Candy Cane Charcuterie Board

This adorable Candy Cane Charcuterie Board is a festive and creative way to treat your guests to a delicious tray of meats, cheeses and berries this holiday season. It’s the perfect appetizer before a main holiday meal or for snacking at your next Christmas party.

Holiday Charcuterie Board

If you’re looking for an easy and impressive way to kick off a holiday gathering or cocktail party, you’ll love this simple yet super delicious charcuterie board in the shape of a large candy cane. Using a variety of meats, white cheeses and red juicy tomatoes and berries, you’ll turn a regular meat and cheese tray into a festive appetizer that will wow your guests.

Grazing boards are the perfect option for holiday entertaining because there’s something that everyone can find to snack on. You can make yours the same way we did or change it up using your favorite meats and cheeses. Serve this snack board along with a couple of warm appetizers like these Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers or this yummy Sausage Cheese Dip and you’ll have all you need for a delicious holiday spread at your next party.

Why We Love this Christmas Charcuterie Board

• Festive- The candy cane shape with the red and white stripes of color makes a festive presentation.
• Easy-This simple board requires a just a few minimal ingredients that you get from the grocery store. No cooking required!
• Delicious- The selection of meats, cheeses, and berries are simple ingredients that all taste wonderful together.

What You Need to Make a Holiday Charcutier Board

When deciding on the list of ingredients for your holiday board, choose a variety of textures and flavors. You want a soft cheese with a firm one. Select savory veggies like juicy tomatoes with sweet fresh berries for a nice contrast. Here’s what we used:

• Mozzarella cheese
• Extra Sharp Cheddar
• Brie cheese
• Prosciutto
• Capicola
• Pepperoni
• Cherry tomatoes
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Rosemary and cranberries for garnish

How to Assemble a Candy Cane Shaped Charcuterie Board

You can form the candy cane using layers of ingredients in any order you prefer. Just make sure to alternate the red and white to create the signature striped colors. Here’s how we did it:

Step 1. Wash and dry the tomatoes and berries and set them aside.

Step 2. Slice the mozzarella into slices, cube the brie into hunks and cut the cheddar into small rectangles.

Step 3. On the bottom, right side of a large food-safe wood board or serving tray, overlap about 4 pieces of salami to form the base of the candy cane.

Step 4. Add the next layer with the white cheddar, then the red tomatoes, followed by the slices of fresh mozzarella. Continue adding the different types of meat and cheese until you have the shape of a large candy cane.

Step 5. Garnish with springs of fresh rosemary and cranberries. Serve and enjoy!

What is Charcuterie?

Charcutier is a fancy French term that basically means cooked meats. Charcuterie boards are typically served with an array of cold cut meats and cheeses with various types of veggies, olives or other fruits.

They have grown in popularity through the years and now you’ll find beautiful boards that come in all sorts of themes. There are breakfast boards, dessert boards, hot cocoa boards and one of my favorites, frosting boards. The possibilities are endless!

Candy Cane Grazing Board Variations

• Caprese salad board: You can leave off the raspberries and you’ll have a candy cane caprese board. For a really special touch, drizzle it with a little balsamic glaze, olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. You can even drizzle a little fresh pesto sauce in places along the candy cane.

• Cheese options: Swap up the white cheddar for pepper jack cheese. You can also swap up the large slices of mozzarella cheese for small mozzarella balls. Instead of brie, you can use baby bell cheese that you have cut in half or quarters.

• Other garnishes: We used rosemary sprigs to give it a nice pop of color. But you can use fresh basil or other herbs you prefer. Instead of cranberries, you can sprinkle some pretty red pomegranate seeds around on the board.

• Add some crunch: Nuts are a great addition to these grazing boards. Roasted almonds, cashews and pecans make awesome snack options.

What Can I Serve with This Grazing Board?

Party crackers are always a top pick and a great way to keep it simple. But if you’re serving a crowd, you may want to have a selection of pretzel chips, ritz crackers or toasted baguette slices for your guests to choose from.

Want More Party Appetizer Recipes?

• Ground Beef Taco Dip
• Easy Pizza Pinwheels
• Bacon Wrapped Meatballs
• Pretzel Bites
• Seven-Layer Dip Cups
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa