sweet against mild and salty, and the jam's density holds on soft cheese.
- 2
Pears Top pick
Acid and water cut the fat and reset the palate between bites.
- 3
Honey Excellent
Same logic, lighter. Especially good on a younger, chalkier wheel.
- 4
Grapes Excellent
Acid and water cut the fat and reset the palate between bites.
Something crunchy 33
Crackers, bread and nuts carry it and add texture.
- 1
Walnuts Top pick
Creamy, sweet and crunchy in one bite. The walnut adds the texture brie lacks.
- 2
Baguette Excellent
The canonical pairing. Soft crumb against soft cheese, with the crust supplying the only crunch needed.
- 3
Water Crackers Excellent
Dry snap against wet cream, and no fat-on-fat heaviness.
- 4
Candied Pecans Excellent
Sweet crunch against soft fat, doing the job a cracker usually does.
29 more crunchy options
Graham Crackers- Macadamia Nuts
- Speculoos
- Almond Flour Crackers
- Cashews
- Charcoal Crackers
- Fruit & Nut Crisps
- Gluten-Free Bread
- Matzo
- Nut Thins
- Pretzel Crisps
- Rosemary Crackers
- Shortbread
Smoked Almonds- Sunflower Seeds
- Walnut Raisin Bread
Bagel Chips
Butter Crackers- Chickpea Crackers
- Everything Crackers
- Flaxseed Crackers
Melba Toast
Papadum- Pita Chips
Plantain Chips- Rye Crispbread
- Seeded Crackers
- Tostada Rounds
- Whole Wheat Crackers
Something salty or briny 2
Cured meat, olives and pickles bring salt and acid.
- 1
Duck Prosciutto Great
Rich on rich, which works because the duck is savoury rather than fatty-sweet.
- 2
Marinated Mushrooms Great
Bloomy rinds carry mushroom notes already; this amplifies them.
Another cheese 3
Cheeses that sit well next to it on the same board.
- 1
Camembert Great
- 2
Triple-Crème Good
- 3
Cambozola Good
Finishing touches 1
Small extras that lift the bite.
- 1
Fresh Thyme Excellent
Bloomy rinds carry earthy mushroom notes that thyme extends.
Drinks that go with Brie
- Pinot NoirMushroomy rind meets an earthy red. Serve the brie at room temperature.
- Champagne & ProseccoCreamy against crisp; the acid resets your palate every sip.
- ChardonnayButter meets butter. Oaked Chardonnay is brie's natural partner.
- BeaujolaisLow tannin means no bitterness with soft cheese.
- Hard CiderCrisp apple cuts through butterfat.
- Sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)Acid and bubbles, like Champagne or cider, with apple fruit that loves cheddar.
Skip these with Brie
Combinations with Brie
-
Perfect Pair · Salt loves sweet
Brie + Fig Jam
Sweet, dense jam against mild, salty cream. The pairing most people try first, for good reason.
-
Trio · Contrast the texture
Brie + Fig Jam + Walnuts
Creamy, sweet and crunchy in one bite. The walnut adds the texture brie lacks.
-
Quartet · Contrast the texture
Brie + Pear + Honey + Walnuts
Soft, juicy, sweet and crunchy: four textures that make mild brie taste bigger.
Boards that use Brie
Brie pairing questions
What fruit goes with brie?
Pears, apples, grapes, figs and apricots. Juicy fruit cuts the butterfat.
What wine goes with brie?
Champagne or sparkling wine first, then oaked Chardonnay or a light red like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais.
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