Pin it!A winter charcuterie board is built for cold nights: cozy, warm and a little indulgent, with the citrus, pears and pomegranates that are at their best from December through February. It works for a snow day, a movie night, a winter birthday or a Sunday football party, long after the holiday decorations come down.
Below are 15 winter charcuterie board ideas, from a white winter wonderland board and a citrus board to a fireside smoked meat and cheese board, a raclette-style melted cheese board, an alpine cheese and charcuterie board and a snowman board for kids. Every board lists exactly what's on it, with amounts and how many it serves, and anything homemade has step-by-step instructions.
Classic winter boards
1. Cozy Winter Charcuterie Board
Pin it!The everyday winter board: two cheeses, two meats, pears, grapes, blood oranges and honey. Serves 10.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 8 oz brie (a small wheel), left whole
- 8 oz sharp white cheddar (2 small blocks), part of each sliced
- 4 oz sliced hard salami (about 16 slices)
- 2 oz prosciutto (about 4 slices)
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1 lb red grapes
- 1 blood orange, cut into 2 thick center rounds
- 1/2 pomegranate
- 2 oz walnut halves
- 1/4 cup honey, in a small bowl
- 17 thin crackers
How to make it
- Set the honey bowl and the two cheeses on the board first.
- Fan the cheddar slices and fold the salami into a winding row.
- Drape the prosciutto and add the pears, grapes, orange rounds and pomegranate half.
- Fill the gaps with walnuts and crackers.
My recommended tip: Buy prosciutto sliced paper thin and serve it at room temperature, not straight from the fridge. Thin slices go a long way, so a few ounces covers a lot of board.
Where to get it
Blood oranges are in the produce section from about December through March; navel or Cara Cara oranges work too.
In season: blood oranges, pears and pomegranates are all at their best in winter.
2. Winter Wonderland White Board
Pin it!An all-white board that looks like fresh snow: white cheeses, pears, white chocolate and yogurt pretzels. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 white marble board, about 12 x 18 inches
- 8 oz brie (a small wheel)
- 6 oz white cheddar (a block), cubed
- 4 oz goat cheese (a log)
- 1 pear, sliced
- 12 oz green grapes
- 20 yogurt-covered pretzels
- 2 oz white chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
- 2 oz cashews
- 12 water crackers
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar (for a light snow dusting on the pretzels and chocolate)
How to make it
- Place the three white cheeses first.
- Add the pears, grapes, pretzels, white chocolate and cashews in groups.
- Fan the water crackers along one side.
- Right before serving, dust a little powdered sugar over the pretzels and chocolate through a small sieve so it looks like snow.
Where to get it
Yogurt-covered pretzels are in the snack or bulk aisle.
3. Winter Citrus and Cheese Board
Pin it!Four kinds of winter citrus with manchego, goat cheese, honey and pistachios. Bright and fresh in the darkest months. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 round board, about 16 inches across
- 1 navel orange, sliced into 8 rounds
- 1 blood orange, sliced into 6 rounds
- 1 Cara Cara orange, sliced into 8 rounds
- 2 clementines, peeled and segmented
- 6 oz manchego (a wedge), cut into thin triangles
- 4 oz goat cheese (a log)
- 3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices)
- 2 oz shelled pistachios
- 2 tbsp honey
- 8 thin crackers
How to make it
- Slice the oranges into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife, leaving the peel on so the slices hold their shape.
- Overlap the orange rounds in curved rows, mixing the colors.
- Add the manchego, goat cheese and prosciutto.
- Drizzle honey over the goat cheese and fill in with pistachios, clementines and crackers.
Why it works: Bright blood orange and clementines give salty prosciutto a tart edge, so the richer bites taste light.
Where to get it
Cara Cara and blood oranges are winter specialties; if you can't find them, use all navel oranges.
In season: citrus is at its best from about December through March.
4. Snow Day Snack Board
Pin it!An easy, kid-friendly board for a day stuck inside: popcorn, cheese, fruit and hot cocoa toppings. Serves 6.
What's on the board
- 1 tray, about 12 x 18 inches
- 1 bag (3 oz) microwave popcorn, popped
- 4 oz cheddar (a block), cubed
- 4 oz Monterey Jack (a block), cubed
- 20 mini pretzel twists
- 8 oz green grapes
- 5 clementines, peeled (some left whole, some in segments)
- 20 animal crackers
- 25 regular marshmallows (about 6 oz)
- 6 graham cracker squares
How to make it
- Pile the popcorn down the middle of the tray.
