Charcuterie Board Trends

Charcuterie is a favorite among consumers, but most restaurants don’t capitalize on its popularity. 76% of consumers who have tried charcuterie reported either liking or loving it, but only 4.9% of menus in the U.S. offer charcuterie as of 2023. While a traditional charcuterie board might not suit your establishment, charcuterie trends expand on the classic meat and cheese board and offer formats and ingredients appropriate for almost any foodservice setting. From portable charcuterie to vegan options, we provide the top charcuterie trends so you can find a format and ingredient list that works for you.

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Charcuterie Trends

Charcuterie is more than a food trend, its origins date back to 15th century France. However, the way people serve it, and the ingredients they favor, evolve. Offer the latest charcuterie board trends to attract customers, earn profits, and access new market segments.

Charcuterie Cones

1. Charcuterie Cones

Charcuterie cones are handheld charcuterie boards served in disposable cones. For food trucks and other off-premise dining businesses, charcuterie cones are an economical single-serve charcuterie option because disposable paper cones are more affordable than buying dozens of mini charcuterie boards or serving charcuterie in jars.

How to Make Charcuterie Cones

Check out our charcuterie cone video for a step-by-step tutorial.


Making charcuterie cones is easy once you know how to layer the ingredients inside the cone. Follow these simple steps to create a sumptuous charcuterie cone presentation.

  1. Dried fruit and nuts go first because they create a stable base for toothpicks.
  2. Cheese elements are usually larger and should go in second. Consider threading hard cheeses and marinated mozzarella balls onto toothpicks.
  3. Meats have multiple arrangement options. Cut hard salami into nuggets and roll or fold your prosciutto. Thread deli meat onto sticks and stand them in the cone.
  4. Olives and pickled items are essential to any charcuterie presentation. Tangy, acidic pickled ingredients balance the rich meats and cheeses.
  5. Fresh fruit pairs sweet with savory. Slide thin slices of pears and apples into the cone, and thread toothpicks with fresh berries.
  6. Fresh vegetables are a healthy, gluten-free alternative to crackers. Add cucumber and sweet pepper slices to accommodate alternative diets.
  7. Grains are a beloved choice for those who tolerate them. Items like cheese straws, crackers, and mini breadsticks add height to your charcuterie cone, creating a pretty plume.
  8. Fresh herbs are a decorative finishing touch for charcuterie presentations.

2. Vegan Charcuterie Board

Vegan Charcuterie

You may wonder how to make a vegan charcuterie board when the key ingredients of a traditional charcuterie board are meat and cheese. Thankfully, with a few slight adjustments, you can make a completely vegan charcuterie board. The market is full of high-quality vegan cheese varieties that can replace dairy cheese. Skip the meats and increase the number of fruits, crackers, and spreads. Add plant-based proteins like eggplant bacon, roasted chickpeas, and smoky mushroom jerky.

Vegan Charcuterie Board Ideas

The perfect vegan charcuterie board includes at least one salty, savory, sweet, and spicy item along with a dip. Make your vegan charcuterie board by selecting a vegan item of each flavor profile. We offer some vegan charcuterie board element suggestions below.

  • Salty Vegan Charcuterie Elements - pickled vegetables, olives, tapenade, salted nuts, edamame
  • Savory Vegan Charcuterie Elements - hummus, seitan bacon strips, smoked tempeh, vegan cheese
  • Sweet Vegan Charcuterie Elements - candied nuts, dried/fresh fruits, jam, chocolate
  • Spicy Vegan Charcuterie Elements - kimchi, harissa, vegan pepperoni, Moroccan spiced roast chickpeas
  • Dipping Vegan Charcuterie Elements - cucumber slices, mini bell peppers, radish slices, different breads, crackers

3. Breakfast Board

pancake breakfast board

Perfect for brunch service, breakfast boards borrow the classic charcuterie presentation style but use breakfast foods instead of cured deli meats and cheeses. You can either arrange a variety of your favorite breakfast foods on a board or you can choose a specific theme for your brunch board. Popular breakfast board themes include mini pancakes or waffle breakfast boards. Breakfast charcuterie is a fun way to upgrade your continental breakfast presentation at your hotel or bed and breakfast.

