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Wow, your friends, guests, or family, and a sweet spread on a Dessert Charcuterie Board. It’s perfect for entertaining, especially a crowd, but also a great way to get everyone’s favorite treats. A dessert board is simple to make and takes only minutes to pull together.
Why You’ll Love Them
- They’re great for a theme. Whether you’re planning a book club, Halloween party, or movie night the combinations and themes are endless when it comes to making a dessert board. They’re perfect for a small get-together or even a large gathering.
- A perfect dessert when you need something easy. There’s no baking or cooking involved in preparing one of these boards, which is why they’re one of the easiest desserts to share.
- Great for a small gathering or a crowd. You can make your board as big or as little as you’d like. A dessert board for 2 is a delicious after-dinner treat anytime, but you can also make a huge spread for a party.
What is a Dessert Charcuterie Board
Traditionally a charcuterie board in its most basic form is a display of cured meats such as salami, bresaola, or prosciutto. The term itself is French and refers to a type of cooking, however, in recent years the charcuterie board has taken on many variations.
One of my favorite variations is a sweet charcuterie board that contains a variety of treats that everyone loves and is arranged beautifully. This version of the board can contain savory and sweet items that complement each other and always include some type of dip.
What to Put on a Dessert Board
The possibilities are really endless and you can place your favorite store-bought treats and snacks on the board or you can even make some at home. Being southern and from the area, I love to make a batch of Charleston Chewies, cut them up small, and place them on a board.
1. Some Kind of Dip
Part of what makes these boards the ultimate indulgence is adding a sweet or complimentary dip.
- Homemade Whipped Cream or Cool Whip
- Frosting
- Fruit Dip
- Fondue
- Nutella
- Peanut Butter
- Lemon Curd
- Chocolate Syrup
- Honey
- Dessert Hummus such as chocolate.
- Any kind of pudding.
- Cheesecake Dip.
- Mascarpone
2. Fruit
Not only is fruit complimentary to dessert it adds a burst of color to any board. I’ve been known to serve Fruit Trays for parties and always include a sweet dip with it, which is why I know it not only looks beautiful but tastes delicious on the board.
- Berries – Berries are my absolute favorite fruit to add to any tray or board because they’re so pretty. Cherries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all great addition.
- Grapes – These go on any board whether it’s savory or sweet and the display looks great too. Mix and match green or red grapes or choose a color that matches your theme.
- Apples – Sprinkle some apple slices with cinnamon to keep them from browning and if you add these to your board then I recommend including some caramel sauce too.
- Citrus – Any kind of orange wedge or even grapefruit will work especially for a pretty pop of color, but you can also use dried fruits too.
- Figs – Combining figs with chocolate, especially a chocolate dip is an incredible idea and they also look beautiful on your tray.
3. Cheese
Cheese is often considered a dessert, which is why it works well on your board. You can use a basic cheese, but also a spreadable cheese such as mascarpone (also found in many desserts) is perfect.
- Brie – This super soft and indulgent cheese is a great option that pairs well with jam as well as chocolate.
- Gouda – I like to use a version of gouda that has a truffle flavor, which is very dessert-like, or a combination of goat and gouda.
4. Sweet Treats
There are no wrong ideas here. The sweets you place on your board or tray are entirely up to you and can also be homemade or store-bought.
- Brownies and Bars – Unless you’re using a very large board, and you absolutely can, I recommend cutting brownies and bars into small squares or buying brownie bites. Another great option is to prepare something like Praline Bars.
- Trail Mix – Especially ones that include dried fruits.
- Cookies – Any cookie, large or mini, will work and you can make your own like these White Chocolate Chip Cookies, or just use store-bought.
- Brittle or Bark – These are simple add-ons that are great for pairing with the cheese, especially the spreadable cheese. Some Peanut Brittle or Toffee Bark adds a nice crunch or you could make a healthier version of your own Chocolate Bark.
Savory Bites
The combination of salty and sweet it a match made in dessert heaven, which is why I love to include some crunchy or salty items on any board or tray.
- Chips – A basic plain and salty chip is a perfect combo for a sweet and salty bite and they’re easy to spread around the board and fill in space. You can even make some chocolate-dipped chips to pair with the sweet theme.
- Pretzels – On my basic boards that include both meat and cheese I like to use yogurt-covered pretzels, which would be a great sweet add. You can also use plain salted pretzels too, which look really nice next to chocolates and other sweets.
- Popcorn – Go with salty or sweet popcorn such as caramel-coated or chocolate drizzled. Even cheddar or other flavored popcorn will work. There are no rules when it comes to choosing what you want on your board.
- Nuts – I like to buy chocolate-covered or candied nuts to place in a bowl on the board, but you can also do a salty version too. Since nuts are super small they can tend to get lost on a board so you’ll want to place them in some kind of a bowl.
How to Make a Dessert Charcuterie Board
Whether you’re making a dessert board or a simple Fresh Fruit Tray there are simple tips to help you prepare it with ease.
- Start with larger items and bowls. Use these as pieces you can place all the other treats around. Fill your bowls with dips or smaller items such as nuts and place them on the board apart from each other.
- Add medium and next-size down items. Next, add your medium-sized items such as grapes or larger treats. Work your way around the larger items and only group them slightly. For example, place 3 cookies or brownies next to each other.
- Fill in the spaces. Use the small items to fill the spaces around all the others. I like to sprinkle items such as pretzels at random, which brings the board together.
Best Wood for a Charcuterie Board
It’s not necessary to use only a wood board, but they do work well if not the best. The wood needs to be a non-porous wood such as maple, teak, American cherry, or even acacia. Hardwoods are best.
