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    Home » Recipes » BBQ Cooking & Baking

    Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer

    May 19, 2020 *Updated* March 14, 2023 / By: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy 168 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure Policy.
    Jump To Recipe

    Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer might just be the hit of your next party. Take your wine and cheese party in a whole new and very interesting direction.

    Wood pellets, a cold smoker box, and some great brie produce the best smoked cheese you have ever tasted. You might also want to make this easy cheese log too.

    Slices of smoked brie cheese on a wooden board.

    When I first tried cold smoked brie at one of the many grilling classes we have attended, I was hooked. Even my husband (who is not a brie lover) thought the smoked cheese appetizer was REALLY good.

    I am so glad I can convert those taste buds of his to enjoy the good things in life. Have you tried smoked apples?

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    Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer on a cheese board, cheese knife on the side.

    Have you tried smoked cheddar? We often have it in the house, especially when Costco puts it on sale.

    RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this smoked cheese recipe are at the bottom of the post.

    Once we found out how to make it ourselves, there is no need to buy it anymore.

    It is easy to do and gives you the option to try lots of other cold smoked cheese recipes. The different combinations of paring woods and cheeses are endless.

    Picture of the KEG charcoal used to make cold smoked cheese.

    Totally different than pit smoking. If you know anything about hot smoking, controlling the temperature is vital. My husband loves his Flame Boss 300 WiFi.

    What Is Cold Smoked Cheese?

    If you have ever bought smoked cheese at the store you know it can be expensive. Flavour is added to cheese with the help of wood chips or pellets using a low temperature.

    The cheese is not cooked but infused with a smokey flavour from the outside. What a great way to add some personality and elevate the taste of humble cheese. Take ordinary cheese and make it extraordinary.

    A wheel of brie for cold smoking.

    For this cold smoked cheese recipe, we re-created the originally smoked brie appetizer we had at our cooking class.

    Did you know that Canada has some fantastic cheese? Look for the Dairy Farmers of Canada logo next time you shop for your selection of cheese.

    There are several methods to cold smoke cheese. You can use a gas grill or charcoal grill. My hubby is a BBQ fanatic (yup he has all the toys).

    For this brie appetizer, he used a KEG charcoal grill (minus the charcoal). When we smoked cheese in class it was done on a gas grill (minus the heat).

    Image of container used to make cold smoked cheese.

    So, you may ask if there is NO HEAT involved, how do you smoke cheese? You use a container called a smoker box.

    Some can be tubes, others can be DIY foil pouches. In both our cooking class and our own cheese smoking, we used a cold smoking tray by *(affiliate) *A-Maze-N.

    Overhead shot of the pellet maze for smoking.

    The Cold Smoking Process

    • choose your cheese (bring it to room temperature prior to smoking)
    • choose your wood pellet flavour (we used apple, more info below)
    • fill your smoking container with the pellets
    • place inside the grill and light
    • close lid (for several minutes) to start the smoking process
    • add the cheese on the rack (not too close to the smoker box, you don’t want the cheese to melt from the heat)
    • monitor the heat inside the grill (you want to keep it under 90 degrees F)
    • continue to smoke till you reach your desired level of flavour (hard cheeses will take longer than soft cheeses)
    Close of how the cheese looks on the grill as it gets cold smoked.

    Cold smoking on a cool day is ideal. It makes it much easier to control the temperature inside the grill. The day we smoked our cheese it was a million degrees outside.

    How long does it take to cold smoke cheese? Hubby cold smoked the brie for 80 minutes. Depending on the outside temperature, and the type of cheese you choose, you can cold smoke anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours.

    Can you freeze smoked cheese? Yes, but I would only freeze HARD cheeses. Make sure they are wrapped REALLY WELL (vacuum sealing is ideal) to prevent freezer burn. You can usually keep it for about 2 months in the freezer.

    Close up of Smoked Brie right off the grill, on a cheese board.

    Can you eat smoked cheese right away? The flavour of the cheese right off the grill will be milder than when you store it in the fridge. In fact, just like fine wine (and women LOL) if you can let it sit for a week or so, the flavour will be over the top fantastic. Be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

    Of course, when you smoke brie, how can you not eat it right away? Warm, gooey and delicious the absolute BEST time to eat it!!

    Best Cheese To Smoke

    This is the fun part (along with choosing the wood flavours). Just about any cheese that will not fall apart will work. Large blocks of cheese should be cut into smaller pieces (but DO NOT cut the brie). That would be a tragedy!

    • Brie
    • Mozzarella
    • Monterey Jack
    • Gouda
    • Swiss
    • Gruyere

    As for the best wood for smoking, there are lots of flavour profiles to choose from.

    You can go from mild (like apple and cherry) to strong (like hickory and mesquite). The choices are ALL personal preference. Lots of tasty options for your eating pleasure.

    Smoked brie getting cut into wedges.

    This home smoked cheese was our Sunday afternoon appetizer. Paired perfectly with wine (who would have thought LOL). Who would have thought of making cheese on the grill?

