Easy Christmas Charcuterie Board (Step-by-Step)
Learn how to make a beautiful Christmas charcuterie board with easy store-bought ingredients, festive colors and simple make-ahead tips.
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Holiday appetizers don’t need to mean spending another hour in the kitchen. This easy Christmas charcuterie board uses mostly store-bought meats, cheeses, crackers and festive treats to create something that looks special without a lot of extra work.
I’ll show you exactly how I arrange mine, including the Christmas tree Brie centerpiece, easy ways to add red and green, and what you can prep ahead before guests arrive.
And don’t worry about recreating this board exactly. Use what your family likes, shop your pantry first, and swap ingredients based on what you can find at the grocery store.
What You’ll Love About This Christmas Charcuterie Board:
What is a Christmas Charcuterie Board?
A Christmas charcuterie board is a festive twist on the traditional meat and cheese board, styled with red and green accents, holiday-shaped crackers, and sweet seasonal bites like sugared cranberries and peppermint pretzels. The centerpiece is often a round of Brie filled with jelly in the shape of a Christmas tree, surrounded by an array of meats, cheeses, nuts, and spreads. These boards are always a hit during the holiday season because they’re easy to prep ahead, require no cooking, and look absolutely beautiful on a table.
Whether it’s for Christmas Eve, a holiday party, or just cozying up with family, they’re a great way to feed a crowd with style easily.
Ingredients for the Best Holiday Charcuterie Board
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How To Build a Christmas Charcuterie Board
This festive Christmas charcuterie board is a great way to mix savory items, fresh fruit, and sweet treats in a beautiful presentation. The Christmas tree shape on the brie adds instant holiday spirit, while the sugared cranberries and festive crackers keep things fun. And the best part? It’s so customizable. Use what you have, swap in seasonal favorites, and play with your color scheme.
- Prepare Your Board. Start with a wooden board, serving tray, or even a parchment-lined baking sheet. No need for anything fancy—just something flat and clean. Pull out small spoons, cheese knives, and small bowls. Set them aside. Start by placing your brie round in the center of a large wooden cutting board.
- Use a metal Christmas tree cookie cutter to gently press a tree shape into the center. Scoop out a shallow layer and spoon in your fruit jelly—something red like raspberry or cranberry works best. Need a quick tutorial on how to make Brie cutouts? Check this one out!
- Place the Cheese and Dips. Next, add your Boursin cheese in one corner and cubed cheddar in another. This helps anchor your board and makes it easy for guests to find different types of cheeses.
- Arrange the Meats. Fold salami into rosettes and create ribbons of soppressata. Roll up your turkey or ham slices. Group the meats near the dips and cheeses to encourage easy pairing. Curious about folding meats? I love this YouTube video for tips & tricks!
- Use small bowls to hold olives, nuts, jelly, honey, and sugared cranberries. This keeps soft items from spilling and separates bold flavors.
- Add the Crackers and Sweets. Fan out crackers and add holiday-themed cookies to fill any empty spaces. In this board, I included white chocolate-dipped pretzels and chocolate nuggets. Fill gaps with green grapes, pomegranate arils, or fresh rosemary sprigs for a pop of color. You can even add small, tree-trunk-style breadsticks or cherry tomatoes for extra variety.
- Layer in Fruit and Pickles. Fan out your apple slices and tuck pickles or olives into open spaces. They add pop, texture, and a little zing to the bites.
- Fill in the Gaps. Use mixed nuts, sugar cookie trifles, or even mini pretzels to fill open spots. This adds color and makes your board look abundant.
- Garnish and Serve. Top with rosemary or thyme sprigs. Set cheese cutting knives next to your brie, Boursin, or cheese logs. Add small spoons to your dips, jellies, and a honey dipper to your honey bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate, uncovered, until your guests arrive.
- If Serving Later. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Just add your crackers right before guests arrive.
Find the measurements and full recipe below!
For even more delicious Christmas recipes, you will like these:
My Favorite Charcuterie Supplies
Keep these on hand and use them as you need too! Small spoons, bowls, and cutting boards can be used for everyday living AND for serving charcuterie.
Tips & Tricks
- Let Cheese Come to Room Temperature: Take cheeses out about 30 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.
