How To Make A Santa-Themed Charcuterie Board
As the holiday season gets closer, we’re excited to share a fun way to add Christmas spirit to your parties. The Santa-themed charcuterie board is a great way to impress your guests and make your celebration special. We’ll show you how to make a unique platter with meats, cheeses, and seasonal treats that will amaze everyone.
As someone who’s made more than my fair share of party-themed boards (and survived a few Pinterest fails along the way), I can tell you that creating a Santa-faced spread isn’t just about arranging snacks – it’s about bringing that North Pole charm right to your appetizer table. Trust me, once your guests’ faces light up brighter than Rudolph’s nose, you’ll be hooked on this adorable trend.
Make a Santa-Themed Charcuterie Board
As a mom who’s always hunting for that perfect party centerpiece, I can’t tell you how many “oohs” and “aahs” these festive boards get from guests. We’re talking perfectly paired cheeses, vibrant red fruits, and carefully curated meats that’ll make your holiday table Instagram-worthy in seconds.
The best part? These boards aren’t just pretty – they’re a total crowd-pleaser that lets guests nibble and mingle while keeping the festive vibes flowing.
Trust me. Nothing says “Christmas party pro” quite like a thoughtfully arranged Santa charcuterie board that’s delicious and downright adorable.
Selecting Ingredients for Your Board
Cheeses:
Brie cheese
Cheese threads
Mozzarella
Babybel cheese
Hard cheese for snowflakes
Deli meats:
Pepperoni sticks
Salami
Ham
Berries and vegetables:
Black Olive
Cherry
Cherry tomatoes
Dark grapes
Green grapes
Crackers
Almonds
Nuts (Brazil or Walnuts)
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Step-by-Step Santa-Themed Charcuterie Board Assembly Guide:
Start with a clean, sturdy wooden board. Give yourself space to work – I like to prep all my ingredients on a separate cutting board first.
Step 1: Preparing the Board
Using a cookie cutter, make an imprint on the wax of the baby bel cheese. Then, cut snowflakes out of the hard cheese.
Loosen the string cheese and transfer to a bowl. Pour boiling water over the cheese and wait 5 minutes. During this time, the cheese will soften and become pliable.
Straighten the threads and roll into a small ball to make the pompom for Santa’s hat. A braid of cheese will be formed for the brim, and the whiskers will be made of string cheese threads.
Step 2: Constructing Santa’s Face
Cut off the top white crust of the brie cheese with a sharp knife.
Position your chilled brie (chilling makes it easier to work with) in the center of your board. Slice the black olives in half to make those twinkly eyes. A cherry tomato or cherry makes the perfect rosy nose!
Roll up the ham and fan it out. Form a cap of tomatoes and decorate it with a pompom and a slash.
Roll up your salami slices to create gorgeous roses (easier than it looks, I promise!)—Scatter red and green grapes strategically for pops of holiday color. Arrange the crackers and pepperoni sticks to the right.
Fill any gaps with clusters of nuts and crackers. Lay out mini mozzarella like a beard and whiskers of cheese. Fill in any gaps because a full board is a beautiful board!
Tips for an Impressive Charcuterie Board Presentation
Want your Santa Charcuterie board to be the talk of the holiday party? Let me share some pro tips that’ll take your presentation from nice to nice-list worthy!
When it comes to balance, think like an artist. Alternate colors to create visual interest—red strawberries next to white cheese, green olives beside rosy meats.
Don’t forget the tools! Add small cheese knives for the brie and tiny forks or serving spoons for grapes. Trust me, these little touches make a huge difference.
Remember, a well-styled board isn’t just about taste – it’s a feast for the eyes, too. Keep things neat but not perfect – a little casual charm makes it more inviting and Instagram-worthy!
Personalization of a Charcuterie Board
Want to make your Santa board uniquely yours? Let’s jazz it up with some personal flair! Try using holiday-themed cookie cutters to shape your cheese slices into stars, trees, or little stockings.
I love using my kids’ favorite snacks – like chocolate-covered pretzels for Santa’s belts or rainbow goldfish crackers for a playful touch around the edges.
Sweet treats are total game-changers on these boards! Tuck some red and green M&Ms between the savory items, or scatter chocolate-covered almonds around Santa’s beard. Those tiny candy cane-shaped chocolates make adorable accessories for Santa’s outfit.