    Sliced nice and warm, runny wedges of goodness, put them on some crackers (or straight to my mouth). Piled on some spicy wine jam, added some charcuterie meats, and called it dinner.

    If you like warm cheese, mini stuffed peppers make a GREAT party starter. Have you ever tried Grilled Shishito Peppers? They have a nice smokey flavour, and totally addictive. You won’t be able to eat just one.

    Close up of a slice brie, topped with spicy wine jam.

    We enjoy grilling. From appetizers like Strawberry Bruschetta to desserts like Watermelon Pizza or Grilled Balsamic Strawberries, cheese seems to be a common denominator in many recipes.

    Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer certainly will be happening a few more times (all year long).

    Want more appetizers cooked on the grill? Here are a few to try this summer for your bbq parties!

    • Grilled Plantains
    • Cheese Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
    • Grilled Polenta

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    Cold Smoked Cheese Pin Image
    Slices of smoked brie cheese on a wooden board.

    Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer

    Take humble cheese to a whole new level of deliciousness. This Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer will be the hit of your next party.
    5 from 81 votes
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Canadian
    Keyword: cold smoking cheese
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 99kcal
    Author: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

    Ingredients

    • 21 ounces Brie cheese wheel (brought to room temperature)
    • Crackers (optional)
    • Toppings (optional)
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    To Smoke:

    • Fill your smoker container with your choice of pellets.
    • Place inside your grill, and ignite. Close the lid for a few minutes to create some smoke.
    • Place the room temperature cheese on the grill (not near the smoker container).
    • Close the lid, and smoke until your desired level of flavour. We smoked ours for about 80 minutes. **NOTE** Be sure the internal temperature of your grill stays under 90ºF…YOU DON’T WANT TO COOK/MELT THE CHEESE.

    To Serve:

    • When done, remove from grill.
    • Place on a board, along with a cheese knife, crackers, meats, and toppings.
    • ENJOY!!

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 99kcal | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 45mg | Vitamin A: 175IU | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 0.1mg

    Notes

    Be sure to wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap before placing in the fridge. 
    Tried this recipe?Take a picture and tag @homemadeandyummy
    Nutritional information on this site is generated via a plugin. I am not responsible for the accuracy of the plugin information.

    More BBQ Cooking & Baking

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    • Easy Grilled Portobello Mushroom Caps
    • Stuffed Grilled Avocado Boats
    • Grilled Kofta Kebabs (with Lamb)

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Gloria Duggan is the author for Homemade & Yummy, where she creates fun and easy recipes. She is also a brand ambassador/influencer for well-known companies. Gloria has judged food competitions and has posted about local food events. Gloria's work has been featured in magazines, and she has been interviewed on several podcasts. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ramona

      July 10, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      I have never smoked cheese before, but really had to try this and wow!! What a fantastic idea! My whole family loved it!! Fantastic idea indeed.

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        July 12, 2020 at 10:39 am

        We love this. Perfect for bbq parties. The guests are always impressed.

    2. Heidy M

      June 01, 2020 at 7:55 am

      Your Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer was off the chain yummy! I should have doubled the recipe because it flew off the table. I will be saving this recipe for sure.

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        June 01, 2020 at 9:25 am

        SOOO glad you enjoyed this delicious recipe. It is addictive for sure.

    3. Jo

      June 01, 2020 at 6:51 am

      Nothing is better than smoked cheese. An appetizer that I can’t stop eating. Dangerously addictive and delicious!

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        June 01, 2020 at 9:26 am

        Addictive for sure….and a crowd pleaser.

    4. EA at The Spicy RD

      May 31, 2020 at 11:54 pm

      I had no idea you could cold smoke cheese, but this is a genius idea! I’d love to try smoking some of the other cheeses you suggested too. Smoked Gruyere sounds divine!

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        June 01, 2020 at 9:26 am

        OMG this is such a great bbq party appetizer….it flies off the plate. ENJOY!

    5. Marisa F. Stewart

      May 31, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      We loved smoked cheese. I want to put it on everything. We don’t have a smoker but luckily both sons do — so, I’ve printed out the recipe to make this. It will be a great Saturday afternoon chore.

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        June 01, 2020 at 9:27 am

        You don’t need a smoker….just make one out of foil….it works too.

    6. Kushigalu

      May 31, 2020 at 6:16 am

      Smoked brie just sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing this idea. Pinned to try this soon.

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        May 31, 2020 at 10:51 am

        ENJOY…you will love it.

    7. Denise

      May 30, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      Never thought of trying cold smoked, what a great idea! I can’t wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        May 31, 2020 at 10:51 am

        It is a fun way to make a delicious appetizer for summer parties.

    8. Bernice Hill

      May 30, 2020 at 12:47 am

      Great idea! We’ve been on a smoking kick lately and I happen to have a round of brie in the fridge…this is happening tomorrow!

      Reply
      • Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

        May 30, 2020 at 9:07 am

        You will love it….super delicious.

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