Pin it!A Halloween charcuterie board is the easiest way to make a party feel spooky without cooking all day. The trick is to keep the board itself classic (salami, cheddar, brie, crackers, grapes and olives) and let one fun idea carry the theme: black and orange foods, a spiderweb piped on a brie, a cheese ball turned into a spider, or mozzarella eyeballs.
Below are 15 Halloween charcuterie board ideas, from a black and orange board and a mummy-wrapped brie to an eyeball mozzarella board, a candy corn cheese board, a kids' board and a Halloween dessert board. Every board lists exactly what's on it, with amounts and how many it serves, and anything you build has step-by-step instructions.
Spooky savory boards
1. Black and Orange Halloween Charcuterie Board
Pin it!A classic meat and cheese board built entirely in Halloween colors: black olives, blackberries and dark grapes against cheddar, apricots and orange peppers. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 7 oz sliced hard salami (about 28 slices), folded
- 8 oz sharp orange cheddar (a block), part of it sliced
- 12 oz gouda (2 wedges)
- 32 pitted black olives
- 6 oz blackberries
- 1 lb black or dark red grapes
- 12 dried apricots
- 8 orange mini sweet peppers, most left whole
- 4 oz dark chocolate (2 small bars), broken into pieces
- 1/4 cup orange pepper jelly or apricot jam, in a small bowl
- 40 crackers (about 28 seeded crisps and 12 round water crackers)
How to make it
- Set the jelly bowl, the cheddar and the two gouda wedges on the board first.
- Fan the cheddar slices and fold the salami into two winding rows between the cheeses.
- Add the grapes, olives and blackberries in black groups and the apricots and peppers in orange groups, alternating so the colors repeat across the board.
- Fill the gaps with chocolate and crackers.
My recommended tip: Salami and soppressata pair well with buttery, creamy cheeses like havarti and gouda, which mellow the salt and spice of the meat.
Where to get it
Orange mini sweet peppers are sold in bags in the produce section; pepper jelly is near the jams or the specialty cheese.
2. Spiderweb Brie Board
Pin it!A brie with a spiderweb piped on top in balsamic glaze and a little black olive spider, surrounded by salami, crackers and grapes. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 round board, about 14 inches across
- 16 oz brie (a 6-inch wheel), cold
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze (thick, in a squeeze bottle)
- 2 pitted black olives (1 for the spider body, 1 cut into legs)
- 4 oz sliced hard salami (about 14 slices), folded
- 5 oz prosciutto (about 10 slices)
- 6 oz white cheddar (a block), cubed
- 12 oz red grapes
- 10 round crackers
How to make it
- Draw the web. Set the cold brie on the board. Squeeze 4 circles of balsamic glaze on top, one inside the other, about 3/4 inch apart. Then draw 8 straight lines from the center out to the edge, like the spokes of a wheel, crossing all four circles.
- Make the spider. Set one whole black olive on the web as the body. Cut the second olive in half lengthwise and slice each half into 4 thin strips; lay 4 strips on each side of the body as legs.
- Build the board. Arrange the salami, prosciutto, cheddar cubes, grapes and crackers around the brie.
- Tip. Pipe the web on cold brie, right before serving, so the glaze lines stay sharp. Draw a practice line on a plate first to check how the glaze flows.
Where to get it
Balsamic glaze is sold in squeeze bottles near the vinegars.
3. Mummy-Wrapped Brie Board
Pin it!A warm brie wrapped in puff pastry bandages with apple-slice eyes, the centerpiece of a Halloween cheese board. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 1 brie wheel (16 oz)
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
- 2 apples: 2 small circles for the eyes, the rest cut into about 16 slices
- 2 dried cranberries (the pupils)
- 6 oz sliced hard salami (about 24 slices), most folded, 8 rolled into a rose
- 5 oz prosciutto (about 10 slices)
- 1 baguette, sliced (16 slices)
- 1 lb green grapes (2 bunches)
- 3 oz pecan halves
How to make it
- Wrap. Heat the oven to 400°F. Roll one pastry sheet into a 14-inch square and trim the corners into a circle. Spread the jam in a 4 1/2-inch circle in the center, set the brie on it, fold the pastry up over the cheese and pinch it closed. Brush with egg wash and set it seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Add the bandages. Roll the second sheet into a 14-inch square, cut four 1-inch strips, cut each in half crosswise and lay them across the brie in a crisscross mummy pattern, tucking the ends underneath.
