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Baked Brie Sandwich With Apples And Balsamic Onions

ByNicole Langdon Hours Updated on
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Savor this upscale baked brie cheese sandwich with apples and balsamic onions for a fun, unique lunch or an easy, light dinner.

Two halves of a gooey baked brie sandwich on Italian bread with sliced green apple and balsamic onions on a blue stone plate.

This recipe was inspired by an incredible dish Alex and I had at a tapas restaurant in Santa Barbara (Milk and Honey)  – a “brie sauce” that was basically a bowl of melted brie with green apple, caramelized onion, and balsamic reduction, served with toasted bread. The flavors and textures were complex yet balanced, and the crunchy bread for dipping paired perfectly with the creamy brie. (My mouth still waters whenever I think about this appetizer). 

So we took it and made it into an easy, decadent sandwich that’s perfect for a warm cozy lunch or an easy weeknight dinner (like our blackberry balsamic grilled cheese). The sweet and tangy flavor of onions caramelized in balsamic glaze and the tart, crispy apple slices complement the creaminess of brie so perfectly.

What To Expect

  • Great for: A light, fancier lunch, when you’re craving something unique, flavorful, and comforting.
  • Ready in: 25 minutes
  • Serves: 4 sandwiches
  • Flavor profile: The crispy apple, balsamic onions, and creamy brie cheese combine for a sweet, tangy, and bright flavor profile.
  • How to make it: Prep the onion, apple, and brie. Sauté the onions then reduce the heat and add the balsamic to simmer. Toast the bread, then add the brie and melt it under the broiler. Assemble the sandwiches: bread with brie, apples, onions, and then the top slice of bread. 

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Why We Love This Recipe

I love the combination of the tart granny smith apples with the creamy, savory brie, and the sweet balsamic onions. This reminds me perfectly of the appetizer it was based on, which makes me really happy.

– Alex

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for apple brie sandwich: sliced Italian bread, green apple, brie cheese, yellow onion, balsamic vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, and sugar.
  • Bread – A fresh, rustic Italian loaf of white bread works best. You want something with a solid, crispy crust, with a fluffy, airy inside. It helps to give the sandwich structure while letting the brie melt into the bread perfectly. We also recommend looking for a bâtard loaf (an oblong, oval shaped loaf) that is around 6 inches in width. We find this makes for the perfect sized sandwiches. 
  • Brie – We’re always partial to a double or triple creme brie because we love the luxurious texture and how well it melts. And when used in this sandwich, it melts into the bread perfectly so each bite is bread-y, cheese-y goodness. 
  • Apple – A crispy, tart, green apple is best to stand out against the sweet balsamic onions and creamy brie. Granny smith apples are our favorite choice for this recipe.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Brie Cheese Sandwiches With Apples

Sliced yellow onion caramelizing in a stainless steel frying pan on the stove.

Step 1: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and then add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Sliced onions cooking in balsamic vinegar, salt, and sugar in a stainless steel frying pan on the stove.

Step 2: Next, add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer, stirring occasionally.

4 lightly toasted slices of Italian rustic bread on a ceramic baking sheet.

Step 3: While the onions cook, lightly toast the bread.

A before and after shot of sliced brie cheese on a piece of Italian bread, before and after baking.

Step 4: Add brie in an even layer to one side of each sandwich, then melt under the broiler (on low) for about 3 minutes or until it’s nice and melty. 

Balsamic caramelized onions in a stainless steel frying pan on the stove.

Step 5: After about 8 to 10 minutes, the balsamic should have thickened to coat the onions well. Remove them from heat and set aside.

Three pictures showing how to assemble apple brie sandwiches: first add a layer of sliced green apple on top of the melted brie, then add caramelized balsamic onions, then close the sandwich.

Step 6: Finally, assemble the sandwiches. Top the melted brie with sliced apples and balsamic onions, then close and serve.

Expert Tips

  • Prep the brie – Our secret method to easily remove the brie rind is to scrape it off with a paring knife instead of cutting it off. It’s so much faster and means no wasted cheese! Check out our baked brie en croute recipe for more details!
  • Toast the bread first – By toasting the bread before melting the brie, it won’t get soggy and will hold up with the perfect crunch in every bite.
  • Slice the apple thin – Thinner apples allow for a better, more even coverage throughout the whole sandwich. Our goal is to get the perfect combination of ingredients in every bite. 
  • Caramelizing onions – Normally, caramelized onions take a much longer time, but we don’t want to do that for a simple lunch recipe. So we can cheat a little bit and speed up the process by cooking the onions over medium heat and adding a little salt and sugar. The salt helps to draw moisture out of the onions so they can caramelize faster, while the sugar itself caramelizes and adds the proper taste to the onion without waiting for them to caramelize themselves.
A hand picking up one half of an apple brie sandwich with balsamic onions from a blue stone plate.

