Here is how to make an easy—yet spectacular—Christmas dessert board for the holidays.
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This post is all about how to make a Christmas charcuterie style dessert board.
Today I am going to share with you a fun twist on the classic charcuterie board that will raise your Christmas celebrations to a whole new level of sweetness and festivity. That fun twist is to make a charcuterie style dessert board for Christmas, featuring plenty of classic holiday treats, like candy canes and chocolate.
If you are looking for an easy Christmas dessert idea, then consider making a dessert charcuterie board for the holidays. It’s super easy to do, and the results are often spectacular.
A Christmas dessert board is similar to a fall charcuterie board, in that it is a grazing board that is filled with seasonal ingredients. But where classic charcuterie boards are filled with meats and cheeses, a charcuterie style Christmas dessert board is filled with candy, chocolate, cookies, and other sweet treats.
A dessert board makes a great partner for a hot chocolate bar, if you’re having a winter holiday party or gathering. Many people love to have sweets or fruit to snack on during this time of the year.
To make a Christmas dessert board or dessert spread, fill a charcuterie style board with Christmas candies, cookies, and other treats. You can also place candies, cookies, and treats in bowls or cups near the Christmas dessert spread to create interest.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through the art of crafting a wonderful Christmas dessert charcuterie board, featuring an array of Christmas candy, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate, candies, and seasonal fruits. You’ll learn about some ingredients that can be used to make a dessert charcuterie board for Christmas.
These sweet dessert boards also make a great dessert board for New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations. Just add your favorite seasonal candies and treats to the board. If you have a charcuterie board at home, consider swapping out some of the usual savory foods for a few sweet treats this year.
Holiday dessert boards are so good, that many of your family and friends probably won’t be able to get enough of the board. You may want to buy a little extra when it comes to ingredients, in case you need to replenish the Christmas dessert board during a holiday gathering or party.
What to Put on a Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board
Here is a list of the types of ingredients that are a perfect answer to the question of what to put on a dessert charcuterie board for the holidays.
1—Christmas Candy
Start with classic Christmas candies, like candy canes, peppermint bark, and gum drops. Candy canes and mini candy canes make an adorable addition to a Christmas dessert charcuterie board.
Peppermint bark is a traditional Christmas candy that can be used to fill in lots of space on the board, as can chocolates that are made to look like Christmas shapes.
- Candy canes
- Peppermint bark
- Holiday themed chocolates (chocolates shaped like reindeer, snowmen, etc.)
- Gumdrops
- Red and green candy coated chocolates
2—Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Other Foods
If you make your own chocolate covered or chocolate dipped pretzels, consider adding toppings like crushed candy canes, sprinkles, or chopped nuts to make the pretzels even more festive.
- Dark chocolate dipped or covered pretzels
- Milk chocolate dipped or covered pretzels
- White chocolate dipped or covered pretzels
Along with pretzels, other chocolate dipped foods make great additions to a Christmas dessert board. Consider adding chocolate dipped strawberries and other chocolate dipped foods.
3—Chocolate
Decorate the Christmas dessert board with assorted mini chocolate bars, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and specialty chocolates. You can also pile chocolate candy on the dessert board.
Mini chocolate pudding cups or chocolate mousse cups are another way to add chocolate to a Christmas dessert spread. Arrange the mini cups on the dessert board, if there is room, or place the mini desserts near the dessert board if the board is already filled with other tasty foods.
4—Cookies and Crackers
Christmas cookies make a perfect addition to a Christmas dessert charcuterie board. Graham crackers and other types of crackers are also great to add to a Christmas charcuterie dessert board.
- Butter cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crinkle cookies
- Gingerbread cookies
- Graham crackers
- Peanut butter blossoms
- Snowball cookies
- Spritz cookies
- Thumbprint cookies
- Wafer cookies
5—Other Candies & Sweets
Add other candies and confections to the dessert board to fill in space. Common holiday candies include candied ginger, orangettes, licorice, and truffles.
- Assorted holiday themed candies, like jelly beans and gummy bears, in Christmas colors, flavors, or shapes
- Brownies and blondies
- Candied ginger
- Chocolate truffles or bonbons
- Cookie bars
- Licorice twists
- Orangettes
6—Winter Season Fruit
Winter season fruit adds fresh flavor to a charcuterie board. It also makes the board look lush and colorful.
- Figs (dried or fresh)
- Pomegranate seeds
- Seedless grapes
- Sliced apples
- Sliced pears
7—Other Foods
Sometimes it’s fun to be adventurous and add unusual or unexpected foods to a Christmas dessert board. Ideas include adding a dessert cheese, a savory cookie (like rosemary shortbread cookies), or fruit crackers.