Pro tip: Use your family’s go-to munchies to make it special. Maybe Grandma’s famous spiced nuts or those chocolate-covered strawberries your sister always brings to parties. Remember, the best boards tell a story – your story! Mixing sweet and savory keeps everyone returning for “just one more bite.”
Santa-Themed Charcuterie Board
Ready to rock your holiday gathering with the most Instagram-worthy appetizer ever? Remember, creating a Santa-themed charcuterie board isn’t about perfection—it’s about having fun and bringing that magical holiday spirit to your table. Whether your Santa’s beard is crooked or his hat isn’t perfect, those little quirks add character!
Don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own. After all, the best party memories aren’t just about how things look – the laughs shared while arranging that pepperoni rose that wouldn’t cooperate or the joy on kids’ faces when they spot Santa’s olive eyes.
Now go forth and create some holiday magic, one cheese cube at a time! Merry Christmas!
Santa-Themed Charcuterie Board
Christmas is about gifts, decorations, the birth of Jesus, and the atmosphere we create by sharing warmth and joy with loved ones. We suggest you prepare a charcuterie board, “Santa,” in which different flavors and textures are perfectly combined. Soft brie cheese with a light creamy texture becomes Santa's face, and his cheerful “hat” of bright tomatoes adds a fresh, slightly sour flavor, balancing the tenderness of the cheese. Add whiskers made from string cheese, eyes made from olives, and a nose made from candied cherries. They'll give Santa a distinctive look and add a bit of playfulness, causing guests to smile and want to take a picture of this cuteness before tasting it.
Serving such a board will become an authentic ritual: guests will admire every detail, and the aroma of fine cuts of meat will add a note of warmth to the festive atmosphere. If you want to add a little more festive mood, put miniature Christmas decorations such as small cones, light Christmas tree ornaments or tree branches next to it - they will look charming next to “Santa”.
We chose deli meats—salami and ham—five types of cheese, berries, and vegetables for the recipe. We added nuts and crackers for nourishment. You can improvise with the board's filling and come up with your variants, leaving the centerpiece unchanged.
Ingredients
- Cheeses:
- 1 round package of brie cheese
- 2 1/2 ounces of cheese threads
- 1/2 cup mini mozzarella
- 2 Babybel cheeses
- 3-4 slices of light yellow colored hard cheese for snowflakes
- Deli meats:
- 6 pepperoni sticks
- 2 ounces of salami for the flower
- 6 thinly sliced ham
- Berries and vegetables
- 1 olive
- 1 dried cherry
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup dark grapes
- 1 cup green grapes
- Crackers, nuts
- 16 crackers
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup Brazil nuts
Instructions
- Using a cookie cutter, make an imprint on the wax of the baby bel cheese. Then, cut snowflakes out of the hard cheese.
- Loosen the string cheese and transfer it to a bowl. Pour boiling water over the cheese and wait 5 minutes. During this time, the cheese will soften and become pliable. Straighten the threads and roll them into a small ball. This will be the pompon for Santa's hat. For the brim, form a braid of cheese, and the whiskers should be about 5 inches long.
- Cut off the top white crust of the brie cheese with a sharp knife. Prepare a round serving board. Place the brie in the center. Slice the olive into half circles and place in place of the eyes. Roll up the ham and fan it out. Form a cap of tomatoes and decorate it with a pompom and a slash.
- Cut the salami in half and roll it into a rose. Place the rose on the board. Arrange the grapes without the branches. Arrange the crackers and pepperoni sticks to the right. Fill the empty space with nuts, garnish with cheeses. Lay out mini mozzarella like beard and whiskers of cheese.
- Merry Christmas!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 335Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 735mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 17g
Visiting from Senior Salon LinkUp, this is such a great way to make a charcuterie board festive. Thank you for sharing this.
All the best.
This is such a cute idea!
Thank you for sharing this on our Comfy, Cozy Christmas link up!
This is adorable and I appreciate how you did step by step for us!
Thanks for linking up with our Comfy Cozy Christmas!
Such a perfect charcuterie for Christmas. Santa is darling. I am happy to feature your santa themed charcuterie at Love Your Creativity. Merry Christmas.