December 19, 2025
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I have a friend who absolutely adores Camembert. When I shared this recipe of Camembert bites with her, she was over the moon! She couldn’t believe how easy they were to make and has now made them an apéro staple whenever she has guests. Always happy to help a friend out!
There’s a bit of a knack to them, mostly it’s keeping the cheese cold and the oil hot, so it crisps before it leaks. Get that right and they’re one of the most crowd-pleasing things you can put on a table.
Have the plates ready when they’re done, have something sharp alongside to contrast with the richness, a good fruit chutney, a sharp French mustard, or a simple honey drizzle all work really well, and get them to the table immediately. Trust me, nobody has ever turned down a hot croquette of melting Camembert.
Table of Contents
Where Camembert bites comes from
The technique of breading and frying goes way back, which is understandable as it makes everything taste nice. The first known croquette recipe dates to 1691 in the court of Louis XIV, where François Massialot’s recipe bound meat, truffles, marrow, and cheese together with egg, then breaded and fried the result. The concept of something soft on the inside and shatteringly crisp on the outside has been part of French cooking ever since.
The specific tradition of fried cheese belongs more to Central Europe, making its way into French kitchens through the Viennese schnitzel technique, same method but different filling. And at some point a French cook looked at a Camembert and had the obvious idea. The result is these croquettes de Camembert, which are now firmly part of the French apéro repertoire.
Ingredients
- Camembert – A ripe but not runny Camembert de Normandie AOP, raw milk if you can, for the best flavour. Ripe enough to mash into a smooth paste, firm enough to handle. A great use for one that’s a little past its best.
- Shallot – Finely diced and folded through the cheese, for a gentle sharpness that runs through the molten centre.
- Chives and flat-leaf parsley – Fresh, chopped fine.
- Eggs – Beaten, the glue that holds the breadcrumbs on.
- Breadcrumbs – For the crisp golden shell. Fine dried crumbs, or panko for extra crunch.
- Oil – A neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable or sunflower oil), which fries clean and hot without taking over the flavour.
- Salt and pepper – To season the filling. Go easy on the salt, since the camembert brings plenty.
How to make Camembert bites
1. Make the filling
Take the rind off the camembert and cut it into rough cubes, then mash it in a bowl with finely diced shallot, chives and parsley, and plenty of black pepper. You want a smooth, workable paste. This is the step that lifts these above a plain fried cheese, the shallot and herbs run right through the molten centre. If your camembert’s very ripe and soft, a quick 10 minutes in the fridge firms the mix up enough to handle.
2. Roll and double-bread
Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a large walnut. Then bread them the classic French pané way, egg, then breadcrumbs, and here’s the important part, do it twice. Back into the egg, back into the crumbs. That double coat builds a proper sealed shell that crisps up and, crucially, keeps the cheese in rather than letting it burst out into the oil.
3. Fry hot and fast
Get the oil to 180°C, hot enough that a cube of bread sizzles and turns golden in about 30 seconds. Fry the croquettes a few at a time (don’t crowd the pan, or the temperature drops) for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. Lift them out, drain on kitchen paper, and serve straight away, while the centre’s still molten. Cut one open and watch it ooze!
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use a deep, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven to hold the oil safely at temperature for frying.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to keep the oil at 180°C, which is the difference between crisp and greasy.
- Use a skimmer spoon to lift the bites out cleanly.
Tips for success
- Take the camembert out early, then work it cool: let it sit out 30 minutes so it mashes easily, but if the mix gets too soft and sticky to roll, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. Cool enough to handle, ripe enough to mash, that’s the balance.
- Don’t skip the double breading: egg, crumbs, then egg and crumbs again. A single coat means a cheese explosion in your oil, and not the good kind. The second layer is what seals the shell.
- Get the oil properly hot: around 180°C. No thermometer? A cube of bread should sizzle immediately and turn golden in about 30 seconds. Too cool and the croquettes go greasy and leak before they crisp.
- Fry in small batches: three or four at a time. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature, and cool oil means soggy, leaky croquettes. Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
- Serve them the moment they’re done: the molten centre firms up as they cool. Fry to order and get them straight to the table!
How to store it
- Fried croquettes de camembert is best eaten immediately, the oozy middle is the whole joy, and it sets within minutes, so these really are a fry-and-eat-now dish.
- The clever part is that the breaded, unfried croquettes are made for the freezer, which is exactly how to get ahead. Roll and bread them, freeze them on a tray until solid, then bag them up for up to a month. Fry them straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the time, whenever people turn up. No last-minute rolling and breading with guests in the kitchen.
