Camembert substitute

Best substitute

Brie

Use the same amount by weight as the camembert you are replacing

Best for baking whole

Close match

Brie, straight 1:1, and nobody at the table will complain. It is the same style of cheese made almost the same way, just milkier and a little less funky. If you want the funk back, look for a ripe Reblochon or Taleggio, and for baked camembert specifically any small soft rinded wheel works, because the rind is what holds the melted cheese in. Buy the ripest wheel your shop has and let it sit out for an hour before baking.

Other camembert substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Reblochon
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
A French washed-rind mountain cheese with a supple, elastic paste that melts exceptionally well.
What changes
Best for
baking, melting, gratins, tartiflette, sandwiches
Nuttier and considerably more pungent than camembert, with a rind that smells of a cellar. Arguably melts better, so it is a genuine upgrade for a baked wheel or a gratin. The rind is edible but assertive; trim it if you are cooking for cautious eaters.
3Triple-creme bloomy cheese (Fromager d'Affinois, Saint-Andre, Brillat-Savarin)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight
Extra cream is added before setting, giving a very rich, almost cheesecake-like paste under a bloomy rind.
What changes
Best for
cheese boards, baking, spreading on bread, dessert courses
Much richer and more buttery than camembert and far less mushroomy, so it reads as luxurious rather than earthy. When baked it goes very loose and can break into a greasy layer, so bake it about five minutes less than a camembert and serve it immediately.
4Taleggio
Different taste
About ¾ the weight
Italian washed-rind cheese with a creamy paste, sold in slabs rather than wheels.
What changes
Best for
melting, gratins, polenta, sandwiches, pizza
Fruitier and tangier than camembert with a much stronger smell, so use a little less. The melt is very similar, which makes it a fine cooking swap. Trim the rind before cooking, since it turns unpleasantly sharp when baked.
5Young goat cheese log (buche)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight, for cooking only
A soft fresh or lightly aged goat log, sliced or crumbled.
What changes
Best for
baked dips, salads, tarts, melting onto toast
Bright, lactic and tangy where camembert is savoury and mushroomy, and it softens rather than pooling into liquid. If you are baking it as a dip, add a splash of cream to loosen it. Perfectly good, but the dish now tastes of goat cheese rather than of Normandy.
6Full-fat cream cheese warmed with browned mushrooms and garlic
Taste and texture differ
Use 8 oz cream cheese for every 8 oz wheel
The honest fallback when no soft rinded cheese is available: bake cream cheese in a small dish with sauteed mushrooms, garlic and thyme stirred through.
What changes
Best for
baked camembert-style dip, bread dipping, party appetiser
This is not camembert and will not pass as it. It is tangier and much less funky, and there is no rind to contain it, so it needs a ramekin. The browned mushrooms are what get you close, because they supply the earthy aroma the bloomy rind was providing. Season more heavily than you think and finish with flaky salt.

What is Camembert?

Camembert is Camembert is a small soft-ripened cow's-milk cheese from Normandy with a bloomy white rind and a pale, gooey interior that smells of mushrooms and cabbage and runs when warm.

Cooking tips

Camembert's most useful property is its rind. It is a skin that holds the melted cheese in, which is why you can bake a whole wheel and dip bread into it. Any substitute without a rind needs a small ovenproof dish or it will spread across the pan.
Score the top in a crosshatch, push in slivers of garlic and a few thyme sprigs, and bake a 250g wheel at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes. Past about 25 minutes the fat separates into an oily layer that will not come back together.
Camembert and brie are made almost identically. The real differences are wheel size, the cultures used, and camembert's stronger mushroom-and-cabbage aroma, so if a recipe names one the other is genuinely fine.
Buy it ripe or the swap will not matter. Underripe camembert has a chalky white core that stays chalky when heated. Press the middle gently: it should give like a full water balloon, not feel firm.
Bloomy white rinds are worth eating and part of the flavour. Washed rinds like Reblochon and Taleggio are much stronger, so trim those if the rind tastes too barnyardy to you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use brie instead of camembert?

Yes, 1:1, in every application. Brie is milder, milkier and sweeter, and less mushroomy. Choosing the ripest wheel in the shop and letting it warm to room temperature closes most of the gap.

What is the difference between brie and camembert?

They are made almost the same way from cow's milk with a bloomy white rind. Camembert comes in smaller wheels from Normandy, uses different cultures, and tastes stronger, with a distinct mushroom-and-cooked-cabbage note. Brie is made in larger wheels and tastes milkier and more buttery.

Can I just leave the camembert out?

Usually not, because it is the dish itself in baked camembert or a camembert tart. In a sandwich or a salad, though, any creamy cheese works: you get a good sandwich, just a different one. Add a little extra salt, since camembert is saltier than most fresh cheeses.

What can I bake instead of a whole camembert?

Any small soft rinded wheel: brie, a mini triple-creme, or a Reblochon. If your cheese has no rind, bake it in a ramekin instead, and reduce the time by a few minutes for anything richer than camembert.

Is camembert safe during pregnancy?

Public health agencies generally advise avoiding soft mould-ripened cheeses like camembert and brie during pregnancy unless they have been cooked until steaming hot all the way through. Check the current advice from your own country's food safety authority rather than relying on a recipe site, and if in doubt pick a hard cheese instead.

Related substitutes

More cheese substitutes

Camembert substitute

Other camembert substitutes

2Reblochon

3Triple-creme bloomy cheese (Fromager d'Affinois, Saint-Andre, Brillat-Savarin)

4Taleggio

5Young goat cheese log (buche)

6Full-fat cream cheese warmed with browned mushrooms and garlic