How to Make a Breakfast Board

All you need to make a breakfast board is a board/platter and the items you want to serve. In standard charcuterie style, you’ll want to place the items on your board in order of largest to smallest. We offer a few suggestions for how to make a breakfast board below.

  • Arrange grains - mini pancakes, mini waffles, mini croissants, french toast sticks, mini cinnamon rolls, mini scones
  • Place bowls of dips - Nutella, maple syrup, jams, nut butters, honey
  • Add proteins - slices of bacon, breakfast sausages, deviled eggs, black pudding
  • Fill spaces with fruits - banana slices, berries, kiwi slices

4. Jarcuterie

Jarcuterie

Jarcuterie is an individual serving of charcuterie layered in a cute jar or disposable cup. Mini mason jar charcuterie is a popular choice. The 'charcuterie in a jar' trend was born out of the pandemic to prevent cross-contamination, and it has captured the hearts and stomachs of charcuterie lovers ever since. Jarcuterie is the perfect portable appetizer for catered events because they allow people to graze while they mingle. The jars offer a more upscale look than disposable cones.

How to Make Jarcuterie

Follow the steps below to arrange charcuterie in a mason jar and create jarcuterie:

  1. Lay a base of nuts and dried fruits at the bottom of the jar.
  2. Thread skewers with jarcuterie elements. Thread prosciutto and melon onto skewers, meats and cheeses, or alternate between pickled vegetables and different types of olives.
  3. Stand the threaded skewers in the jar using the nut and dried fruit base to hold them in place. You can also stand meat sticks and meat-wrapped mozzarella sticks in the jar.
  4. Use cocktail forks and stick Edam cheese and marinated mozzarella onto the prongs. Stand the cocktail forks in the jar.
  5. Insert mini crackers, bread sticks, or veggie straws into the empty spaces.
  6. Fill gaps with garnishes of fresh herbs sprigs.
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5. Dessert Charcuterie

Dessert Charcuterie

While dessert charcuterie boards are not technically charcuterie, they are a trendy way to serve sweets. A dessert charcuterie board borrows the presentation style of a traditional charcuterie board and offers small bites of treats for patrons to graze on. Enliven your events with holiday-themed dessert charcuterie like a spooky Halloween dessert board. If you want to include meats, use candied meat options on your dessert charcuterie board. Or, skip the protein and load your board with confectionary, the choice is yours.

Dessert Charcuterie Board Ideas

Popular items to include on a dessert board are:

  • Dips - Nutella, chocolate hummus, caramel, whipped cream
  • Cheeses - whipped ricotta and honey, mascarpone, cranberry goat cheese
  • Fruits - fresh berries, banana slices, dried apricots, sliced apples, dates
  • Salty Sweets - caramel corn, chocolate-covered pretzels, candied nuts
  • Chocolates - truffles (try this ruby chocolate truffle recipe), chocolate bark, chocolate-covered nuts
  • Cookies - small, crunchy cookies take the place of crackers on a dessert charcuterie board
  • Meat - candied bacon, burnt ends, hot honey glazed pork belly

6. Charcuterie Skewers

Charcuterie Skewers

Charcuterie skewers are skewers loaded with classic charcuterie board items. They are the perfect cocktail party appetizer tray item because they leave one hand free to hold a wine glass. While they're just now trending in the U.S., charcuterie skewers are a traditional Spanish tapa. Select complementary meats, cheeses, pickled items, and fruits for each skewer. Most guests will not eat the skewered items individually but will chew them simultaneously, so this is your opportunity to create flavor bites.

Charcuterie Skewer Ideas

All you need to make charcuterie skewers are complementary charcuterie elements and skewers to spear them with. The beauty of charcuterie skewers is they allow you to curate flavor bites. Use the following charcuterie skewer ideas to make your own:

  • Cantaloupe ball, folded prosciutto, and mint leaf charcuterie skewers
  • Marinated mozzarella ball, basil leaf, and cherry tomato charcuterie skewers
  • Salami, cheese cube, olive, and pickle slice charcuterie skewers
  • Brie bite, date, and apple slice charcuterie skewers

7. Seafood Charcuterie

Seafood Charcuterie

Seafood charcuterie boards replace cured meats with seafood. You can also use crustaceans and mollusks like clams and oysters on your seafood charcuterie board and feature a bowl of whipped cream cheese topped with caviar for dipping. Whether you’re a pescetarian or looking for a leaner alternative to classic charcuterie, seafood charcuterie boards are a delicious and healthy alternative perfect for the Lenten season or year-round.

