How Long Does Brie Last?
Brie lasts about 1 week in the fridge once cut, and 1–2 weeks at most. An uncut wheel keeps until about its printed date. It can be frozen for up to 6 months, but only for cooking.
Brie — cut
shelf life- Whole: 1–2 weeks in the fridge
- Cooked: 3–4 days in the fridge
Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below · freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; frozen food stays safe longer.
Brie is a soft-ripened cow's milk cheese with an edible, white bloomy rind made by a deliberately added mold, Penicillium candidum. It keeps ripening from the rind inward after you buy it, growing runnier and stronger until it turns ammoniated. Its high moisture and low acidity also make it one of the cheeses most associated with Listeria.
How to store brie
- Rewrap cut brie in wax or parchment paper, or its original paper, then place it in a loosely closed container; the rind needs to breathe, and plastic wrap makes it slimy and ammoniated.
- Press a small piece of parchment against the cut face to stop the soft center oozing out and drying.
- Take out only the portion you will serve and let it sit 30–60 minutes for flavor, returning any leftovers to the fridge within 2 hours.
- Keep brie in the vegetable or cheese drawer, away from uncovered foods, as its aroma travels.
How to tell if brie has gone bad
- A strong ammonia smell that does not fade after the cheese has been unwrapped and aired for several minutes.
- Mold that is not the white rind: blue, green, gray, black or pink patches, especially on the cut face.
- A rind that has turned brown, wet and slimy, or sunken and cracked.
- A center that is gray or brownish and liquid, with a bitter, harsh taste.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the look, smell or taste of food. Go by the time limits first, and the signs above second.
Brie shelf life chart
| State | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut | 1 week | 6 months | Not safe |
| Texture turns crumbly and watery after freezing; use thawed brie for baking or melting. | |||
| Whole | 1–2 weeks | 6 months | Not safe |
| Uncut wheel in its original wrapper: go by the best-by date, since it continues to ripen. | |||
| Cooked | 3–4 days | Not recommended | Not safe |
| Leftover baked brie. | |||
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers or it serves no purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat the white rind on brie?
Yes. The white, velvety rind is an edible mold, Penicillium candidum, added on purpose during cheesemaking, and it is meant to be eaten with the cheese. It is different from spoilage mold. Blue, green, gray or pink growth on brie is not part of the cheese and means it should be discarded.
How long does brie last after opening?
Cut brie lasts about 1 week in the fridge, and 1–2 weeks at the outside if it was young when you bought it. It keeps ripening after it is cut, so quality declines quickly. Rewrap it in paper, not plastic, after every use.
Why does my brie smell like ammonia?
Ammonia is a natural by-product of the rind mold breaking down protein as brie ripens. A faint whiff on unwrapping that clears within a few minutes is normal, especially if the cheese was wrapped in plastic. A strong, persistent ammonia smell with a brown rind or bitter taste means the brie is overripe and should be thrown out.
How long can brie sit out on a cheese board?
Brie can sit out for up to 2 hours, or 1 hour if it is above 90°F (32°C). Soft-ripened cheeses support bacterial growth, including Listeria, much better than hard cheeses do. Serve a wedge rather than the whole wheel and discard what has been out too long.
Is brie safe during pregnancy?
CDC and FDA advise that pregnant women avoid soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk. Pasteurized brie carries a lower risk but is still a soft, moist cheese in which Listeria can grow if it is contaminated after pasteurization. Many health authorities suggest eating it only thoroughly cooked until steaming hot, so ask your doctor.
Related foods
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goat Cheese Opened |
1 week | 6 months | Not safe |
| Blue Cheese Opened |
1–2 weeks | 6 months | Not safe |
| Feta Cheese Opened |
1 week | 6 months | Not safe |
| Mozzarella Opened |
1 week | 6 months | Not safe |
| Crackers Unopened |
Not recommended | 3–4 months | 8 months |
| Prosciutto Opened |
3–5 days | 1 month | Not safe |
More fresh & soft cheese: Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese, Ricotta.
Reviewed 2026-09-20. Times follow published USDA FoodKeeper / FSIS, FDA and CDC storage guidance; where sources differ we use the shorter time. How we compile this data.