Valentine's Charcuterie Board (2024)

Create a fun, easy Valentine’s Charcuterie Board with all your favorite desserts. Here is a list of all the sweets you’ll need for this dessert board. I shopped all the items online and never left the house!

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Valentine’s Day is such a fun gem among the cold winter months. A charcuterie board is something that my daughter and I love to create and enjoy. And this year, we had a blast diving into this delightful tray of our favorite treats!

Before I dive into my project, I want to announce that this post is part of a fun Valentine’s Day Blog hop. MaryAnn from Classic Casual Home asked me to join this group of talented bloggers. So, make sure to check out the list of bloggers at the bottom of this post.

I look forward to creating Valentine’s Day crafts, desserts, and home decor. Here is a list of some of my holiday projects!

  • How to Decorate a Valentine’s Day Candle Printable
  • Valentine’s Day Decor Ideas
  • Breakable Chocolate Heart Tutorial

So as some of you know, my daughter helps me over here on the blog. She’s my best friend, and I’m so lucky to have all her tremendous help.

We are doing everything together during this pandemic, baking, blogging, hiking, etc. So it’s only fitting that the two of us have each other for this year’s Valentine’s Day. We plan to enjoy this charcuterie board filled with all our favorite candies.

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Valentine’s Charcuterie Board

We built this fun Valentine’s charcuterie board a couple of days ago, and it’s taken all our willpower not to nibble on the delicious treats! And today is the day for my daughter and me to dive into this festive dessert board.

We had a blast creating this pretty board for you, and we hope you have a chance to make one for you and your friends.

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I made it simple this year, and I used my wood cutting board.

When I set out on this project, I realized that I didn’t own a rectangular charcuterie board. So, I pulled my favorite JK Adams wood board without spending money. So, use whatever board you have in your home to create this Galentine’s Day treat.

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You might be wondering about Charcuterie Boards.

Here are a FAQ’s

How do you pronounce Charcuterie?

Ok, let’s get how to pronounce the word out of the way. It is “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”.

What is a Charcuterie Board?

It is derived from the two French terms, chair and cuit. Chair in French means flesh, and Cuit means cooked. It is now used as a way to prepare and assemble meats paired with cheese, crackers, bread, fruit, and sauces. But of course, a Charcuterie has many themes. And now we have dessert and candy boards that accompany the various holidays.

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The great thing about a Charcuterie Board is that you can style it however you wish. Add a few Valentine’s candies with some cookies, and it will look perfect for a holiday celebration.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to creating a great charcuterie board.

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In this tutorial, I’ll show you step-by-step how to build your Valentine’s Charcuterie Board! I’ve done the hard part of coming up with the candy and design, now all you have to do is copy my layout!

You’ll be happy to know that I bought everything online, and all these Valentine’s Day desserts arrived on my doorstep. I love online shopping, and I save so much time these days.

For this board, you’ll want to make my chocolate heart. Don’t panic. It’s easy to make, and I posted how to make a breakable chocolate heart on this post.

Let’s get this Valentine’s Day project started.

How to Build a Dessert Board

*The following post contains affiliate links

Ingredients:

Wood Charcuterie Board

Strawberry Pocky Sticks

Peppermint Candies

Frosted Circus Cookies

Wafer Cookies ( Strawberry Pink, Lemon White)

Jeweled Jelly Beans

Boston Baked Beans

Meringue Cookies

Hershey Kisses

Tootsie Pops

Ceramic Heart Dishes

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Here are the ingredients to add to the ceramic hearts. Fill two of the heart dishes with M&M’s and the other two with Jelly Beans. Then top each bowl of candy with a peppermint.

Valentine’s Charcuterie Board Directions:

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Step 1 – Prep Your Charcuterie Boad

I used my favorite cutting board for my charcuterie. Also, I always like to place parchment paper down when creating my boards since it makes an excellent protective barrier for the food.

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Step 2 – Gather All The Ingredients

I loved making this little image of all the treats that my family loves. But, if you have family favorites, don’t be afraid to include them on your board.

