
Build the scariest Halloween Charcuterie Board perfect for your next party! Filled with an assortment of your favorite cheeses, meats, crackers, fresh fruits, nuts and other fun treats!
Oh how I love this time of year and I have so much fun making this festive Halloween charcuterie board! Whether you’re throwing a party or just entertaining a small gathering at home, this spooky spread is sure to be a hit with everyone! A delicious sweet and savory combo of your favorite cheeses, meats, crackers, fresh fruit, nuts and other fun additions. Add spooky decorations and you have the best themed board ready for Halloween!
Why I Love This Charcuterie Board
- It’s easy to customize and fun to build!
- A delicious sweet and savory combo with something everyone will enjoy.
- Spooky decorations make this board even more festive.
- The perfect addition to your Halloween party, an after-school snack board for the kids or a simple appetizer to share with friends!
How to Make a Halloween Charcuterie Board
Cheese
I always like to have a variety of cheeses because everyone is different in what they like, but I like to have at least 3 different types on my board – hard, soft, and semi-soft cheeses. This is what I use:
- Cheddar – this is always a classic favorite and the bright orange color looks great with a Halloween theme. I used these super cute Halloween cookie cutters to cut the pumpkin out of the cheese and then cut all the remaining cheese “bits” into cubes because we are NOT throwing cheese around here!
- Brie – I love having a variety of hard and soft cheeses on my board and the cream brie is always a winner! I cut little ghosts out of brie using these little cookie cutters and you can even add honey or jam on top. You just want to make sure the brie is completely cooled and firm before using the cutter or the cheese will be too soft. I also find it helpful to slice the brie in half before using the cookie cutter because not only do you get double the ghosts, but it’s so much easier to push the cookie cutter!
- Jalapeño pepper jack – I love the spicy cheese option and this is what I always have on my board. I cut the cheese into cubes for added height and dimension, but you can slice the cheese or even leave it whole. Smoked gouda and goat cheese are other delicious options!
- Mozzarella balls – so mozzarella isn’t the cheese I usually add to my board, but they make the perfect “eyeballs” for my spooky Halloween spread! I placed these fun candy eyeballs on top of the balls and arranged them in a bowl to add some variety to the board.
Meat
Along with cheese, I also always like various kinds of cured meats. Arranging them in a fun way is a great way to fill in any gaps you may have while adding a different texture and dimension to the rest of the board. This is what I use:
- Prosciutto – this is always a favorite on the cheese board and since I work with a framework I thought it would be fun to fill the crates with some of this prosciutto! I do this by rolling the meat then cutting the roll in half, placing it against the side of the skeleton.
- Greetings Genoa – You can’t go wrong with this choice and I love this salami it’s easy to use when styling your board. I like to fold them and arrange them around the cheese or bowl, or you can stack the salami in certain areas to fill in gaps and add dimension.
Fresh and dry fruit
When building this Halloween-themed board, I wanted to stick to the abundant fruit this season has. Fruit is always a favorite and the sweetness blends well with the salty and savory. This is what I use:
- Wine – I LOVE adding grapes to my board any time of year! They always look amazing when displayed and green looks especially good with any Halloween color we are going for.
- blackberries – deep and beautiful blackberry color just screams “creepy” to me! Figs are another great option.
- Apple slices – true to autumn, fresh apples are in their place! I used green apples to match the color of the board, but any type of apple will work.
- Dried apricots – I like to have a mix of fresh and dried fruit on my charcuterie board and this orange stays true to the theme.
Various kinds of crackers
Your cheese needs a vehicle, right?? I like to use different types of crackers to add variety and a great choice that everyone will love. Try getting crackers of different sizes and shapes too. I found some good ones at Trader Joe’s! To display them, you can spread them around the cheese, fan them in various places, and even stack them in any gaps you have on the board. The possibilities are endless and offering a good variety is always a plus!
Scary Extra!
This is where you add all the fun little items and embellishments that not only make your board super lively to look at, but so much more!
- I added some walnuts, chocolate covered nuts and some pimento stuffed green olives which added a nice spooky element.
- Other fun options include almond marcona, spiced pecans or cashews, other salty foods like pickles, and even delicious spreads like jam, honey or even hummus.
- I also decorated it with some fake plastic spiders to give the board a spooky look and these fun skeleton hands added the perfect finishing touch! Oh, and don’t forget the cobwebs!
- You can also add some fun Halloween candy like the classic candy corn or
What Type of Board Should I Use?
So depending on where I display this plate, I usually always choose a medium sized board, but this is where you can get creative! Don’t feel like you have to stick with the classic cheese board, you can use a cutting board, a round or square wooden pizza board, different types of serving plates, stone or stone planks or you can even use a large baking sheet. Any flat surface will work honestly. You can even lay out some brown paper and have it right on your table! Talk about the main core. Feel free to use whatever you have around the house, but THIS board is a personal favorite for everyday entertainment and the handles make it easy to transport!
Tips and Tricks for Making this Cheese Board
- When assembling your Halloween cheese board, you will want to start by placing the largest items first such as the small bowl that you will use to spread your cheese on. Working from large to small makes your board much easier to build as you can easily drop small items like nuts and dried fruit in the pile to fill in any gaps.
- Slicing your cheese any number of ways, crumbling it and sparing some of it creates great texture and dimension!
- If you are using a smaller board, select only 2 cheeses and spread them in different places around the board. This gives the illusion that your board is fuller and more abundant! Alternatively, using an extra large board allows you to add more texture, bowls and other fun items.
- Try adding different spreads like fig or apricot jam, honey mustard, hummus or honey that you can place in different bowls. Don’t forget the spreader and cheese knife!
- Cheese tastes best at room temperature, so I always like to set up a cheeseboard about an hour or 30 minutes beforehand, wrapping it so it doesn’t dry out.
- Don’t forget the wine!
More Charcuterie Boards You’ll Love
Hope you all enjoyed this Halloween Charcuterie Board and if you love this recipe as much as we do please rate me a five star below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love looking at all your delicious recreations!
Ingredients
Cheese:
- 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz round cream brie cheese
- 8 oz jalapeño pepper jack cheese
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine) with decorative eyeballs
Meat:
- 4 oz prosciutto
- 4 oz genoa salami
Fruit:
- blackberries
- Green grapes
- Green apple slices
- Dried apricots
Biscuits:
- It’s all bagel seasoned crackers
- Fig and olive chips
Other Extras:
Instructions
- Start by adding the largest item first such as any bowl (along with the outline if you’re using that) then add all the cheese.
- Next, add meat and fruit.
- Then fill in any gaps with assorted chocolate-coated crackers, nuts, and nuts. Top it with spooky little spiders and other fun additions. Enjoy!