One of the easiest desserts you can serve is a Dessert Board. Set out an array of chocolate treats, fruits, nuts, cookies, and popcorn for an elegant and simple sweet touch to your evening. I’ve rounded up the best chocolate charcuterie board ideas to make dessert cheap and easy.
This is one of the simplest and easiest of food boards. You can make some of the elements yourself or simply raid the grocery store aisles for a super fun and super easy array of store-bought items. Plan this chocolate lover’s dream as dessert for your next holiday party. It’s so much fun!
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Busy? Want something festive? Don’t want to fuss? No problem!
These chocolate charcuterie board ideas will help you make the easiest dessert this holiday season.
A simple dessert charcuterie board can be both easy and elegant. It’s the perfect way to round up your favorite things to take your special occasion to the next level. A riff on the traditional charcuterie board, this chocolate dessert board is the perfect dessert!
Why Make This
It’s super simple. Choose 3 to 5 chocolate charcuterie board ideas and arrange them on a pretty tray or wooden board. That’s all there is to it! What seems simple by itself becomes something special arranged together on a dessert platter. You don’t have to do much to make a gorgeous dessert charcuterie board.
It’s delicious. Who can quarrel over fresh fruit, cookies, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, nuts, and popcorn? You can mix and match your elements to suit the occasion for the perfect sweet treats displayed in a fun way.
It’s fun. A dessert charcuterie board is super fun to make! My girls and I had a great time wandering through the store, choosing items to add to ours. There are so many fun chocolate charcuterie board ideas to choose from. A crowd favorite, a sweet dessert charcuterie board is perfect for date night, book club, movie night, or the next party you throw.
Ingredients
The sky is the limit when it comes to chocolate charcuterie board ideas. You can put whatever you like to please the sweet tooth.
Consider these options:
- chocolate covered marshmallows
- chocolate dipped cookies (homemade chocolate dipped oreos or store-bought)
- chocolate coated or candied seeds or nuts
- chocolate bars (vary the different types of chocolate)
- chocolate cookies – store bought or homemade
- candy-coated chocolates
- chocolate coins
- chocolate ganache for dipping as well as other dessert dips
- any chocolate candy you like
- your favorite chocolate desserts that are easily served without cutlery, such as brownies
The entire board doesn’t have to be chocolate. You can also add:
- nuts, in the shell or not
- popcorn, flavored or not
- seasonal fruit – I love apple slices in the fall, winter fruit at the holidays, and fresh berries in the spring.
- graham crackers and the makings of indoor smores
- peanut butter pretzels or peanut butter cups
Variations
Create this as a themed dessert by featuring seasonal elements among your chocolate charcuterie board ideas.
- New Year’s: party blowers and confetti
- Valentine: red fruits and heart-shaped treats
- St Patrick’s Day: shamrocks and rainbow treats as well as green fruits
- Easter Dessert: Easter candy, like marshmallow peeps and chocolate eggs, Easter Pretzels, jelly beans, Easter Oreos, Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls, and plastic eggs for decoration
- Mother’s Day: fresh or silk flowers and your mama’s favorite treats, like chocolate-covered strawberries
- 4th of July: patriotic M&Ms and other candies as well as white chocolate and red and blue fruits.
- Halloween: candy corn, Halloween candy
- Thanksgiving: candy corn, candy pumpkins, pumpkin spiced candies
- Christmas: candy canes, mints, gold coins, chocolate truffles, chocolate-covered pretzels
You can also turn your dessert charcuterie board into a focused dessert, such as
- an ice cream sundae station – complete with whipped cream and caramel sauce
- hot chocolate board – be sure to serve mini marshmallows and other toppings to add to the homemade hot chocolate
- a chocolate fondue board – this Chocolate Fondue is easy to make with chocolate chips and evaporated milk in the slow cooker
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Lay out a board or arrange a serving platter and serving dishes in your space. If you use many small dishes, it will be easier to save any leftovers.
- Distribute the ingredients in groups or clusters, placing the larger items first and filling in with smaller items.
Tips for Success
- Vary the types and textures of items on the board and try to feature different flavors. This adds visual interest and makes for a tasty dessert board. Scroll down for some chocolate charcuterie board ideas and recipes.
- Choose a variety of complementary colors. Chocolate, of course is brown, but you’ll notice my orange clementines match the wrapping of the chocolate coins and the blue cloth coordinates with the wrapped chocolate bars.
FAQs
Technically, “charcuterie” is a French word signifying deli-style meat. When we say “dessert charcuterie board,” we mean one laid out in the style of a meat tray. We aren’t really including meats in this board.
Accommodating for food allergies can be tricky with a dessert charcuterie board. And honestly, chocolate is a loaded gun since it’s often manufactured in a facility with allergens such as peanuts and tree nuts. And a lot of chocolate is prepared with dairy or soy.
That said, there are allergy-free chocolates available. Paired with fruit and popcorn, this would work well. Alternatively, you can prepare your own chocolate candies, if you so desire.
As with anytime you’re preparing food with an allergy in mind, read the packaging carefully. If you’re serving guests with food allergies, save the packaging so they can read it for themselves.
Desserts to Add to Your Board
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Chocolate Charcuterie Board Ideas
Equipment
- large tray
Ingredients
- 4 chocolate candy bars
- 12 oz flavored popcorn
- 12 clementines
- 4 chocolate coins
- 1 cup chocolate almonds
- 1 cup chocolate marshmallows
- 12 oz chocolate dipped cookies
- 1 cup almonds in shell
- 1 cup chestnuts in shell
Instructions
- Place the chocolates, fruit, nuts, and popcorn in various bowls and platters and arrange in a n attractive way.
Notes
- New Year’s: party blowers and confetti
- Valentine: red fruits and heart-shaped treats
- St Patrick’s Day: shamrocks and rainbow treats as well as green fruits
- Easter: Easter candy, like marshmallow peeps and chocolate eggs, and plastic eggs for decoration
- Mother’s Day: fresh or silk flowers and your mama’s favorite treats
- 4th of July: patriotic M&Ms and other candies as well as red and blue fruits.
- Halloween: candy corn, Halloween candy
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 16, 2019. It has been updated for content and clarity.
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