Candy Charcuterie: A Guide To Styling the Sweetest Spread

Whether or not you enjoy traditional charcuterie, you’ll like the dessert kind if you want candy, cakes, and cookies. You can use any sweet or snack in a dessert charcuterie. The rules are relaxed, and the fun is enhanced when it comes to sweet treats and exciting displays. Here is everything you need to know about candy charcuterie: a guide to styling the sweetest spread is the key to preparing for any occasion.

What Is a Charcuterie Board?

Charcuterie is a French term that refers to salted and smoked meats. Typically paired with cheese and fruit, people display charcuterie on a board to snack and share. Items are served cold and arranged together in a mosaic that makes it easy to choose what to eat.

What Is Dessert Charcuterie?

The difference between a meat and cheese charcuterie and a dessert charcuterie board is simply in what you put on the plate. Dessert boards still include fruit—and they may still have cheese—but additional ingredients may resemble the pairings for chocolate fondue. Dessert charcuterie doesn’t contain meat and is often more colorful and exciting to see.

Pick Items for Your Charcuterie Board

To create a dessert charcuterie board, choose sweets, like candies, to place on your board. Since there are so many different types of candy, you can create an entire board with them. Pick from chocolates, gummies, hard candies, marshmallows, and more.

Choose More Than Candy for Your Dessert Charcuterie

Getting enough candy for your charcuterie board is simple with wholesale candy distributors. In addition to candy, though, you can amaze your guests with a dessert board that includes more than candy. There are additional items you should have on your dessert charcuterie board.

Cookies and Wafers

Tiny baked goods are not only delicious, but they also make your dessert charcuterie board look incredibly whimsical. You can find miniatures of all your favorite cakes and cookies these days. Each will add a pop of excitement to your spread. Consider adding:

• Brownie bites
• Fudge-stripe cookies
• Donut holes
• Macaroons
• Mini muffins
• Mini cupcakes
• Twinkies
• Oreos

Feeling Fruity

Both meat and dessert charcuterie boards use fruit, but which kind of fruit should you include with your dessert board? Choose the sweetest fruits, which are berries, mangoes, and bananas. Include chocolate-covered strawberries on your spread, and they’ll go first.

Salty Additions

Though it is a dessert board, you may consider some salty or savory options to help cut the sweetness. You can chocolate-coat some items to give people a sweet and salty bite in one. Still, it is nice to offer an additional snack to those who prefer a salty treat. The best alternatives for your dessert board include:

• Pretzels
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Nuts

Cheese and Dips

On a dessert charcuterie board, cheese often serves as a dip. The most popular types of cheese to use are Gouda, Brie, ricotta, and cream cheese. Not everyone is a fan of cheese for dipping, though. Allow everyone to participate in the full charcuterie experience by offering additional spreads and dips such as:

• Jams and jellies
• Chocolate dips
• Peanut butter
• Honey
• Nutella
• Marshmallow Fluff

How To Arrange a Charcuterie Board

The Board

Typical charcuterie is on a rustic cutting board. Part of the reason is that you may need to cut an item, and the board can help with that. Usually, all snacks are pre-cut, though, so you can display charcuterie on any surface. The flatter the surface, the better because the items will display like an appetizer. Especially when it comes to dessert charcuterie, you can choose any size or shape platter that works for you. Round, square, or custom will look great if you design a gorgeous spread.

The Cutlery

Consider the items you include on your dessert charcuterie board and what you or your guests will need to access them. Place a spoon or knife in each dip or spread so guests don’t mix spoons and contaminate dips. Further, you don’t want guests using their own spoons and double-dipping. You’ll also want a spoon for bowls of candies and tongs or skewers to help people grab other items.

Pro Tip: Place dips far enough away from each other that guests won’t forget where to put a spoon or knife. Place dips on the outer edges of the board, so no one spills any on ingredients that may end up going uneaten.

The Spread

The arrangement of your dessert charcuterie board may attract people to it. The best way to make your board stand out is by mixing and matching unlike colors and patterns. Create flow when you arrange items in different shapes. You can use some of them to create borders for other snacks and candies to spread out. Strategically position bowls of candy, popcorn, and dips to create an abstract design.

Reasons to Display a Dessert Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are great for sharing. You can make them as big or small as you want, and you can make many different types. People love this elevated form of buffet or potluck-style dining. Guests can grab a plate and pick out what they want from the spread. Here are some of the best reasons or occasions you might consider making or buying a dessert charcuterie board.

Celebrating a Holiday

Most people get cakes and candies anyway to celebrate special holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas. You can amaze your loved one or family with a charcuterie board themed for the occasion. Imagine a red, white, and blue display of candy, cakes, and donuts for a special patriotic holiday. Your friends will want to have the cookout at your place every year.

Recognizing an Event

Any event worth celebrating deserves a charcuterie board. It’s simple to make one once you have your desired items. Whether you’re throwing a Pride party or Super Bowl event, amaze your guests with a themed spread. You can choose gummies that are colored for your favorite team or include the entire rainbow.

Enhancing a Special Occasion

Eyes are immediately drawn to charcuterie boards because they contain a multitude of different items. Whether you’re hosting a birthday, engagement party, or wedding reception, dessert charcuterie fits right in. This glamorous dessert can feed a party of any size. You simply get a bigger platter and more items.

Pro Tip: If your event runs for several hours, consider hiring or nominating someone to freshen the charcuterie throughout the night. Dips and popular items may run low.

You can please everyone with candy charcuterie. A guide to styling the sweetest spread will show you how to make a display that will not only attract all your guests but give each of them something they’ll love. Everyone deserves to enjoy this unique yet traditional experience that makes eating fun. Before your next event, contact Sweet Services for bulk candy to ensure you have enough for your charcuterie board.