We all love the classic charcuterie boards, but dessert charcuterie boards are gaining popularity as a tasty way to satisfy a crowd of sweet tooths. Easy to prepare and fully customizable, these boards can incorporate a variety of flavours and textures to please any sweet lover.
From rich chocolate dips and fresh fruit to crunchy cookies and pretzels, a dessert charcuterie board is a versatile option for various events.
We've put together some fantastic ideas for creating a dessert charcuterie board.
What is a Dessert Charcuterie Board?
The term "charcuterie" comes from France and traditionally refers to a display of various sliced cured meats on a wooden board, including salamis, prosciutto, and sausages. Nowadays, charcuterie boards can feature any combination of meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sauces.
A dessert charcuterie board is a modern twist on this tradition, with sweet treats instead of meats and cheeses. Adaptable to any theme or holiday, such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, or birthdays, these boards can include homemade or store-bought goodies like pastries, cookies, chocolates, and lollies.
Why Choose a Dessert Charcuterie Board?
- It's a great alternative to birthday cakes for both adults and children.
- It caters to different tastes, ensuring there's something for everyone.
- It encourages interaction among guests.
- It's a great way to clear out your pantry by using up all the snacks and treats.
- It's perfect for Instagram photos.
Equipment You Will Need
1. You'll need a charcuterie board, serving tray, or gazing box (if you plan to transport it) of desired shape and size. It can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. Consider the number of guests you want to serve when making your choice. It may be useful to know that for 2-4 people, an 9x12-inch board should be sufficient.
2. Small serving bowls are a great addition for holding sauces, spreads, or small candies, helping to keep the board neat. Arrange the bowls in an 'S' shape or a triangle for visual appeal.
3. You'll also need utensils such as dessert forks or toothpicks for easy handling.
Choose the Ingredients
When creating a dessert charcuterie board, the options for ingredients are endless. Choose a mix of store-bought and homemade treats in various sizes, textures, colours, shapes, and flavours. Aim for a balance of sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, chocolatey, and fruity elements.
Here are some sweet platter ideas to consider adding to the dessert charcuterie board:
Lollies and Confectionery
Lollies and confectionery are great choices because they are colourful and tasty treats. You can include:
- Chocolate in most popular brands, such as Reese, Allens and Pink Lady
- Nostalgic retro lollies
- Soft and chewy lollies
- Jelly and gummi
- Wrapped lollies
- Marshmallows
- Homemade fantales
Cookies
They are a perfect addition to a dessert charcuterie board as they are sweet, crunchy, and easy to eat. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, making them versatile for any occasion. You can either bake them yourself or purchase them from the store. Here are some of our ideas to help you choose:
- Crispy Velvet Cookies
- Macarons
- Sugar cookies
- Meringue cookies
Savoury Snacks
Especially popcorn and pretzels are great for a dessert charcuterie board as they are light, crunchy, and salty snacks. Here are some of our suggestions:
- Milk chocolate pretzels
- Pretzels topped with yoghourt
- Rainbow popcorn
- Caramel corn
Chocolate-Covered Fruit
Chocolate-covered fruit is a slightly healthier option to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can serve:
- Dark chocolate cherries
- Chocolate-covered strawberries
- Raspberries filled with milk chocolate
Fresh fruit
The healthy choice adds colour, flavour, and texture to the dessert charcuterie board. In addition, the sweetness of the fruit goes well with the sweetness of the dessert. Here are some of our suggestions:
- Grapes
- Fresh strawberries
- Apple slices
- Pears slices
- Orange slices
Dips
If you want to add some excitement to your dessert charcuterie board, consider including desserts with dip! Nutella and caramel are always great choices, but feel free to use any dip you like:
- Marshmallow fluff or dip is ideal for dipping fruits, cookies, or pretzels, and works well with desserts too.
- Caramel marshmallow fluff or caramel cream dip is perfect for dipping apples, pears, or graham crackers.
- Dark chocolate ganache or white chocolate ganache are great for dipping strawberries, graham crackers, or pretzels.
Cheese
Cheese is a great addition to a dessert charcuterie board because it adds another layer of flavour and texture. It helps balance out the sweetness of the dessert and gives your guests something to nibble on between all the sweets.
In addition to the above, you can also add various small pastries such as doughnuts, cupcakes, brownies, and more.
How to Organise and Arrange a Dessert Charcuterie Board?
Now that you have collected all the sweets, pastries, cookies, chocolates, fruits, and salty snacks, arrange them on a tray or board.
- Start by placing the larger items, such as pastries and fruits, on the board first. This will create the foundation for your arrangement.
- Next, add the smaller items, such as cookies, chocolates, and salty snacks, filling in the gaps.
- Arrange cookies, lollies, and chocolates in different patterns to make the board visually appealing.
- You can add small serving bowls with sweet dips to the board or fill them with various sweets.
- For an even more eye-catching look, switch up lollies textures and colours as you arrange them, and add edible toppings in between to make the board look fuller.
- If the dessert charcuterie board is for a special occasion, add themed decorations such as birthday candles or toppers.
- If you are preparing a dessert charcuterie board instead of a birthday cake, you can also add some birthday decorations and supplies such as candles or toppers.
- Before serving, check the board from different angles to make sure it looks balanced and appealing.
What to Serve with a Dessert Charcuterie Board?
Wine
We suggest dry whites and medium reds for most of those who enjoy a glass of wine. In addition, such wines go well with various ingredients on the board.
Champagne
A bottle of champagne is always the perfect combination with a dessert charcuterie board.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice or Lemonade
It is important to include something for those who do not drink alcohol. Freshly squeezed juice goes well with a dessert charcuterie board and is refreshing and healthy considering all the goodies guests will be consuming at this event.
Preparation and Storage
Some ingredients can be prepared a day or two in advance of your event and placed in the fridge. However, consider how each ingredient will perform in the cold. Crunchy items like pretzels and crackers won't keep well in the fridge and can be added just before serving the dessert charcuterie board.
On the other hand, chocolates, cheeses, fruits, and dips can be chilled. It's important to tightly wrap the dessert charcuterie board in plastic wrap before refrigerating to prevent drying out. However, keep in mind that sometimes items can release oil or water over time, which might soak the base. To avoid this, you can use greaseproof paper as a protective layer. About an hour before serving, remove the board from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for better taste.
After the party, store leftovers appropriately. Crunchy items should be stored in an airtight container, while chilled items should be placed in an airtight container and stored back in the fridge.
We wish you a lot of fun creating your sweet charcuterie board