Entertaining with charcuterie boards is one of my absolute favourite go-to tips when planning a party or gathering. They are very easy to put together because essentially anything can be used if you are sticking to similar flavours and items. I have seen some amazingly epic ones like this one from What’s Gaby Cooking and this one from How Sweet Eats if you are needing some fun inspiration. Today I want to go in a slightly different direction and talk about a type of charcuterie board that often gets overlooked, and that is the dessert charcuterie board! Can you imagine a full board filled with your favourite dessert items ever? Sounds like heaven to me!
My goal here at JMS is to share different companies and ideas from around the web for you to gather inspiration from and I am so excited to introduce you to Shari’s Berries and help showcase how they have put their own twist on dessert charcuterie boards.
Down below I have broken up the three main categories that you can take your dessert charcuterie boards in and each of them is filled with yummy goodness – I promise!
FRUIT LOVER
A large platter of fruits makes the perfect dessert especially if you are trying to keep things on the lighter side after a large meal! Depending on the season, the type of fruits can change drastically (summer = tropical and fall = harvest) and can completely change the theme of the charcuterie board, which is pretty neat. Also going with fresh fruit versus dried is a great way to change things up. The variations are endless and really provide a brand new dessert board each time for entertaining. Pairing fruit with some cheese, crackers and chocolate dipping sauce (my fav!) rounds out the board for a fun dessert option.
Image via Shari’s Berries
SWEET & SALTY
This board option provides a great mix for a crowd and covers those who like it sweet or salty! Sometimes you can’t predict what your guests may want to eat to finish off the evening and this platter allows them to choose. Pairing salty snacks like chips and nuts with some sweet chocolate spreads allows for the sweet & salty taste. For chocolate covered potato chips – lay out your chips on parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with melted chocolate. This provides the perfect crunch of both taste buds. To increase the sweet side of things I would add some additional dried fruits like cranberries or apricots.
Image via Shari’s Berries
CANDY SHOP
This one may be my favourites because it essentially gives you permission to buy your most liked desserts and pair them together! Bite size pieces work best on this charcuterie board option because a slice of pie is not what we are looking for here. Gather together brownies, coconut macaroons, mini cookies, mini cupcakes, macarons, nanaimo bars, and so many others and mix them together with various candy options like jelly beans, gummies, lollipops and more! You can even make your own chocolate/candy delights like I made last year. Do you remember that scene in the Lizzie McGuire movie when she sings “this is what dreams are made offffff” – well folks this is literally what dreams are made of for a sweet tooth addict! Salty people, please see above.
Image via Shari’s Berries
To help summarize the various options there are when putting together a dessert charcuterie board, Shari’s Berries has put together a great snapshot below of the five categories to start with. There are so many various options and flavours that it can become quite overwhelming at times. Sticking to these five categories will help keep you organized and make your dessert board amazing!
Image via Shari’s Berries
I hope this provided you with a new perspective on charcuterie boards and dessert options in general. Sometimes finger foods work great for desserts and mixing things up provides options to a crowd of people. As I mentioned above, I love charcuterie boards because they are very easy to pull together and provide a great variety of items to eat. I hope you bring in some dessert charcuterie boards into your next gathering and give your guests something to talk about!
What would be your favourite dessert item to add to the board?
Comment below!
JMS would love to see your own dessert charcuterie boards – make sure you
tag #jmsentertaining with your fun creations!