Seafood Charcuterie Board Ideas

As with all charcuterie boards, you’ll need to start by choosing a board. Add your items in order of largest to smallest. Use our seafood charcuterie board ideas to inspire your selection. Source sustainable seafood for your board.

  • Mollusks - oysters on the half shell, bacon-wrapped scallops
  • Crustaceans - cocktail shrimp, stone crab claws
  • Fish - smoked salmon, sushi-grade sashimi slices, caviar
  • Vegetables - seaweed salad, marinated cucumbers, tempura vegetables, edamame
  • Dips/Spreads - cream cheese, cocktail sauce, mignonette, smoked fish dip
  • Crunchy Items - wonton chips, seaweed chips, onigiri

8. Butter Board

Butter Board

Butter boards are a trendy food item popularized by Justine Doiron’s viral TikTok video. They are essentially a layered compound butter artfully displayed on a charcuterie board. While not technically charcuterie, butter boards went viral because charcuterie trended first.

How to Make a Butter Board

Making a butter board is easy, but the results will impress your guests.

  1. Select the type of butter you want to use
  2. Style the butter on the board
  3. Add decorative toppings
  4. Serve with flavor-compatible breads (like homemade sourdough), vegetables, and fruits
Back to Top

The latest charcuterie trends are the perfect way to upgrade your happy hour specials and attract more customers to your business. Whether you choose to create a brunch or butter board, these trendy charcuterie ideas will help your business stand out on social media. Regularly rotating ingredients can help keep the novelty alive.

Posted in: Kitchen & Cooking Tips|Menu Tips|By Corrinn McCauley
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  • How to Cure Meat

    With the recent increased popularity of charcuterie boards, there come new opportunities to provide your guests with a sophisticated assortment of flavors and textures. By curing your own meats, you can earn the most profits for your business, especially since many charcuterie items include inexpensive cuts of meat. The practice of curing meat also falls nicely into the “nose to tail” trend of using every part of the animal, because some of the commonly cured cuts would ordinarily be discarded. Keep reading to learn more about meat curing methods and important laws and regulations so you can offer the latest charcuterie trends. Shop All Charcuterie & Cured Meats What Is Cured Meat? Cured meat refers to any meat that's been preserved through the removal of moisture. By eliminating moisture from meat, it takes on new textural properties that are not conducive to the growth of bacteria. The most common way of achieving this is by using salt to draw the moisture out and create a new, more shelf-stable substance known as “cured meat.” People have been curing meat for centuries, mainly as a way to preserve their food. Especially before the days of refrigeration, most cultures found ways of curing meats through processes that remove moisture from the food through the use of salt. And you’ll still find specialty meat shops in Italy or other parts of the world that cure their meats in cellars or other cool environments that aren’t necessarily refrigerated. While there are certain types of meats that will only cure properly if stored at room temperature, most meats should always be stored in cold environments, like walk-in refrigerators. How to Cure Meat with Salt Salt was once more valuable than gold. Since it has the power to prolong the shelf life of otherwise perishable foods, it’s no wonder why. 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  • How to Make Hot Honey

