There’s something special about breaking the rind on a warm camembert and watching the cheese flow out over the bread. Baked camembert is the kind of dish that brings everyone to the table, and in the air fryer it’s almost too easy. You remove the paper, cut a criss-cross pattern across the top, press garlic and thyme down into the cuts, and drizzle with olive oil. After 12 minutes you have a cheese with a creamy, gooey centre that’s just waiting to be dipped into.
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Camembert originates from Normandy in north-western France, and a whole baked cheese is just as good for a cosy Friday night on the sofa as it is for a starter when guests come round. All in all, the dish takes 22 minutes, and the air fryer looks after itself for most of that time.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love baked camembert in the air fryer
I’ve baked camembert in the oven many times, but today it’s the air fryer’s turn. It heats up quickly, and the circulating hot air gives the top a bit of colour while the cheese melts all the way through. Here, the small basket is an advantage, since you only need to heat up one cheese, not a whole oven.
I also love that the dish needs almost nothing. A good cheese, a couple of cloves of garlic, a little fresh thyme and a tablespoon of olive oil is enough. The air fryer takes care of the rest while you set the table.
Wooden base, small dish and nothing loose in the basket
Many camemberts are sold in a small wooden box, and the base is good to bake in because it holds the cheese together as it softens. The lid and the wrapping paper, on the other hand, should stay outside the basket. They’re so light that the airflow can lift them up towards the heating element, and the same goes for loose baking paper. If the box isn’t made of wood, put the cheese in a small ovenproof dish that fits in the basket. It’s completely normal for the edge of the wooden base to darken slightly along the way.
My kitchen test of baked camembert
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has one basket with heating elements both above and below. After 10 minutes of preparation and 12 minutes at 180 °C, the cheese was soft and gooey right into the middle, and the garlic in the cuts had turned mild and smelled of thyme. I always preheat the air fryer first, so the timing is accurate. To check the cheese, I use the back of a spoon. If the centre gives way when I press gently, the cheese is ready. If it still feels firm, give it another 2-3 minutes at the same temperature.
Take the cheese out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before baking. That way it melts evenly right into the middle, and you avoid a firm core under a gooey top.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is shaking the basket or turning the cheese partway through, as you might with chips. The soft cheese can split and run out, so leave it undisturbed in the middle of the basket until it’s done. The second mistake is cutting too deep or right out to the edge. Then the rind can’t hold the cheese together, and it runs out before it reaches the table. Cut about 1 cm deep with around 2 cm between the cuts, and stop a little short of the edge. The third mistake is toasting the bread only after the cheese is baked. While you wait for the bread, the cheese starts to firm up. Instead, toast the baguette slices at 180 °C for 3 minutes before the cheese goes in, so the bread is ready when the cheese comes out.
How to serve baked camembert
The cheese is best in the first few minutes, while it’s still gooey, so place it in the middle of the table with something to dip in it and something fresh on the side:
- Toasted baguette slices to dip straight into the cuts
- Coarse bread or grissini
- Grapes and apple wedges for freshness alongside the creamy cheese
- Fig jam or honey with chopped walnuts
- A green salad if the cheese is to be a light dinner for two
Move the cheese onto a board or plate with a turner, as both the cheese and the wooden base are very hot. One cheese serves four as a snack or starter.
Storage and reheating
Baked camembert tastes best on the day it’s made, while it’s warm and gooey. Leftovers keep for 1-2 days in the fridge, covered. The cheese firms up as it cools, but it turns soft again in the air fryer at 160 °C for 3-5 minutes. The dish isn’t suitable for freezing, so it’s better to bake a fresh cheese next time the craving strikes.
Baked camembert in the air fryer shows that the best dishes are often the simplest. With a good cheese, garlic, thyme and olive oil, you have a warm dish to share in no time, and you can vary it with rosemary or a sprinkle of chilli flakes.
FAQ
Yes. Remove the lid and all the wrapping paper, and put the cheese back in the wooden base or in a small ovenproof dish. Loose paper and the lid can be lifted by the airflow up towards the heating element. It’s normal for the edge of the wooden base to darken slightly.
Press gently on the centre with the back of a spoon after 12 minutes at 180 °C. The cheese should feel soft and give way. If the centre is still firm, bake for another 2-3 minutes at the same temperature.
It depends on the cheese. Many camemberts are made with animal rennet, so choose a cheese made with microbial rennet if the dish needs to be fully vegetarian.
Recipe
Baked Camembert in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Step 1:
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Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Shopping list
Ingredients
- 1 camembert (approx. 250 g, in its wooden box)
- 2 clove garlic (thinly sliced)
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- flaky sea salt (to taste)
- black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
For serving
- 1 baguette
How to make it
Preparation
- Remove all the wrapping from 1 camembert, and put the cheese back in the base of the wooden box without the lid. If the box isn’t made of wood, use a small ovenproof dish that fits in the basket instead.
- Cut a criss-cross pattern across the top of the cheese with a sharp knife, about 1 cm deep and with about 2 cm between the cuts. Stop a little short of the edge, so the rind holds the cheese together.
- Fill the cuts with the slices of 2 clove garlic and small pieces of 4 thyme sprigs, and press them down well into the cheese.
- Season the top with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over it, so it runs down into the cuts.
- Cut the 1 baguette into slices about 1.5 cm thick.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C on the hot air setting.
- Bake the cheese in its wooden base or dish in the middle of the basket at 180 °C for 12 minutes, until soft and gooey inside. Leave it undisturbed while it cooks: don’t shake the basket, and don’t turn the cheese.
- Check the cheese by pressing gently on the centre with the back of a spoon. It should feel soft and give way. If the centre is still firm, bake for another 2-3 minutes at 180 °C.
Serving
- Carefully transfer the cheese in its wooden base to a board or plate using a spatula. Both the cheese and the wooden base are very hot.
- Serve the cheese immediately, while it’s still gooey, and dip the baguette slices straight into the cuts. You can also remove the top of the rind to make the cheese easier to get to.
Our notes for the recipe
Take the cheese out of the fridge 20-30 minutes beforehand, so it melts more evenly right into the middle. Stop the cuts a little short of the edge, so the rind holds the melted cheese together. Nothing loose in the basket:
Only the cheese in the wooden base or dish should go into the air fryer. The lid, the wrapping paper and loose baking paper are so light that the airflow can lift them up towards the heating element. It’s completely normal for the wooden base to darken slightly at the edges. Variation:
Drizzle the cheese with a little honey and sprinkle with chopped walnuts as soon as it comes out. Rosemary can replace the thyme, and a sprinkle of chilli flakes adds a bit of heat. Serving:
Serve with baguette, crusty bread or grissini for dipping, and ideally grapes, apple wedges or fig jam on the side. If you want crispy bread, toast the baguette slices in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3 minutes before the cheese goes in. One cheese serves 4 as a snack or starter, or 2 as a light dinner. Vegetarian:
Many camemberts are made with animal rennet. Choose a cheese made with microbial rennet if the dish needs to be fully vegetarian.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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Airfryerkogebogen.dk
Thanks! I just love this one guys 🙂