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This Halloween charcuterie board makes the perfect centerpiece for any gathering of ghosts and ghouls! Ditch the traditional meat and cheese board for one filled with chocolates and candy.
Serve up Some Spooky Fun!
I felt like a celebrity when I brought this Skeleton Charcuterie Board into a Halloween Party a few years ago. The fun mix of cute chocolate creatures and Halloween candy is just so bright and fun! Creating a Halloween-themed board is a fun and festive way to present a spooky snack. It’s the perfect party food because there is a little something for everyone. We’ve got sour, sweet, chocolate, fruity, and salty!
What is a Charcuterie Board?
Charcuterie boards (pronounced “shar-KOO-tuh-ree”) are a trend that I have seen popping up everywhere. “Charcuterie” is a French term for an appetizer displaying a variety of cured meats, mostly pork. Originally they included things like salami, prosciutto, and sausages. However, modern charcuterie boards can have any variety of meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, olives, nuts, and sauces. Chips, crackers, and dips in small bowls are also a modern addition. Typically, the boards are arranged on a platter in an aesthetically pleasing and abundant fashion. If you’d like to try making a charcuterie board of your own, check out our recipe for a perfect charcuterie board.
So, What is a Halloween Charcuterie Board?
Since the idea of charcuterie boards has become so popular, people have taken the idea and run with it! Dessert charcuterie boards and snack boards are arranged in the same smorgasbord style but with all sweets and treats instead of meats and cheeses. They are so fun, and you can tailor them to any theme. I chose to make a Halloween themed Charcuterie Board since that is the next upcoming holiday. However, you can make one for Christmas, Easter, birthdays – pretty much any occasion. Also, check out our Valentine’s Day Dessert Board.
How to Make a Skeleton Charcuterie Board
For this Halloween Charcuterie Board, I chose a skeleton as the center and I used an 18×24 wooden cutting board. However, you can scale up or down depending on the size of your party. I got the posable skeleton from a craft store for 50% off a few days before Halloween. For the chocolate-decorated treats, I was inspired by our Halloween Rice Krispie Treats. I made those ahead of time so the melted chocolate could be set up. Then, I just headed to the candy aisle and seasonal aisle in the grocery store for the rest of the candies. I like to make sure I have a variety of colors, flavors, and different textures.
What Kind of Candy Should I Add to My Halloween Charcuterie Board?
When you are looking to fill out your Halloween Charcuterie Board with candy, you want things that are colorful, grabable, and tasty! Here are some of our favorites:
Wrapped Chocolates – If you are going to use chocolate candies like Reese’s, Snickers, etc., keep them in the wrapper. It will look more bright and colorful that way.
Candies – Gummy worms (don’t forget to add one hanging out of the skeleton’s mouth), candy corn, candy pumpkins, smarties, gummy candy eyeballs, peach rings, Starburst (yellow and orange only), and licorice (a little morbid, but it kind of looks like skeleton guts).
Salty Treats – Popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and our Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are just a few ideas to add some savory flavors to your board.
Personalizing Your Board
The fun thing about this skeleton charcuterie board is that you can really customize it to your party! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- For something a little more nutritious on your board, add blackberries, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, or orange slices. You can also add nuts like walnuts or pistachios. You could also cut out some pieces of cheddar cheese with small cookie cutters like pumpkins or ghosts.
- If the skeleton is too spooky for your party guests, you can leave it out for a more light-hearted vibe. Or you could just use the skeleton hands. Just arrange the treats all over the board and add little plastic spiders or other spooky decorations.
- If you have a peanut allergy in the group, stick with fruity candies and then switch out the Nutter Butter cookies for graham crackers and the Reese’s Cups for Mini Oreos.
