This Fall Themed Charcuterie Board is the ultimate autumn centerpiece. Filled with sweet and savory fall desserts and snacks, it’s perfect for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or just a fun night at home. The recipes for the pecan tassies, pumpkin cream cheese cookies, apple caramel cake, caramel sauce, and cherry pecan brie are in the blog post, as well as lots of tips for how to create a charcuterie board. This board is easy to customize using your favorite fall eats and treats.
What we love about this Fall Charcuterie Board
I love this board. I love everything fall, and the fun ways you can celebrate the season with food. This board has all the fall feels: pumpkin cookies, apple cake, mini pecan tassies, caramel sauce with apples, a cherry pecan brie dip, as well as little accompaniments that are fun eats and treats. I provide the recipes for the main treats and dip, but the great thing about making your own charcuterie board, is that you can easily fill the board with your favorite things, homemade or storebought. The recipes are ideas and optional; feel free to use what you wish.
I have a lot of tips in this post for building your own board. I love the process of deciding what to put on your board. Choose one or a few main items (for me, it was my fall treats and cherry pecan brie), and then shop for the complementary accompaniments to your main item(s). Have fun with it! You can choose your family’s favorite fall treats and use those to fill. I chose my items to include a variety of fall colors, textures, and things I knew each of my children would be excited to see. If you’re new to making a charcuterie board, give it a try! It’s a definite crowd pleaser and an enjoyable way to celebrate so many holidays and special occasions.
These recipes are all included in this charcuterie board: Pecan Tassies with Honey, Apple Caramel Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
What you need to make this Autumn Charcuterie Board
I used the following ingredients:
- Pecan Tassies with Honey
- Apple Caramel Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Baked Brie with Pecans and Cherry Sauce
- Caramel Sauce (using leftover caramel from the apple caramel bundt cake)
- Sliced apples
- Grapes
- Sliced baguette
- Cubed cheddar cheese
- Pretzel Sticks (Trader Joe’s or local grocery store)
- Sweetened dried orange slices (Trader Joe’s)
- Oh My! Omega Trek Mix with Omega Fortified Cranberries (Trader Joe’s)
- Salami slices (Boar’s head salami genoa mini – 9 oz, local grocery store)
- Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives (Murray’s brand, local grocery store)
- Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps, Cranberry & Hazelnut Crackers (local grocery store)
- Caramel Popcorn (G.H. Cretors brand, local grocery store)
- Brach’s Mellowcreme Autumn Leaves candy (local grocery store)
Fall Themed Charcuterie Board Substitutions
The great thing about charcuterie boards is that you get to choose your favorite foods to use. For this board, I focused on fall treats and savory snacks and used fall colors. Feel free to fill a board with your favorites or with what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- Substitute the homemade cookies and desserts for store-bought cookies if you like. Fall sugar cookies or storebought pumpkin cookies work well.
- Substitute the cherry pecan brie with a different favorite dip. I like the colors and flavor of the cherry pecan brie, but you could do a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball, use a different topping for the brie, or try a different dip or cheese.
- You could substitute the Brach’s candies with other fall candies: candy corn, wrapped caramels, or other fall mixes or chocolates.
- Feel free to fill the board with different fall snacks and treats. Again, I was going with fall colors, so some other options could be: Cheez-its or Goldfish crackers, other kinds of cubed cheese, a variety of olives, dried mangos, mandarin oranges, a popcorn mix, or other types of salami and crackers. Halloween trick-or-treat candy is a fun filler as well.
- You can substitue the apple bundt cake with a store bought pumpkin or apple bread.
- Instead of caramel, you could use pumpkin or apple butter, or fall colored jams.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. First, place your small bowls or ramekins on your board and spread them out in different places on your board. I like to use an odd number of bowls on my board for balance, but at times it may be appropriate to have one or two, or even five to seven.
Step 2. Next, put your larger and main items down to make sure there is room for them on the board. Group similar items together as you build. I try and have something similar in color or of similar importance on the opposite side of an item (i.e. the pecan tassies and the pumpkin cookies, and the apple cake opposite the cherry brie dip.) This brings balance and focus to the entire board instead of just one section. You won’t be able to fit all your cookies or items on the board, but extras can be placed on a plate, or cake or cupcake stand on the side of your board if desired.