    If you're a fan of both sweet and spicy flavors, then hot honey might be your new favorite condiment. The forerunner of the swicy trend, hot honey combines the sweetness of honey with a fiery kick, creating a flavor explosion that will leave your taste buds tingling. While you can buy premade hot honey, restaurants can cut costs by preparing their hot honey themselves. Making hot honey allows chefs to get creative and tailor the heat level and flavor profile to their recipes. Your housemade hot honey may even draw customers to your restaurant. Jump to the hot honey information that interests you: What Is Hot Honey? Hot Honey Recipe How to Use Hot Honey Best Type of Honey for Hot Honey Best Peppers for Hot Honey How to Store Hot Honey What Is Hot Honey? Hot honey is honey that's been infused with peppers. Some hot honey recipes also include a type of vinegar (commonly apple cider vinegar) and hot sauce. 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Back to Top Best Type of Honey for Hot Honey When it comes to making hot honey, the type of honey you choose affects the sweetness and flavor profile of your product. Here are some types of honey to consider when selecting a base for your hot honey recipe: Wildflower Honey - This type of honey is made from nectar collected from various wildflowers. It has a robust and floral flavor, which pairs well with the heat of chili peppers. Wildflower honey adds a unique complexity to your hot honey. Clover Honey - Clover honey is one of the most common and readily available types of honey. It has a mild, sweet taste that works well in hot honey recipes. Clover honey's subtle flavor allows the heat from the peppers to shine through without overpowering the overall taste. Buckwheat Honey - Known for its rich and dark color, buckwheat honey has a strong, molasses-like flavor. Its intense taste makes it an excellent choice for those who prefer bold and robust hot honey. Orange Blossom Honey - To add a citrusy twist to your hot honey, consider using orange blossom honey. This honey is made from the nectar of orange blossoms, giving it a delicate floral aroma and a hint of citrus flavor. The combination of the heat and the citrus notes creates a refreshing and tangy hot honey that pairs well with a variety of dishes. Manuka Honey - Originating from New Zealand, manuka honey is renowned for its antibacterial properties and unique flavor profile. It has a strong, earthy taste with hints of caramel and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Manuka honey adds a distinct and robust flavor to your hot honey, making it a popular choice for those who enjoy bold and intense flavors. Best Peppers for Hot Honey While red chili flakes are the most common choice for hot honey due to their accessibility, you can experiment with other fresh or dried peppers to create a unique flavor profile. 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Moisture can lead to the growth of unwanted bacteria and affect the quality of your hot honey. Gentle Handling - Treat your hot honey with care. Avoid shaking or stirring it vigorously, as this can introduce air bubbles and potentially alter the consistency. Instead, gently swirl the container to mix any settled ingredients. Back to Top The popularity of hot honey continues to grow as more and more people discover its unique flavor. Stay ahead of the trends by making your own hot honey in bulk and incorporating it into your menu. Reference back to our recipe as the baseline for your own unique creation. With enough of a following, you can consider starting to bottle and sell it.