The Best Melting Chocolate
To make the little monster treats on this Halloween Charcuterie Board, you will need melted chocolate. You can absolutely use chocolate chips with a little bit of shortening or oil. However, I love using candy melts or wafers. They melt so smoothly and taste great! You can order them on Amazon or find them in the baking section at most craft stores and at some grocery stores in the baking aisle. However, if you use the melts, just be sure to not add any oil. Because they already have oil, additional oil will mess up the texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to balance out the sweetness from the board, you could serve fun flavors of seltzers. Crowd not into that? Try making a punch from naturally sweetened juice and sparkling water. If you don’t mind a little extra sweetness, try our Butterbeer, it’s delicious and on theme! Or something more fruity, Sparkling Citrus Punch.
This board may look a little overwhelming to you, but never fear! You can pick and choose how many elements you want to add to your board. Maybe just pick one of the chocolate dipped treats and then fill out the rest of the board with candy and other pre-made snacks. Make it your own!
You can, if you add a little bit of coconut oil. However, I always get much better, smoother results with candy wafers. They are made specifically to melt.
Read More: 25+ Best Halloween Dinner Ideas: Perfect for Your Fright Night Party!
More Halloween Recipes
There are so many fun Halloween recipes to make! Bring a little spookiness to your next Halloween party. With all the snacks try making a drink to go along with it like our Pumpkin Spice Steamer or our Pumpkin Juice Recipe. Your kids will love it.
Halloween Charcuterie Board
Equipment
- Wooden board or serving platter
- Posable skeleton
Ingredients
For the Monster Treats
- 8 rice krispie treats
- 5 ounces white chocolate melting wafers
- purple food dye
- candy eyes
- purple sprinkles
For the Witch Fingers
- 8 pretzel rods
- 10 ounces white chocolate melting wafers
- green food dye
- sliced almonds
For the Ghosts
- 8 Nutter Butter cookies
- 5 ounces white chocolate melting wafers
- mini chocolate chips
For the Bats
- 8 Mini Reese's Cups
- 8 Oreo Thins
- candy eyes
Additional Candy
- 18 ounces Smarties
- 16 ounces red licorice
- 15 ounces Assorted Hershey's Candy
- 28 ounces sour gummy worms
- 40 ounces candy corn
Instructions
- Make the Monster Treats by melting the chocolate wafers (see post for melting instructions) and mix in the purple food dye. Dip one side of the Rice Krispie Treat into the chocolate. Place the candy eyes onto the chocolate. Place the sprinkles on the top to look like hair. Set on a pan lined with parchment paper and allow the chocolate to set.
- To make the Witch Fingers, melt the chocolate wafers and mix in the green food dye. Place the melted chocolate into a tall cup. Dip each pretzel rod in the chocolate. Place a sliced almond on the tip to look like a fingernail. Set on a pan lined with parchment paper and allow the chocolate to set.
- To make the Ghosts, melt the chocolate wafers. Dip one side of the Nutter Butter cookie into the chocolate. Place two mini chocolate chips to look like eyes and one to look like a mouth. Set on a pan lined with parchment paper and allow the chocolate to set.
- To make the Bats, unwrap the Mini Reese's Cups but don't take off the inner lining. Open each Oreo and scrape the creme filling out. Do not discard. Break each cookie in half to make the wings. Spread some of the creme filling onto the Reese's Cup. Attach the cookie halves to the Reese's Cup using the creme filling. Spread some creme filling where the wings touch and use that to attach the eyes.
- Start out by placing the skeleton diagonally across the board. Stuff the rib cage with candy. Fill in all the spaces in and around the skeleton with candy.
- Next, place the larger chocolate-decorated treats around the board. Then fill in any open spaces with more candy.
Hi,
I love the Skelton candy board. What size is the Skelton that you used? 3ft-4ft? I want to make this for my grandsons. They will love these treats.
Yes my skeleton was about 3 feet tall! Hope you enjoy!
This is a spooktacular idea! The kids will love it especially since we are planning just to stay at home this year.
This looks so fun, with lots of cute easy ideas to get in the Halloween spirit.
This is such a great idea! I can’t wait to make this for a little get together! Looks so beautiful and colorful!
What a fun and festive Halloween spread! Not only for kids either! 🙂
What a creative way to serve treats! This is like a cross between a recipe and an art project. Perfect for a kids Halloween party!