I swear every single charcuterie board I make always turns out to be my new favorite, I didn’t think I could top my fall harvest charcuterie board but here I am, thinking that this dessert hot chocolate charcuterie board just could beat it. This is so fun to bring to a get-together, holiday party, or even just a weekly girls bachelor night.
The great thing about this particular charcuterie board and every board, in general, is that you can swap out things for what you like, what you find, or what you have at home already. Here’s what I put on my hot cocoa charcuterie board!
What is a Charcuterie Board?
Did you know that the word “charcuterie” is french? It means dressed meats and meat dishes. However these days, it has now evolved into much more. Now, it means a variety of meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, desserts – just to name a few!
Tips to Build a Charcuterie Board
I don’t proclaim to be a charcuterie board expert by any means, I still am in awe when I see them on Instagram or Pinterest, but here are a few of my tips on how to build a very Instagram-able charcuterie board.
- Have a theme – this one is obviously Christmas, but I’ve done fall ones, fall cheeses, fruits, or you could even do one with or ingredients that pair well with something you are serving.
- If you get stuck, choose a few colors. This isn’t a must, but it does make it easier when you don’t know where to start, especially when you are choosing ingredients. For example, if you are making a Charcuterie Board for a Summer cookout and want it sunny and bright, choose yellow, blue, and orange food to add. Or if you’re making a board like this for Christmas, red, white, and green are always good additions.
- Pick your board wisely. If you’re making a small board, pick a small board. If you’re making a large board for a lot of people, pick a large board. When I first started, I’d make them on these huge boards and feel the need to make them full. Now I have different board sizes depending on what I’m doing. I like using trays that have just a small edge to hold all the food in.
- Begin with the largest pieces first, then fill in going smaller and smaller. For this Hot Chocolate Board, I added the bowl with hot chocolate mix, then the pretzel sticks, Christmas Joe-Joe’s, Gingerbread Men, then chocolate stars. Then filled in with the smaller items, and finished with the tiny marshmallows, and small peppermint candies.
- When you are creating, start with a base layer, then after the plate is full, then you can go back in and fill on top to add more height. This also helps everything stay in place and keeps the frustrations at a minimum.
What you add to your Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board is totally up to you, here is what I added to give you inspiration and a place to start!
Hot Chocolate Mix
Mini Candy Canes
Peppermint Balls
Peppermint Puffs
Kisses – Santa and Peppermint
Chocolate Stars – from Trader Joes
Mini Gingerbread Men – from Trader Joes
Marshmallow Snowmen – from Target
Andes Mints
Candy Canes
Christmas Peeps Marshmallows/little Marshmallows
Red Licorice – from Trader Joes
Peppermint Meringues – from Trader Joes
Christmas Candy Mix – from Target
Mallowbits Marshmallows
Christmas Sixlets
Candy Coated Sunflower Seeds
Whipped Cream
Sprinkles
Shots of Bailey’s
Just make sure whatever’s on the platter, the warm milk is close at hand for mixing up your mugs.
Now you can serve it with Hot Chocolate, add it to a Hot Chocolate Bar, or even give the board as a gift!
~ XOXO, the elf in training, Amanda // Blonde out of Water
