Dessert Charcuterie Board

UPDATE: This post was updated on March 17, 2025 to include conversions for metric measurements, a video, and nutrition information.

This Dessert Charcuterie Board is an easy way to make a dessert spread that is great for a crowd, has something to suit everyone's tastes, and looks beautiful. It's also easy to swap out ingredients if there is something else you'd like to include! This Dessert Charcuterie Board is centered around a chocolate dip with the idea that everything on the board is ideal for dipping.

This board includes Homemade Coconut Marshmallows, but you can also use store-bought marshmallows. Jumbo size tends to be better for dipping in chocolate!

If you're looking for other dessert items that could work well on this board, check out these Candied Orange Slices or these Chocolate Covered OREOs.

Ingredients

This Dessert Charcuterie Board is very flexible, but these are a few of the key items I used to make it.

• Dark Chocolate: This is for the chocolate dipping sauce. If you prefer to use milk chocolate, you certainly can. Do use high-quality chocolate (I used Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate). It's the star of the show and high-quality chocolate will make the whole board taste better.
• Strawberries and blackberries: These are both great for dipping in chocolate, but you could also use blueberries, or another fruit of your choice. This is an opportunity to think about the colors on your board. The red of the strawberries is a nice pop next to the dark purple of the blackberries! I also recommend trimming and halving the strawberries so they are very easy for dipping.
• Cookies: I used LU Petit Écolier cookies, but you could use any cookie you like. Think about shape and size here. You don't want to use a cookie that is too big as it will take up a lot of space on your board, but also you want to have smaller things on the board so people can try multiple items (and not eat just one cookie).
• Ritz crackers: These are a great salty addition for that salty-sweet kick. Of course, they're delicious on their own, but they're also great in the chocolate dip.
• Mini pretzels: These are another nice salty option. Mini pretzels work well, but you could also use another shape if you prefer.
• Marshmallows: I used Coconut Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows for this board, but you could also use regular Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. I do recommend jumbo marshmallows; the minis are harder to control for dipping.

See full recipe below for detailed instructions.

Substitutions & Variations

This is a very flexible recipe and there are some easy variations and substitutions you can make:

• Add dried fruit or nuts - If you want to have more smaller items on the board, consider adding some dried fruits (dried mangos, apricots and banana chips would work well) or some nuts.
• Change the cookies - Swap out the cookies for your favorite kind! This could be homemade cookies or store-bought cookies.
• Add sprinkles - Want to add a little color? Add a small bowl of sprinkles that you can dip into after you have an item coated in chocolate.

How to Make a Dessert Charcuterie Board

There is very little actual cooking with this Dessert Charcuterie Board, and that's the beauty of it! It comes together in just a few minutes (but looks very impressive!).

Combine dark chocolate and non-dairy milk in a small pot or double boiler.

Heat on low, stirring constantly until the chocolate melts and creates a smooth dipping sauce. Add more milk, if needed, to reach your desired consistency.

Place your bowl (for the chocolate dipping sauce) in the center of your board. Place the cookies in 2-3 clusters around the board.

Add the crackers in 2-3 clusters near the cookies.

Place marshmallows in 2-3 clusters around the board.

Add strawberries in 2-3 clusters around the board. Keep in mind that if these are touching dry items (cookies, crackers, pretzels), they will make them soggy.

Add mini pretzels and blackberries to any remaining free space on the board.

Add the chocolate dipping sauce to the center bowl. Optional: brulée a few of the marshmallows using a kitchen blow torch.

Place a small spoon in the bowl of chocolate dipping sauce and serve with either toothpicks or small forks (or eat with your hands)! Remember: a charcuterie board looks best when it's quite full. If you have more of each ingredient, add them!

How to Brulée Marshmallows

This is an optional step, but if you'd like to brulée the marshmallows, place a marshmallow on a fork or skewer. Use a kitchen blow torch to brown the outside edges of the marshmallow (brown this as much as you like!). Let the marshmallow cool for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the fork and place on the board.

Bruléeing the marshmallows gives them a wonderful caramelized (and perhaps slightly burnt) flavor and crunchy exterior.

This method works whether you are using homemade marshmallows or store-bought marshmallows! For this board, I bruléed a select few of the marshmallows, but left the others plain.

Storage

Room Temperature Storage: All of these items can be stored in airtight bags or containers. Dry ingredients (crackers, pretzels, cookies) can be stored together and kept at room temperature. The fruits can be stored together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The chocolate can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat either in a small pot or in the microwave to make it warm and smooth again for serving.

Recipe FAQ