- Use Different Shapes & Textures: Keep the board interesting by balancing soft cheese, hard cheese, savory items, and sweet treats.
- Avoid Empty Spaces: Fill small gaps on your board with nuts, herbs, or extra crackers to give your board a full, finished look.
- Use What You Have in the Pantry: If you can’t find star crackers, use round ones. If you’re out of nuts, swap in dried fruit or pantry snacks.
- Shop Trader Joe’s: They have great options for affordable cheeses, seasonal sweets, and different shapes of crackers.
Fun Holiday Add-Ins and Seasonal Ideas
If you want to bring more “Christmas” or Red/Green to the board, try:
Sweets to Try:
- White chocolate–dipped pretzels
- Festive cookies (stars, trees, snowflakes)
- Chocolate truffles or peppermint bark
Cheeses with Holiday Color: - Cranberry goat cheese log (red)
- Pesto Gouda (green)
- Blue cheese for a sharp contrast
Fresh Fruit Options: - Red grapes or green grapes
- Pomegranate seeds or arils
- Cherry tomatoes for savory balance
Decorative Touches: - Star cookie cutters for crackers
- Sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- Use a round board for a traditional charcuterie shape
Make the Christmas Tree Brie the Centerpiece
The Christmas tree Brie is one of the easiest ways to make the whole board feel like Christmas right away. Place the Brie near the center of the board, then use red raspberry or cranberry jelly to create that pop of holiday color.
Don’t worry about making it perfect. Once you surround the Brie with meats, crackers, greenery and the rest of your ingredients, the little Christmas tree becomes a simple focal point that pulls the entire board together.
Easy Swap: If you don’t want to make the tree cutout, use a small wheel of Brie topped with cranberry sauce, raspberry preserves or pomegranate seeds instead. You’ll still get the same festive red-and-white look without the extra step.
Christmas Charcuterie Board Shopping List for 16–20 People
This makes a generous appetizer board for a party. If the charcuterie board is your main food rather than one of several appetizers, plan on buying more.
Shopping list
- 1 Brie Wheel
- 1 wedge of Swiss, blue cheese or aged cheddar
- 1 log of goat cheese or blueberry goat cheese
- 1 Small wedge of seasonal cheese (like Mimolette)
- 16 oz pre-cut cheddar or swiss cubes
- 1 batch of whipped ricotta dip OR Boursin Cheese
- 3 types of deli meats (12 oz salami, 6 oz soppressata, 12 oz turkey/ham)
- 3 oz Proscuitto, optional
- 3 types of crackers and/or French baguette (Christmas themed, buttery, wheat, herb crackers)
- 1 cupe of Sugared Cranberries
- 1 small jar fig jam
- 1 small jar of sweet red jelly
- 1 small jar of honey
- 1–2 cups mixed nuts
- 1 cup olives
- 1 cup pickles
- 1–2 seasonal sweets (Grinch Oreo Balls, Mini Bundt Cakes, chocolate bark, or chocolates pieces)
- Garnish: Fresh herbs, like Rosemary, or Thyme.
My Easy Christmas Charcuterie Board Formula
You don’t need every ingredient on my board to make a beautiful Christmas charcuterie board. I use this basic formula and adjust the amounts based on how many people we’re serving.
|
Add |
Choose |
|---|---|
|
2–3 Cheeses |
Brie, Boursin, Cheddar, Goat Cheese |
|
2–3 Meats |
Salami, Soppressata, Prosciutto, Turkey |
|
2–3 Crunchy Items |
Crackers, Baguette Slices, Nuts, Pretzels |
|
1–2 Fresh or Tangy Items |
Grapes, Cranberries, Olives, Pickles |
|
1–2 Spreads |
Jam, Jelly, Honey |
|
1–2 Christmas Treats |
Cookies, Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Pretzels |
|
Festive Garnish |
Rosemary, Thyme, Halvec Pomegranate |
The easiest way to make it look Christmas-y: You don’t need a Christmas-tree-shaped board or special holiday dishes. Add something red, something green, and one obvious holiday element, like the Christmas tree Brie or festive crackers.
Recipes you can use in this Christmas Charcuterie Board:
What Can I Prep Ahead?
