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34 Drop-Dead Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Recipe Ideas

The ultimate party platter awaits

large wooden cutting board topped with charcuterie meat, cheese and fruit
The Modern Proper

A charcuterie board is a go-to for hosts—and a fan favorite of guests—for good reason. While “charcuterie” technically means a range of different cured meats, these platters go beyond salami and prosciutto, typically featuring various cheeses, crackers, spreads and produce. But why are they so popular? For starters, they’re extremely flexible: You can adjust the ingredients for different preferences, scale the portions up or down based on the number of guests and make them as affordable (or high-end) as you’d like. You can even tie them to a certain theme, like a color, geographic region or season. But perhaps the main reason they’re a must for entertaining is that they require zero culinary skills to assemble.

That said, there is an art to making a charcuterie board look as impressive as the ones you’ve seen on Instagram and Pinterest. In case you’re in need of inspiration, here are some wow-worthy recipes and charcuterie board ideas for your next potluck gathering or holiday party.

40 Cheese Appetizers That Are Ooey, Gooey and Oh So Easy to Make


charcuterie board ideas how to make a charcuterie board
EasyPx/Getty Images

How to Create a Charcuterie Board

Believe it or not, you don’t need to be artistically inclined to make a memorable charcuterie board (although it definitely doesn’t hurt). It’s a pretty formulaic process that’s as simple as breaking the board up into categories, then choosing complementary ingredients for each one.

The Formula for a Great Charcuterie Board

  1. First, let's get our proportions in order. Mentally split the board into fours, reserving equal quarters for meat, cheese, some kind of crackers or bread and whatever other accoutrements you're craving.
  2. Choose soft, pre-sliced meats (like prosciutto or jamón Ibérico) and a couple harder meats that require cutting (like a log of salami or soppressata).
  3. Place harder cheeses, like a block of sharp cheddar or Manchego, alongside harder meats.
  4. Add at least one spreadable cheese (like chèvre) or a dip (like tzatziki or hummus) with a small knife or spoon.
  5. Weave in some complementary snacks. We're talking crackers, jam, bread, pickles, fruit, honeycomb and whatever else you fancy.
  6. Organize it well. There's no best order or layout when it comes to making a charcuterie board. All you need to keep in mind is that the meat, cheese and accoutrements should be accessible from all or most angles of the board. It helps to layer meat, cheese and crackers or bread across the entirety of the spread, then nestle small bowls of jam, olives, pickles and more between them or at the corners of the board.
  7. Dress it up. Beyond serving it on a pretty wooden butcher block or a marble cutting board, consider working in other decorative elements. Tiny label tags are cute and helpful, while little bowls and plates to hold preserves or fruit add color and dimension to the spread. Fresh herbs are always a solid finishing touch as well.

The Best Types of Cheese to Use for a Charcuterie Board

Manchego, cheddar, Brie, havarti, Swiss, comté—there's no limit to what cheeses you can use. We'd only advise that you include a variety of textures on your board, meaning some cheese for slicing, some for spreading and perhaps even some warmed or baked. (Brie is prime for that.)

The Best Types of Meat to Use for a Charcuterie Board

Salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, capicola, chorizo, mortadella, jamón Ibérico and sopressata are all fair game. If you make a themed board, there are of course other options (for instance, bacon on a breakfast spread or steak on a fondue board).

The Best Types of Bread and Crackers to Use for a Charcuterie Board

Go with what you like, but try to have some variety. For instance, a soft bread, seeded cracker and crispy breadsticks make for a visually intriguing board and give your guests a range of textures to choose from.

Ready to Get Started? Read on for 34 Charcuterie Board Ideas We Love:

1. Fall Charcuterie Board with Black Pepper–Honey Brie, Figs and Rosemary

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

We love zhuzhing up a store-bought item. Here, an easy honey drizzle (plus plenty of seasonal garnishes) will impress without much effort on your part.

charcuterie board ideas prosciutto
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, no cook

The tough part about serving anything in a bowl? All the toppings (read: the best part) fall to the bottom. Using a fancy cutting or charcuterie board solves that problem.

charcuterie recipe ideas fruit charcuterie board recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

3. Fruicuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30-minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook, vegetarian

If there are vegetarians at the party, build an epic cheese board sans-meat. Here, five types of cheese meet an array of fresh fruits (kiwi! peaches! figs! berries!) that give the app a naturally stunning appearance.

charcuterie recipe ideas ultimate cheese plate with roasted grapes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. Ultimate Cheese Plate with Roasted Grapes

