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.
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?
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.
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.
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).
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
This easy cheese appetizer would be perfect with roasted eggplant slices. Easy finger food for bbq parties.
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!
Be sure to CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON located in the TOP MENU.
Cold Smoked Cheese Easy Brie Appetizer
Ingredients
- 21 ounces Brie cheese wheel (brought to room temperature)
- Crackers (optional)
- Toppings (optional)
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!!
Paige
Well this looks super easy and delicious! Nice job on the tips too…I’m making this !
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I know you will love it…this is a brie lovers dream
Colleen
We love smoked gouda and cheddar, but have never tried smoked brie. It must be amazing. Definitely going to try this one!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Cold Smoking is amazing….hope you give it a try.
Jen
This is a brilliant idea. Next we are trying cheddar, wrapped in cheesecloth to catch any escaping oils.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
That sounds like a plan….I will have to experiment with that.
Haley D. Williams
Okay, anything brie is good, but this is AMAZING Thank you for sharing this!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome….your guests will LOVE this.
Sue
Perfect timing, I’m breaking out my new smoker this weekend! I adore smoked cheese, and the thought of smoked Brie is driving me crazy!!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is COLD smoked and so easy to make. I know you will LOVE it.
Renee Goerger
I could easily make an entire meal out of this smoked brie! It’s that good!!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I know…so easy and so delicious. Always a hit with the guests.
Ellen
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love serving brie as an appetizer on a Friday with drinks after a long week. This will be a nice new addition.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect Friday night appetizer!!
debi at Life Currents
We made this for Happy Hour last night and it was a huge hit with my guests. Everyone loved watching the process, and I loved how easy and tasty it was. Smoked cheeses are da bomb!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES..love smoked cheese. Always a great way to impress your dinner guests.
Alexis
Oh goodness, we love brie in our family. I’ve never had it cold smoked though. We’ll have to give this one a try, looks delicious.
Homemade & Yummy
This is such a fun recipe…and perfect for entertaining too.
Sara
Oh my gosh – I am SUCH a huge cheese fan, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever tried it smoked! This looks insanely good – and I’m sure it is incredible when paired with the right wine, like you did!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHHA…yup this makes wine and cheese parties just a little more fun.
Jordan
You had me at brie. Say no more! … but seriously. My hubby has been dying to get a smoker and this may be the perfect excuse for me to agree.
Homemade & Yummy
Once you give this a try, you will be making it all the time.
Sonia
Oh wow!This looks and sounds so delicious and inviting! I have all the Ingredients and can’t wait to make it.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is the best bbq appetizer for parties.
Sara
I had no idea you could smoke cheese at home! You are my culinary hero! I have to try this at home sometime!
Homemade & Yummy
YUP you sure can. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Leslie
I LOVE the idea of making smoked cheese at home – it’s not even something I’ve even considered as an option!
Homemade & Yummy
It is so easy. Hope you give this fun recipe a try.
Kitty
I’m so intrigued by this idea! I’ve never smoked anything but we are huge cheese fans in our house!. Love the idea of taking an ordinary cheese and giving it nuance!
Homemade & Yummy
Takes cheese to a whole other level of yum!!
Nicole
Girl, you’re speaking my language with this smoked cheese! I’m obsessed with a smoked mozzarella from my local Italian deli, but it would be way cheaper to just make myself! I’m also a HUGE fan of brie, and I can just imagine how amazing this smoked brie must taste! I would totally hide this cheese from everyone and eat it all by myself!
Homemade & Yummy
This is such a hit at BBQ parties this summer. I should sell it LOL!!