With Valentine’s Day nearly here, I thought it would be fun to share how to build a dessert charcuterie board! It’s a fun and safe way to do something special at home with your special someone, or your family!
What is dessert charcuterie?
Charcuterie typically refers to a board of meat and cheese, sometimes with fruits and nuts, usually served on a cutting board and often for special occasions or as an appetizer. Since this is a vegan blog, we will not be having any meats and cheeses, but we will be having lots of dessert! And dessert is the best IMO.
A dessert charcuterie board is basically a board neatly arranged with sweet treats, candies, and fruits–usually individual-sized, finger food-style. The treats can be entirely store-bought, entirely homemade, or feature a mixture of both (which is what I did).
What can you put on a dessert charcuterie board?
Quite simply, any dessert you like! You can also tailor your board to meet a custom theme (my board fits a Valentine’s theme). More on that below.
I included a mix of fruit, store-bought vegan chocolates, and homemade treats on my board. In this section, I’ll share store-bought options.
Fruits
- Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
- Sliced apples or pears
- Fruit skewers, such as grapes and cubed melon
Store-bought Treats
Here are some vegan chocolate treats to consider adding to your dessert charcuterie board. This section contains affiliate links.
Squares or blocks of dark chocolate. Below are a few of my favorite vegan-friendly dark chocolate bars. Some of these bars are certified vegan; others are not certified vegan do not contain milk products. The latter type would not be suitable for anyone with a milk allergy. For a comprehensive list of which varieties of chocolate bars are vegan, check out this post.
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- Hu Kitchen, Raaka, Eating Evolved (all bars are vegan)
- Alter Eco, Theo Chocolate, Chocolove, Endangered Species (some/many varieties are vegan)
Bite-sized candies. Bite-sized, finger-food style candies are great for dessert boards. Here are a few good-quality, store-bought vegan-friendly options that I like. For reference, I have found all of these brands at Whole Foods and some of them at Sprouts Farmers Market.
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- Cocomels: Chocolate Covered Coconut Milk Caramels; Coconut Milk Caramels; Sea Salt Bites
- UNREAL Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems; Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Peanut Gems; Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups; Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Peanut Butter Cups
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems; Hu Kitchen Chocolate Hunks
You can also add non-chocolate candies (did you know Sour Patch Kids are vegan-friendly??). I didn’t include any, however, as I was going for an elegant, Valentine’s Day theme.
Cookies. Some store-bought cookies to consider including on your dessert board: gingersnaps, vegan graham crackers, and dairy-free creme-filled sandwich cookies.
- Enjoy Life Foods, Simple Mills, Sweet Loren’s (available at Target and Walmart), and Back to Nature all make varieties of vegan-friendly cookies.
Savory Snacks. You can also include savory/salty options for a nice balance to all the sweetness. Some options include pretzels, crackers, and salted nuts.
Homemade Treats
You can also add a variety of homemade finger food-style treats to your dessert board. More on that in the next section!
Dips
If serving lots of strawberries, you might consider a nondairy whipped topping, like So Delicious Cocowhip. You might also consider a vegan Nutella dip, such as one of the following:
- Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut and Almond Butter
- Nutiva Vegan Hazelnut Spread
- Artisana Organics Hazelnut Cacao Spread
- Nocciolata Dairy Free Organic Hazelnut Spread
Homemade treats to add to your dessert board
Brownie bites. Make your favorite brownie recipe and cut them into tiny bite-sized squares. Want the most indulgent fudgy vegan brownies? Try these!
Chocolate covered strawberries. A must-have for Valentine’s Day). Instructions are below.
Chocolate Truffles. If you’re making a dessert charcuterie board for Valentine’s Day, these Fudgy Beetroot Truffles are a really cute, festive treat! They’re a little messy to make (thanks, beets!), but sooo good (and pretty healthy). Or make the fudgy no-bake brownie truffles featured in the recipe card below.
Chocolate covered pretzel rods. Sweet and salty match made in heaven. Instructions are below.
How to make and arrange a dessert charcuterie board
Start by arranging larger components and elements that you want to anchor the board, including any bowls that you’ll use for serving (e.g., bowls with dips or nuts). I like to create S-curves along the way for an arrangement that is pleasing to the eye.
When you’re almost done filling up the board, you’ll probably have some gaps or holes. Fill those in with smaller treats, like raspberries or small-sized candies. Finally, if you’d like, add some color and freshness. I used fresh mint leaves, but basil would also look nice.
How to add a theme to your dessert board
With a little planning and intentional shopping, you can customize your dessert charcuterie board to meet almost any holiday or special occasion.
Valentine’s Day
- Focus on reds and pinks (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), and chocolates (like my board)
- For natural red or pink color, try hibiscus powder, beetroot powder (also good in smoothies), and/or freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries (crush up the latter). You can roll truffles or bliss balls in these powders, or add them to frosting.
- Insider tip: Eating Evolved chocolate bars feature the letters E-V-O-L-V-E-D on each of their squares. In case you didn’t get that, you can spell out LOVE in chocolate! (and all of their bars are vegan).
Christmas
- Focus on whites, greens, and reds (strawberries, pomegranates, sugared cranberries, raspberries)
- Include any Christmas cookies you’ve been baking!