- Bake. Bake 10 minutes, brush again with egg wash, then bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden brown. Tuck any strips that spring loose back under halfway through.
- Rest and decorate. Let it rest about 20 minutes so the cheese thickens and doesn't run when cut. Set the 2 apple circles near the top as eyes, with a dried cranberry on each.
- Build. Move it to the center of the board and add the salami, prosciutto, baguette, apple slices, grapes and pecans around it. For the salami rose, overlap 8 slices in a row, each covering half of the one before, roll them up from one end, then stand the roll on its end and fold the outer slices open like petals.
Why it works: Inside the pastry, apricot jam and creamy brie go sweet, while prosciutto on the side stays savory.
Where to get it
Frozen puff pastry is in the freezer section near the pie crusts; thaw it in the fridge for about 4 hours or on the counter for no more than 40 minutes, until it unfolds easily but is still cold.
4. Eyeball Mozzarella Board
Pin it!Fresh mozzarella balls turned into eyeballs with pimento-stuffed olive slices, on a classic salami and cheese board. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 16 small fresh mozzarella balls (about 8 oz), drained and patted dry
- 6 pimento-stuffed green olives, each cut into 3 rounds (18 eyes, 2 spare)
- 8 oz sliced hard salami (about 28 slices), folded
- 2 oz sliced pepperoni (about 15 large slices)
- 8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cubed
- 12 oz red grapes
- 10 grape tomatoes
- 16 crackers
How to make it
- Make the eyes. Pat the mozzarella balls completely dry. With a small knife, shave a thin slice off the top of each ball to make a flat spot, then press one olive round onto it so the red pimento center looks like a pupil. The flat, moist spot holds the olive in place.
- Arrange. Set the eyeballs in a cluster in the middle of the board, looking up.
- Build the board. Fold the salami and pepperoni around them, then add the cheddar, grapes, tomatoes and crackers.
- Make the eyeballs up to 3 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.
My tip: Mozzarella is my favorite cheese, so this one's right up my alley.
Where to get it
Small fresh mozzarella balls are with the specialty cheeses; pimento-stuffed olives are in the olive and pickle aisle.
5. Spider Cheese Ball Board
Pin it!A cheddar cheese ball rolled in chopped black olives with pretzel legs, crawling across a board of crackers and salami. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- For the cheese ball: 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 can (6 oz drained) pitted black olives, finely chopped (the coating)
- 8 thin pretzel rods (the legs)
- 2 small fresh mozzarella balls and 2 small pieces of black olive (the eyes)
- 5 oz sliced hard salami (about 18 slices), in two groups
- 3 oz deli-size sliced pepperoni (about 10 slices)
- 12 oz red grapes
- 34 round butter crackers
How to make it
- Mix and chill. Stir the cream cheese, cheddar and garlic powder until smooth. Cover and chill at least 1 hour so it is firm enough to shape.
- Shape. Roll it into one ball about 4 inches across and flatten the bottom slightly so it sits steady.
- Coat. Roll the ball in the chopped olives, pressing so they stick all over. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or up to a day.
- Add the legs. Right before serving (so the pretzels stay crisp), set the ball in the middle of the board and push 4 pretzel rods about 1 inch into each side, angled down so the far ends rest on the board.
- Add the eyes. Press the 2 mozzarella balls onto the front, with a small piece of olive pressed into each as a pupil.
- Build. Fan the crackers, salami, pepperoni and grapes around the spider.
Where to get it
Pretzel rods are next to the other pretzels; canned black olives are in the canned vegetable or olive aisle.
Themed Halloween boards
6. Candy Corn Cheese Board
Pin it!Three cheeses laid in a giant candy corn shape (yellow, orange and white stripes) with salami and crackers around it. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 8 oz young gouda (a block), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (the yellow stripe)
- 8 oz sharp orange cheddar (a block), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (the orange stripe)
- 4 oz white cheddar (a block), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (the white tip)
- 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 12 slices), folded
- 4 oz prosciutto (about 8 slices)
- 12 oz green grapes
- 26 crackers (12 round, 14 square)
- 2 oz whole almonds (a small pile and a small bowl)
- 14 kalamata olives, in a small bowl
- 1/4 cup honey, in a small jar with a dipper
- 14 pretzel twists (about 2 oz)
How to make it
- Outline the shape. Picture a large triangle about 10 inches tall in the middle of the board, wide at the bottom and pointed at the top.