Step 3. Fill in the empty areas, starting by framing around the small bowls you have in place, and then fill in any empty spaces on the board. This is where you can have fun adding different colors and textures. Some great ideas for smaller items to use as accompaniments include dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruit or cheese, small chocolates, candies, salty crackers, or snacks.
Step 4. Add any items that need to be refrigerated (or items that are hot) last. Refrigerated items can be left at room temperature for two hours and you want them to last as long as possible for your gathering. Add any utensils for serving if necessary, and last but not least, add a final touch. This could be a special garnish or flowers. Here I had fun with a pumpkin ramekin with additional snacks, the coordinating linen, and the fall pumpkins.
Tips for creating a board
- Start with a theme; this one is for the fall season, but a special occasion, holiday, season, or time of day for serving can be the theme.
- When planning a charcuterie board, choose at least 1-3 items that you are excited about putting on your board: an eye-catching dessert or two that go with your theme, pretty cupcake liners for cupcakes, or sprinkles for cookies. A special dip or appetizer that goes with your theme works too. I also choose 1-3 colors to focus on, so there is a welcoming color palette, especially for certain holidays (fall colors in this case).
- Shop for small ingredients, the complementary accompaniments, to use on your board that support your theme. I find it helpful to browse the grocery store or other specialty shop for ideas. I prefer to use a combination of salty and sweet accompaniments, a variety of textures (crunchy/soft/juicy), and shapes. I include fresh fruits and/or cheese when I can. (Unless you are doing a sweets-only or savory-only board). Some ideas for complementary items include dried or fresh fruit, cubed and sliced cheese, nuts, chocolates, small crackers, or candies.
- Pick a board; the size will partially depend on the number of people you are serving. If using a wooden board, make sure it says it is food-safe. The board here is a 15-inch round board. I have an 11×13 board and a larger rectangular board, 14×16 inches, which I love. You can use a serving tray, pizza board, large cutting board, large platter, or baking sheets as well. Look for sales, I have bought some of my best boards that way.
- When assembling the board, choose several ramekins or small bowls you can put on the board and on the side. These can hold dips, salsas, jams, small items, etc. I like to use an odd number of bowls on my board for balance, but at times it may be appropriate to have one or two, or even five to seven.
- For instructions on building the board, see the recipe instructions.
- You will need extra ingredients to fill the board when items run out while serving. You can include some in small bowls or plates next to your board, or use a cupcake or cake stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can you assemble the board in advance? |
| a. For the Pumpkin Cookies, Pecan Tassies, and Apple Caramel Cake, I have baked them in advance to freeze them, then put them in the fridge the night before to thaw (I froze the cream cheese frosting separately and made caramel sauce before serving). Bring to room temperature an hour before serving. If you are making homemade cookies or a homemade treat, this is a major timesaver. b. You could make the cherry sauce in advance for the brie, store it in a air-tight container, and warm it before serving. I would bake the brie and pecans right before serving so the pecans stay crisp and the cheese is melty. b. You can wash and slice any fresh vegetables the day before, but I would be careful about not adding anything too watery that could seep and leak onto other items. I prefer to prepare fruits and vegetables the day of, so they look their best the day you are serving them. c. You can make your board earlier in the day and refrigerate it; just be sure not to include anything crispy like crackers, pretzels, or nuts, as they will soften, and then add them just before serving. Anything hot should be added right before serving. |
| How do I know how much food to buy for a charcuterie board? |
| a. Shelly Westerhausen, author of Platters and Boards, suggests that for a charcuterie board that’s an appetizer, plan on 1-2 ounces of cheese, meat, and chips per person. Plan on 2-3 cookies per person, 4-5 pieces of fruits or vegetables, and 1-2 tablespoons of nuts or condiments per person. If it’s the main meal, those amounts would be nearly doubled. It’s best to overbuy than underbuy. Also, a full board is a more appealing presentation. Be generous when assembling your board. For more information on quantities of foods to buy for your board to feed a certain amount of people see this Food Network article on how to make a perfect charcuterie board. |
| How do I store the food in the charcuterie board? |
| a. Store cookies in an air-tight container. I use a Tupperware container and use parchment paper to separate the layers when stacking, so they don’t stick together. The frosted cookies and caramel apple cake should be stored in the fridge and can last for about a week there, and in the freezer for 3 months. I store the pecan tassies at room temperature, they last 3-4 days or you can refrigerate to store longer.. b. Any refrigerated items like dips, cheeses, or fruit should be stored, covered, or sealed in the fridge and shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours for food safety purposes. Store each item separately in a different container. |
Fall Themed Charcuterie Board
30-45
minutes with any chosen homemade treats made in advance4-6
people, can feed more refilling the boardThis Fall Themed Charcuterie Board is the ultimate autumn centerpiece. Filled with sweet and savory fall desserts and snacks, it’s perfect for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or just a fun night at home. The recipes for the pecan tassies, pumpkin cream cheese cookies, apple caramel cake, caramel sauce, and cherry pecan brie are in the blog post, as well as lots of tips for how to create a charcuterie board. This board is easy to customize using your favorite fall eats and treats.