- Interested in vegan white chocolate? Try this brand. Or, Nestle even makes one!
- Looking for vegan sprinkles? Try these cuties.
Mother’s Day
- Mini muffins, bite-sized brownies, cookies, or even waffles
- Fresh fruit
- Edible flowers
- Don’t forget the mimosa for mom!
Halloween
- Focus on oranges, whites, greens, blacks, and purples
- Spooky treats like these skull crusher candies, ghost cupcakes or silly apple bites for something wholesome.
- Any Halloween candy you love (check out this list of vegan Halloween candy)
New Year’s Eve
- Sparkly/sprinkled or white candies, cookies, or chocolates, or even boozy treats like this
- Fancy chocolates from a local or online dessert shop
What do you serve a dessert charcuterie board on?
A nice wooden cutting board. Depending on how many people you’re serving, you can use a small, medium, or large-sized board.
I hope you found this post on building a dessert charcuterie board fun and informative!
How to Make a Dessert Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
Dessert Charcuterie Board
- Berries, sliced apples or pears, or fruit skewers
- Dark Chocolate Bars
- Vegan chocolate candies or other bite-sized candies
- Mini cookies or brownies
- Savory snacks (crackers, pretzels, salted nuts)
- Dips, such as vegan Nutella or coconut whip
- Fresh mint, to garnish
Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 1 pound fresh strawberries with stems on, washed and dried
- 6 ounces vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate bars, chopped finely
Vegan Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- 8 ounces pretzel rods
- 6 ounces vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate bars, chopped finely
Fudgy No-Bake Brownie Truffles
- 1 cup Medjool dates (about 10 large dates)
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 3/4 cup raw pecans can sub almonds
- 4 tablespoons tahini can sub smooth almond/cashew butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 3-4 ounces vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate bars, chopped finely
Toppings (Optional)
- Freeze-dried raspberries, crushed
- Shredded unsweetened coconut
- Cacao nibs
- Vegan sprinkles
Instructions
Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Wash the strawberries (leave the stem on) and dry well.
- Melt the chocolate in in a double boiler on the stove. Or, melt in a tall heat-proof glass in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each round
- Holding the stem of the strawberry, dip a berry into the bowl of melted chocolate, swirling the berry generously into the chocolate.
- Place each dipped berry on a parchment paper- or wax paper-lined sheet pan. If desired, add sprinkles, shredded coconut, or cacao nibs while the chocolate is still wet. Let rest for about 30 minutes, or until chocolate is set. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Vegan Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- Melt the chocolate in in a double boiler on the stove and transfer to a tall glass. Or, melt in a tall heat-proof glass in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each round.
- Holding one end of the pretzel rod, dip as much of the pretzel as you can into the chocolate, rolling the pretzel several times until well coated. If desired, add sprinkles, shredded coconut, or cacao nibs while the chocolate is still wet.
- Place each dipped pretzel on a parchment paper- or wax paper-lined sheet pan until the chocolate has set.
Fudgy No-Bake Brownie Truffles
- Add the dates, walnuts, pecans, tahini or nut butter, salt, cinnamon, and cacao/cocoa powder to a food processor. Blend until you have a dough that comes together when pressed with your fingers. If the dough isn’t sticky enough, add a drizzle of melted coconut oil.
- Roll the dough into bite-sized balls. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in a small to medium bowl. Roll the chilled bites in the melted chocolate. If desired, roll the bites in desired toppings while the chocolate is still wet.
- Transfer the bites to a plate or parchment paper-or wax paper-lined surface to set.
Assembly
- Start arranging larger items and anchor elements on your cutting board, including any bowls that contain fruits, candies, etc. Then fill in the board with medium-sized and small-sized items, filling in any holes or gaps with the smallest items. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
I like the idea of a dessert board, but on valentine’s day in the northern hemisphere where I am, berries are definitely not in season and if bought despite of that, will usually be lackluster. Any idea for substitutes? Would frozen ones work or melt all over?
From Nisha: “Good point! Pomegranate arils would be great, as would persimmon slices. I love both of those fruits with chocolate, and they’re in season in winter.”
You inspired me to create a dark chocolate berry charcuterie for my good friends birthday celebration. So fun and beautiful!
I wish I could post a picture.
Oh how lovely, Carolyn! I bet it was epic! So cool to hear how this blog post inspired you, and I hope the celebration was a good one :)
This looks absolutely delicious and amazing! I am so glad I found you and your fabulous vegan recipes ♥️♥️♥️
Aw, thanks Mary! We’re so glad you found us as well, we hope you love the recipes!
Love this. What size board are you using?
Thank you, Elisha! It measures 20-22 inches long and 12 inches wide.
Hands down, you’ve got the most elegant Dessert Charcuterie Board on the entire internet. Most definitely going to use this as a model for my next birthday dessert.
This looks insane, indulgence on a board.
Thank you Nisha , you are such an inspiration.
Brilliant idea. Was wondering how to do V Day without breaking my diet too badly!!
I LOVE this idea. It’s a struggle to get my husband and kids to eat a plant based diet but I do not think they will turn this down. Thanks for the creative fun