- Dessert cheese, such as goat cheese, Gouda, or Brillat Savarin
- Savory cookies, like rosemary shortbread cookies
- Fruit crackers
Don’t forget to include cheese knives and crackers for cutting and serving cheese. Rosemary crackers are especially good and savory for holiday appetizers.
Christmas Dessert Board Ideas
Here are the items you need to make a beautiful Christmas dessert charcuterie board, apart from the ingredients listed above.
- A serving board—such as a wood or bamboo charcuterie board—or an appetizer tray
- Small bowls or ramekins for candies, dips, sauces, and toppings
- Festive holiday themed decorations like artificial greenery boughs or pine cones to decorate the table around the dessert board, or fresh cranberries or rosemary sprigs to decorate the Christmas dessert board itself
How to Make a Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board
Here are some tips on how to make the best Christmas charcuterie style dessert board.
1—Prepare the board.
First, choose a serving board or platter that complements the festive theme. You could use anything from a classic charcuterie board with dividers to a simple bamboo cutting board that gives you plenty of room for adding candies, chocolates, and other treats.
Clean and arrange the board to provide ample space for your charcuterie dessert board creations.
2—Arrange the candy.
Arrange Christmas candies in a visually appealing manner across the board. Mix and match colors, shapes, and sizes to create contrast and interest.
Arrange large candies and sweets on the board first, and then use smaller candies to fill in the space. Plan to provide at least a handful or two of candies and treats for each person.
3—Add chocolate dipped pretzels.
If using chocolate dipped pretzels, or other chocolate dipped foods, then arrange them on the board by stacking the pretzels in a group or placing the pretzels in a diagonal across the board. Surround the chocolate dipped foods with smaller candies, fruit, or treats.
4—Decorate with chocolate.
Scatter mini chocolate bars or chocolate candy around the board. You can use different types of chocolate, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate, to create balance and variety and add interesting flavors to the Christmas dessert board.
5—Add crunch with cookies and crackers.
Christmas cookies make a great addition to a Christmas dessert charcuterie board. Look for seasonal cookies like butter cookies, crinkle cookies, gingerbread cookies, shortbread cookies, snowball cookies, spritz cookies, and thumbprint cookies. You can also make your own Christmas cookies, like peanut butter blossoms, which are almost always a hit at parties.
6—Make things sweet with more candy.
Use small bowls or ramekins to hold smaller assorted candies—like gumdrops, making it easy for guests to grab some. Distribute the bowls strategically across the board. Bowls add structure, height, and interest to a dessert charcuterie board.
7—Add winter seasonal fruits.
Incorporate seasonal fruits into the dessert board to provide a refreshing element. Place the fruit in clusters or piles to give the dessert board a fresh look.
Examples of great winter seasonal fruits to use include apples, clementines, pears, and pomegranates. Fresh cranberries can also be used to decorate the board, but these sour berries should not be eaten raw.
Wash and slice the fruit, and remove any cores or seeds, before adding it to the dessert board. Break clementines and oranges into sections to make them easier to pick up from the Christmas dessert board.
8—Choose a dips or sauce to serve.
No charcuterie board is complete without a dip or sauce, and a Christmas dessert charcuterie board is no exception. Choose a sweet dip, sauce, or fruit preserve to add to the board.
Caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, creamy fruit dip, hazelnut chocolate spread, and fruit jams and preserves are just a few examples of what you can use for a charcuterie board spread.
9—Christmas Dessert Board Decorations.
Last, but not least, complete your dessert charcuterie board by decorating the table around the dessert board with festive holiday decorations like artificial pine cones, holly, or ornaments.
You could also decorate the board itself with sliced pomegranates, figs, and fresh cranberries—just be sure to wash and dry the produce before adding it to the board.
Sprigs of fresh rosemary are a great way to add a fresh, green touch to a Christmas dessert charcuterie board, and they can be washed, dried, and placed on the board among the food.
Don’t forget to include appetizer plates and forks—and tongs—to make it easier for your guests to gather and graze from the Christmas dessert board.
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A Christmas dessert board makes an easy holiday dessert that everyone will love. You can make a dessert board without much preparation—just look for ingredients like Christmas candies, chocolates, candy canes, winter seasonal fruit, and caramel or other sauces at your favorite grocery store. Arrange these items on a charcuterie board, and you have a great dessert for your next holiday gathering or party.
This post was all about how to make a Christmas charcuterie style dessert board.
Credits
- Featured title photo(s) by Brooke Lark / Unsplash, Isabela Kronemberger / Unsplash, and Ella Olsson / Pexels
- Photos and images are for illustration purposes only.