Easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Idea

This easy Christmas tree charcuterie board is perfect for the holiday season. Delight your guests with a festive display of appetizers in Christmas tree form!

Take your holiday celebration to the next level with this show-stopping Christmas tree charcuterie board!

Picture this: a delicious array of ham slices, assorted cheese, fresh fruits, and biscuits artfully arranged to form a festive Christmas tree shape. 🎄

This visual feast also offers an experience for the guests to mix and match their appetizers.

Creating this edible Christmas masterpiece is a breeze, and before you know it, serving a Christmas charcuterie becomes a must-have at your holiday gatherings!

Join us in crafting this Christmas board and leave everyone merry and craving for more.

What Is Christmas Charcuterie?

A Christmas charcuterie board is a platter of appetizers, finger foods, and snacks. However, this themed board embraces the spirit of the festive season by featuring holiday faves or styling the treats to fit the joyful occasion.

For example, this Christmas tree charcuterie board is made from sweet and savory delights arranged vertically to look like a Christmas tree.

Each layer easily caters to everyone’s palate, and the result is an IG-worthy Christmas board.

I think it’s fair to say this appetizer platter is as “Christmassy” as the song All I Want For Christmas Is You blasting through the malls every December!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Dazzle your guests by being inspired by the iconic holiday symbol when you build your festive appetizer platter.

Here are why this charcuterie Christmas tree is perfect for the most wonderful time of the year:

• Festive Display: Nothing captures the essence of Christmas more than this visually stunning edible arrangement! Say goodbye to expensive and fancy foods because this delightful Christmas charcuterie board is here to steal the show!
• Easy Appetizer Idea: Can’t decide what appetizers to serve at your Christmas gathering? This super easy Christmas tree charcuterie board requires no cooking and won’t strain your holiday food budget!
• Customizable Spread: This hassle-free charcuterie Christmas tree offers something for everyone, whether you’re a sweet tooth or a savory fanatic. However, don’t forget to personalize the appetizer board with your favorite ingredients and let your creativity run wild with the various colors, textures, and tastes. 🤤

What Does This Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Taste Like?

This Christmas charcuterie board is a crowd-pleasing blend of sweet and savory.

From succulent beef and turkey ham, various cheeses, juicy fresh fruits, and crisp biscuits, it’s guaranteed to create the perfect bite!

I’m sure your guests will easily devour this Christmas tree, leaving no crumbs behind. 😋

Finger foods and appetizers are just perfect while mingling and catching up with loved ones this Christmas. But to take this platter up a notch, don’t forget to include treats that will have your house smell like Christmas!

These apple cinnamon brownies are simply divine, and what’s great about them is they’re not overwhelmingly sweet.

Is Christmas Charcuterie Board Healthy?

Actually, yes! This Christmas tree charcuterie board is the healthy twist you’re looking for this indulgent season.

I know that Christmas feasts are often enjoyed guilt-free. After all, we can all just restart by January, right? Haha! 😆

However, this festive platter is also nourishing with its fresh berries and grapes, which are excellent sources of vitamins.

But if you want to make your Christmas charcuterie board even healthier, crunchy broccoli florets and carrot sticks not only provide a nutritious experience but also add a pop of color to the charcuterie Christmas tree! 💪

What Are The Benefits Of Charcuterie Christmas Tree?

This Christmas charcuterie board combines simplicity, affordability, and aesthetic appeal.

The stunning platter of appetizers requires minimal effort to arrange, so it’s a lifesaver for hosts during the hustle and bustle of holiday preparation.

The components are even budget-friendly, and you can tailor each layer of the Christmas tree charcuterie board to whatever your taste buds seek!

Ingredients For Christmas Charcuterie

• Beef ham – You can also use pork ham for your Christmas charcuterie board, but I think the special occasion deserves beef!
• Turkey ham – Always offer a variety of meats when arranging your charcuterie Christmas tree. Some guests might prefer leaner proteins like turkey.
• Strawberries – Delicious on their own or with dips like chocolate.
• Blueberries – Packed with antioxidants, juicy, sweet, and tart blueberries are one of the best fruits for our Christmas tree board. Serve them chilled, and thank me later.
• Grilled green olives – Have you tried grilled olives before? If you haven’t yet, you’re missing out!
• Grapes – I used two types of grapes for color variations in this festive charcuterie board.
• Mini chocolate-filled cookies – You can use any mini biscuits or cookies.
• Cheddar cheese – Slice your cheddar cheese into cubes for easier munching!
• Semi-hard cheese – Christmas platters like this Christmas tree charcuterie board is best enjoyed with your favorite cheeses. Besides cheddar, I added Maasdam, but you can substitute it with Gruyere if unavailable.
• Straw cookies – For the trunk of our festive Christmas tree, we’ll use pretzel sticks or straw cookies.
• Slice of cheese – Of course, our charcuterie tree would be incomplete without a star on top. Just cut your sliced cheese into a star, or use a star cookie cutter!
• Rosemary – Fresh rosemary sprigs are optional, but they just add that extra charm to the holiday charcuterie board. They remind me of wreaths!

