Halloween Charcuterie Board

Well, it’s been a whole year of charcuterie boards, and here I am with the last of the series - my easy Halloween charcuterie board!

Is it November 1st? Yes.

Has is been almost a year since we made and photographed this one of publish?

Also yes.

What can I say - I am a MASTER at procrastination. It’s a gift.

Anyway, it may be a day after Halloween, but it’s also Friday - pretty sure that Halloween season doesn’t end until AFTER the Halloween parties this weekend.

If not, well... I guess we’re ready for your NEXT Halloween party. Really, isn’t any time of year a good time to ponder Halloween food ideas? Or is that just my friend group?

I digress...

As with most holidays, I like a good charcuterie board for Halloween. Not only can it be a gorgeously ghoulish treat, it can do double duty by essentially acting as the perfect centerpiece for your spread.

Spooky season is just rife with possibilities. There are multiple seasonal colour schemes to choose from, all kinds of festive treats that you can use, and gorgeous seasonal produce that can bring some wonderful colour and flavour.

Will you go fun, cute, and “spoopy”? Aim for deliciously “gory” looking? Or go for a dark and elegant theme?

There are SO many ways you can go with the season, really customizing things to come up with YOUR perfect charcuterie board.

In this post, I’ll go over what I used, and give you a TON of Halloween charcuterie board ideas.

Towards the end of this post, you’ll find a bunch of information on the logistics of making - and serving - charcuterie boards in general.

Lots of ground to cover, so let’s get to it!

More Charcuterie Boards!

Looking for more holiday charcuterie boards, and charcuterie ideas in general? I've got you covered!

Game Day Charcuterie Board
Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board
St Patrick's Day Charcuterie Board
Easter Charcuterie Board
Rainbow Charcuterie Board
Canada Day Charcuterie Board
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
Christmas Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie Wreath
Charcuterie Tree
Salami Roses

Charcuturie Ingredients

Unlike the vast majority of my recipes, charcuterie doesn’t require a set list of ingredients. You can literally just go to your local grocery store and buy what looks good.

Think more “choose your own adventure”, or “pick 3 from column A, and a few from column B”.

Sure, there’s the “3 3 3 3 rule” - that you should have 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 starches, and 3 accoutrements - but really, that’s more of a guideline, IMHO. Aim for some balance, but don’t get too hung up on seeing it as strict rules.

It’s party food, after all.

Here are the major categories you’ll want represented, and some ideas of the kinds of ingredients I’ll use from each, to fit in with the Halloween theme:

Meats

Traditional meat options for charcuterie platters are generally in the cured meat family, and I didn’t really stray from that with this Halloween-themed board. (Sometimes I’ll get a bit weird with it, to suit the theme!).

I knew I was going a bit heavy on the cheese, so I only did 2 meat options - a dark salami from Peppercorn Dry Salami, from Great Canadian Meat Company, and pepperoni.

I basically wanted to keep things relatively dark, and I thought that pepperoni would be a fun option. Not only is it sort of orangey, but it would also taste really good with the mozzarella skulls. (More on that in a bit).

Without over complicating things, I DO like to keep flavours in mind when picking out my favorite meats and cheeses for a themed charcuterie board. You want it to stay on theme, but you also want it to be a delicious board.

I like to mentally pair them off to some degree. Not every meat needs a coordinating cheese, but it’s nice when there’s some degree of complimentary flavours involved.

Cheeses

As with planning any classic cheese board, you’ll want to have a few different types of cheeses on your Halloween board.

I like to offer a good variety of cheese, with different textures, flavours, and colours. Usually, this means some kind of creamy cheese, maybe a couple of semi-soft cheeses, and - usually - some kind of hard cheese.

Of course, it can be a bit more difficult to keep to those guidelines while also trying to go for a spooky vibe on your charcuterie platter!

When choosing the cheeses for my perfect Halloween charcuterie board, I put colours first, and kind of ignored the textures. Aesthetic!

I had briefly considered including Muenster - it’s got an orange rind, and hey, it’s pretty close to “Munster” or “Monster”, so it seemed appropriate! - but wasn’t able to find any that day.

So, I went with some Mimolette - a deep reddish-orange cheese that’s gorgeous for a Halloween charcuterie board - AND tasty!

Then I added a lemon gouda, for the striking black colour. (Note: It has charcoal added, which can affect the efficacy of any prescription meds you may take that day!)

For the last sliced cheese option, I went with a lavender gouda, for that beautiful purple colour.

I almost went with some Sage Derby - a green cheese - but ended up using a small round of Cendré de Lune Brie. It’s an Ash Covered Triple Cream Brie, and it looks line a moon - perfect for a Halloween board!

I wanted to add a Pumpkin Cheese Ball as a bit of a thematic cheese element (Either my Roasted Jalapeno & Bacon Pumpkin Cheese Ball or my classier, more traditional Pumpkin Cheese Ball with garlic, Dijon mustard, and white wine.), but went in another direction - mozzarella cheese skulls!

More on that in a minute.

Anyway, other options you could consider would be blue cheese (also like a moon!), cream cheese with some Homemade Red Pepper Jelly on top, Pepper Jack cheese, or even just some cheddar cheese - it’s popular for a reason!

Mini Cheese Skulls

In addition to the main assortment of cheeses, I LOVE making cheese skulls for any kind of Halloween cheese board.

You’ll need some Mini Bocconcini and a Silicone Mini Skull Mold. I used these Gummy Skull Candy Molds, which worked well... but are on the smaller end of what I would have liked.

Here’s how to make Mozzarella Cheese Skulls:

1. Drain your mini bocconcini well, and blot dry with a paper towel.

2. If your cheese balls are too big for your mold, cut them down to size. Half a mini bocconcini worked pretty well for the size of mold I used.

3. Place your cheese pieces round side down into your mold.

4. Microwave 15-20 seconds at a time, until the cheese is softened BUT NOT MELTED. (You could go about 5 minutes in a 350 F oven, if you prefer.)

5. Use a butter knife or chopstick to press the cheese down into each cavity, allowing excess moisture to escape out around the cheese. You want to avoid forming air pockets, if at all possible!

6. Once all bits of softened cheese have been pressed down, chill in the mold for 15 minutes.

7. Carefully remove the chilled cheese skulls from the mold, transfer to a plastic baggie.

Starches

For this Halloween charcuterie platter, I decided to keep my starches savoury - all crackers, no cookies.

I used a mix of my favourite crackers - Vinta, Raincoast Crisps, and Stoned Wheat Thins, along with some bagel chips.

Rye Crispbread would have been another great option, and Sociables are also popular (I prefer them to Ritz Crackers), but they didn’t really work with my vision for this board.

As a hint, though - if you’re having a hard time fitting your choice of crackers in with your aesthetic vision? Just make a separate cracker tray. Easy!

On the “separate platter” note, it’s good to have some gluten free options. Mary's Gone Crackers, Schar Entertainment Crackers , and Rice Crackers are my retail go-tos, and my Gluten-Free Cheez Its are FANTASTIC if you have the time to make some.

If you have anyone that’s keeping keto, check out my recipes for Crunchy Keto Crackers and Keto Tortilla Chips.

Now, if you DO want to add cookies to you board, Halloween themed sugar cookies can be a really cute addition. You can buy them or make them:

My Cut Out Sugar Cookies and Pumpkin Spice Cookies are great base recipes, as are my Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies and Keto Sugar Cookies - it all just depends on who you’re serving!

Check out my Sugar Cookie Decorating Tutorial for all kinds of info on decorating your Halloween cookies!

Note: I recommend using relatively small cookie cutters, to avoid overwhelming the board.

Produce

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great addition to charcuterie boards in general, both visually and in terms of taste.

When it comes to planning out a fun Halloween snack board, you have SO many directions you can go.

I started with some dark fruits - seedless black grapes, blackberries, blood orange slices, and fresh figs. I love the rich colour that each of these options brought to the board!

Other fruits I’d considered were passion fruit (Looks a bit gross!), Finger grapes (great colour and shape for this board!), and black cherries.

In terms of vegetables, I went with some heirloom mini purple carrots, and a mini orange bell pepper - it looked like a pumpkin!

Regular baby carrots were also considered, as were marinated Mushroom Skulls. (Which I decided would be overkill, given that I already had cheese skulls planned!

Sauces, Spreads, and Dips

I like to include a couple of sauces, spreads, and/or dips on the board, both for visual interest and as an accent for the other food items presented.

I kept it pretty simple this time, with some guacamole and Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard.

Did the guacamole really go with anything else? No... but it’s still tasty, and LOOKED good!

Depending on what else you’re serving, Jalapeno Artichoke Dip, Ginger Wasabi Dip, Fig Jam, Cranberry Relish, and Red Pepper Jelly are other good options to consider.

Munchies

When designing this grazing board, it was actually REALLY difficult to settle on which “munchies” items I wanted to include!

This category includes things like pickled items, nuts, dried fruits, etc ... and there were just SO many great options that would have worked well with the theme!

In the end, I went with Kalamata Olives, Cornichons, Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and Dried Apricots as my traditional options.

Other traditional options that would have worked include green olives, black olives, Pecan Halves, Pickled Red Onions, Dark Chocolate, Medjool Dates, Roasted Red Peppers, and Blanched Almonds.

Veering away from tradition, I added some White Chocolate Pretzels, as - in the context of a Halloween charcuterie board - they kind of looked like a pile of bones.

Of course, going with a Halloween theme gives you a lot of room for playing with unique charcuterie board ideas - and the “munchies” group is a great way great way to really play around with your theme.

While I went for a more elegant, jewel-toned board, you can have so much fun picking out all kinds of sweet treats to accompany the savoury offerings.

Candy Corn, Candy Eyeballs, Gummy Worms, etc are all fun ideas to include on a Halloween Charcuterie Platter.

We’re not making a Halloween dessert board, though - so I recommend keeping it to no more than 3 types - or small sections - of Halloween Candy.

Garnish and “Other”

While optional, I usually include some sort of garnish, or other items of interest.

Usually, this ends up being some sort of fresh herbs, ideally that go along with some of the other flavours on the board.

In this case, I used a pair of Skeleton Hands Serving Forks, and that was about it.

You can scoop out a mini pumpkin as a dip bowl, have some mini tea lights (consider placement though!)... place a few plastic spiders for a spooky twist... pretty much whatever you think would add the right pops of colour, or be the finishing touch to really cap off your theme.

A little field trip to your favourite craft store is likely to yield all KINDS of inspiration!

Halloween Charcuterie Supplies

Aside from the actual ingredients you’ll be serving to your guests, there are a few other supplies you’ll want for your Halloween snack board.

A Charcuterie Tray

Charcuterie Boards can be almost anything, as long as it’s food safe.

The size and shape you get are pretty wide open, and will depend on how many people you’re serving, the amount of space you have to serve it on, etc.

A Large Cutting Board will work for smaller displays, and most party supply and dollar stores have different coloured plastic platters that work really well for mid range charcuterie displays.

Note: You can even make your own - see our Cutting Boards 101 post, and our two cutting board tutorials:Colourful Squares Cutting Board & Log Cabin Cutting Board!

If you’re looking to do a LARGE display, you’re probably going to need to buy something specifically intended as a catering platter.

In terms of colour, I like using a very neutral coloured tray. Sure, going with a seasonal colour can be fun - but it can also distract from the food being served, and/or make it look weird.

Maybe I’m boring, but 9 times out of 10, I’m serving my seasonal charcuterie boards on a plain white tray. For Halloween, Black is a nice, neutral alternative.

Dip Bowls, Ramekins

If you’re serving a dip, you’ll want some sort of Small Dip Bowl.

Be sure to size up your small bowls ON your tray before actually using them - you’d be surprised how much real estate some bowls can take up!

For smaller servings of spreads or to contain smaller items like nuts, I recommend using small ramekins.

2 oz Ceramic Ramekins work perfectly!

Serving Utensils

Depending on what you’re serving, you may need certain utensils - beyond the aforementioned Skeleton Hand Serving Forks that I used on this board!

If you’re not slicing all of your cheese, have an appropriate Cheese Knife on hand for each un-cut cheese variety.

Have some small spoons on hand for things like sauces and dip - Espresso Spoons are perfectly sized for this..

If you’re serving to a crowd - rather than, say, a small board for 2 - I recommend having several Cocktail Picks, Cocktail Tongs, or even Bamboo Cocktail Forks on hand.

This will help people keep their fingers out of food that others will eventually be eating!

Cheese Markers are little signs you can stick in your cheeses, to let people know what they are.

I generally skip them - just as a matter of aesthetics.

Finally, having small plates and napkins on hand is always a great idea!

How to Make a Halloween Charcuterie Board

Much like with the ingredients, putting together a Halloween charcuterie platter is more of a free form thing, rather than a set of directions that *has* to be followed, and done in the right order.

Here’s how I do it:

First Step: Place the Larger Items

1. Figure out what your “solid” focal points are. This is generally things like sauce ramekins and dips, but could also be a cheese or meat - depending on the presentation

If you are including a wheel of brie, log of goat cheese, some kind of cheese ball, or a pate / terrine of some kind, that would count.

Place those focal points on your charcuterie board, leaving space between. I like to keep colour and texture in mind when placing, not placing things that are too similar next to each other.
Note: If any of your focal points is a bowl of dip, place the bowl - add the dip later!

2. Place your meats roughly where you’d like them to go. They don’t have to be “artfully” arranged at this point, but I do try to space them out, relative to each other.

3. Place your cheeses roughly where you’d like them, spacing them out relative to each other. I’ll usually use space between each meat and cheese.

Fill in the Secondary Items

4. Arrange sections of your starches. I like to keep the types of crackers - and cookies, if using - separate from each other.