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce (using leftover caramel from the apple caramel bundt cake)
Sliced apples
Grapes
Sliced baguette
Cubed cheddar cheese
Pretzel Sticks (Trader Joe’s or local grocery store)
Sweetened dried orange slices (Trader Joe’s)
Oh My! Omega Trek Mix with Omega Fortified Cranberries (Trader Joe’s)
Salami slices (Boar’s head salami genoa mini – 9 oz, local grocery store)
Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives (Murray’s brand, local grocery store)
Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps, Cranberry & Hazelnut Crackers (local grocery store)
Caramel Popcorn (G.H. Cretors brand, local grocery store)
Brach’s Mellowcreme Autumn Leaves candy (local grocery store)
Directions
- First, place your small bowls or ramekins on your board and spread them out in different places on your board. I like to use an odd number of bowls on my board for balance, but at times it may be appropriate to have one or two, or even five to seven.
- Next, put your larger and main items down to make sure there is room for them on the board. Group similar items together as you build. I try and have something similar in color or of similar importance on the opposite side of an item (i.e., the pecan tassies and pumpkin cookies on opposite sides of the board, and the apple caramel cake opposite the cherry brie dip.) This brings balance and focus to the entire board instead of just one section. You won’t be able to fit all your cookies or items on the board, but extras can be placed on a plate, or cake or cupcake stand on the side of your board if desired.
- Fill in the empty areas, starting by framing around the small bowls you have in place, and then fill in any empty spaces on the board. This is where you can have fun adding different colors and textures. Some great ideas for smaller items to use as accompaniments include dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruit or cheese, small chocolates, candies, salty crackers, or snacks.
- Add any items that need to be refrigerated (or items that are hot) last. Refrigerated items can be left at room temperature for two hours, and you want them to last as long as possible for your gathering. Add any utensils for serving if necessary, and last but not least, add a final touch. This could be a special garnish or flowers. Here I had fun with the pumpkin ramekin with additional snacks, the coordinating linen, and the fall pumpkins.
Notes
- Underneath the “What you need to make this Autumn Charcuterie Board” section of this blog post, I have listed where I purchased each item, the brand I purchased, and an Amazon link for purchase if they carry the item on Amazon.
- See my “Tips for Creating a Board” section in this blog post for ideas on how to prepare to create your board.
- Crackers tend to be plain in color and can be put on a plate or bowl on the side of your board so that your board is filled with more colors and textures.
- If using a wooden board, I wash it after use with just a little mild soap if needed, without completely soaking the board, and dry it immediately after washing to keep the board in good condition. If you are worried about food seeping into your wooden board or staining it, you can line your board with parchment paper before assembling the food on it.
This is so beautiful and seems so manageable to put together. I am definitely gonna be making this for our Thanksgiving dinner thank you.
This is such an amazing fall spread! Looking forward to trying a smaller version this weekend with the baked brie and pecan tassies.
This Fall Themed Charcuterie Board is absolutely stunning! The mix of seasonal colors, cheeses, fall bakes and autumn fruits makes it so cozy and festive.
I love a good charcuterie board and this one did not disappoint!