You can assemble most of the board a few hours before your party. Arrange the cheeses, meats, olives, pickles, and bowls, then cover the board tightly and refrigerate.
Wait to add crackers, bread and cookies until shortly before serving so they don’t absorb moisture and get soft.
About 20–30 minutes before guests arrive, take the board out of the refrigerator so the Brie and other cheeses can soften slightly.
If you want something festive for your Christmas table without adding another complicated recipe to your list, this Christmas charcuterie board is an easy win. Start with store-bought meats, cheeses, crackers and a few holiday favorites, then make it your own with whatever your family loves.
Don’t worry about recreating my board exactly. Use what you have, swap in your favorites and keep it simple. The goal isn’t a perfect charcuterie board. It’s putting something delicious on the table so you can get back to the best part of the season: spending time together.
Christmas Charcuterie Board
Create a festive Christmas charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, and sweet treats—perfect for your next holiday party!
Ingredients
Cheese & Dips
- Brie Wheel (top with apricot or apple jelly)
- 16 Oz Pre-cut Cheddar Cheese Cubes
- 1 Boursin Cheese (I used Garlic & Herbs)
Meats
- 12 Ounces Pack of Salami (folded into roses) and Soppressata slices
- 8 Ounces Deli Turkey or Ham (rolled)
- 3 Ounces Prosciutto, folded (optional)
Fruits & Veggies
- Sugared Cranberries
- Pickles
- Olives
Crackers & Bread
- Round Buttery Crackers
- Wheat or Herb-Flavored Crackers
- French Baguette, sliced
- Holiday Shaped Crackers
Spreads & Extras
- Fig Jam
- Sweet Red Jelly
- Honey
Snacks & Treats
- Mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans)
- Sweet Treats (Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Chocolate Nuggets, or other sweet treat)
Garnish
- Small Pumpkin Gourds
- Fresh Rosemary or Thyme Sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Board. Start with a large wooden board, serving tray, or a parchment-lined sheet pan for easy cleanup. Using a Christmas tree or holiday-themed cookie cutter, press down on top of the brie wheel. Cut along the cutout with a small, sharp knife. Lightly remove the white cheese rind from inside the cutout. Top the cutout opening with fruit jelly. This does not need to be precise since the jelly will cover and level out the empty areas.
- Place the Dips & Cheese. Add the Boursin cheese, brie wheel (topped with jelly), and jams in small bowls spaced out on the board.
- Arrange the Meats. Fold salami and soppressata into loose rosettes or ribbons. Roll deli turkey or ham slices. Cluster meats around dips.
- Add Cheese & Crunch. Pile cubed cheddar cheese near dips or pickles. Stack crackers in small groups across the board for visual balance. If you run out of space, serve crackers and bread on a separate plate or bowl alongside the charcuterie board.
- Layer in Fruit & Pickles. Roll your cranberries in granulated sugar and place in a small bowl. Set your bowls of olives and cranberries into the open spaces. Stack your pickles in an open space.
- Fill in the Gaps. Add handfuls of mixed nuts, sweet holiday treats, or your favorite holiday snack to complete the look.
- Garnish & Serve. Optional: Add fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs for an extra touch. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Make It Ahead: You can prep most of the items (like folding meats, slicing apples, and prepping dips) a few hours in advance. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. Add crackers and cookies before serving.
- Substitution Ideas: Swap in grapes, pomegranate arils, or cranberry goat cheese based on what your grocery store carries or what your family enjoys.
- Board Size Tip: If you're serving a small group, scale down the ingredients and use a large dinner plate or round serving tray instead of a board.
- Budget-Friendly Swap: Use store-brand crackers, cube your block of cheese, or opt for a specialty jam you already have.
- Board Balance Tip: Try to keep similar textures apart—for example, avoid placing soft cheese next to another soft item, such as jelly or sugared cranberries.
- Serving Tip: Let the brie sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving, allowing it to become perfectly soft and spreadable.
- Add Texture & Color: Mix crunchy elements (such as crackers and nuts) with creamy ones (like ricotta and brie), and use a mix of holiday colors—like green herbs and red cranberries or pomegranates for a festive look.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 483Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 826mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 7gSugar: 15gProtein: 23g
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Hi, I’m Brittany, and I believe life at home should feel easier, not heavier.
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