One of the things that I love about charcuterie boards is that they are just so easy. All of the ingredients can be store-bought, and that alone is a huge time-saver. But sometimes it's nice, too, to add a homemade touch to your board. That's why today I'm sharing 42 of the best homemade charcuterie board ingredients that I could find on the internet.
If you missed my last post, 13 Charcuterie Board Ideas for Entertaining, check it out for already-put-together-for-you boards that you can recreate at home!
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Table of Contents
What is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie is the French word for cured meats like salami, prosciutto, and even pepperoni. A charcuterie board is an arrangement of cured meats, cheeses, and condiments that lets your guests DIY their own appetizer.
If you're just getting started with charcuterie, you can use a serving platter or a baking sheet that you own. But if you're ready to up your charcuterie game, check out these 12 best charcuterie boards for sale online!
What to put on a charcuterie board
You can put all kinds of ingredients on your charcuterie board, but here are my suggestions for a well-rounded board:
- 2-3 meats: salami, ham, prosciutto, copocollo, pepperoni
- 2-3 cheeses: 1 hard (like cheddar or gouda), 1 soft (like brie or goat cheese), and 1 special (like gorgonzola or a flavored cheese)
- 1-2 condiments, dips, or spreads
- 1 brine-y ingredient like olives or pickles
- Fillers: nuts, fruits (apples, grapes, and pears work well), or chocolates
Want a printable charcuterie template? Download my Charcuterie Cheatsheet below!
Homemade Charcuterie Board Ingredients
Making something homemade for your charcuterie board gives it just that special touch to take it over the top. And there are all kinds of things you can make -- jams, chutneys, dips, spreads, homemade crackers or bread, spiced nuts -- the possibilities are endless.
Remember, though, that the best thing about charcuterie boards is that they are easy -- you can buy most all of the ingredients. So just because I'm sharing these recipes, don't go overboard and try to make everything homemade on your board. Just pick 1-2 things to give it that je-ne-sais-quoi.
Ready for the recipes? Here they are!
Jams/Chutneys
Cranberry Salsa by The Welcoming Table
Fig and Ruby Port Jam by What a Girl Eats
Cranberry Apple Chutney from Savoring the Good
Tomato Jam from Savoring the Good
Easy Fig Jam from Foodal
Bacon Peach Jam from Striped Spatula
Spicy Fig Orange Microwave Jam from Simply Recipes
Apple and Carmelized Onion Chutney from Mother Would Know
Slow Cooker Apple Chutney from Natural Kitchen Adventures
Spiced Plum Chutney from Jamie Oliver
Cherry Chutney from Pooks Pantry
Strawberry Balsamic Jam from Cook with Manali
Dips/Spreads
Homemade Hummus from The Welcoming Table
Madou's Pate de Campagne from Garlic and Zest
Baba Ganoush from Eating Richly
Olive Tapenade from Lemon Tree Dwelling
Beet Hummus from Little Sunny Kitchen
Meyer Lemon Tapenade from Delicious Table
Sweet Hot Mustard Sauce from A Family Feast
Habanero Beer Mustard from The Chunky Chef
Crackers/Breads
Homemade Rosemary Sea Salt Crackers from Tikkido
Charcuterie Board Pita Chips from My Kitchen Love
Crispy Italian Breadsticks from The Gunny Sack
Olive Oil Herb Crackers by A Sweet Pea Chef
Almond Flour Crackers from A Life of Happenstance
Savory Shortbread Pesto Parmesan Basil Crackers from Tikkido
Homemade Rustic Crackers from Catch My Party
Homemade Ritz Crackers from Cupcake Project
Homemade Wheat Crackers from Little House Living
Easy Crusty Baguettes from King Arthur
Herb and Cheese Grissini from A Shaggy Dough Story
Rosemary Fig and Nut Gluten-free Bread from Nourish and Nestle
Nuts
Rosemary Roasted Almonds from What a Girl Eats
Sweet Spicy and Salty Pecans from Moore or Less Cooking
Mixed Nuts with Za'atar Spice from Healing Tomato
Spicy Maple Rosemary Roasted Nuts from Flavor the Moments
Sriracha Roasted Nuts from Eat Healthy, Eat Happy
Chai Spiced Nuts from Cookin' Canuck
Caramel Walnuts from Kitchen @ Hoskins
Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts from In Katrina's Kitchen
Buffalo Spiced Nuts from Cooking with Janica
Balsamic Spiced Nuts from Food Fashion Party
With all of these recipes, now you have no excuse not to make a charcuterie board! What are you going to try first? Tell me in the comments!
Don't forget to download your FREE Charcuterie Cheatsheet!
If you love charcuterie, check out these posts:
13 Charcuterie Boards for Easy Entertaining
The Best Charcuterie Boards for Sale on Amazon and Etsy
Chocolate and Cheese Charcuterie Board
Lynn B Spencer
Hi Sandi, I am pinning this post as we LOVE a charcuterie board in our home. Thanks for including my fig and nut bread...I know you and your readers will love it.
Have a great day my friend.
Hugs, Lynn
sandi
You're welcome, Lynn! It will be a great option for anyone eating gluten-free.
Andrea
Excellent roundup post. I’m always looking for these kind of recipes!
sandi
Great -- hope you try some of them, Andrea.
Jill
Can't wait to try this out sometime soon!
sandi
Take a picture when you do!
Healing Tomato
Thank you so much for including my Mixed Nuts recipe. I love your site and you have done an AMAZING job of bringing together so many wonderful dishes. 🙂
sandi
Thanks so much!
Ceri Jones
Such a useful post! Going to look at this next time I'm putting together a charcuterie board!
sandi
Great, Ceri!
Amy young
We are doing a grazing table for my son’s wedding reception....170 people....can you suggest how many lbs of meats to buy? Or is their a formula per person.. thanks. I love this post
sandi
Hi, Amy. I love that you're doing a grazing table for your son's wedding! If the grazing table is functioning as a meal, I'd suggest 3-4 ounces of meat per person so 35 lbs (if you're leaning towards 3 ounces) or 45 lbs (if you're leaning towards 4), depending on how much "buffer" you want to have. Also, you might want to limit the types of meat to 2-3 because everyone will want to sample them all. 🙂 Hope it goes well!
Lynn
I read through all of your posts on charcuterie and at the end it says download the charcuterie cheat sheet below, but I haven't been able to find it. Is it located somewhere else?
sandi
Hi, Lynn. I'm so sorry you're having trouble finding it! There should be a colored box on each of the charcuterie posts where you can sign up for it. There is also a box at the very top of the page where you can enter your info to get it. Shoot me an email if you keep having trouble!
Laura Martin
Enjoyed this Pin. Looking forward to the “cheat sheet” . I actually build the boards for charcuterie/cheese boards and look forward to new ideas. Thanks!
sandi
Hope it helps!
Raette Layman
Is it ok to put shrimp on my board with the meats, cheeses, etc.?
sandi
Hmm...I think I would put them in a bowl, Raette, just to be safe.
Rhonda
Some folks have shellfish allergy so stay away from placing shrimp on board with other items.
Manali
Enjoyed this Pin. Looking forward to the “cheat sheet” . I actually build the boards for charcuterie/cheese boards and look forward to new ideas. Thanks!