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Every charcuterie board should have something unexpected on it, like herb-kissed roasted grapes. They turn uber sweet and jammy after a trip in the oven.

charcuterie recipe ideas spanish tapas board recipe
Kylie Mazon-Chambers/Share + Savor

5. Spanish Tapas Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein

If you're having trouble nailing down your cheese board's elements, choosing a specific theme can help. This pick boasts Spanish favorites, like heirloom pan con tomate, patatas bravas with saffron aioli, manzanilla olives, marcona almonds and Serrano ham.

charcuterie board ideas presidential cheese board recipe
The Modern Proper

6. Presidential Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, special occasion-worthy

Treat your guests like VIPs. All of the board's components are inspired by past presidents' favorite foods, including figs, fresh butter, cherries and honey.

charcuterie board recipe ideas wanderlust cheese board 2
A Cookie Named Desire

7. Wanderlust Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, special occasion-worthy

Nosh your way around the globe with a melange of cheeses, nuts, dips and accoutrements, including smoked salmon and artichoke hearts. Shall we start with the roasted beet hummus?

charcuterie board ideas two ways
Ambitious Kitchen

8. Charcuterie Board, Two Ways

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegan

Plant-based eaters on the guest list? The first board is for meat and cheese lovers, but the second puts hummus, tapenade, nuts and crudités front and center for your vegan friends.

charcuterie board ideas summer charcuterie snack board recipe
What's Gaby Cooking

9. Summer Charcuterie Snack Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

Bruschetta, roasted red peppers, eggplant caponata—we’d have this for our last meal, Gaby Dalkin. Catch us munching away on the patio with a glass of vino in hand.

charcuterie board ideas antipasto
Damn Delicious

10. Antipasto Appetizer Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook

This starter has a little something for everyone. Our favorite part is the pearl mozzarella marinated in olive oil, herbs and spices, but the marinated artichoke hearts are a close second.

charcuterie board ideas thanksgiving
How Sweet Eats

11. Maple Cream and Apple Baked Brie Board

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

That crostini bar, though. This autumnal beauty has holiday cocktail hour written all over it. Make a second batch of maple cream (or maple butter) for spreading on bagels, pancakes and everything in between.

charcuterie board ideas brunch board recipe
Life Made Sweeter

12. Brunch Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Trade usual suspects like capicola and salami for crisp bacon and smoked salmon. Then, dress them up with waffles, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, pancakes or even homemade doughnut holes.

charcuterie board ideas holiday
The Defined Dish

13. Meat and Cheese Platter

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, crowd-pleaser

BRB, stuffing our faces. We love the addition of sweet caramelized pecans, since they cut through the saltiness of the cheese beautifully.

charcuterie board ideas dinner
So Much Food

14. Cheese and Charcuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Yep, we’ll just have this for dinner. And we're going the extra mile by using homemade sourdough bread instead of store-bought.

charcuterie board ideas winter cheese board
Damn Delicious

15. Winter Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Between the persimmons, pomegranate arils and kumquats, this spread is destined for your Christmas tablescape. Finish the board with a flourish of fresh thyme, pomegranate arils and pistachios.

16. Sweet-and-Salty Fruicuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, no cook, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

A halved pomegranate can make any dish look gorgeous. Here, it's paired with fresh berries, grapes, pretzels (both plain and yogurt-covered), mini marshmallows and goji berries.

charcuterie board ideas spanish inspired cheeseboard
Averie Cooks

17. Easy Spanish-Inspired Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Manchego cheese, smoked chorizo and jamón Ibérico? This calls for a fiesta. Might we suggest serving it as an appetizer for cheater's skillet paella? We'll bring the sangria.

18. Charcuterie Board Flatbread

  • Time Commitment: 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

If you're only serving a few people, there's no need to craft a massive charcuterie board. Try these individual prosciutto-burrata flatbreads instead (your wallet will thank you).

charcuterie board ideas jam
Lexi's Clean Kitchen

19. Charcuterie Board with Bacon-Onion Jam

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy

Trust us, it's easier than it looks. For instance, the bacon-onion jam is made almost entirely from pantry staples. (If you don't eat meat, try our vegetarian onion jam on for size instead.)

charcuterie board ideas fall
How Sweet Eats

20. Butternut Squash Cheeseball and Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

You only *think* cheeseballs are outdated. This modern take on the retro party staple infuses cream cheese with Parmesan, butternut squashbrown butter and herbs.

charcuterie board ideas dinner worthy charcuterie board basil artichoke tapenade 2
Snixy Kitchen