Other options are bamboo, marble, and even slate. You can also use a tray and cover the bottom with parchment or even butcher paper.
Dessert Board Ideas
One of the best aspects of preparing a dessert board is how versatile they are and planning them around a theme is not only fun but makes preparing one even easier. Whether you’re making one for book club and using foods from your book or making a holiday board to serve during Christmas a theme makes them even better.
Movie Night
This is a fun family-style board perfect for any movie marathon or “watch party.” An absolute must is popcorn and I recommend this Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn. Next, you’ll want to fill your tray with movie theater treats such as Twizzlers, M&M’s, Snow Caps, and Junior Mints for the full experience.
To make your prep even easier you can swing by the movie theater and get some freshly made popcorn and all the treats are right there to purchase as well.
Halloween Dessert Board
A spooky Halloween Dessert Board is a great treat for any Halloween party or event. Kids will love it and there are tons of options such as Halloween Bark or Oreo Mummies that are easy adds and easy to make. I love to make an orange and black colored board or even add in pops of purple and green.
Thanksgiving Dessert Charcuterie Board
If you’d like to make an extra easy dessert for the holidays try a fall dessert charcuterie board or bring one to Thanksgiving. For these boards, I love to include Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip and add yellow, orange, and tons of chocolate browns.
Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board
This holiday dessert charcuterie board is great for spreading Christmas cheer! I like to include Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip which is great with gingersnap cookies or graham crackers. Traditional holiday treats like Peanut Clusters and Praline Bars are a must too. Spread some red and green items around the board such as cherries or strawberries or choose a white and blue theme.
This theme can also be made into the shape of a Christmas tree, candy cane, or ornament. In fact, you might even want to include some candy canes on your board and some fresh rosemary to look like tree branches.
If you’d like to choose a winter theme then you can use white as a base color and sprinkle some powdered sugar over the entire board for a snowy effect.
Valentine’s Day Dessert Board
Chocolates, truffles, and conversation hearts make this type of board so much fun. I also like to use gummy-type candies like Red Hots and jelly beans in red, white, and pink. This is also a fun option for making a dessert board for two.
You also don’t have to detour too much from the standard dessert board since chocolates and cheeses fit nicely into any Valentine’s theme.
Easter Dessert Charcuterie Board
There is no shortage of Easter sweets that can be placed on this themed board. Choose pastel colors and chocolates and I recommend spreading some Peeps around for a fun pop of color. Some fun homemade options to add are Bird’s Next Cookies and Puff Pastry Bunnies.
Birthday Dessert Charcuterie Board
No need to bake a cake when you can easily pull one of these boards together for your birthday or anyone else who might be celebrating. There are tons of “birthday cake” flavored treats out there including frosting for a dip that you can use.
Tips for Making a Dessert Board
- Check your fridge and pantry first. I love preparing charcuterie boards so I often have items such as crackers or chocolate-covered almonds in my pantry. See what you’ve got first before heading out to the store.
- Use an odd number of bowls. Using an odd number of bowls breaks up the appearance of your board so it’s not too asymmetrical. You want the board to have a slightly thrown-together look, yet organized.
- Only group larger items. Place items such as brownies, strawberries, etc in groups of 3 and then spread the rest of the items sporadically over the board.
- Don’t overcrowd the board. There’s no need to fill every single space on your board. Keep extras nearby and once the board starts to look picked overfill it in. Overcrowding also makes it easier for items to fall off when guests are choosing what they want.
- Want to make a massive board? Instead of using an actual charcuterie-style board, you can use butcher paper or the brown paper bag paper you can purchase at an art store in a roll. Spread it out and tape it down to your table and then begin arranging your spread.
FAQS
This depends on the size and type of your event, but if it’s a simple gathering then a Fruit Tray pairs perfectly.
You want to use a food-safe board or tray. Most cutting boards will work too. My preference is to use round boards and rectangle-shaped trays when preparing one.
Related Recipe
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Dessert Board
Equipment
- Serving Board or Platter
Ingredients
- 1 cup Frosting or other dip
- 1 cup Grapes cut into small clumps
- 1/2 cup Fresh Strawberries or other fruit
- 1/2 cup Pretzels
- 4 ounces Brie Cheese or your favorite cheese
- Brownie Bites
- Chocolates
Instructions
- Start with larger items and bowls. Use these as pieces you can place all the other treats around. Fill your bowls with dips or smaller items such as nuts and place them on the board apart from each other.
- Add medium and next-size down items. Next, add your medium-sized items such as grapes or larger treats. Work your way around the larger items and only group them slightly. For example, place 3 cookies or brownies next to each other.
- Use the small items to fill the spaces around all the others. I like to sprinkle items such as pretzels at random, which brings the board together.
Notes
- Check your fridge and pantry first. I love preparing charcuterie boards so I often have items such as crackers or chocolate-covered almonds in my pantry. See what you’ve got first before heading out to the store.
- Use an odd number of bowls. Using an odd number of bowls breaks up the appearance of your board so it’s not too asymmetrical. You want the board to have a slightly thrown-together look, yet organized.
- Only group larger items. Place items such as brownies, strawberries, etc in groups of 3 and then spread the rest of the items sporadically over the board.
- Don’t overcrowd the board. There’s no need to fill every single space on your board. Keep extras nearby and once the board starts to look picked overfill it in. Overcrowding also makes it easier for items to fall off when guests are choosing what they want.
- Want to make a massive board? Instead of using an actual charcuterie-style board, you can use butcher paper or the brown paper bag paper you can purchase at an art store in a roll. Spread it out and tape it down to your table and then begin arranging your spread.
