This easy Fall Charcuterie Board is loaded with seasonal favorites, from crisp apples and juicy pears to cured meats, cheeses, crackers and all the salty-sweet extras. It’s endlessly customizable and perfect for everything from football parties to Thanksgiving appetizers.
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What’s not to love about grazing on a gorgeous charcuterie board? When done right, there’s a little something for everyone, with a mix of savory and sweet flavors and all the colors and textures of the season.
When I’m building a fall charcuterie board, I pair creamy and sharp cheeses with salty meats, crisp apples and pears, crunchy crackers and a few extras like nuts, olives and my favorite jam or honey. There’s no cooking required, and you can easily scale your spread up or down depending on your crowd. Grab your favorite board and let’s get grazing!
What to Put on a Fall Charcuterie Board
The best charcuterie boards have a mix of flavors and textures, but you don’t need dozens of ingredients to create an impressive spread. I like to choose a few favorites from each of these five categories:
- Cheese: Aim for a mix of flavors and textures. Brie or goat cheese brings the creamy factor, while aged cheddar, Gouda, Manchego or Parmesan adds a firmer option. My pimento cheese spread and whipped Brie are also easy additions that can anchor the center of your board.
- Meat: Prosciutto, salami and soppressata are all great choices. Fold or loosely pile the slices rather than laying them flat to give your board more dimension.
- Fall fruit: Apples and pears are my go-tos, but grapes, fresh figs and pomegranate arils add beautiful seasonal color, too.
- Crackers and bread: Choose two or three different shapes and textures, such as seeded crackers, crostini, breadsticks or slices of crusty baguette. You can even go the DIY route with my homemade Southern cheese crackers, which are buttery, cheesy and made with just four ingredients.
- The extras: This is where the board really comes together! Fill in the gaps with olives, cornichons, nuts, dried fruit, honey, jam or grainy mustard.
Want to make your board look extra impressive? Turn sliced salami into a rose! Here’s how I do it:
How I Build Mine
Once you’ve picked your ingredients, it’s all about creating a mix of flavors, textures, shapes and colors. I don’t follow an exact formula every time, but there are a few things I always keep in mind when building a charcuterie board.
Consider both taste and texture when it comes to cheese selections. Variety is the spice of life… and the key to a successful charcuterie board! I like to include a mix of hard and soft cheeses, along with both mild and stronger flavors. Parmesan (especially in crumble form!), cheddar, Gouda and Manchego are great firm options, while Brie, Camembert and goat cheese bring the creamy factor. For something mild, Port Salut is my all-time favorite cheese, while Roquefort, Stilton or aged Gouda will bring a bolder bite.
For even more crunch, tuck in a batch of my Parmesan cheese crisps. They’re made with just a few ingredients and give you another salty, cheesy element without adding yet another block of cheese.
Mix up your crackers. Taste and texture matter, but don’t forget about shape! I like to include two or three different styles, such as classic round water crackers, extra-crunchy crisps, breadsticks or rectangular flatbreads. Just make sure your crackers are sturdy enough to hold whatever you’re pairing with them. No one wants to tackle a larger-than-life chunk of cheddar on a barely-there rice cracker.
Start with the largest items. I place any small bowls of dips, spreads, olives or condiments on the board first, followed by the largest cheeses. From there, I add the meats, fruit and crackers, then use smaller extras like nuts and dried fruit to fill in any gaps.
Spread out the colors and textures. Rather than putting all of the cheeses in one spot or all of the fruit together, I scatter them around the board. It makes the whole spread feel more balanced and gives guests something different to reach for from every side.
My Favorite Platter for Serving It
A beautiful serving platter does half the work for you! I love this olive oil dipping platter because the center well gives you a built-in spot for olive oil and balsamic vinegar, while the outer section can be piled high with all your favorite cheeses, fruit, bread, crackers and other bites.
For this fall-inspired version, I filled the center with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then surrounded it with sliced green apples, cheeses, crusty bread, green olives and crunchy taralli. It’s proof that you don’t need a mile-long ingredient list to build an impressive spread.
How Much Meat and Cheese Do I Need Per Person?
If you’re serving your charcuterie as an appetizer, plan on about 2 to 3 ounces each of meat and cheese per person, plus plenty of crackers, bread, fruit and extras. If the board is the main event, you’ll want to bump up the quantities. I usually stick with three cheeses for a smaller crowd, then add more variety as the guest list grows. And always buy more crackers than you think you’ll need—they have a way of disappearing fast!
Can I Make a Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time?
Yes! If you’re prepping a day ahead, slice the cheeses and prep the meats, then store everything separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. A few hours before serving, you can assemble the meats and cheeses on the board, cover it tightly and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.
Wait to add crackers, bread and anything else that could get soggy until just before serving. I also like to wait until the last minute to slice apples and pears so they stay fresh, but you can follow my tips for keeping apples from browning if you want to prep them ahead. Take the board out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off the cheeses.
Hosting a Halloween party? Add a few spooky touches to your board, then head over to my Halloween recipes and party ideas for even more inspiration, including my spider web cheese dip.
Ingredients
Cheeses (choose 3 or more):
- Soft and creamy: Brie, Camembert, goat cheese, Port Salut or burrata
- Firm: Cheddar, Gouda, Manchego, Gruyere or Parmesan
- Bold: Blue cheese, Roquefort, Stilton or aged Gouda
Cured meats (choose 2 or 3):
- Prosciutto, salami, soppressata or capicola
Fresh and Dried Fruit (choose 2 or 3):
- Apples, pears, grapes, fresh figs, pomegranate arils, dried apricots, figs or cranberries
Crackers and Bread (choose 2 or 3):
- Water crackers, seeded crisps, breadsticks, flatbread crackers or sliced baguette
Extras (choose a few):
- Olives, cornichons, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, fig jam, preserves, honey or whole-grain mustard
Instructions
- Start with the largest items. Place any small bowls of jam, mustard, olives or other condiments on a large serving board or platter, followed by the cheeses. Space them around the board so they act as anchors for everything else.
- Add the meats. Fold or loosely pile the cured meats around the cheeses so they’re easy to grab.
- Add the fruit. Arrange larger fresh fruit, such as clusters of grapes, followed by sliced apples, pears and other seasonal fruit.
- Add the crackers and bread. Tuck two or three varieties into the open spaces around the board.
- Fill in the gaps. Finish with smaller extras like nuts and dried fruit, scattering them anywhere the board needs a little filling in. Serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- How much to buy: For an appetizer board, plan on about 2 to 3 ounces each of meat and cheese per person (plan on a bit more if this is the main event!). Adjust the amount of fruit, crackers and extras based on your crowd.
- Make-ahead: Prep the meats and cheeses up to a day in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. A few hours before serving, arrange the refrigerated ingredients on the board, cover tightly and refrigerate. Add crackers, bread and anything that could get soggy just before serving.
- Apples and pears: Slice them just before serving or use my tips for keeping apples from browning if you want to prep them ahead.
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