21. Dinner-Worthy Charcuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

This spread is hearty enough to play the role of main course. Our favorite part is the homemade basil-artichoke tapenade (which can easily be made ahead, BTW), hands down.

charcuterie board ideas the lighter cheese board 1
Half Baked Harvest

22. The Lighter Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

This pick features cheeses that are lower in fat—perfect for the warmer months—along with seeded crackers, fruit and olives. (P.S., we love you, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe.)

charcuterie board ideas cheese fondue board 1
Half Baked Harvest

23. Cheese Fondue Board

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

The only thing better than a board of sliced cheese? A pot of dippable melted cheese, of course. Choose between white wine-Swiss and beer-cheddar fondues (or heck, make both).

charcuterie board ideas burrata
Plays Well with Butter

24. The Ultimate Burrata Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, kid-friendly

Forget the guests—we're betting we can tackle the whole tray solo. The hardest part will be choosing which flavor of burrata to have first: balsamic, pesto or truffle.

charcuterie recipe ideas smoked salmon platter recipe 3
The Mediterranean Dish

25. Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, pescatarian, <30 minutes

Creamy labneh and briny feta hold down the fort on the cheese front, while tender slivers of smoked salmon take over for cured meats. Serve with fresh toast or warm pita.

charcuterie recipe ideas mezze platter 11
Dinner at the Zoo

26. Mediterranean Mezze Platter

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

Want to take this Greek-inspired app over the top? Start by making your own hummus. (We're partial to the spicy avocado variety in the summer and sweet potato in the fall, but you can never go wrong with the O.G.)

charcuterie recipe ideas midwest charcuterie board culinary hill lr 01
Culinary Hill

27. Midwest Charcuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, high protein

It's equal parts unconventional, unexpected and delicious. Think venison sausage, mini cheeseballs, Ritz crackers and red pepper jelly over cream cheese for dipping.

charcuterie recipe ideas brunch board 3
Grandbaby Cakes

28. The Ultimate Breakfast Board

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

The key to a killer brunch board is making minis of the mains, like silver dollar pancakes, French toast sticks and bite-sized quiches. Instead of cured meat, sub bacon and sausage. As for cheese, we'd pair either mascarpone, ricotta or a mini wheel of Brie with fresh fruit.

29. Spring Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, crowd-pleaser

Between the baby carrots, watermelon radishes, assorted berries and fresh mint, this cheese board couldn't get more spring-inspired if it tried. A varied quartet of cheeses—Brie, gorgonzola, Colby Jack and aged gouda—ensures that there's something for everyone on the platter.

30. Vegan Charcuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, no cook

Who knew vegan cheese and deli meat could look so convincing? Pair a few of each with your choice of nuts, pickles, crackers and produce, plus spreads all your guests can get behind (like hummus, jam or vegan cream cheese). Finish the platter with sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary and your work is done.

31. Chocolate Charcuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Hey, not every board needs cheese! In fact, dessert charcuterie is (almost) our favorite kind, especially when it includes popcorn and nougat. Watch this video to see how it's done.

charcuterie recipe ideas candy jarcuterie recipe
Katherine Gillen

32. Candy Land ‘Jarcuterie’

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Jarcuterie, aka single-serve charcuterie served in glasses or mason jars, took over social media in 2020. Our sweet take on the trend stars yogurt-covered pretzels, fun-size candy bars, lollipops and lots of gummies.

charcuterie recipe ideas dessert board with cranberry chocolate truffles
Grandbaby Cakes

33. Dessert Board with Cranberry Chocolate Truffles

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

First, cranberry-cinnamon goat cheese and cream cheese are whipped until smooth. Then, the mixture is sweetened, spiked with graham cracker crumbs, rolled into truffles and dunked in melted chocolate.

charcuterie recipe ideas dessert charcuterie board flatlay min scaled
Owlbbaking

34. Dessert Charcuterie Board with Cheesecake Dip

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, no cook

Bring on the cookies, candied nuts, caramels, marshmallows and fresh fruit. Cheese still makes its way onto the board in the form of cheesecake dip.

What Is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards?

If you're still stressed about assembling the charcuterie board of your dreams, lean on this simple rule we learned from Broma Bakery: Start with three cheeses, three meats, three starches (as in crackers and breads) and three accompaniments (as in fruits, nuts, spreads or sweets, like chocolate truffles), and you'll get a drool-worthy board every time.

Choose diverse components for each category to ensure that your guests' tastes are all accounted for, or focus on a single color scheme, season or flavor profile when selecting your ingredients. Either way, your board will be delicious and photogenic.


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Freelance PureWow Editor


taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...