  • Wine and Cheese Pairings

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Create menu options featuring cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion to play off of the feta’s tangy flavor profile. The crispness of the vegetables highlights the creamy texture of the cheese, while the red onion adds a subtle kick. Whether you're hosting a gathering or simply enjoying a quiet evening, this feta wine pairing is sure to impress. Feta Wine Pairing: Rose wine Popular Feta Flavor Pairing: Cucumber, tomatoes, red onion Ricotta Ricotta, with its creamy and slightly sweet flavor, pairs wonderfully with a variety of wines. For a refreshing and bubbly combination, try pairing ricotta with a prosecco. The crisp and fruity notes of the prosecco complement the delicate richness of the ricotta. Alternatively, a fume blanc can also be an excellent choice, as its bright acidity and citrus flavors can cut through the creaminess of the cheese. Serve your ricotta with a drizzle of honey, fresh strawberries, nut butter spreads, or a dollop of jam. These additions add a touch of sweetness and tang to your charcuterie board that harmonizes beautifully with the ricotta and the chosen wine. Ricotta Wine Pairing: Prosecco, fume blanc Popular Ricotta Flavor Pairing: Honey, strawberries, nut butter spreads, and jam Brie Brie is a soft and creamy cheese originating from France that pairs beautifully with a variety of wines. For a classic and crowd-pleasing combination, opt for a California merlot or chardonnay. The fruity and robust flavors of merlot are an ideal accompaniment with the rich and buttery nature of Brie. Alternatively, the crisp and refreshing notes of chardonnay cut through the creamy texture of Brie, enhancing its delicate flavors. Offer green apples or pears, which provide a crisp and refreshing contrast, with your brie. Fig jam or honey can also add a touch of sweetness and acidity that perfectly balance the flavors of the cheese and wine. Brie Wine Pairing: California merlot, chardonnay Popular Brie Flavor Pairing: Green apples, pears, fig jam, or honey Camembert Camembert has a rich and creamy texture that pairs beautifully with Cotes du Rhone wine. A red wine from the Rhone Valley in France, Cotes du Rhone’s smooth and fruity flavors complement the earthy and nutty notes of the Camembert. The medium body and moderate tannins of Cotes du Rhones make it a versatile choice that can amplify the flavors of the cheese without overpowering it. Camembert goes perfectly with slices of ripe cantaloupe, which adds a refreshing sweetness, and a handful of pecans for a delightful crunch. Don't forget to include a crusty baguette to balance out the richness of the cheese. Whether enjoyed as an appetizer or part of a cheese board, the pairing of Camembert with Cotes du Rhone is sure to please wine and cheese enthusiasts alike. Camembert Wine Pairing: Cotes Du Rhones Popular Camembert Flavor Pairing: Cantaloupe, pecans, baguette Provolone Provolone, a semi-hard Italian cheese, pairs well with wine options like Chianti or pinot grigio. The robust and fruit-forward notes of Chianti create a harmonious balance with the cheese, while the crisp and refreshing qualities of pinot grigio enhance its creamy texture. For those who prefer a beer pairing, lagers serve as a great option. To elevate the tasting experience, consider serving Provolone alongside carpaccio, toasted bread, dried plums, cherries, and different types of olives. These accompaniments provide a delightful contrast that brings out the overall flavor profile. Provolone Wine Pairing: Chianti, pinot grigio Popular Provolone Flavor Pairing: Carpaccio, toasted bread, dried plums, cherries, olives Muenster A soft and creamy cheese originating from the Alsace region of France, muenster is an enticing option for wine pairings. The bold flavors and pungent aroma of muenster cheese pair well with gewurztraminer, a white wine known for its floral and spicy notes. Riesling also has a sweetness that perfectly complements muenster. If you prefer beer, then ales, lagers, and stouts provide a contrasting and refreshing taste to balance out the cheese's intensity. Pair your muenster and wine with apples and pears for a crisp and tart addition that provides a refreshing contrast to the cheese. Dried fruits, such as raisins or figs, add a touch of sweetness that enhances the earthy notes of munster. For those who prefer a heartier pairing, muenster cheese can be enjoyed with beef, as the savory meat brings out the cheese's complex flavors. Muenster Wine Pairing: Gewurztraminer Popular Muenster Flavor Pairing: Apples, dried fruit, pears, or beef Asiago When it comes to wine and cheese pairings, Asiago cheese offers a versatile and delicious option. For a perfect match, consider pairing Asiago with Orvieto or Soave wine. These Italian white wines play well with the nutty and slightly tangy flavors of Asiago. The combination of the wine's citrusy undertones and the cheese's savory profile is sure to delight your diners. Serve the Asiago cheese alongside figs, grapes, candied pecans, and rustic breads. The sweetness of the figs and grapes, along with the crunch of the candied pecans, adds depth to the pairing, while the rustic breads provide a satisfying texture. Asiago Wine Pairing: Orvieto, Soave wine Popular Asiago Flavor Pairing: Figs, grapes, candied pelicans, and rustic breads Parmesan Parmesan, not to be confused with Parmigiano-Reggiano, has a sharp and tangy flavor. Two popular choices