- Lay the stripes. Pack the gouda cubes tightly across the wide bottom third, the orange cheddar across the middle third and the white cheddar in the pointed top, like a piece of candy corn.
- Build around it. Set the honey jar, the olive bowl and the almond bowl in a row below the triangle. Fill the rest of the board with the salami, prosciutto, grapes, the rest of the almonds, pretzels and crackers, keeping them off the triangle so the shape stays clear.
Where to get it
Young gouda is the mild, pale yellow kind with a red or yellow wax rind; any pale yellow cheese works for the bottom stripe.
7. Jack-o'-Lantern Pepper Board
Pin it!Orange mini peppers carved with little jack-o'-lantern faces and filled with cream cheese, on a meat and cheese board. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 9 orange mini sweet peppers
- 1 container (8 oz) whipped cream cheese (the filling)
- 6 oz sliced hard salami (about 22 slices), folded
- 4 oz prosciutto (about 8 slices)
- 6 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cut into triangles
- 6 oz smoked gouda (a wedge), sliced
- 6 oz brie (a wedge)
- 4 oz blue cheese, broken into chunks
- 6 oz pepper jack (a block), cut into triangles
- 4 oz Colby Jack (a block), cut into chunks
- 1 lb red grapes (4 small bunches)
- 2 oz whole almonds
- 10 cornichons
- 30 crackers (half round wheat, half round water crackers)
How to make it
- Carve. Cut the tops off the peppers and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. With the tip of a paring knife, cut two small triangle eyes and a zigzag mouth into one side of each pepper.
- Fill. Spoon the cream cheese into a zip-top bag, snip off a corner and pipe it into each pepper. The white filling shows through the face. Set the tops back on as lids.
- Build. Line the peppers up across the middle of the board with the faces showing. Set the gouda, brie and blue cheese above them, then add the salami, prosciutto, cheddar, pepper jack, Colby Jack, grapes, almonds, cornichons and crackers.
- Fill them up to 3 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.
Where to get it
Bags of mini sweet peppers are in the produce section; pick out the orange ones (save the red and yellow for snacking).
8. Bat Cheese Board
Pin it!White cheddar slices cut into bats with a cookie cutter, flying across a board of salami, black grapes and blackberries. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 10 slices white cheddar, cut into 10 bats with a bat cookie cutter (about 3 inches)
- 2 oz sliced hard salami (about 8 slices), folded
- 3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices)
- 6 oz aged gouda (a wedge)
- 6 oz white cheddar (a wedge)
- 1 lb black or dark red grapes, in a big bunch
- 1 lb small dark grapes, mostly pulled off the stem (or 12 oz blueberries)
- 6 oz blackberries
- 12 black olives
- 9 dark rye or pumpernickel crisps
- 11 round butter crackers
How to make it
- Press the bat cutter firmly into each cheese slice and lift the bat out; save the scraps for snacking.
- Set the gouda and white cheddar wedges and fold the salami and prosciutto into groups on the board.
- Add the grape bunch, blackberries, olives and rye crisps to the bottom half of the board.
- Line the butter crackers along the top and right edges, then cover the top half with the loose small grapes.
- Lay the cheese bats on top of the loose grapes last, scattered across the top half as if they are flying.
Where to get it
Halloween cookie cutters, including bats, are sold in the baking aisle and party stores in the fall; stock varies, so a ghost or pumpkin cutter works too.
9. Vampire Red Board with Bleeding Brie
Pin it!A blood-red board: a brie dripping with raspberry jam, salami, pepperoni, red grapes and berries. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 8 oz brie (a small wheel)
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed just until runny
- 5 oz sliced hard salami (about 20 slices), folded
- 3 oz sliced pepperoni
- 4 oz prosciutto (about 8 slices)
- 6 oz white cheddar (a block), cubed
- 12 oz red grapes
- 3 oz raspberries
- 13 strawberries
- 1/2 pomegranate
- 20 crackers (12 round water crackers, 8 dark rye crisps)
How to make it
- Make the bleeding brie. Set the brie on the board and spoon the warm jam over the top so it drips down the sides.