Serving Suggestions

  • A fun lunch – This sandwich makes for a great warm lunch at home. Add on a side salad or an easy snack like sweet potato chips!
  • A light dinner – We love enjoying these sandwiches for dinner with a more substantial side like air fryer twice baked potatoes or spanish fried cauliflower with garlic aioli.
  • Cute appetizers – Make some mini brie and apple sandwiches to serve as appetizers for a party. Either use a baguette or simply cut the sandwiches in half once they’re ready.

Baked Brie Sandwich FAQs

Lightly toast the bread before melting the cheese on it to keep the bottom from getting soggy. A light toast will make sure your bread is the perfect crispiness for every bite.

Yes! Sliced turkey breast is our preferred choice if we’re looking to add a protein to this recipe.

Granny smith is our favorite apple to pair with brie. But any crispy, tart apple goes well.

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Tell us what you think!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex

A gooey baked brie sandwich with green apple slices and balsamic onions on rustic Italian bread, served on a blue stone plate.

Baked Brie Sandwich With Apples And Balsamic Onions

Nicole & Alex Langdon
Savor this upscale baked brie cheese sandwich with apples and balsamic onions for a fun, unique lunch or an easy, light dinner.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 sandwiches
Calories 513 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion sliced
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 8 slices Italian bread
  • 8 ounces double creme brie cheese rind removed, sliced into ¼ inch thick rectangles
  • 1 medium green apple sliced into thin wedges

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and then add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Next, add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer, stirring occasionally.
  • While the onions cook, lightly toast the bread. Then add brie in an even layer to one side of each sandwich, then melt under the broiler (on low) for about 3 minutes or until it's nice and gooey.
  • After the onions cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, the balsamic should have thickened to coat the onions well. Remove them from heat and set aside.
  • Finally, assemble the sandwiches. Top the melted brie with sliced apples and balsamic onions, then close and serve.
One last step:Please consider leaving a review to let us know how it was!

Notes

Prep the brie – Our secret method to easily remove the brie rind is to scrape it off with a paring knife instead of cutting it off. It’s so much faster and means no wasted cheese! Check out our baked brie en croute recipe for more details!
Toast the bread first – By toasting the bread before melting the brie, it won’t get soggy and will hold up with the perfect crunch in every bite.
Slice the apple thin – Thinner apples allow for a better, more even coverage throughout the whole sandwich. Our goal is to get the perfect combination of ingredients in every bite. 
Caramelizing onions – Normally, caramelized onions take a much longer time, but we don’t want to do that for a simple lunch recipe. So we can cheat a little bit and speed up the process by cooking the onions over medium heat and adding a little salt and sugar. The salt helps to draw moisture out of the onions so they can caramelize faster, while the sugar itself caramelizes and adds the proper taste to the onion without waiting for them to caramelize themselves.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 16gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 805mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 3gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 361IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 122mgIron: 1mg
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90% of Nicole’s thoughts are about food. She’s had a passion for cooking (and eating) for as long as she can remember! Growing up, she started cooking with her mom at a young age, learned family recipes from her Italian grandmother, took every opportunity to make cookies (so many bake sales), and always loved going out to restaurants to try new foods.

Nicole currently works part-time as a marketing professional for OmieLife while also working nonstop on The Candid Cooks. As a former mechanical engineer, Nicole has consistently found herself at the intersection of creativity and logical reasoning. She credits not only her passion for photography, design, and writing, but also her problem-solving nature and desire to learn, as the foundation on which The Candid Cooks was built.

Nicole’s hobbies include anything that gets her moving - mainly hiking, skiing, ice skating, and dancing - as well as reading fantasy novels and scrapbooking. Her favorite food is a big plate of nachos, as long as they’re cheesy enough!

5 from 1 vote

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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    There’s something special about the combination of brie, bread, apples, and balsamic. I love taking some of our favorite flavor combinations and turning them into a unique, fun twist of a recipe.

    Reply

  2. “There are two things everyone knows brie cheese goes well with – fresh bread and apples.” Funny how I came upon this recipe the morning after a wonderful dinner at the Melting Pot, featuring their Bacon & Brie cheese fondue: Baby Brie, Gruyère, Raclette, Fontina, White Wine, Bacon, Lemon, Scallions). Served, of course, with bread and apples. The flavors together were beyond wonderful.

    Reply