Charcuterie Board Ingredients: Exactly What to Buy for a Crowd-Pleasing Spread

These charcuterie board ingredients are guaranteed to keep your guests coming back for a second serving!

If you want your beautiful board to be devoured without having a bunch of extras left over, these are the exact charcuterie board ingredients that are always a hit!

I’ve made a ton of boards for holidays and family gatherings and it becomes pretty clear what options have become favorites and which ones never get the love you’d expect!

I’ve also sprinkled in a few insider tips based on all my board building (and eating) experience that you’ve probably never heard! Happy charcuterie-ing! 

Charcuterie Board Ingredients

Cheeses:

• Flavored Goat Cheese or Brie
  • Goat cheese, specifically this vanilla blueberry goat cheese to be specific has been a major hit year round! Most grocers have a similar option!
  • Brie is also a hit (no specific brand has stood out!) but mostly when a pairing is offered. Great pairing options include strawberry jam and (spicy) honey.
• Kerry Gold Cheddar – This Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar is ALWAYS so popular and I get tons of questions about it. You can also opt for this slightly milder aged cheddar (also a crowd favorite).
• Cubed Colby Jack – I’ve seen so many memes and jokes about cubed cheese not being worthy of being on a charcuterie board but guess what? It’s always popular! Honestly, some people get intimidated by new cheeses at a party and colby jack is a classic, tasty, and easily identifiable cheese. Pro tip: This is also a very affordable cheese option! 

Cured Meats: 

• Salami – Everyone wants the salami and I noticed they tend to like Gallo Dry Salami best. Trust me. Most people are familiar with salami and love it! I recommend making this the main meat option on your board. It’s also the easiest to style! (Check out this salami folding video for an easy tutorial)
• Prosciutto – Less popular than salami but also well known and a delightful treat to find on a charcuterie board since it’s a pricier meat option if you have to buy it for yourself! Lol, it’s like a special hostess treat to serve it to your guests.

Vegetables:

These are simply the vegetables I actually see disappear. Other veggies can look cute but they tend to get eaten a lot less.

• Cucumbers – Hot house or english cucumbers are the best for this since they are firmer overall yet have a softer skin. Always serve with a dip option like humus or ranch dressing!
• Carrots – People love pretty carrots! Grab a bunch of rainbow carrots to clean, peel and prep for your board and they’re very likely to disappear.

Fruit & Berries: 

• Strawberries – Everyone LOVES strawberries! Kids, adults, teens, these are always the first fruit to disappear so add extra to your board!
• Grapes – These will disappear quickly if you cut the stem so that people can pick up little bundles of grapes without much effort. If not, grapes become too cumbersome to sit there and pick and people will ditch them!

Pastry Bites:

This isn’t a common charcuterie board ingredient but I started adding small pastries to my boards during the holiday season one year and I noticed how they quickly disappeared so now I do it regularly! My guess is that these tend to be more filling than other charcuterie ingredient options. 

• Apple Strudel Bites 
• Banana Nut or Lemon Bread Slices – Most grocers have one of these depending on the season!

Crackers:

• Artisanal Cracker – raincoast crisps are a go-to for me because they have stronger flavors that add to the experience of pairing them with complimentary cheese flavors but they also taste great on their own! 
• Basic Cracker – Give the people what they want, a plain and simple no frill cracker like these golden round crackers from Sprouts! This is what most of your guests will choose. I also use water crackers often since they are a little stronger and can hold well when you spread cheese on them.

Extras:

• Strawberry Jam – The jam is meant to pair with a soft cheese (tastes amazing). A small Bonne Maman strawberry preserve jar is a great option but mom to mom, guests also respond just as well to store basic store brand jelly.
• (Spicy) Honey – Show 
• Hummus – If you have a veggie heavy board this Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus is always a must have!
• Mini pickles (gherkins or cornichons) – Pickles are always popular! Just remember to opt for the small varieties as they are easier to layer on to a cracker and snack on. I always love & recommend Vlasic Snack’mms! (These petite pickles from Sam’s Club are also very delicious and a great price if you’re hosting a larger gathering)

Where to Shop for Charcuterie Board Ingredients

• For the Basics: Any local grocer will have the basics like colby jack cheese, crackers, fruits, veggies, and even some cured meat but don’t count on finding anything very unique or unexpected.
• For Large Parties: Head to a bulk membership club to get the most bang for your buck. Costco and Sam’s Club have such insane deals on large quantities of everything you need for a charcuterie board. You may even find a few fun items to put on your board.
• For Unique Items: Sprouts, Trader Joes, and World Market are my go-to stops for finding fun and unique items to add to charcuterie boards. They tend to have a lot more playful seasonality that you won’t find at other grocery stores.

I hope these charcuterie board ingredients help make your next board a huge hit! The more you lean into the items you know your friends & family love, the happier they will be and the less stressed you will be trying to constantly find something new to put on the board. 

You’ll probably enjoy these other charcuterie posts:

How to Make a Charcuterie Board Like a Pro (Beginner-Friendly Guide!)

How to Make Beautiful Charcuterie Cups for Any Occasion