- Add the meats. Fold the salami, pepperoni and prosciutto into groups around it.
- Fill with the cheddar, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate half and crackers.
Where to get it
Seedless raspberry jam is with the jams and jellies.
10. Witch's Cauldron Dip Board
Pin it!A black bowl of green spinach dip as the bubbling cauldron, surrounded by meats, cheeses and pumpernickel for dipping. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 1 small black bowl (the cauldron)
- 1 container (16 oz) refrigerated spinach dip
- 1/2 loaf pumpernickel bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 10 slices), folded
- 3 oz sliced pepperoni
- 6 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cubed
- 8 oz pepper jack (a block), cubed
- 2 oz pretzel twists (about 18)
- 12 oz green grapes
- 12 crackers
How to make it
- Spoon the dip into the black bowl and set it in the middle of the board.
- Pile the pumpernickel cubes in two groups right next to it for dipping.
- Add the salami, pepperoni, cheeses, pretzels, grapes and crackers in groups around the cauldron.
- Keep the dip cold until serving and don't leave it out more than 2 hours.
Where to get it
Refrigerated spinach dip is in the deli or dairy case; any small black bowl or mini cast-iron pot works as the cauldron.
11. Kids' Halloween Charcuterie Board
Pin it!Pumpkin-shaped cheese, rolled turkey, crackers and fruit, a mild and easy Halloween board for little hands. Serves 4.
What's on the board
- 1 tray, about 12 x 16 inches
- 7 slices cheddar, cut into 7 pumpkins with a pumpkin cookie cutter
- 4 oz thin-sliced deli turkey, rolled (about 8 rolls)
- 2 oz sliced pepperoni
- 4 oz mild cheddar (a block), cubed
- 10 round crackers
- 12 mini pretzel twists
- 12 oz green grapes
- 2 clementines, peeled
How to make it
- Press the pumpkin cutter into each cheese slice to cut 7 pumpkins.
- Roll the turkey slices into tubes and fan the pepperoni.
- Arrange everything in small groups so little hands can pick easily.
- Cut the grapes in half for toddlers.
Where to get it
Pumpkin cookie cutters are in the baking aisle in the fall; clementines start showing up in late October and peak from about November to January.
In season: clementines arrive in late fall; if they are not in stores yet, use mandarin oranges.
Halloween party and dessert boards
12. Halloween Movie Night Board
Pin it!Salami, cheese and crackers with a pile of popcorn and a scoop of candy corn, for a scary movie night. Serves 6.
What's on the board
- 1 tray, about 14 x 20 inches
- 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 10 slices), folded
- 3 oz sliced pepperoni (about 18 slices)
- 4 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cubed
- 6 oz pepper jack (a block), part cubed, part sliced
- 1 bag (3 oz) microwave popcorn, popped
- 2 oz candy corn
- 8 round crackers
- 12 mini pretzel twists
- 12 oz red grapes
How to make it
- Pile the popcorn at one end of the tray.
- Fold the salami and pepperoni into groups and add the cheese cubes and pepper jack slices beside them.
- Fill in with the crackers, pretzels, grapes and a small pile of candy corn.
Where to get it
Candy corn is in the seasonal candy aisle from about late summer through Halloween.
13. Dark and Spooky Wine and Cheese Board
Pin it!A moody grown-up board: aged cheddar, brie, prosciutto, black grapes, blackberries, dark chocolate and fig jam. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 slate or dark wood board, about 12 x 18 inches
- 8 oz brie (a small wheel), with one wedge cut
- 8 oz aged white cheddar (a block), all sliced (about 16 slices)
- 8 oz blue cheese (2 wedges)
- 2 oz prosciutto (about 4 slices)
- 4 oz sliced soppressata (about 14 slices), folded
- 1 1/2 lb black or dark red grapes (3 bunches)
- 4 oz blackberries
- 3 oz dark chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
- 2 oz walnut halves
- 1/4 cup fig jam, in a small bowl
- 10 dark rye crackers
How to make it
- Set the brie, the two blue cheese wedges, the cheddar slices and the fig jam bowl on the board first.
- Drape the prosciutto and fold the soppressata between them.
- Add the grapes, blackberries, chocolate, walnuts and crackers.
My recommendation: Remember the old rule "what grows together goes together": cheeses often pair best with wines and foods from the same region, like Loire Valley goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc or Spanish Manchego with quince paste.
