This DIY Halloween Charcuterie Board is made with fresh fruit and vegetables, savory snacks, and gluten free sweet treats perfect for all your holiday needs. Serve them all or choose a few for a festive spread! Vegan options.
Why You’ll Love these Scary Good Snacks
It’s no secret that charcuterie board ideas of all kinds are super popular! With options like BBQ Graze Boards, Charcuterie Boards for Brunch, and Snack Board Ideas for Dinner, it’s easy to see why. They’re just so versatile! I mean, is there anything you can’t turn into a charcuterie board? I’m pretty sure the answer is no, and I’m not mad about it. So, with the holiday season right around the corner, I figured why not do a Halloween Charcuterie Board? Whether you’re throwing a big Halloween party or not, it’s the perfect way to celebrate.
Of course, I could’ve easily done a candy charcuterie board, but that felt too easy. Instead, I wanted to switch things up and create a more nourishing option filled with equally as delicious treats. So, instead of candy, I used fresh fruit and homemade desserts to create a super kid-friendly option that can help offset the sugar high that comes with the holiday. Filled with gluten free and vegan options, this Halloween Charcuterie board is super fun to create and the perfect way to impress all your guests!
How to Make a DIY Charcuterie Board for Halloween
The key to making a simple charcuterie board is to layer the ingredients in a way that they are easy to grab. Typically, you would start with the cheeses, fold in the meats, and go from there. Given the theme, this board is slightly different, but the same principles still apply! To start:
- Prep ahead. Prepare all food items before you begin to make your board for easy assembly.
- Create structure. Before you begin, place any bowls or decorations on the board to create a sense of organization and prevent chaos. Then, add any big food items that can stand on their own such as oranges or kiwis.
- Add the largest items. Arrange crackers, cheese, and fruit pieces around the edges of your platter for easy grabbing.
- Fill in the gaps. Using the remaining ingredients, fill in any gaps on the board with more of the “fun” or decorative ingredients.
Note: Feel free to use our images as inspiration. However, there’s no right or wrong way to create this Halloween Charcuterie Board. Ultimately, do what you think is best!
Better-for-You Ingredients for a Simple Charcuterie Board
We got so excited, we went all out with charcuterie board ideas. Feel free to do the same and use all of the ingredients below. Or, pick and choose your favorites to create your perfect Halloween Charcuterie Board!
Sweet
Grapes and Cheese Skewers – Arrange grapes and cheese cubes on toothpicks for bite-sized skewers.
Kiwi Frankenstein – To turn these fuzzy fruits into mini Frankenstein faces, use a paring knife to gently peel away half of the skin. Then, use decorative eyes and peppercorn stems for ears!
Chickpea Cookie Dough Dessert Hummus – Refined sugar free and super creamy, this hummus has all the flavor of cookie dough you love in a safe-to-eat dip perfect with fruit, crackers, and more!
Almond Flour Cookies – Made with just 7 ingredients, this recipe tastes just like your favorite chocolate chip cookies, but better! Egg free, grain free, and refined sugar free, for a delicious allergy-friendly dessert.
Dried Fruit – I used Mariani’s Simply Dried Mango and Apricot, but any dried fruit you have on hand would work!
Savory
Full of protein, these savory options are a tasty way to stay fueled and prevent a sugar creash!
Gluten free chips and Vegan Queso – Who doesn’t love tortilla chips and queso? Now, with gluten free crackers and a homemade vegan cheese sauce, everyone can join in on the fun without sacrificing any flavor!
Salami and Gluten Free Crackers – For the meat eaters, salami and crackers add an element of savory flavors to help balance out the sweetness of the fruit and chocolate.
Cheese Wedge with Pomegranate or Raspberries – For a fun addition, we took a large cheese wedge and added pomegranates and raspberries on top to resemble “blood” droppings.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Pick your favorite flavor, or add all three for a crunchy snack full of fall flavor!
Chocolatey
Whether you prefer to dip, dunk, or sprinkle, we’ve got a chocolate option for you!
Chocolate Orange Slices – This classic dessert is super easy to make. Just melt your favorite dark chocolate, peel your oranges, and dip half of each slice in the chocolate. Then, just lay them on parchment paper to harden.
Mini Pumpkins (Peeled Oranges with Chocolate Chip or Pepper Stems in the Center) – Super cute and deceivingly easy to make, just peel your oranges, and add a chocolate chip or pepper stems to the center to create a pumpkin!
Vegan Edible Cookie Dough Chocolate Cups – These cups are the perfect combination of vegan cookie dough stuffed inside chocolate cups for an easy and delicious no-bake snack.
Foodie Swap: Need a cookie dough substitute? No worries! These chocolate peanut butter cups are a super yummy alternative.
Dark Chocolate Covered Apricots – Use fresh or dried apricots dipped in dark chocolate. Or, skip the chocolate, and sprinkle dried apricots throughout your board!