- Arrange the cheese, pretzels, grapes, clementines, animal crackers, marshmallows and grahams in groups around it.
- Serve with mugs of hot cocoa.
Where to get it
Everything is in the snack and produce aisles; most of it keeps in the pantry for a surprise snow day.
5. Pear, Blue Cheese and Honeycomb Board
Pin it!A sophisticated winter pairing: sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, honeycomb and candied walnuts. Serves 6.
What's on the board
- 1 slate or wooden board, about 12 x 16 inches
- 6 oz blue cheese (a wedge)
- 6 oz aged gouda (a wedge), sliced
- 2 pears (1 red, 1 green), sliced
- 1 piece honeycomb (about 4 oz), or 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl
- 2 oz candied walnuts
- 12 oz red grapes
- 10 round water crackers and 10 seeded crackers
How to make it
- Set the blue cheese and gouda on the board.
- Fan the pear slices beside the blue cheese; slice them right before serving.
- Set the honeycomb (or honey bowl) between the cheeses.
- Fill in with candied walnuts, grapes and crackers. Try a pear slice with blue cheese and a bit of honeycomb.
Where to get it
Honeycomb is sometimes sold near the specialty cheeses or the honey; a bowl of honey works if you can't find it.
Warm and cozy boards
6. Fireside Smoked Meat and Cheese Board
Pin it!Summer sausage, salami, smoked gouda and sharp cheddar with crusty bread, mustard and apples, a hearty board for a night by the fire. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 1/2 summer sausage (6 oz), sliced into about 18 rounds (13 thin rounds and 5 thick ones)
- 4 oz sliced hard salami (about 14 slices), folded
- 12 oz smoked gouda (a small block), with 4 slices cut
- 8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), sliced
- 1 crusty bread loaf, sliced (7 slices on the board, the rest to refill)
- 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard, in a small bowl
- 9 cornichons
- 2 apples, sliced and tossed in 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 oz dried cranberries
- 2 oz pecan halves
- 6 oz red grapes (a small bunch)
- 7 round crackers
How to make it
- Set the mustard bowl and the gouda block on the board first.
- Fan the thin summer sausage rounds in a long curve, stand the thick rounds in a short row inside it and fold the salami into ribbons beside them.
- Add the cheddar slices and the bread, then fill in with the grapes, apples, cornichons, cranberries, pecans and crackers.
- The lemon juice keeps the apple slices from browning. Build the board up to 3 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; add the bread and crackers right before serving.
My tip: A meat-and-cheese board like this is the kind I make most.
Where to get it
Summer sausage is near the deli meats; smoked gouda is with the specialty cheeses; cornichons are in the pickle aisle.
7. Melted Cheese and Potato Board
Pin it!A raclette-style board: hot melted cheese spooned over roasted potatoes, with pickles and ham. Serves 6.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches, with a heat-safe skillet
- 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes, halved and roasted
- 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper
- 10 oz raclette, fontina or Gruyere, cut into thin slices
- 8 oz sliced ham (about 12 slices), folded
- 12 cornichons or small dill pickles
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 baguette, sliced (7 slices on the board, the rest to refill)
How to make it
- Roast. Toss the halved potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper, set them cut side down on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F for about 35 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside.
- Melt. Lay the cheese slices in an oven-safe skillet and broil, watching closely, just until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Serve. Set the hot skillet on the board with the potatoes, ham, cornichons, onion and bread around it. Guests spoon melted cheese over their potatoes.
Where to get it
Fontina and Gruyere are in the specialty cheese case; raclette is harder to find, so either of the others works well.
8. Roasted Winter Vegetable Board
Pin it!Roasted squash, potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts and beets with a lemony yogurt dip. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled and cubed
- 6 rainbow carrots, halved lengthwise
- 8 oz Brussels sprouts, halved
- 8 oz baby potatoes, cut into chunks
- 2 red beets and 1 golden beet, peeled and cut into wedges
- 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (roasted with the vegetables)
- For the dip: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (grated), salt, plus a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes on top
- 2 oz feta, crumbled over the vegetables
How to make it
- Roast at 425°F, each vegetable on its own part of the pans, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, stirring now and then, until tender and browned: Brussels sprouts about 20 to 25 minutes, carrots 25 to 30 minutes, squash and beets about 30 minutes, and potatoes about 35 minutes. Roast the beets separately so they don't stain everything pink.
