Want to make your holiday party extra special? Try one of these 5 festive Christmas charcuterie board ideas!
The charcuterie board is a deceptively simple host’s gift – it’s a fun spin on an hors d’oeuvre spread, it looks great, and your guests can mix and match the meats and cheeses to their liking. We’ve started making snack boards for all of our get-togethers, like this football charcuterie board.
Check out these ideas and inspiration for creating the perfect holiday charcuterie board here.
For your convenience I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe; disclosure policy available here.
5 Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipes
I’ve listed the individual ingredients for each specific board, but you may notice that we used a lot of the same ingredients for all of the boards. That way it’s easy to make more than one if you’re having a big crowd, or for multiple events.
Before we get started, here are some supplies that could be fun and helpful:
- Christmas cheese knives / spreaders
- Round wooden charcuterie board
- Christmas tree cookie cutter (this set has 3 sizes so you can match your cheese wheel)
- Christmas tree shaped charcuterie board
- Mickey Mouse cookie cutters
- Small bowls for dips, etc.
1. Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
It doesn’t get any more festive than this charcuterie board shaped like a Christmas tree! Featuring layers of meats, cheeses, fruits, and nuts, there’s something for everyone!
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- 8 oz. Fontina Cheese, cubed
- 8 oz. Colby Jack, cubed
- 8 oz Cheddar Cheese, cubed
- 9 oz. uncured Genoa salami, circle cut
- 6 oz Pepperoni, circle cut
- 1 cup Fresh Blackberries
- 1⁄2 cup Fresh Raspberries
- 1/2 cup Green Olives
- 1/4 cup Pistachios, tree branch
- 1 slice of thin cheddar cheese, star
- 1 slice of provolone cheese, star
- Fresh raspberries, for garnish see other garnish options below 8-10 Rosemary sprigs for your “tree branches”
- 6-7 Fresh Dill for your “tree branches”
- 1⁄2 cup Jam of choice
Supplies Used
- Oblong wooden cutting board
- 1 medium-sized star cookie cutter 1 small-sized star cookie cutter Toothpicks
- Ramekin
- Small jar of Honey
Instructions
- Create the “trunk” of your tree using pistachios, leaving about an inch of space between the bottom of your tree and the edge of the board.
- Arrange one kind of cheese cubes and blackberries in a striped pattern, about 1-2 inches per ingredient.
- Fold the salami in half and then in half again. Use toothpicks to keep in place when you place on the board.
- Finish building your tree with the remaining ingredients: cheese, olives, raspberries, etc.
Prep Tips
- Feel free to substitute ingredients for things you prefer or are able to find at the store. Our tree is simply a guide!
- We decorated our tree with stars cut out from cheese slices and sprigs of fresh dill to give it a natural pine tree look.
- Serve with honey or your favorite accompaniments.
2. Candy Cane Charcuterie Board
Stripes of meats and cheese make this holiday charcuterie board look just like a classic candy cane! This savory meat and cheeseboard will look so pretty on the party table!
Candy Cane Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- 4 prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 4 Soppressata wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 4 pepperoni-wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 6-8 Cubes of Cheddar Cheese
- 6-8 Cubes of Colby Jack Cheese
- 6-8 Cubes of Fontina, Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1 cup of Fresh Mozzarella cheese pearls
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1⁄2 cup Baby Tomatoes
- 3⁄4 cup Green Olives
- 3⁄4 cup Kalamata Olives
- 1⁄4 cup Red Pepper Jelly
- Cinnamon candy
- Ritz wheat crackers
Instructions: Learn how to make our Candy Cane Charcuterie Board here!
3. Christmas Charcuterie Wreath
Perhaps the most elaborate of all of these Christmas charcuterie recipes, this wreath is filled with different types of meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies!
Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, cubed
- 4 ounces colby jack cheese, cubed
- 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella balls
- 1 small wedge of bleu cheese
- 1 8 oz double creamed Brie cheese, tree shape using a cookie cutter
- 5 oz Boursin herbed cheese
- 1 cup whole black olives, pitted
- 1 cup whole green olives, pitted
- 8 ounces pepperoni sliced
- 8 ounces salami sliced
- 9 slices salami, for the rose
- 1 cup seedless green grapes
- 1⁄2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1⁄2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1⁄2 cup baby tomatoes
- 1⁄4 cup Pistachios
- Fresh greenery like baby spinach, rosemary, or fresh dill
- Jam of your choice
Directions
- Arrange your fresh greens in a circle along the perimeter of a large round board or serving platter.