Graham Cracker Mummies – To make this recipe, dunk your graham crackers in melted chocolate, and lay them on parchment paper until the chocolate hardens. Then, use vegan frosting or melted white chocolate to drizzle “gauze” across the top, and add your mummy eyes!
Dark Chocolate Chips – For a little added sweetness, fill in any gaps with extra chocolate chips.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes – An easy handheld allergy-friendly treat, these cupcakes can be included as they are or iced and decorated with spooky eyes, sprinkles, and more for added decoration.
Extras & Add-Ins
Add some festive flair to your DIY Halloween Charcuterie Board with these fun toppings and decorations.
Dye Free Food Coloring – Create a colorful board by drawing faces, adding limbs, and more to all your treats.
Spooky Eyes – The easiest way to add some spunk to a simple charcuterie board, spooky eyes can be added to pretty much everything for a festive flair.
Black Cutting Board – Of course, a regular cutting board will do, but a black board adds an extra element of fun and helps accentuate the bright colors of the food.
Sprinkles – Who doesn’t love sprinkles? Add them to your cupcakes, sprinkles them on dips, and more. Whether you choose black sprinkles for a spooky feeling or brighter options, you can’t go wrong!
Common Questions
Yes! In fact, I recommend preparing as much as you can before preparing your Halloween charcuterie board. For example, prepare the fruit and any chocolate-covered snacks the day before, and save the leftover chocolate to reheat later. Then, place each “section” of the board in wide or stackable tupperware so you know in which order to layer the items.
Example: Place any fruit and cheese pieces in one container with your hummus for one section of the board. Then, add any dessert items to another container for a second section of the board. Then, any remaining crackers, cheese, nuts, etc. can be added on the day of serving, and all you have to do is add the toppings! Easy peasy.
The great thing about all charcuterie board ideas is how easy they are to serve. All you have to do is arrange the ingredients, and place the board out where your guests can find it! Then, your work is done, and you can get back to the party.
Definitely not! All of the recipes are simple to make, but making them all can be a bit time-consuming. So, feel free to opt for store-bought versions as well! We did our best to include all of our favorites to make shopping easy.
More of Our Favorite
Kid-Friendly Halloween Snack Ideas
DIY Halloween Charcuterie Board (Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 17 minute
- Yield: 5 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This DIY Halloween Charcuterie Board is an easy way to celebrate the holiday with better-for-you treats your kids will love! Gluten Free and Dairy free options.
Ingredients
Chocolatey
- 10–12 mandarin oranges (for orange pumpkins and chocolate dipped orange slices)
- dark chocolate for melting
- vegan edible cookie dough chocolate cups
- gluten free graham crackers
- vegan frosting or store bought frosting mix
- dark chocolate chips
- gluten free chocolate cupcakes
Sweet
- 1 bag of green grapes + diced cheddar cheese on skewers
- kiwi fruit for Kiwi Frankenstein heads
- chickpea cookie dough dessert hummus
- almond flour cookies
- dried fruit such as dried apricot, pineapple, and mango.
Savory
- baked tortilla chips + vegan queso
- nitrate free sliced salami + gluten free crackers
- 1 large cheese wedge topped with mashed raspberries (for graveyard cheese)
- roasted pumpkin seeds
Extras & Add-Ins
Instructions
- Prep the sweet/chocolatey desserts. This can be done the day before. Coating gluten free graham crackers in chocolate for mummies, cookie dough cups, chocolate covered dried fruit, and other baking desserts and snacks.
- Prep all of the fruit and vegetables items in each section; spearing grapes and cheese cubes with toothpicks, using a paring knife to create kiwi Frankenstein, adding peppercorn “stems” to the sides of kiwi for frankenstein bolts. Add peppercorn stems or dark chocolate chips to center of peeled mandarin for pumpkin looking oranges.
- Gather a large platter or cutting board and multiple small dishes. Add the dips, spreads, and seeds to the small bowls.
- Next, gather all of the ingredients and add the largest items first to the cutting board or platter.
- Then, nestle in the dip bowls.
- Finally, fill in the remaining space with smaller foods and cover any holes or gaps with fruit, garnishes, or any extras.
Notes
Feel free to swap any homemade baked good for gluten free store bought sweets.
You can make as many or as few of these items as you want, and get creative decorating your charcuterie boards to truly make them your own!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: n/a
- Category: Snack
- Method: chop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: charcuterie board, kid-friendly, snacks, appetizer, gluten free
This board was a blast to make and definitely has us in the Halloween spirit! However, we’re curious to know what you would add. Let us know in the comments below!
Cheers,
LC
We had so much fun planning and putting this together! This is the perfect party tray!
★★★★★
So glad! What all did you include?
This is such a great idea! Perfect for entertaining!
★★★★★
Right? Love kid friendly and adult friendly boards like this!
Brilliant ideas! What a gorgeous spread!
★★★★★