- Dip. Stir the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and salt together, then top with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Build. Arrange each vegetable in its own group around the dip bowl and crumble feta over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature, and don't leave it out more than 2 hours.
Where to get it
Pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section saves the peeling and cubing.
9. Alpine Cheese and Charcuterie Board
Pin it!Nutty Gruyere and Swiss cheese with prosciutto, salami, rye bread, mustard, cornichons and apples. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 large board, about 14 x 20 inches
- 12 oz Gruyere (two wedges, about 8 oz and 4 oz), with a few slices cut from the larger one
- 6 oz sliced Swiss cheese (about 8 slices)
- 3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices)
- 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 10 slices), folded
- 1/2 loaf rye or pumpernickel bread, sliced (8 slices)
- 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard, in a small bowl
- 1/4 cup fig jam, in a small bowl
- 8 cornichons
- 1 green apple, sliced (about 8 slices) and tossed in 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 oz walnut halves (about 7)
- 1 lb red grapes (1 large bunch plus 3 small clusters)
How to make it
- Set the mustard and fig jam bowls and the two Gruyere wedges on the board.
- Fan the Swiss slices and drape the prosciutto and folded salami beside them.
- Add the bread slices in a row, then fill in with the apples, cornichons, walnuts and grapes.
- Build it up to 3 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; add the bread and apples right before serving.
Where to get it
Gruyere is with the specialty cheeses; rye and pumpernickel are in the bread aisle or the bakery.
10. Hot Honey Baked Camembert Board
Pin it!A warm camembert drizzled with hot honey, with crusty bread, sliced apples and grapes. Serves 4.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 10 x 14 inches
- 1 camembert (8 oz), in its wooden box
- 2 tbsp hot honey
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 baguette, sliced and toasted (9 slices on the board, the rest to refill)
- 2 apples, sliced
- 8 oz red and green grapes (a small bunch of each)
- 1 oz pecans
How to make it
- Bake. Heat the oven to 350°F. Take the camembert out of its plastic wrap, put it back in the wooden box with the lid off, and set the box on a sheet pan.
- Score. Cut a shallow crosshatch in the top rind with a sharp knife.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the top feels melted and soft when pressed.
- Finish. Drizzle with hot honey and sprinkle with pepper flakes and pecans. Set the box on the board with the toasts, apples and grapes and serve right away.
My recommendation: Toss cut apple or pear slices with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning, or slice them right before serving.
Where to get it
Camembert in a wooden box is in the specialty cheese case; an 8 oz brie wheel works too: bake it on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft in the center.
Sweet and fun winter boards
11. Snowman Snack Board for Kids
Pin it!A flat snowman built from rice cakes, with fruit and snacks around it. Serves 4.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 12 x 18 inches
- 3 plain rice cakes (the snowman body)
- 2 tbsp cream cheese (glue for the face and buttons)
- 10 mini chocolate chips (eyes, smile and buttons)
- 1 baby carrot tip (the nose)
- 2 pretzel sticks (the arms)
- 1 strip of fruit leather (the scarf)
- 12 oz green grapes
- 15 strawberries
- 20 animal crackers
- 14 mini pretzel twists
- 9 round whole-wheat crackers
- 2 oz blueberries (about 40)
How to make it
- Build the snowman. Lay the 3 rice cakes in a vertical line on the board, touching, with the smallest-looking one at the top.
- Add the face. Dab tiny dots of cream cheese and press on 2 chocolate chip eyes, a carrot-tip nose and 5 chips as a smile on the top rice cake.
- Finish. Press 3 chocolate chip buttons onto the middle rice cake, lay the fruit leather between the top two as a scarf and set a pretzel stick on each side as arms.
- Fill the rest of the board with grapes, strawberries, blueberries, pretzels, crackers and animal crackers.
Where to get it
Plain rice cakes are near the crackers; fruit leather strips are in the snack aisle.
12. Peppermint Mocha Dessert Board
Pin it!Chocolate and peppermint: brownies, peppermint patties, chocolate-covered espresso beans and whipped cream. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 12 x 18 inches
- 16 brownie squares, about 1 1/2 inches (12 on the board, the rest to refill)
- 5 peppermint patties, unwrapped
- 4 chocolate-covered cream sandwich cookies
- 6 chocolate wafer bars
- 3 oz chocolate-covered espresso beans
- 10 strawberries
- 1/2 cup whipped cream, in a small bowl
- 2 candy canes, crushed (sprinkled over the whipped cream)
How to make it
- Set the whipped cream bowl on the board and sprinkle the crushed candy canes over it.