- Place the cornerstone pieces: a ramekin of jam, blocks of cheese, and salami rose.
- Place the cubed cheeses and the rest of the cured meats.
- Fill in the rest of the board with fruits, tomatoes, and olives.
Prep Tips
- We used a Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut the Brie cheese into a tree shape. Easy-peasy!
- To create a “rose” with salami, one trick is to use a clean, empty glass and form the salami around the rim of the glass.
4. Keto & Gluten Free Charcuterie Board
This board is also shaped like a wreath, and it is perfect for accommodating many different ways of eating! With no breads or crackers, this is a great gluten-free appetizer. Since it is comprised of meats and cheeses only, it is also keto-friendly!
Gluten Free / Keto Christmas Charcuterie Ingredients
- 8 oz Salami, folded in half
- 8 oz Pepperoni, folded in quarters
- 8 oz Dry Coppa, folded in half
- 8 oz Pepperoni, folded in half
- 4 Prosciutto wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 4 Soppressata wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 4 Pepperoni wrapped mozzarella, cut in half
- 1 small Brie Cheese, round
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, chunks
- 1 cup Colby Jack Cheese, chunks
- 1 cup PepperJack Cheese,chunks
- 1 cup Fontina Cheese, chunks
- 14 Babybel Cheese servings, unwrapped
- 1⁄4 cup Pomegranate pearls (these are mainly for decoration)
How to Make a Keto Charcuterie Board
- Place folded salami and folded pepperoni around the perimeter of your board.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out a Christmas tree shape in the middle of your brie cheese. You can save the cutout to place elsewhere on the board or on another board as we did. We filled in the cheese with pomegranate seeds, so it really stands out.
- Arrange remaining meats and cheeses to fill in your wreath shape.
- Finish by garnishing the board with fresh greens and herbs.
5. Mickey Mouse Christmas Hot Cocoa Board
This hot cocoa charcuterie board is perfect for a Christmas movie night! The kids will love the fun mix-ins to make their own delicious hot chocolate recipe.
Mickey Mouse Hot Cocoa Board Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk Chocolate cocoa powder mix
- 1⁄2 cup Butterscotch Baking Chips
- 10-12 Godiva Mint Filled Chocolates
- 1⁄2 cup Hershey Candy Cane Kisses
- 2 dozen Lindt truffles, assorted flavors
- 2-3 Mickey Cocoa Bombs
How To Build Your Hot Cocoa Board
- Place Mickey cookie cutters and a bowl of hot chocolate mix on the board.
- Fill the cookie cutters with candies, chocolate chips, etc.
- Fill the remaining space on the board with various candies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can A Meat And Cheese Tray Sit Out?
To prevent spoilage, a charcuterie board should be covered and kept refrigerated until it’s time to serve. If preparing a day in advance, you may want to wait to put items like crackers and bread on the board so they don’t become soggy in the fridge.
When serving, it is generally safe to leave a charcuterie board out on the party table for up to 2 hours, when serving indoors or in moderate temperatures. If serving outdoors and the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, do not leave a meat and cheese platter out for more than 60-90 minutes.
When Should Charcuterie Be Served?
Charcuterie boards are usually presented as an appetizer and served before the main course, or while guests are mingling and before they sit down to eat.
However, it’s really up to you! A charcuterie board can be placed in the middle of the dinner table for guests to enjoy as they like. A hot chocolate board makes a fabulous dessert course too!
What Can I Use To Garnish A Charcuterie Board?
Some of the ways we garnished our charcuterie boards are with dipping sauces, such as fruit jams and honey. You may also want to serve with a variety of crackers or breads so guests can build mini sandwiches and enjoy the meats and cheeses together easily.
Since these are holiday charcuterie boards, greens such as fresh rosemary or dill can give your board the look of a real Christmas tree.
In addition to what is pictured above, here are some more ideas and substitutions:
- Pretzels
- Croutons
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Grated Parmesan
- Summer sausage
- Mustard
You might also like these holiday appetizer ideas:
Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread Wreath
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