How to Make an Easy Dessert Board | Dessert Charcuterie Board Ideas (2024)

Dessert charcuterie boards are super popular right now, and I can certainly see why! What better way to eat your favorite snacks than to pile them all onto one easy platter? With the variety of treats there is something to please everyone, and the options are virtually endless. So, today I’m showing you a few ideas on how to make a beautiful dessert charcuterie board…for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any time!

How to Make a Dessert Charcuterie Board

You can click here to see a time lapse video (or watch the video below) making this exact board, including all the different desserts I used for the board.

@quartzandleisure

This board example could be used for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or even the 4th of July if you add in a few blueberries and pop a couple American flags in there.

Dessert Charcuterie Board Ideas

Vary the Shapes

My first suggestions is to try and buy dessert items that have different shapes and sizes. A board would be boring if everything were round and shaped like a cookie, right? So I try and buy a variety of shapes: long pretzel rods dipped in chocolate, flexible gummy sour belts, and spiral meringue pinwheels all work well to bring variety to your dessert board layout.

Opt for Color Cohesiveness

Now, I’m not saying to buy everything one single color, because that can get boring, too. But I would opt to stick to 1-2 colors (other than the unavoidable brown cookie/chocolate color.)

For example, in my board that’s pictured, I opted to use red as my color with a lot of white accents (the meringues are particularly good for achieving a white base). Yogurt covered pretzels, white chocolate, and peppermint candies are a good way to incorporate more white. This will prevent your board from looking like a tan brown mish-mash.

Placement is Key

As you can see in the above video, I placed most of the ingredients in multiple places around the board. This will help provide interest and keep the eye moving around the presentation, when trying to decide which sweets to try. A dessert charcuterie board would look boring if everything was just placed in clumps around the board, right?

Fresh Fruit is Always a Good Idea

For those people who don’t love typical sweeet desserts or chocolate (don’t worry – I am not one of these people), I feel like it’s always a good idea to include some fresh fruit on your dessert board. Another nice idea would be a fruit dip – either a caramel or a cream cheese based dip would be delicious! I didn’t include any in this board, but you can fill small ramekins and place them throughout the board.

Include Some Wrapped Candy

For those of us who have become particularly sensitive to germs and food handling (thanks, Covid!) it’s a nice idea to include a few individually wrapped candies on your dessert board. I love adding in soft & chewy caramels or Hershey kisses for an extra pop of metallic (also a nice way to incorporate the color of your choice).

Add Florals for Flair

Once I finished this board it still seemed like it was missing something, which is why I decided to add some floral embellishments. Baby’s Breath is a wonderful floral “filler” and gives a light, airy vibe to any dessert charcuterie board.

Feel free to add any extra “fun” embellishments you’d like. For example American flags for the 4th of July or a few metallic hearts for Valentine’s Day.

I hope this helped in giving you a few dessert board ideas. If you have any questions on your particular board, feel free to reach out! Send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll see what I can do to help out.

And if you’re ready to tackle a slightly more advanced dessert, this triple chocolate bread pudding is my go-to recipe for any dinner party or holiday event!

Thanks for reading and happy dessert board building!

FAQs

What is the 3-3-3 rule for charcuterie board? ›

The 3333 rule applies to the number of foods to create the perfect board. To follow the 3,3,3,3 rule, stick to three cheeses, three meats, three starches, and three accoutrements.

How to arrange a dessert platter? ›

I arrange slices of cake down the middle of the platter to give the arrangement grounding. I place the pastries in paper muffin cups and arrange them in a flowing pattern around the cake. Then I pile strawberries and figs or grapes high to give some height to the design.

View Details ›

How to make a cheap charcuterie board for beginners? ›

Meat and cheese boards are super easy to make. The staples for a proper charcuterie board are cured meats with cheese options, plus a selection of dried or fresh fruits, nuts, crackers, spreads, olives and pickled vegetables. Think of it as a glorified snack tray and choose what appeals to you.

What goes first on a charcuterie board? ›

Start by adding structure with little dishes, then place your ingredients on the board starting with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats, followed by smaller items like crackers and fresh produce.

See Details ›

What is the secret to a great charcuterie board? ›

After all that meat and cheese, you're going to need something to balance those rich flavors. Cairo suggests accenting the board with acidic pickles, crunchy nuts, whole grain mustard (Maille is his favorite brand), tinned fish, and something sweet like quince jam or a drizzle of honey.

Show Me More ›

What does not go on a charcuterie board? ›

What should you not put on a charcuterie board? You'll want to avoid overly juicy fruits whose juices will run across the board and turn your crackers and bread soggy. Skip fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and tomatoes and stick with grapes, berries, and apples or dried fruits.

Explore More ›

What to put on a dessert table? ›

A dessert table is any offering other than the wedding and groom's cake, and can range from a variety of cupcakes to a smorgasbord of treats. Popular goodies include, cookies, tarts, brownies, macarons, and cereal treats.

Read On ›

What is a good dessert cheese? ›

Goat cheese, aged Gouda, blue cheese, fontina, havarti, mascarpone, Emmentaler, pecorino, fresh ricotta and brie all make wonderful dessert cheeses. You'll find flavored varieties, too, such as chocolate goat cheese; white Stilton with pear, apple, mango, or ginger; and chevre with blueberries, cranberries or cinnamon.

Explore More ›

Is a charcuterie board a starter or dessert? ›

A charcuterie board is an appetizer typically served on a wooden board or stone slab, either eaten straight from the board itself or portioned onto flatware. It features a selection of preserved foods, especially cured meats or pâtés, as well as cheeses and crackers or bread.

Learn More Now ›

Can I use a baking sheet for a charcuterie board? ›

For easy snack board-eating enjoyment, grab a rimmed baking sheet. You may want to accuse me of overthinking this—after all, any flat, clean board will work as a cheese and meat serving vessel, but a rimmed baking sheet excels, particularly if you are lazy, clumsy, or both.