Surface-ripened cheeses, such as Camembert, typically have a short shelf life and are susceptible to contamination by environmental pathogens. High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) has been shown to be effective at extending shelf life and reducing pathogens post-manufacture in various food products. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of HPP on the microbiological quality of a surface mold-ripened cheese. Three varieties of Camembert type cheese (traditional, stabilized curd, and a hybrid of the 2) were manufactured. The cheese was HPP treated (550 MPa for 10 min at 25°C) in duplicate treatments at either 3 (treatment A) or 10 d (treatment B) post manufacture. Treatment was applied either before (treatment A) or after (treatment B) surface yeast/mold growth. They were analyzed and monitored through shelf life for pH of the rind, pH of the paste, and microbiological quality (yeasts and molds, total plate count, and lactic acid bacteria). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) across both treatment time and types of cheese. Penicillium candidum had the largest decrease post-HPP with an average reduction of 2.3 ± 0.1 log cfu/g across all varieties 7 d after manufacture. At 21 d post manufacture there was an average reduction of 1.0 ± 0.3 log cfu/g for treatment A and 3.8 ± 0.8 log cfu/g for treatment B. The pH of the rind, another critical parameter for Camembert maturation and surface mold growth, was significantly lower after 14 d with treatment A having an average decrease of 1.69 ± 0.3 units (from 7.52 to 5.83) and treatment B decreasing by 2.36 ± 0.1 units (from 7.52 to 5.16) compared with the non-treated cheeses. Our study demonstrates that HPP of Camembert type cheese has a negative effect on the surface mold. However, HPP of cheeses before mold growth has a less negative effect on mold compared with pressure treating following surface mold development, indicating that HPP treatment time will influence the microbiological quality of surface-ripened cheeses.