‘Tis the holiday season, and it’s the perfect time to whip up some holiday treats. This year, I decided to switch things up! Instead of the classic Christmas cookie box, I chose a sweet and tasty alternative – the Easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie board, ideal for your holiday party. 

Picture this: an edible charcuterie tree adorned with seasonal bakes, candies, and festive sweet treats.

In the spirit of embracing the holiday cheer, I created a Christmas tree-shaped dessert board that’s not only nice to look at but also a delicious treat. We’re exploring a mix of flavors as varied as the ornaments on a well-decked tree!

What should I put in a Christmas Charcuterie Board?

There are so many things that you can use for your easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board. Here are some of the items I used, plus some more ideas:

• Star: for the top of the tree I used a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut a star out of a stroopwafel. You can get creative with any star-shaped cookie or cut one out from a slice of cheese.
• Tree trunk: for the tree trunk at the bottom of the tree, I used a square of chocolate, but you have other tasty options like pretzel sticks, a square-shaped piece of bread, or even a rectangular cookie.
• Fresh fruit: Adorn your tree with pops of color using fresh cranberries, green grapes, and juicy pomegranate seeds.
• Variety of baked goods: Whether store-bought or homemade, the choice is yours. I whipped up a variety of treats for this charcuterie Christmas tree, including my Goat Cheese Cheesecake, Easy embossed Rolling pin Shortbread Cookie recipe, White Chocolate Peppermint blondies, Easy 2-ingredient Peanut Butter fudge, and Black Velvet Cupcakes. 
• Candy: Any holiday candies or regular candies are great options. I used peppermint candies, chocolate-covered nuts, mini marshmallows, and some peppermint caramel turtles. Some other ideas are peppermint candy canes, M&M’s, chocolate-covered coffee beans, chocolate squares, truffles, or any nuts of your choice.

How to make a Charcuterie board that looks like a Christmas tree? (with step-by-step instructions)

This festive Christmas charcuterie board can be made either with store-bought ingredients, or homemade treats.

If you choose to make the treats from scratch, you can prepare them in advance and freeze them. Later, you can use these frozen treats when assembling your board. All the recipes mentioned earlier can be made in advance and stored in the freezer.

You will need a large rectangular platter or a board with a Christmas tree shape.

Rectangular board:

1. Begin by sketching the outline of your tree. Start at the top with the star, then work your way down. 
   I added some golden sprinkles to the star for a pop of color and highlights.
2. Start placing the larger treats first, using those with straight lines to outline the tree, and gradually expanding to form a triangular shape. Circular treats can be used to fill in the tree.
   Variety and change of color create interest in your board, so look for a variety of sizes and colors when choosing your treats.
3. Move on to medium-sized items like cookies or caramel turtles, continuing to outline and fill the tree shape.
4. Fill any gaps with smaller treats like truffles, marshmallows, nuts, or sliced fruits. If they’re not flat, you can pack them up in small heaps throughout the board. For fruits, you can slice some in half, this helps break the pattern and create different sizes
5. Lastly, position the tree trunk using chocolate squares or pretzel sticks.

Christmas Tree-shaped Board:

If you’re using a board with the shape of a Christmas tree, the idea is the same.

You won’t need to outline the tree, since it’s already done for you, but you can also start with the bigger items, using the straight edges for the edge of your tree, and filling throughout with medium-sized treats.

Fill the gaps with the smallest treats, and finish up by placing your chocolate tree trunk.

Tips for making an epic holiday charcuterie board

• Mix up the colors to make a visually appealing board. Arrange desserts alongside items of different colors. For instance, avoid grouping all the milk chocolate and dark chocolate; instead, break up the color scheme by adding vibrant, fresh fruits between them to create a colorful contrast.
• It’s just as crucial to incorporate seasonal, fresh produce. This not only adds a natural touch but also contributes to a fresh overall vibe for your board.
• On the other hand, mixing up different shapes makes your board more interesting. Look for cookies in various shapes or cut some fruit into slices to add a bit of variety.
• Adding different textures boosts the overall look of your board. The creaminess from the cream cheese frosting against the crushed candy canes, the smoothness of chocolate, or the sea salt on top of the fudge will help you achieve that.
• Make it easy for your guests by putting forks and dessert plates nearby.
• In a nutshell, combining different shapes, flavors, colors, and textures will make your dessert board stand out and look amazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make my board savory?

Sure you can! Here are some ideas for ingredients for a Christmas tree Cheeseboard:

• Any of your favorite cheeses. Think mozzarella balls, soft cheese, cheddar cheese cubes, white cheddar, or hard cheese.
• Using a variety of meats is a great addition to your Christmas tree cheese board.
• For the smaller items, use things like cherry tomatoes. green olives, black olives, or nuts to fill in spaces,
• Fresh herbs, like fresh rosemary, are a great way to give some green color to your board.

Can I make my board ahead of time?

Sure you can! You can begin by preparing your treats up to 3 months in advance and freezing them. 

A few hours before using them, make sure to defrost your treats and arrange them on your board alongside candy, chocolate, and cookies. 

Cover the board with plastic wrap for some hours before serving.

Right before serving, uncover the board and add the fresh fruit.

How do I store any leftover treats from my themed charcuterie board?

Wrap up and refrigerate any fresh fruits, dairy, and perishable items. 

For candies, chocolates, and cookies, you can store them at room temperature, wrapped and kept away from any heat sources.

Here’s a video of this Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board so you can see the steps to make it.

Follow this link if you’re looking for more Christmas recipes, or click the links below for some extra recipes you can use for your board:

If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment!