What is a Dessert Charcuterie Board?
Before we begin, we will admit that “charcuterie” is a culinary term that refers to prepared meats like salami, sausage, and prosciutto. The boards became popular in the US in the 1990s and thanks to unique versions going viral on social media platforms, the term has been stretched to include a wide range of culinary expressions, including butter boards, potato chip charcuterie, and the “dessert charcuterie board.”
A dessert charcuterie board is a board topped with sweet treats arranged as finger foods. These finger foods include fruit, candies, nuts, cookies, pastries, savory items, and dips.
When it comes to today’s many versions of charcuterie boards, we think a dessert charcuterie board might just be the best kind.
In this blog, we talk about how to use different colors, textures, and flavors to create unforgettable dessert charcuterie boards for Valentine’s Day.
Why We Love Dessert Charcuterie Boards
A feast for the eyes. It’s been proven that we “eat with our eyes” and the visual appeal of food makes our brain expect to experience something delicious before we even take our first bite. When we see food presented attractively, we are more likely to want to try it.
Something for everyone. Like a self-serve buffet, a dessert board offers a choice of different sweets and nibbles. Everyone gets a taste of what they love, and guests can nosh on as much or as little as they want.
Minimal effort with high rewards. When hosting, you can put together and serve a delicious arrangement of sweet treats and goodies without much time or effort.
A fun way to sweeten a celebration. Why settle for a single birthday cake when you can serve an assortment of cupcakes and other goodies? Dessert boards are adaptable to any special occasion or holiday, such as a birthday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Christmas. They are a great alternative to more traditional desserts.
Encourage party guests to interact with one another. A dessert board makes a fantastic centerpiece at a party. Give your guests something to talk about by including fun utensils for them to serve themselves with or create little tags with ingredients.
You don’t have to be a pastry chef. Dessert boards don’t have to include all homemade options. They can be a balance of homemade and store-bought treats.
Making your Dessert Board – Things to Consider Before Getting Started
Cost – You may want to pull out your favorite large marble charcuterie board for the occasion. Remember the larger the board you use, the more items it will take to fill it. You’ll be surprised at how quickly store-bought dessert items can add up, so don’t hesitate to sprinkle in some savory items from the pantry.
Play with Texture and Flavor – Anything goes when creating a unique dessert board but keep in mind that you want to vary flavors and textures. For example, if you are creating a Valentine’s Day board that has a lot of chocolate, vary the types of chocolate used from smooth and creamy to nutty and crunchy.
Mix up shapes and sizes – When choosing your goodies, keep in mind their shape and size and how they will fit together.
For our hearts-themed Valentine’s Day board, we varied the shapes and textures of items. Notice that the strawberries and white chocolate pretzels mimic the shape of other heart-shaped goodies. Small, medium, and large circular shapes add interest.
Add height and dimension with bowls – Part of the appeal of charcuterie boards of any kind is that they are not simply one-dimensional. Use small bowls to add height and to hold the dip. Stack items when possible.
Tips for Creating a Dessert Charcuterie Board
How many people will it serve? Before you begin making any decisions about what to buy for your board, you’ll need to know how many guests it will be serving.
Pick a theme. While anything goes for charcuterie boards, picking a theme will give you a starting point for inspiration. A theme can be as general as the occasion or season (Valentine’s Day, Easter/Spring, etc.) or you might choose to focus on a flavor, such as a lemon-themed board.
Make a shopping list. If you’re making some homemade desserts, pull out your recipes so you can see what you need for ingredients. Will you have to visit a bakery for some items? Be sure to jot that down next to the item.
Make a sketch. You may think this step is a waste of time. But often you’ll end up needing more to fill your board than you think. Having a rough idea of the setup will help to know how many cupcakes you will need or how much room a bowl will take on the board.
Choose your board. Whether you prefer a marble charcuterie board or a wood charcuterie board, you’ll need to choose the right size board for your group. More about the different sizes of charcuterie boards below!
How to pick the right charcuterie board for your party
Unlike a grazing table which can extend the whole length of a countertop or table, with a charcuterie board you are limited by the size of the board. Charcuterie boards come in a variety of sizes (and shapes!), from 6 inches to 24 inches in diameter or length. Here are some common board sizes:
Small (6-10 inches): Ideal for a snack for two or smaller gatherings of 2-4 people.
Medium (10-15 inches): Throwing a party for around 6-10 people? This size offers enough space to offer a wider variety of goodies without taking up too much counter or tabletop space.
Large (16-24 inches): A large board can hold a generous amount of food and serve from 10-20 people.
To create our dessert charcuterie board, we used the Ovada Hexagonal Marble Charcuterie Board, which is just right for anywhere from 5-10 people.
We hope these guidelines will encourage you to start creating delicious dessert charcuterie boards for you and your loved ones. Watch the video below to see how our dessert board came together.
Our Valentine’s dessert board included these goodies: Yogurt raisins, white chocolate pretzels, crackers, tea biscuits, sweetheart candies, heart-shaped chocolates, fresh strawberries, peanut crisp clusters, cherry jelly hearts, and round cookies.
At the center of our charcuterie board is a delicious chocolate hummus. Here is the recipe: Brownie Batter Chocolate Hummus.