5. Fill in your sections of the more “snacky” produce, leaving more “garnish” produce for a later step. In this example, that means all of the produce - I didn’t use any for garnish.

6. Place sections of your “Munchies” items, filling in any larger empty spaces.

Final Touches

7. If you haven’t arranged your meat slices and cheese slices the way you want to yet, do so now. I’ll usually use more meat / cheese / surrounding items to prop slices up, if needed.

8. Fill in any empty spaces with more meat, cheese, produce, or munchies - whatever makes sense for that space on your specific board.

9. Place any of your more “garnish” produce, and any other items that may be acting as a pseudo-garnish.

10. Do any last minute fussing you may need to.

11. If you were holding off on adding dips to the bowls, do so just before serving.

12. If you’re adding any fresh herbs as garnish, place them now.

13. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Charcuterie Success

Because of the different types of food items you’ll be using - and the different ways they need to be handled and stored - timing is really important when it comes to serving a Halloween Charcuterie plate.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Food Safety

1. Make sure your charcuterie tray itself is food safe. Some boards are meant more for display, using woods or finishes that aren’t food safe.

That’s not to say you CAN’T use them for charcuterie - just be sure to line them with parchment paper, so the food doesn’t directly touch the surface.

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2. Observe good food handling hygiene: Wash your hands frequently and/or wear gloves while preparing your charcuterie board. Change gloves / wash hands after touching your face, using the washroom, touching your phone, etc.

Wash all produce, and work with clean equipment.

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3. While the meats and cheeses should be served at room temperature, they shouldn’t be KEPT a room temperature for more than 2 hours. The same goes for dips, condiments, and cut produce.

This is a cumulative time - it includes the amount of time you’re preparing the foods and working on your plate.

So, you’ll want to minimize the amount of time your meat products and cheeses are out of the fridge.

I recommend preparing each meat or cheese separately, when possible: Take one from the fridge, slice it up, cover and return it to the fridge.

Keep everything chilled until you start assembling your Halloween board. Assemble it as close to serving time as possible.

If you anticipate the board being out for more than a few hours, make it smaller than needed, and keep rounds of refill items in baggies - in the fridge. Cycle food out as its time expires.

Food Quality

1. Be sure to check expiration dates on things like packaged cheeses and meats, and use them well before the expiry date. When you buy a cut wedge of cheese, it should be used within 2 weeks of purchase - generally speaking.

2. Check all produce for blemishes, mold, etc before using. Use only ripe produce.

3. Don’t let cheeses be exposed to the air for too long before use - whether in the fridge or not. Wrap or bag everything when not in use.

4. Keep cheeses separate when stored. Ideally you’ll be serving cheeses in a variety of flavours - when stored together, those flavours can mingle. Not a great thing, in this case!?

Presentation

1. Try to assemble your Halloween charcuterie board as close to the time you’ll serve it, as possible. This will prevent flavours from mingling, produce from bleeding, moisture from spreading, etc.

Aside from food safety issues mentioned above, it’ll also keep things the proper texture. If you make your board, wrap it, and chill it ... you’re going to end up with soggy crackers.

2. I like to leave dips OUT of the bowls until the last minute. It’s really easy to accidentally get a hand in the dip, as you’re assembling your board. Get it all assembled - with empty bowls - THEN spoon the dips in.

3. If you’re traveling with your board, it’s best to travel with the ingredients prepared and bagged, but not assembled. Not only will the flavours and textures stay good, you don’t have to risk an assembled board getting jostled in transit.

4. Try to be inclusive, when you’re serving a mixed crowd. If you know that some people are gluten free, leave the crackers off the board altogether, and provide some gluten free cracker options on the side. Minimize cross contamination wherever possible.

More Halloween Ideas

If you're still considering ideas for Halloween recipes and other ideas, be sure to check out my:

3D Halloween Bat Cupcakes
Bacon Wrapped Mummy Meatloaf
Black Velvet Cupcakes
Bloody Eyeball Cupcakes
Bloody Eyeball Halloween Punch
Easy Halloween Bat Cupcakes
Easy Spider Web Cookies
Glazed Halloween Popcorn
Gluten Free Mummy Dogs
Gluten-Free Mummy Jalapeno Poppers
Keto Witch Finger Cookies
Gluten Free Witch Finger Cookies
Halloween Pavlova
3 Different Halloween Shooters
Halloween Spider Web Cupcakes
Homemade Pastry Mummy Dogs
Halloween Brownies
How to Carve a Pumpkin Like a Pro
Jalapeno Popper Mummies
Lychee "Bloody Eyeball" Pancakes
Mummy Pastries
Nightmare Before Christmas Cookies
Spider Halloween Bread Bowl