How To Build A Beautiful Vegan Charcuterie Board That Won’t Disappoint

Even if you’re not sure how to pronounce charcuterie board, you can still enjoy making them. Arranging little foods, sauces, and jellies onto a beautifully stained board takes snacking to the next level, and these vegan charcuterie board ideas are perfect for the non-animal consumers out there.

Plant-based charcuterie boards may be meatless, but they aren’t tasteless. There is no wrong way to make a charcuterie board, but follow these tips and tricks to come up with the best boards on this side of the Mississippi. No matter, uh, which side you’re on.

This guide includes everything from what you need to make your own board, substitutes to make it vegan, and pretty inspiration pictures to get you started on your own.

 

How to Build a Vegan Charcuterie Board

1. Plant-Based Meat and Cheeses

Are you ready to hear “it tastes just like the real thing?” If so, add some plant-based meat products to your charcuterie board. You can find sausage, bacon, and even pepperoni in vegan form.

But even plant-based meat can get greasy, so place your bacon and sausage in their own side dishes before arranging them on the board. These larger items are a great first ingredient to lay on the board. After snacking on a few yourself, of course. One for us, one for the board.

Cheese alternatives are also a vegan delight. You can even find fancy faux cheeses that look identical to their dairy-filled counterparts. If the cheese is not precut, you should place it on the board where it can easily be cut by guests.

 

2. Dips

The second component of a charcuterie board that can take up a lot of space is the dip. When choosing your dips, you want to consider the basic flavor profiles: sweet, salty, and savory. You might even want to throw a little spice in there.

Hummus is a popular protein-packed dip to add to your vegan charcuterie board. Hummus pairs well with veggies, plant-based meats, and crackers. It can be made sweet, salty, savory, or even spicy, depending on what you mix into it.

You can also explore other dips, such as:

• Jellies and jams
• Plant-based cream cheese spreads
• Vegan dressings, like vegan ranch
• Guacamole
• Bean dip
• Salsa
• Corn dip
• Caramel sauce
• Peanut butter

When constructing your board, typically it’s easiest to start with your larger items or any foods that need dishes. You can use colorful dishes or different sized dishes to add color or variety to your charcuterie board. And so that the foods don’t touch. What? A pet peeve is a pet peeve.

 

3. Crackers and Bread

Once the larger items are arranged on your board, it’s time to fill in the blank space. Add vegan crackers and breads to your display, because no board is complete without carbs.

Mix crunchy and squishy textures with different types of breads. Your guests can use nut crackers, sweet potato chips, and fresh breads to mix and match salty, savory, and sweet combos on their plates.

And by all means, don’t forget the Trader Joe’s fig and olive crackers. Those things know how to start a party.

 

4. Fruits and Veggies

Why not compliment your plant-based meats and cheeses with more plants? We don’t call ourselves plant moms for nothing.

Cold, fresh produce can balance and refresh the palate. Include sweet fruits like berries and grapes that are easy to load up and won’t cause a sticky mess. Dried fruits, like mangoes and pineapples, are also an easy, sweet add-on.

Veggies pair well and can sneak in hints of sharp flavors. Considered pickled vegetables for a zangy or spicy flavor. Calm the taste buds with crisp cucumbers. Pepper, carrot, and celery slices are vivid splashes of color that can also be paired with various vegan dips.

 

5. Toppings

The best part about charcuterie boards is that everyone can customize a plate full of snacks just to their liking. So, like, you aren’t forced to pretend you like mushrooms or olives.

Toppings are a cute and tasty accent to a robust vegan charcuterie board. Here are a few options we like:

• Salsa
• Dates
• Chives
• Hot sauce
• Olives
• Butter
• Jellies and jams
• Cinnamon
• Granola
• Vegan chocolate chips
• Coconut flakes
• Nuts

 

Vegan Charcuterie Board Ideas

1. Floral Cucumber Charcuterie Board

This beautiful vegan charcuterie board dresses up vegan cheeses to look like small cakes. Intricately cut kiwis and cucumbers arranged into floral patterns make this board a true work of art. But unlike in the MOMA, you can touch the art here. With tongs, please.

Accent your board with decorative flowers and leaves to recreate this cucumber, cheese, and fruit board.

 

2. Vegan Breakfast Charcuterie Board

We can’t leave out the best meal of the day. Even breakfast can be beautifully arranged to make an egg-cellent vegan charcuterie board. This charcuterie board includes vegan eggs, fruit, and nutrient-packed avocado arranged with charcuterie classics like cute cornichons (little pickles, for the less classy).

Carb out with crackers, bagels, and vegan flaxseed muffins or head straight for the sweet waffles and syrup. There’s literally no wrong way to consume breakfast food. The only wrong way is to skip it.

 

3. Mediterranean Charcuterie Board

We love a theme. Specialize your charcuterie board by making it mediterranean. Start with colorful vegetables like peppers, carrots, and cucumbers. Add some savory olives and sweet grapes.

Include a variety of nuts and seeds for guests to customize their experience. Take a dive into Greek life with hummus based dipping sauce and a beet based spread. And hey, you didn’t even have to go through hazing!

 

4. Rainbow Vegan Charcuterie Board

Could this board be any more colorful? Mingling sweet and salty, this produce-heavy vegan charcuterie board is as tasty as it is beautiful. Adorned with radishes, apples, and pears, it uses vegan cheeses and pistachios to balance the palate.

Large decorative dip dishes and a variety of shapes round out this vegan delight. We told you you don’t need bacon to have fun.

 

5. Heart-Shaped Dessert Board

We are in love with desserts. Served on a heart-shaped platter, this dessert vegan charcuterie board leans heavily on the sweet with vegan chocolates, jams, and an array of fruit. Go nuts by adding creamy and savory flavors to your board like vegan cream cheese, crackers, and French bread.

If your love life and charcuterie board could use a little spice, pepper in cherry jalapeno jam, olives, and salted nuts. And then maybe download Hinge.

 

6. Classic Vegan Charcuterie Board

There’s a reason the charcuterie board never goes out of style. Go back to the basics with this classic charcuterie board, but make it vegan.

Layer vegan pepperoni and lunch meat with different vegan cheeses, fruits, and nuts to create a version of the classic charcuterie. This plant-based platter arranges meat, cheeses, olives, and jams on both ends of the board, creating a flow and symmetry for your visual enjoyment. Your taste buds won’t be complaining, either.

 

7. Game Day Charcuterie Board

If the original charcuterie makers could see how far their creations have come now, they’d be so proud. Have a ball with this game day charcuterie board. It takes the classic charcuterie elements and adds fun updates to create a winning snack board. If you’re a Patriots fan, “winning” may be an overstatement.

Cauliflower wings, celery, and carrot sticks are ready to be the vessel that gets vegan ranch into your mouth. Pickle slices and tangy pineapple chunks round out the board, making this a total touchdown.

 

8. Bell Pepper Charcuterie

Never have we ever thought to use a bell pepper as a dish. This classic charcuterie includes vegan cheeses arranged in patterned geometric stacks and vegan pepperoni as blooming roses.

But, the eye-catcher is definitely colorful bell peppers filled with hummus and other vegan dipping sauces. We’re not mad at all. We did wear this sequined ball gown, but it’s fine.

Add bright flowers and vibrant fruit to add dazzling pops of color to your board.

 

9. The Patriotic Board

Red strawberries, white cheeses, and blueberries make up this patriotic platter. Add in star-shaped cutouts and striped vegan chocolates, and your guests will be seeing fireworks.

Although the board leans heavily into the patriotic colors, the greens, including kiwis and cucumbers, help round out this vegan charcuterie. ‘Merica.