Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board and Free Printable Labels

Step aside cheeseboards, because Hot Chocolate “Charcuterie” boards are taking over the holidays! These fun dessert boards are designed to delight and keep you warm and cozy all throughout the winter. They’re made to pair well with hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. You can either plunge some of the sweets right into your mug, or just nibble on them on the side. You can see how I put mine together in our VIDEO.

I love that they make simple grocery store items look instantly way more festive. And even if you’re not having a huge party or gathering, you can still make a cute and paired down version at home for just your family. Just make sure you start out with a smaller board like I did. I left all my helpful tips at the bottom so you can create your own like a pro!

All your family needs to enjoy this dessert board is a fireplace or some candles, soft fuzzy PJ’s, and cups of piping hot cocoa.

When creating this dessert board, start out by selecting a few fancier or unique items, such as cocoa or latte stirrer sticks, or gourmet marshmallows. Think about using item in different sizes and heights to create interest. For instance, I got 3 different sizes of marshmallows just to make it more interesting.

I also like to stick to a softer, neutral, limited color palette. You can choose to go more bold and festive with your color choices if that floats your boat, but I just didn’t want my board to look too busy.

Use a few different sized vessels to corral the loose items. And think about how you can create repetition within the board, but with some minor variations. You can see that I do this by using two different kinds of gingerbread cookies, and repeating the plain white marshmallows on the other side.

I also feel that with every good charcuterie board, it’s nice to have at least one special homemade element, such as homemade whipped cream, or in my case Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce. You can get the recipe HERE.

If I had more time, I would’ve definitely added my Sweet and Spicy Nuts. You can get the recipe HERE. Sidebar, I also tend to gift these nuts in a pretty mason jar as well.

The best part about making this board was that it gave me inspiration on what to give as gifts to Lincoln’s teachers and Joe’s coworkers this year.

If you want to gift the nice wooden charcuterie board, you totally can, but when whipping up multiple gifts, it can get kinda pricey this way.

So I got some inspiration from the Dollar Tree and grabbed these clear yet sturdy plastic dip and chip trays. They turned out to be the perfect vessel for holding everything into neat little compartments, which made them practical for transporting. I used coffee filters, plastic wrap, and paper condiment cups to keep everything clean, nestled together, and at bay, especially for the tiny things like the Gingerbread Men Sprinkles.

FREE PRINTABLE LABELS:

If you’re gifting this to a friend, it’s nice to pour the Salted Caramel Sauce in a little glass jar, and add a nice label on top, like the one we designed. You can get FREE Salted Caramel Sauce Printable Labels HERE. They fit perfectly on these 4 oz jars. You can either print them on a full sheet of sticky label paper and cut them out like we did, or you can print them out on plain paper or cardstock and stick them on with some tape. And while you’re at it, you can also get our FREE Cocoa and Coffee Dessert Tray Printable Labels HERE. That way your gift recipient will know exactly what this is. *You’re welcome to use our FREE labels, but since Joe designed them, just do us a solid and if you are a blogger and decide to use them, please direct people back here rather than sharing them directly on your own site. Thanks in advance!

And don’t forget those extra details! Tie some black and white twine twice around your little jar of sauce. I think it adds the sweetest touch that makes this homemade gift look extra special.

I like to wrap my tray in plastic wrap a few times to make sure it’s nice and secure, and then use cellophane wrap to create a bundle. I add a little bottle brush tree and tag, and it looks super thoughtful.

WATCH HOW I MAKE A HOT CHOCOLATE CHARCUTERIE BOARD IN THIS VIDEO:

HOW TO MAKE A HOT CHOCOLATE CHARCUTERIE BOARD AT HOME:

Choose your board wisely. Either round or rectangular is fine, but choose the right size for the occasion. If you’re making this just for home for your family, start out with a cute small board, so you don’t have to fill it up too much.
Choose a few varying sized vessels at different heights to hold some of your items, in order to create depth and interest. I like adding something vertical popping out of one of the vessels to create height.
Stick to a limited color palette. Just vary the sizes, shapes, and textures of those colors and repeat the design in several spots. I chose neutral colors with a pop of pink and red.
Add at least one homemade element, like Salted Caramel Sauce, Sweet and Spicy Nuts, or homemade whipped cream.
Get just a few fun “show stopper” specialty items, like gourmet pretzel rods, fancy gourmet marshmallows, or candy coated stirrer sticks. But then fill the rest with regular grocery store “everyday” items.
Get different sizes and shapes of items, from jumbo marshmallows to tiny sprinkles. It’s also fun to have a “theme” to stick with, like how I chose to focus on Gingerbread men.
Make sure your board looks full, but not overcrowded. Give it a little “breathing space” here and there so it doesn’t look too overwhelming with everything piled on top.

What I added to my board:

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

This decadent sauce uses 4 ingredients and a little technique. Dunk your apples or pretzels into it, or drizzle it over a hot beverage. Pour it into jars and give it away as gifts!

Check out this recipe

Some Other Ideas You Can Use:

Fresh Whipped Cream
Candy Cane Crunch
White Chocolate + Peppermint Pretzel Crisps
Gourmet Flavored Marshmallows
Pirouline Rolled Wafer Cookies
Meringue Cookies
Cinnamon Sticks
Caramel + Chocolate Popcorn
Sea Salt Caramels
Peppermint Bark Squares
Chocolate Andes
Frosted Sprinkled Animal Cookies
Fancy Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
Fresh Fruits: Raspberries, Strawberries, Pears, and Apples
Savory Items: Cheese, Pretzels, Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

These Sweet + Spicy Nuts are all you need to get the party started because they're the perfect crunchy and sweet little bites with a surprise kick. The best part is how easy they are to make, so you might want to make a double batch because they'll be gone quick!

Check out this recipe

I used a small round charcuterie board like this one, because I knew we wouldn’t be having a huge party, but still wanted to be able to have a fun dessert at home. I like the raised lip around the edge, which helps secure all the cookies, chocolates, and marshmallows. I also used these 4 oz jars for the Salted Caramel Sauce, which I think is the perfect size for gifting. A little goes a long way! By the way, I am using affiliate links, which means I may get a small commission from any of the items mentioned that may be purchased at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog and YouTube channel in advance.

So give your mug a hug with this Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board and have yourself a merry little Christmas!