How to Build a Vegan Charcuterie Board

The holidays are right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with an epic vegan charcuterie board! This vegan snack board is a great appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any celebration. It’s full of sweet fruits, savory vegan meats (some homemade & some storebought!), and creamy plant-based cheeses.

why you’ll love this vegan and vegetarian charcuterie board

• fresh fruit and the best vegan cheese: this guide will walk you through which brands of dairy-free cheese are the best on the market for a vegan cheese board!

• a guide to vegan proteins: below are creative options for vegan meat products that help spice up and elevate the charcuterie board.

• tips on how to arrange the food: this post will walk you through how to assemble the vegan charcuterie board

what is a charcuterie board?

“Charcuterie” is a French word that translates to “deli”. If you’re not familiar with charcuterie boards, they’re essentially one big appetizer platter with an assortment of fresh fruit, crackers, veggies, nuts, cheeses, and/or meats.

when to serve a vegan charcuterie board

Charcuterie boards are super versatile and can feel extra fancy making them perfect for the holiday season, special occasions, or your next party. Below are some of my favorite occasions to make a vegan charcuterie board:

• Romantic Date Night
• Thanksgiving
• Friendsgiving
• Christmas
• New Year’s
• Valentine’s Day
• Mother’s Day or Father’s Day
• Birthday or Picnic Summer Snack Board

what goes into a vegan charcuterie board?

What’s great about this grazing board is that you can pick out a bunch of your favorite foods. If you don’t like figs, don’t put figs on your board!

• A variety of foods help bring in a breadth of color and flavor.

• The goal is to incorporate both crunchy & soft textures, sweet & savory flavors, and neutral & vibrant colors.

• The amount of food you want to buy or gather depends on the size of your board.

📌 TIP: If you have a smaller board, I recommend picking 2 or 3 items from each of the 6 categories listed below. If you have a larger board pick 3-4 items from each of the categories below. I recommend trying to incorporate at least one item from each of the categories to get a variety of textures and different flavor profiles on the board.

1. Crackers & Breads
2. Dips & Sauces
3. Vegan Cheese
4. Vegan Meats or Proteins
5. Fruits & Nuts
6. Veggies

Helpful Equipment

• Wooden Platter, Stone Slab, Serving Dish, or Wooden Cutting Board
• 3-4 Small Bowls for Sauces and Dips
• Cheese Knife

vegan charcuterie board ideas

1. crackers & breads

Crispy crackers and bread serve as the base for every bite. I love incorporating some fresh, toasted baguette slices, classic ‘buttery’ round crackers, and at least 1 type of artisan cracker that is flavored.

• ROUND CRACKERS– like Ritz
• CLUB CRACKERS
• ARTISAN CRACKERS
• GARLIC HERB NAAN CRACKERS – Trader Joe’s makes delicious ones
• WHEAT THINS – original or tomato basil
• TRISCUITS
• TOASTED BAGUETTE
• SOURDOUGH BREAD
• PRETZELS – or pretzel thins

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2. sauces & dips

Including a few types of sauces or dips is a great way to bring in more flavors to the vegan charcuterie board. My go-to sauces are fruit jams, hot pepper jelly (for some heat!), and even some sweet homemade vegan honey. Trust me…a drizzle of sweet vegan honey onto some salty plant-based cheese can’t be beat! Below are a few more vegan-friendly ideas:

sauces

• VEGAN HONEY – homemade
• AGAVE
• DIJON MUSTARD

JAMS

• HOT PEPPER JELLY
• APRICOT JAM
• STRAWBERRY JAM
• TOMATO JAM

Vegan Dips

• HUMMUS, like roasted red pepper hummus or garlic
• BEAN DIP
• PLANT BASED NACHO SAUCE
• Homemade Herby Vegan Ricotta

3. vegan cheeses

Let’s be real…not all vegan cheeses are created equal. There are some really good ones out there and some not-so-great ones. Some vegan cheeses are fantastic in melted applications but have weird textures when eaten straight out of the package. I’ve tried tons of vegan cheeses over the past decade and below are my favorites. All of these vegan cheeses taste amazing straight out of the package, on crackers, or on bread.