- I wouldn’t keep leftover fried ones, since reheated fried camembert turns tough and greasy and loses the ooze.
More cheese recipes to try
Variations
- Air fryer version: spray the breaded croquettes generously with oil and cook at 190°C for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway. Not quite the same as deep-fried, but still very good, and a lot less oil.
- Change the herbs: swap the chives and parsley for thyme, tarragon or a little chopped rosemary, or add a grating of garlic to the mix.
- Add a little heat: a pinch of cayenne or some chilli flakes in the cheese mixture, for a gentle kick against the rich camembert.
- A nuttier crumb: mix finely chopped pecan nuts or walnuts into the breadcrumbs for extra crunch and flavour.
FAQ
How do I stop the cheese leaking out when frying?
Double-bread the croquettes, egg and crumbs, then egg and crumbs again, so the shell is properly sealed, and keep the oil hot at 180°C. It helps to work the cheese cool, and if you’re getting ahead, to fry them straight from frozen. A single coat or cool oil is what causes leaks.
Can I make camembert bites ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s the best way. Roll and bread the croquettes, then freeze them (up to a month) and fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two. The fried ones don’t keep, so cook them to order, but all the fiddly rolling and breading can be done well in advance.
Can I make these in an air fryer?
Yes. Spray the breaded croquettes generously with oil and cook at 190°C for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway. They won’t be quite as crisp or evenly golden as deep-fried ones, but they’re very good and use far less oil.
What do you serve with camembert bites?
They’re lovely on a handful of fresh salad leaves, with a drizzle of honey if you’re feeling fancy. A sharp fruity jam or chutney (cranberry, fig, red onion) on the side cuts the richness nicely too. Serve them hot as an apéro snack or a starter.
What camembert should I use?
A ripe but not runny raw-milk Camembert de Normandie AOP gives the best flavour. Any good camembert works, though, just avoid the rubbery supermarket basics. It’s a great way to use up a camembert that’s ripe enough to mash smoothly.
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes 
Total Time 30 minutes 
Servings 8 Croquettes de CamembertDescription
Ingredients
- 1 camembert preferably raw milk Camembert de Normandie AOP
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp chives
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
- 2 eggs
- 150 gr breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil or sunflower oil, for deep frying
- salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
1. Prepare the Camembert
- Take the camembert out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start, since it's far easier to work with when it isn't fridge-cold. Slice the white rind off all sides (don't throw it away, it's perfectly edible, just not what you want in here). Cut the cheese into rough cubes and drop them into a large bowl.
2. Mix the filling
- Add the finely diced shallot, chives and parsley to the bowl, with a small pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Using a spatula, mash and fold everything together into a smooth, workable paste. If your camembert is very ripe and runny, pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up before you go on.
3. Shape the croquettes
- With your hands, roll the mixture into small balls, roughly the size of a large walnut. You'll get about 8 to 10 from one camembert.
4. Set up your breading station
- Get three shallow bowls ready: one with the beaten eggs, one with the breadcrumbs, and one kept free (that's the classic French pané setup). Have a clean plate standing by for the coated croquettes.
5. Bread the croquettes (twice)
- Roll each ball in the egg first, then coat it generously in breadcrumbs. Now the important bit: do it all again. Back into the egg, back into the breadcrumbs. That double coating is what gives you a properly crisp shell and keeps the cheese from escaping in the fryer.
6. Fry until golden
- Heat the oil to 180°C in a heavy-bottomed pan or deep fryer. No thermometer? Drop in a small cube of bread, it should sizzle straight away and turn golden in about 30 seconds. Lower in 3 or 4 croquettes at a time (don't crowd the pan) and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden brown all over. Lift them out with a skimmer spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
7. Serve immediately
- Croquettes de camembert wait for no one. Serve them hot, on a handful of fresh salad leaves. They don't need much else, though a little drizzle of honey never hurts if you're feeling fancy. Cut one open and watch the cheese ooze out. That's the moment.
Notes
- Cheese choice: A proper raw milk Camembert de Normandie AOP will give you the best flavour. If you can’t find one, any good-quality Camembert will work. Avoid the rubbery supermarket basics if you can
- The double breading: Don’t skip this. Single coating means cheese explosion in your oil. Not in a good way.
- Make ahead: You can bread the croquettes de camembert and freeze them for up to a month. Fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the cooking time.
- Air fryer option: Spray generously with oil and cook at 190°C for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway. Not quite the same as deep-fried, but still pretty good.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
