How to Build a Christmas Charcuterie Board with Sweet & Savory Favorites

A charcuterie board may look time consuming and impressive, but it's surprisingly easy to put together. In fact, I'm all in favor of putting my entire festive feast on a large board and calling it a day (it's less work all around).

For this year's festive spread, I'm incorporating savory and sweet elements to make it fun for everyone and help transition from dinner to dessert. Balance one side with savory items such as cheese, salami, crackers, and nuts, and the other side with cookies, chocolate, dried fruit, and other sweets. Add a drink station, garnish both sides, and let guests graze.

The joy of a charcuterie board is that it invites everyone to gather, reach in, and build their own perfect bite. Harry & David sells a cornucopia of holiday products that can be used to pull together a Christmas charcuterie board. Below, I'll show you exactly how I do it.

Savory selections for your board

On the savory side of the board, include Calabrese salami, Rogue Creamery® Smokey Blue® cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, three-seed crackers, mixed nuts, and Royal Riviera® Pears. Strictly speaking, pears are sweet rather than savory, but when a slice is topped with a schmear of blue cheese, the result is sublime, which is what matters most. Likewise, placing fig preserves alongside salty salami and mixed nuts provides an ideal degree of contrast.

Mixing sweet with savory isn't the only way to create contrast. Try pairing a bold blue cheese with a Parmesan-like Sartori® BellaVitano® Gold, or a semi-hard Point Reyes Farmstead Toma with a buttery Beehive Cheese Co. Promontory (all of which are included in the Gourmet Cheese Assortment). You could also complement spicy Pepper & Onion Relish with Ghost Pepper with a milder classic variety.

Shop the Specialty Christmas Banquet | See more meat & cheese

Sweet treats to delight your guests

On the sweet side of the board, I use peppermint bark, gingerbread sandwich cookies, raspberry shortbread cookies, and chocolate-covered cherries, adding a ramekin of crushed peppermint sprinkles and a few sprigs of sugared rosemary for extra panache. If you want to lean further into dessert, check out our Holiday Dessert Board and Christmas Cookie Board articles for more ideas.

Another option for your spread is the Dried Fruit Holiday Tree, which offers an assortment of dried apple rings, Mediterranean apricots, cranberries, kiwis, peaches, and more in a wooden box shaped like a Christmas tree, which you can repurpose as part of next year's decorations.

Shop Christmas peppermint treats | See more holiday chocolates & sweets

Build your own hot cocoa station

For more fun on the sweet side, set up a DIY hot cocoa station. Let guests choose from several flavors, such as dark chocolate churro and sweet milk chocolate truffle, and add peppermint sticks and marshmallows for garnish. It keeps people lingering around the table and gives the sweet side of your spread a cozy, hands-on moment.

Shop the Deluxe Holiday Hot Cocoa Collection | See more hot beverages

How to arrange and present the board

Presentation is what turns a pile of good food into a charcuterie board people want to dig into. Here are a few tips:

• Use a board large enough to hold your ramekins, bowls, and all the ingredients with a little room to spare.
• Group everything by flavor side, keeping savory items together and sweets together.
• Layer salami and cheese first, then fill any open gaps with mixed nuts and fresh berries.
• Garnish each side to signal the flavor: fresh thyme on the savory side, sugared rosemary on the sweet side.
• Serve the Dried Fruit Holiday Tree as its own festive display.

Christmas Charcuterie Board

SERVINGS

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Equipment

• 2 small to medium ramekins
• 1 bowl for the hot cocoa powder
• 1 wooden board (large enough to hold the ramekins and other ingredients)

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Ingredients

For the sugared rosemary

• 2 cups granulated sugar (split)
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 sprigs rosemary

For the charcuterie board

• 1 jar Harry & David fig preserves
• Harry & David® Hot Cocoa (candy cane or milk chocolate)
• 2 Harry & David® Royal Riviera® Pears (sliced)
• Rogue Creamery® Smokey Blue® cheese
• Sharp white cheddar cheese
• Three-seed crackers
• Oatcake biscuits
• Calabrese salami
• Raspberries
• Mixed nuts
• Harry & David peppermint bark
• 2 raspberry-filled tree-cutout shortbreads
• 2 gingerbread sandwiches
• Milk chocolate-covered cherries
• Marshmallow stir sticks
• Dried Fruit Holiday Tree with Holiday Ornament
• Fresh thyme (for garnishing)

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Shopping List

Deluxe Holiday Hot Cocoa Collection

Shop

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Instructions

For the sugared rosemary
1
In a saucepan over low-medium heat, heat water and 1 cup of sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2
Add rosemary to sugar mixture and warm for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until fully coated and fragrant.
3
Remove rosemary with a fork or tongs and place on a drying rack overnight, or at least 4 hours.
4
Once rosemary is sticky, but not wet, begin dipping them in 1 cup sugar until fully coated. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let dry until hardened, about 6 hours.
For the charcuterie board
1
Prepare the board by first placing your ramekin of fig jam and crushed peppermint, and a small bowl for the hot cocoa powder.
2
On one side of the board, add your sliced pears and two cheeses of choice. Layer in your crackers, salami slices, and raspberries, and fill any open space with mixed nuts.
3
On the other side of the board, layer the peppermint bark, placing one piece on top of the other, around the hot cocoa bowl. Add cookies, milk chocolate-covered cherries, and marshmallow stir sticks.
4
Garnish the savory side with fresh thyme. Garnish the sweet side with sugared rosemary (fresh rosemary is fine too!).
5
Serve the entire dried fruit holiday tree on its own.

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Recipe Author: Olivia Carney