A dessert charcuterie board is a really fun and easy way to entertain for the holidays. Learn how easy it is to put together a dessert charcuterie board that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends for a holiday get together!
I started making cheeseboards/charcuterie boards a couple years back and the truth is I can’t stop. I love putting them together and thinking of all the different flavor combinations. It really is endless. And that got me thinking, why stop with just a cheeseboard? Why not throw together just a veggie board? A mezze board? And my best idea yet? A dessert board!
What is a Dessert Board?
As you can see from my pictures above, boards are all the rage. They started trending over these past couple of years and range from cheese, to appetizers, and now to dessert. A board filled with all your favorite sweets? What could be better? Am I right?
If you’re serving a crowd this is a great way to have a variety of desserts for everyone to have and plenty of them. The best part is that not all the desserts have to be homemade. You can mix and match and have many store bought desserts along with a few homemade. Semi-homemade that looks fantastic! If you think people ooh and ahh at a cheeseboard, just wait till they see this dessert board!
What Can You Put On A Dessert Board?
Anything goes! If it’s sweet, there’s a place on the board for it. Jokes aside, just like a cheeseboard can have a little bit of thought put into it, so too can the dessert board. I love a themed board – think Valentine’s Day, New Year’s – and the possibilities are endless, which means there can be a board at every holiday! If you have a random assortment of leftovers in your pantry, this is a great way to use up those odds and ends. First things first, pick a theme!
Dessert Board Themes
- New Year’s (glitter, boozy treats, chocolate, champagne)
- Valentine’s Day (red, white, pink)
- St. Patrick’s Day (all things green! & I know we’re doing dessert here, but what a great veggie board this would be!)
- Easter (pastel colors, bunnies and carrot shapes)
- 4th of July (red, white, and blue – sparklers and flags
- Halloween (ghosts, pumpkins, and witches – this holiday is ALL about desserts. This is a definite one to go all out and even make multiple boards! Check this fun snack one I did recently.
- Hanukkah (blue, white and silver, dreidels and chocolate gold coins – gelt)
- Christmas (red, green, gold – you can go with Christmas cookies here or a mix and match)
- Sports (team color – for the team you’re rooting for – or depending on the sport, grab a few chocolate pieces in the shape of the sport, i.e. footballs
- Date night (chocolate, bite-sized treats for 2, champagne)
- Game night (bite-sized treats, cocktails, a few treats based on the games being played)
Mix Store Bought & Homemade
You’ll want to get a mix of not just candy but cookies and actual desserts. Seems obvious but I did one for Valentine’s Day one year and it was just candy. If I’m being honest, most candy doesn’t fill you up and then you end up eating more but not feeling so great afterwards – literal sugar rush.
- Chocolate or Yogurt covered pretzels
- Small cookies – think different shapes as you’re selecting them
- Any chocolate candy – again, think of different shapes as you choose them
- Foil wrapped candy in those specific themed colors
- Non-chocolate candy – gummies, hard candy, and again think different colors and shapes
- Fruit – I like throwing in fruit because it’s naturally sweet and it pairs well with chocolate.
- Nuts – spiced or glazed, these can also be paired with the fruit and makes for a great flavor combination!
I think sometimes creating a board can seem daunting, but the truth is, they’re really fun (& easy) to make! Get creative. Think about your theme and use different colors, shapes, and the occasion you’re celebrating. I may or may not have bought one too many cookies for this board. Guess that means I’ll be ready for the next holiday!
Assembling A Dessert Board
- Decide a Theme/Pick an Occasion.
- Select the board you’ll use.
Decide if you’ll have any decorations that you’ll place the desserts around and be your focal point.
- If there’s not any extra decorations, pick 2-3 bowls to allow for height and also texture (this also allows for some of the loose candy to be in a central place and not fall everywhere).
- Place your decorations on the board and/or your bowls. Fill them with what you’re using, i.e. M&Ms, etc.
- Add the rest of your treats. Remember, this is fun and there really isn’t a formula to follow. I love a full board. If you have double or more of something you can always repeat it on the board (think patterns as you are placing the items)
- Fill in the holes with spiced/glazed nuts or any small candies you have as needed. The fuller/messier the better! (I think!)
- Enjoy – sit back, relax, and dig in!
Dessert Charcuterie Board
A dessert charcuterie board is a really fun and easy way to entertain for the holidays. Learn how easy it is to put together a dessert charcuterie board that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends for a holiday get together!
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
- Centerpiece
- 2–3 bowls for loose candy, if needed
- 2–3 cookies
- 2–3 types of candy
- Dips (chocolate ganache, caramel)
- Fruit, mixed
- Nuts, spiced or glazed
Instructions
- Decide a theme/pick an occasion.
- Select the board you’ll use. Decide if you’ll have any decorations that you’ll place the desserts around and be your focal point.
- Pick – If there’s not any extra decorations, pick 2-3 bowls to allow for height and also texture (this also allows for some of the loose candy to be in a central place and not fall everywhere).
- Place your decorations on the board and/or your bowls. Fill them with what you’re using, i.e. M&Ms, etc.
- Add the rest of your treats. Remember, this is fun and there really isn’t a formula to follow. I love a full board. If you have double or more of something you can always repeat it on the board (think patterns as you are placing the items).
- Fill in the holes with with spiced/glazed nuts or any small candies you have as needed. The fuller/messier the better!
- Enjoy – sit back, relax, and dig in!
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Desserts
1 thought on “Dessert Charcuterie Board”
Love the idea of creating different boards. A dessert one is genius!