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Step 3 – Place The Chocolate Heart

This edible chocolate heart is so easy to make, and I love how it’s the centerpiece for my board.

Make sure to check out how to make it on my blog post. Over in the tutorial, I share some essential tips on the chocolate mold and the best chocolate to use for the project. Yes, I learned the hard way by failing a couple of times.

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Step 4 – Place Mints on Border

These soft peppermints are so yummy. They come individually wrapped, so they stay fresh for a long time. We’ve had this supply since Christmas. They’re so cute and cheerful on this board.

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Step 5 – Place Circus Cookies on Border

Uh, we love these sweet Mother’s Circus Cookies. They’re perfect for Valentine’s day, don’t you think?

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Step 6 – Place Cookies Around Heart

Step 7 – Place Ceramic Hearts Filled with Candy

I bought these dainty heart dishes over on Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive they are and how cute they are on the board.

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Step 8 – Place Hershey Kisses

You can place them on your board now and at the end of your creation. Think of them as little accents.

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Step 9 – Place Pink Pocky Sticks

My kiddos love these pocky sticks, so it was a no-brainer to include them on this Valentine’s Day Charcuterie board!

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Step 10 – Place Pink Wafer Cookies

My family loves wafer cookies, and the pink and white ones are perfect for Valentine’s Day! Plus they make me smile. 🙂

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Step 11 – Place White Wafer Cookies

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Step 11 – Place Jeweled Jelly Beans

These jelly beans are so pretty, and I love how shiny they look. I placed them in a few spots, and then I used them as filler wherever I had empty spaces.

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Step 12 – Place Boston Baked Beans

Do you see a pattern? I’m working in sections, and the candies and cookies radiate from the middle.

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Step 13 – Place Tootsie Pops

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A Few Extra Tips for Creating A Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board

Choose Pretty Colors

I tried to use only pink, white, silver, and red candies and cookies when designing this board. When choosing your items, it’s best to have some colors in mind before you buy your supplies. If your colors look pretty together, your board will look gorgeous.

Fill In The Gaps

I tried to fill in all the spaces between candies. Creating a board that is bursting has a remarkable effect on the eye, and it’s impressive.

Layering Is Ok!

Don’t be scared to layer ingredients on top of each other. Layering gives the illusion that the board has an abundance of desserts. But, instead, you want to create a board that’s literally eye candy!

Treat Your Board as a Composition

I work in sections to make it easy to design. I quartered the area with this Valentine’s board and placed the chocolate heart in the middle as my main focus. I moved out from the heart to the rest of the sections.

Create a Border

I always like a border around my board. I think of it as a gardening hedge. Have you ever seen gardens with a boxwood border that is pruned and tidy? Then inside the fence is a mismatch of English flowers?

This is the same idea. The border contains the chaos that is inside its frame.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy munching on all the delicious treats!

Well, Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your family.

Cheers,

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Janine Waite

I named my blog Happy Happy Nester because I love everything related to the home. I’ve always enjoyed decorating my surroundings. Get cozy and stay for a bit, thanks for visiting!

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Valentine's Charcuterie Board (2024)

FAQs

What is the 3 3 3 3 rule for charcuterie board? ›

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

What are 5 things to avoid on a charcuterie board? ›

5 Mistakes You are Making on Your Charcuterie Board
  • Peppers: Whether green, red, or yellow, peppers are best avoided. ...
  • Tricky vegetables: Namely, tomatoes or Asparagus. ...
  • Jalapeno stuffed olives (or anything too spicy): Very hot foods simply don't work well with most wines, and they can overwhelm your taste buds.

How do you make a heart charcuterie board? ›

Steps
  1. Cut a piece of high quality wood to desired size. ...
  2. Trace a heart shape onto a cutting board.
  3. Use a drill bit with a diameter around the size of a jigsaw blade to drill a hole in one of the corners of the heart.
  4. Use a jigsaw to cut the rounded edges on the board and cut out the heart shape.

What should every charcuterie board have? ›

This includes cooked and cured meat products like hams, sausages, terrines, and pâtés. While traditionally that was the jest of it, these days a charcuterie board implies a spread of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, spreads, crackers, and breads.