for Parmesan wine pairings are cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc. Cabernet sauvignon's bold flavors and firm tannins complement the nuttiness and richness of Parmesan, creating a harmonious combination. On the other hand, the crisp acidity and herbal notes of sauvignon blanc provide a refreshing contrast to the cheese's salty and savory taste. Consider adding prosciutto or drizzling balsamic vinegar over the Parmesan for added complexity and depth of flavor. Parmesan Wine Pairing: Cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc Popular Parmesan Flavor Pairing: Prosciutto, balsamic vinegar Manchego Manchego, a popular Spanish cheese, has a rich and buttery flavor profile that makes it an excellent choice for pairing with a variety of beverages. Opt for a fortified wine like sherry, which adds a touch of sweetness to bring out the cheese's complex flavors. Try pairing manchego with a full-bodied white wine like oaked chardonnay to highlight the cheese's nutty undertones. Alternatively, a glass of whiskey can also be a great match for manchego, as the smoky notes of the spirit enhance the cheese's creamy texture. Take the pairing even further by serving manchego with honey, almonds, or marmalade, as these accompaniments provide a delightful contrast of flavors and textures. Manchego Wine Pairing: Sherry, oaked chardonnay Popular Manchego Flavor Pairing: Honey, almonds, marmalade Cheddar With its rich, savory flavor and smooth texture, cheddar cheese is often found on cheese platters. For a bold and robust pairing, consider a full-bodied red wine like zinfandel or cabernet. These wines have enough tannins to balance the sharpness of the cheddar and help to cleanse the palate after each bite while their fruity notes add complexity to the pairing. If you prefer a lighter option, consider pairing cheddar with a porter or amber ale. These beer styles offer a malty sweetness and a touch of bitterness, which work in harmony with the rich and creamy flavors of cheddar. The carbonation of the beer helps to cut through the richness of the cheese, resulting in a refreshing and satisfying combination. To add some additional flavors to the pairing, provide your customers with cherries, apples, walnuts, and crackers for a balance of sweetness, crunch, and acidity. Cheddar Wine Pairing: Zinfandel, cabernet Popular Cheddar Flavor Pairing: Cherries, apples, walnuts, and crackers Gouda When it comes to selecting the perfect wine to serve with Gouda, options like cabernet or shiraz are excellent choices. This semi-hard cheese, originating from the Netherlands, pairs well with bold red wines. The robust tannins in cabernet or shiraz help cut through the richness of the cheese, while the cheese's nutty and caramel notes enhance the fruity and spicy characteristics of the wines. Add accompaniments such as spicy nuts, olives, and oat crackers to your cheese board for the perfect finishing touch. The spiciness of the nuts and the brininess of the olives provide a nice contrast to the smoothness of the cheese, while the oat crackers add a delicate crunch. Gouda Wine Pairing: Cabernet, shiraz Popular Gouda Flavor Pairing: Spicy nuts, olives, oat crackers Gorgonzola Gorgonzola, a rich and creamy blue cheese, is a delightful addition to any wine and cheese pairing. For a red wine pairing, zinfandel is a great choice. The bold and fruity flavors of zinfandel complement the tangy and pungent notes of Gorgonzola. Sauternes, a sweet white wine, also makes a delightful match. The natural sweetness of Sauternes enhances the creamy and salty flavors of Gorgonzola, creating a decadent combination. To elevate the experience, serve Gorgonzola with grapes, honey, and pistachios. The sweetness of the grapes and honey and the nuttiness of the pistachios add contrasting flavors and textures that further enhance the overall pairing. Gorgonzola Wine Pairing: Zinfandel, Sauternes Popular Gorgonzola Flavor Pairing: Grapes, honey, and pistachios Roquefort As a French staple, Roquefort is a blue cheese known for its creamy texture, rich aroma, and distinct tanginess. When creating your wine list, consider pairing Roquefort with riesling, port, sherry, or ice wines. Riesling and ice wine have a balance of sweetness and acidity, which perfectly mellow out the intense and salty flavors of Roquefort. Their crispness helps to cut through the richness of the cheese, while its fruity notes provide a refreshing contrast. Port and sherry have a complexity and robustness that highlight the earthy and nutty undertones of the cheese, resulting in a truly indulgent combination. Prepare a cheese board with honey, spiced apples, or savory meats for a sharable plate that your guests will love. Roquefort Wine Pairing: Riesling, port, sherry, ice wines Popular Roquefort Flavor Pairing: Honey, spiced apples, and meat Whether it is a fine dining restaurant, a wine bar, or a catered event, incorporating thoughtful wine and cheese pairings can elevate the culinary experience and set your business apart from the competition. By understanding the principles behind successful pairings and embracing the creativity that comes with them, you can improve customer satisfaction and build a reputation for excellence in the industry. Be sure to serve your wine in the appropriate wine glass to make a lasting impression that will have your customers coming back for more. Back to Top Wine and Cheese Pairings Chart Printable Version

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