Tools Needed To Prepare Christmas Charcuterie

• Charcuterie board for the holiday appetizer platter
• Knife for slicing the ingredients
• Star-shaped cookie cutter for cutting the cheese slice

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

Cherry tomatoes

Add vibrancy to your Christmas tree charcuterie board with cherry tomatoes. They go well with meats and cheese and are also a good source of antioxidants to make our Christmas board extra nutritious!

Pecans

Want extra crunch in this Christmas charcuterie board? Add a line of pecans into the Christmas tree arrangement!

Ginger snaps

I want to add more sweets to this festive platter, so I thought, why not use ginger snaps? They’ll be perfect when you serve this Christmas board with cozy holiday drinks!

Alternatively, you can make these chai-spiced sugar cookies. They’re so chewy and addictive!

How To Make A Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• 6 slices beef ham
• 6 slices turkey ham
• ½ cup strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ cup grilled green olives
• 1 cup grapes (I used two types)
• ½ cup mini chocolate-filled cookies (I used Biscolata mood cookies)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, sliced into cubes
• ½ cup semi-hard cheese (I used Maasdam cheese but you can substitute with gruyere)
• 6 pcs straw cookies or pretzel sticks
• Sliced cheese, cut into a star shape
• Several sprigs of rosemary

Tools you need:

• Charcuterie board
• Knife
• Star-shaped cookie cutter

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather the ingredients for your Christmas tree charcuterie board. 

STEP 2: Start the base of the tree with cookie sticks and cheddar cheese cubes 

STEP 3: Vertically layer the blueberries, folded beef ham slices, and grilled green olives above the row of cheese cubes.

STEP 4: Continue building your Christmas tree by adding the line of grapes and Maasdam cheese.

STEP 5: Insert the turkey ham slices between the grapes and Maasdam cheese. Then, finish the rest of the tree with biscuits, strawberries, and a sliced cheese star at the top.

STEP 6: To further decorate our Christmas charcuterie board, add several sprigs of rosemary to the spaces around the tree. Serve and enjoy!

What To Serve With Christmas Charcuterie Board

This Christmas charcuterie board is an easy match for any holiday favorite.

The assortment of sweet and savory delights on each line of the adorable Christmas tree can easily work as appetizers before classic holiday meals like roast beef or glazed ham.

But wait, there’s more!

Why not add two irresistible sweets to the mix?

These charming Christmas-themed treats are not only a joy to make but also add a touch of festivity to the table.

• White Chocolate Dipped Cookies
• Strawberry-Filled Cupcakes

Tips About Making Charcuterie Christmas Tree

Conquer this DIY Christmas charcuterie board stress-free with these tips:

• The grapes and berries in this Christmas tree charcuterie board will be perfect when served cold. I suggest filling the board with just enough fruit and then keeping extras in the fridge for refills later.
• The ham slices in this charcuterie Christmas tree remind me of garlands, and you can fold them however you want when arranging the board. Try rolling the slices onto themselves like you’re making a cone!
• You can also place dips like Greek yogurt and mustard on the corners of the board!

How To Store Christmas Charcuterie

To store leftovers from your Christmas charcuterie board, simply follow these guidelines:

• Fridge: Store similar components of your Christmas tree charcuterie board in individual airtight containers. They should keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers from this Christmas charcuterie just because everything has likely been sitting out for a while at the gathering (the fruits will just be a soggy mess!) Instead, refrigerate them and consume them within 2 days!

What Not To Put On A Charcuterie Board?

While it’s easy to set up holiday platters like this Christmas tree charcuterie board, it would help you to know what foods won’t make the best options for your appetizer spread.

For example, be mindful of dairy products for your spreads, dips, and desserts, especially if you expect to have your Christmas charcuterie board to stay at the table for a while.

In general, perishable items are best kept cold for at least 2 hours.

For fresh veggies and fruits (like the berries and grapes in this Christmas tree charcuterie board), I suggest keeping the servings small and then just preparing the refills ready to go in the fridge.

Juicy and mushy fruits and veggies are also a no-no!

Imagine the juices of pineapple and watermelon slices seeping out and making your crunchy appetizers soggy.

And for mushy fruits like bananas? They’ll just turn brown and unappetizing.

Finally, avoid serving meats that won’t work as finger foods or messy recipes that will need utensils to be eaten. Instead, your best choices are cured and cold cut meats!

Is A Grazing Board The Same As A Charcuterie Board?

Nope! A grazing board is not the same as a charcuterie board, and the easiest way to distinguish the two is that grazing boards are bigger and offer a wider variety of food items.

This is why if you’re having a large Christmas gathering, a beautiful holiday grazing board is perfect for the wow factor.

On the other hand, a charcuterie board is a smaller platter.

It still features an assortment of food items, but you’ll notice the emphasis on cheese and meats.

Charcuterie boards are simply perfect for appetizers before the main meal at your Christmas party.

FAQ About Christmas Charcuterie Board

Conclusion

Nothing ignites the holiday spirit better than this Christmas tree charcuterie board.

Indulge in the perfect blend of sweet and savory appetizers arranged delightfully into a Christmas tree.

But the visual is not the only best part. This Christmas charcuterie board won’t put a dent in your holiday budget nor cause any stress during the hectic preparations often experienced when hosting a holiday party.

And if this themed charcuterie board made you smile, explore unique charcuterie board concepts or try our favorite creative ideas for your next holiday or party:

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