What are must haves for a charcuterie board? ›

The meat and cheeses are the stars, but don't skimp on the filler — this is where the board gets fun. Not only fruit, spreads, nuts and pickles usually cheaper than meats and cheeses, but they also satisfy hungry guests. They make the board last longer and keep people happily munching throughout the party.

What are 3 good cheeses for a charcuterie board? ›

Here are the best cheeses for your charcuterie board
  • Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago.
  • Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar.
  • Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.
  • Soft cheese: burrata, mascarpone, stracchino.
  • Blue cheese: gorgonzola, dunbarton blue, marbled blue jack.

What are the cold cuts for charcuterie board? ›

Salami, ham, prosciutto, pastrami – there's just no end to all the delicious possibilities! And that's what makes cold cuts such a practical choice. Not only do they provide plenty of flavor and texture, but they also can make your charcuterie board look downright stunning.

How many cheeses for charcuterie board for 20 guests? ›

Plan for about 1-2 ounces of cheese per person. As with your meat selections, have your cheese sliced thin (at a 1-2 thickness) to make layering easier. If you'd like to incorporate cheese cubes, or have guests cut their own pieces, have those sliced at an 8-10 thickness.

What not to put on a cheese board? ›

CHARCUTERIE // Stop Adding These 10 Ingredients To Your Charcuterie Boards!
  1. STINKY CHEESES. The cheese section at the grocery store can be overwhelming and intimidating. ...
  2. FRUITS THAT GO BROWN. ...
  3. SPICY FOODS. ...
  4. CRACKERS & BREAD. ...
  5. Veggies. ...
  6. Allergens and Sensitivities. ...
  7. Dips, Sauces and Jams. ...
  8. Boring and Bland Foods.

How unhealthy are charcuterie boards? ›

Any classic charcuterie board recipe is typically filled with a plethora of delicious but highly processed meats and cheeses that can run on the unhealthy side. For instance, cured meats and sausage-style meats include additives for preservation, which increase the risk of disease.

Are there rules for charcuterie boards? ›

Depending on the size of your board, you should have one each of cow, sheep, and goat options with soft rind, firm, and hard cheeses in the mix. Flavors should range between nutty and mild to funky and unique. Rule of thumb: 1 cow, 1 sheep, 1 goat; 1 soft, 1 firm, 1 hard.

How to make a Valentine's charcuterie? ›

One of the easiest ways to theme a charcuterie board for Valentine's Day is to add some heart shapes. Cookie cutters make this super simple, particularly to cut out cheese and cookies. Adding pink and red foods is another easy way to make it feel seasonal and festive.

How to make fancy charcuterie? ›

You can customize your charcuterie board however you like, however typically it will include the following:
  1. Cured meats.
  2. Various cheeses – Nice cheeses and meats are generally on the pricier side. With that said, it feeds A LOT of people.
  3. Olives and Nuts.
  4. Fruit.
  5. Dried Fruits.
  6. Crackers or small slices of bread.
  7. Jelly or Jam.
Nov 20, 2023

What finger foods go with a charcuterie board? ›

Antipasto Tray
  • Desired cured meats.
  • Bold cheese (we used cubed feta and goat cheese)
  • Pickled or fresh veggies.
  • Dried and fresh fruits like dates, apricots, figs, and plums.
  • Olives.
  • Bread slices or crackers.
  • Herbed nuts.
Nov 16, 2023

What do you decorate a charcuterie board with? ›

There are no limits to your charcuterie board items and decorations. Add in some fresh herbs – I love using rosemary, fresh thyme, basil along with many other herbs. I absolutely love accessorizing with flowers, or even edible flowers which can really help elevate the look of your feast!

What to put on a charcuterie board besides cheese and meat? ›

Get creative with olives, antipasti, fresh fruit, nuts, spreads, crackers and more. Whether you're looking for game day bites, happy hour apps, picnic-friendly foods for 4th of July celebrations or just a colorful spread for more intimate gatherings, charcuterie caters to every occasion.

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