Dessert Charcuterie Board (Printable)
A 20-minute dessert platter of fruits, sweets and dips, arranged for elegant, shareable entertaining.
# What You Need:
→ Fresh Fruits
01 - 1 cup strawberries, halved
02 - 1 cup seedless grapes
03 - 1 cup blueberries
04 - 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
05 - 1 apple, thinly sliced (tossed with lemon juice to prevent browning)
→ Sweets & Treats
06 - 1 cup assorted chocolates (dark, milk, white)
07 - 1 cup assorted cookies (shortbread, chocolate chip, macarons)
08 - ½ cup mini brownies or brownie bites
09 - ½ cup marshmallows
10 - ½ cup chocolate-covered pretzels
→ Dips & Spreads
11 - ½ cup Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
12 - ½ cup salted caramel sauce
13 - ½ cup whipped cream or vanilla yogurt
→ Garnishes
14 - ¼ cup candied nuts
15 - Fresh mint sprigs
# Steps:
01 - Wash and thoroughly dry all fruits. Halve the strawberries, peel and slice the kiwis, and thinly slice the apple, tossing it with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.
02 - Arrange the prepared fruits in clusters across different sections of a large serving board or platter, leaving space between groups for visual variety.
03 - Fill small bowls or ramekins with Nutella, salted caramel sauce, and whipped cream or vanilla yogurt. Position them around the board to create anchor points for the arrangement.
04 - Scatter assorted chocolates, cookies, mini brownies, marshmallows, and chocolate-covered pretzels across the board, grouping similar items together for an appealing visual presentation.
05 - Fill any remaining gaps with candied nuts and tuck fresh mint sprigs throughout the board for pops of color and freshness.
06 - Serve immediately and encourage guests to mix, match, and dip their favorite combinations. Pair with coffee, dessert wine, or hot chocolate for an elegant finish.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- There is zero cooking involved, which means you can pull this together in twenty minutes while still in your slippers.
- It looks incredibly impressive but secretly requires nothing more than a good eye and a willingness to snack while you work.
02 -
- Pat the fruit completely dry before placing it on the board because excess moisture makes cookies and chocolates soggy within minutes.
- Assemble the board as close to serving time as possible since the visual impact fades after about an hour at room temperature.
03 -
- Place the dips in bowls before anything else so you can build outward and avoid the awkward shuffle of moving things around after the board is full.
- Vary the heights by stacking brownies or using taller cookies as vertical interest, which makes the whole board photograph beautifully and look professionally styled.