- Stack the brownies in rows and group the peppermint patties, sandwich cookies and wafer bars.
- Fill in with espresso beans and strawberries.
Where to get it
Chocolate-covered espresso beans are often in the candy or bulk section; skip them for kids.
13. Winter Citrus Dessert Board
Pin it!Lemon bars, orange shortbread, candied citrus and chocolate for a bright winter dessert. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 12 x 18 inches
- 12 lemon bar squares
- 8 shortbread cookies
- 3 oz dark chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
- 1 clementine, peeled and segmented
- 1 blood orange, sliced into rounds
- 2 oz candied orange peel (or dried apricots)
- 12 oz green grapes
How to make it
- Arrange the lemon bars and shortbread in groups.
- Add the blood orange rounds and clementine segments.
- Fill the gaps with dark chocolate pieces, candied peel and grapes.
Where to get it
Lemon bars are in many bakery sections, or bake them as a boxed lemon bar mix directs and cool them completely before cutting.
14. Spiced Pear and Gingersnap Board
Pin it!Warm cinnamon-roasted pears with mascarpone, gingersnaps and pecans, a cozy winter dessert. Serves 6.
What's on the board
- 1 board, about 12 x 16 inches
- 3 pears, halved and cored
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz mascarpone, in a bowl
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 12 gingersnaps
- 2 oz pecan halves
How to make it
- Roast. Heat the oven to 400°F. Set the pear halves cut side up in a baking dish, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Bake about 35 minutes, until crisp-tender when poked with a knife and beginning to brown.
- Whip. Stir the mascarpone with the maple syrup until smooth.
- Build. Set the warm pears and the mascarpone bowl on the board with the gingersnaps and pecans. Spoon mascarpone onto a gingersnap and top with a bite of pear.
Why it works: Spiced pears and smooth mascarpone are soft and creamy, so crisp gingersnaps bring the missing crunch.
Where to get it
Mascarpone is in the specialty cheese case near the ricotta; cream cheese whipped with maple syrup works too.
15. Winter Game Night Charcuterie Board
Pin it!A meat and cheese board built for game night, with a pile of hot pizza rolls and marinara for dipping. Serves 8.
What's on the board
- 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches
- 14 pizza rolls (from a frozen bag), baked as the package directs, in a bowl
- 1/2 cup marinara, warmed, in a bowl
- 4 oz sliced pepperoni (about 30 slices)
- 6 oz sliced hard salami (about 24 slices), some laid flat and some folded
- 8 oz cheddar (a block), cubed
- 8 oz pepper jack (a block), cubed
- 3 oz mini pretzel twists
- 16 round crackers
- 8 green olives
- 12 oz red grapes
How to make it
- Bake the pizza rolls following the package directions.
- Set the marinara bowl on the board and fan the salami and pepperoni into groups around it, folding some of the salami.
- Add the cheese cubes, crackers, pretzels, olives and grapes in groups.
- Fill a bowl with the hot pizza rolls and set it beside the marinara right before serving, and keep a second tray baking to refill.
Where to get it
Frozen pizza rolls are in the freezer snack aisle.
What's in season for a winter board
- Citrus: navel oranges, blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, clementines, grapefruit and kumquats peak from about December through March.
- Pears and apples: stored fall crops are still sweet and inexpensive.
- Pomegranates: easiest to find from about October through January.
- Warm foods: soups, melted cheese, roasted vegetables and hot drinks make a winter board feel cozy.
Planning for the holidays? See our 20 Christmas charcuterie board ideas.
Winter charcuterie board FAQ
What goes on a winter charcuterie board?
Use cozy cheeses like brie, aged cheddar and gouda, cured meats, winter fruit (citrus, pears, pomegranates and red grapes), nuts, honey or fig jam, and crackers or crusty bread. Add something warm, like baked brie or soup, for a cold night.
What fruits are in season in winter?
Citrus is at its best in winter: navel, blood and Cara Cara oranges, clementines and grapefruit. Pears, apples and pomegranates are also easy to find from December through February.
How do you make a winter wonderland charcuterie board?
Use mostly white foods: brie, white cheddar, goat cheese, pears, green grapes, cashews, yogurt pretzels and white chocolate on a white marble board, then dust a little powdered sugar over the sweets so it looks like snow.
How long can a charcuterie board sit out?
Perishable foods like meat and cheese shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours (USDA FSIS). For a long movie or game night, keep half the board in the fridge and refill.
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