Where to get it
Soppressata is near the salami at the deli; any dry salami works.
14. Halloween Dessert Charcuterie Board
Pin it!Candy corn, chocolate-dipped pretzels, brownie bites, orange and black candy and cookies, laid out like a charcuterie board. Serves 12.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 7 brownie bites, dusted with 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 11 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 12 chocolate-covered pretzels
- 6 oz candy corn
- 6 oz orange, brown and yellow candy-coated chocolates
- 7 shortbread cookies
- 9 strawberries
- 6 oz blackberries
- 4 oz dark chocolate (2 small bars), broken into pieces
- 1 cup caramel dip, in 2 small bowls
How to make it
- Set the 2 caramel dip bowls on the board first.
- Dust the brownie bites with powdered sugar through a small sieve. Lay the brownie bites, sandwich cookies, pretzels and shortbread in large groups.
- Pour the candy corn and candy-coated chocolates into their own piles between them.
- Fill the gaps with strawberries, blackberries and chocolate.
Why it works: So much candy corn needs the salty snap of chocolate-covered pretzels and a tart break from blackberries.
Where to get it
Orange, brown and yellow candy-coated chocolates are in the seasonal candy aisle before Halloween; any orange or black candy works.
15. Halloween Party Grazing Board
Pin it!One extra-large board with three cheeses, three meats, a spiderweb brie, black and orange fruit and crackers for a big party. Serves 20.
What's on the board
- 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 30 inches
- 16 oz brie (a 6-inch wheel), with a balsamic glaze spiderweb piped on top (see the spiderweb brie above)
- 8 oz sharp orange cheddar (a block), sliced into a long fan
- 12 oz white cheddar (2 small blocks), part of each sliced
- 18 oz pepper jack (3 blocks), part of each sliced
- 7 oz sliced hard salami (about 28 slices), folded
- 3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices)
- 4 oz deli-size sliced pepperoni (about 12 slices)
- 3 lb black, green and red grapes
- 6 oz blackberries
- 20 dried apricots
- 28 black olives
- 4 oz dark chocolate (2 small bars), broken into pieces
- 1/2 cup apricot jam, in a small bowl
- 3 oz whole almonds
- 4 oz mixed nuts
- 24 round crackers
How to make it
- Set the spiderweb brie, the jam bowl and the cheese blocks on the board first.
- Add the meats in three areas across the board.
- Fill in with grapes, blackberries, apricots, olives, chocolate and nuts, alternating black and orange.
- Line the crackers along the edges and keep half the meat, cheese and fruit in the fridge to refill after an hour.
Where to get it
Larger blocks of cheese and bigger packs of salami keep a board this size affordable.
How to make a Halloween charcuterie board
- Start with a classic board. Two or three cheeses, two meats, crackers and grapes are the base of every board below.
- Pick a color story. Black and orange (black olives, blackberries, dark grapes, cheddar, apricots) instantly reads as Halloween.
- Add one spooky build. A spiderweb brie, a spider cheese ball or mozzarella eyeballs is enough; you don't need a theme on every item.
- Keep it cold until the party. Build it up to 3 hours ahead, cover it and keep it in the fridge. Perishable foods shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours.
Planning ahead? See our fall charcuterie board ideas and Thanksgiving charcuterie boards.
Halloween charcuterie board FAQ
What do you put on a Halloween charcuterie board?
Start with a classic board (two or three cheeses, salami and prosciutto, crackers and grapes) and add black and orange foods like black olives, blackberries, dark grapes, cheddar and dried apricots. One spooky build, such as a spiderweb brie or a spider cheese ball, makes it look like Halloween.
How do you make a charcuterie board look spooky?
Use a dark board or slate, stick to black and orange foods, and add one creepy detail: a balsamic spiderweb on brie, mozzarella eyeballs, a mummy-wrapped brie or cheese cut into bats with a cookie cutter.
How far ahead can I make a Halloween charcuterie board?
Build the meat, cheese and fruit up to 3 hours ahead, cover it and keep it in the fridge. Add crackers, pretzels and anything warm, like the mummy brie, right before serving.
How long can a charcuterie board sit out at a party?
Meat, cheese and dips shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours at room temperature (USDA FSIS). Keep extras in the fridge and refill the board.
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