Soft Cheeses

• MIYOKO’S CLASSIC CHIVE WHEEL – tons of amazing, creamy flavor
• TREELINE HERB GARLIC CHEESE SPREAD – the perfect combo of herb & garlic (on the pricey side though)
• MIYOKO’S SHARP ENGLISH FARMHOUSE CHEESE WHEEL – this cheese is super sharp if you’re into that

Sliced or Cubed Cheeses

• CHAO CREAMY ORIGINAL – super creamy with the right amount of salt
• 365 PLANT BASED SMOKED ‘GOUDA’ – a light, creamy sliced cheese
• FOLLOW YOUR HEART SMOKED ‘GOUDA’ – the perfect smoky flavor

Hard cheeses & Vegan Cheese Blocks

• VIOLIFE EPIC MATURE CHEDDAR BLOCK – great for cutting up cubes of cheese
• VIOLIFE JUST LIKE PARMESAN WEDGE – the most convincing vegan parm I’ve tried

4. vegan meats

You don’t necessarily need vegan ‘meats’ to make an epic vegan charcuterie board, but they do add a layer of savory flavor that’s super delicious. Plus it does add some authenticity to the charcuterie board. I like using a mixture of storebought vegan jerky and homemade seitan for a super unique flavor combination that’s sure to impress! If you’re not a fan of plant-based meats, you can sub in more nuts (listed below in section 5).

deli ‘meats’

• HOMEMADE SEITAN SALAMI
• TOFURKY ‘TURKEY’ SLICES
• FIELD ROAST PEPPERONI
• SWEET EARTH ITALIAN PEPPERONI
• LIGHTLIFE ‘HAM’ SLICES

other proteins

• VEGAN JERKY – like Lousiville Vegan Jerky
• FIELD ROAST SAUSAGES
• VEGAN CHORIZO – Trader Joe’s makes a great one
• SMOKY TOFU BACON

5. fruits & nuts

There are so many fruits, nuts, or veggies that you can add to your board. I love picking an assortment that will add in some beautiful color (as well as sweet flavors). Be aware of what’s in season since that can greatly affect the quality of the ingredients you pick out.

fruits

• RED OR GREEN GRAPES
• APPLE SLICES
• CLEMENTINES
• POMEGRANATE
• BLUEBERRIES
• BLACKBERRIES

dried fruits

• APRICOTS
• FIGS
• DATES
• RAISINS

nuts

• SMOKED ALMONDS
• CANDIED PECANS
• SALTED WALNUTS
• TOASTED CASHEWS

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6. Vegetables

Pick your favorite in season vegetables or opt for pickled veggies to add some acidity to the snack board.

FRESH VEGGIES

• CHERRY TOMATOES
• CELERY
• BABY CARROTS
• CUCUMBER SLICES

OTHER VEGGIES

• PICKLES
• OLIVES
• HERBS

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how to assemble the board

Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients from the categories above, it’s time for the fun part- assembling the vegan charcuterie board! What’s important here is to have fun.

📌 TIP: A good rule of thumb is to work in groupings of 3 or odd numbers. So for example, 3 bowls of dip.

STEP 1: I find that it’s easiest to start by placing the round elements on the board first. That can be a round cheese wheel or small bowls with your sauces.

STEP 2: Next, layer in the larger items like crackers (fanned radially around the small bowls), then the vegan meats, fruits and veggies. 

STEP 3: I like to fill in any gaps or remaining spaces with smaller items like nuts or dried fruits (or even some dark chocolate).

📌 TIP: One thing to note is that you’ll probably fit less on your board of each item than you think you will. You can keep any extras of each item prepped and ready in the kitchen or on the side to refill the board if you need to!

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vegan charcuterie board FAQ

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Looking for more VEGAN SIDES?

• Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
• Tahini Glazed Rainbow Carrots
• Vegan Brioche Buns

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