Spooky Cheese Board

No gathering of mine is complete without a cheese board. My friends will attest that I have occasionally even made two at once for my annual birthday celebration, just so I could try some different flavor combinations. Here are some of my suggestions to create the perfect spooky cheese board for your next party.

Start with Your Board

I create my spooky cheese boards atop Halloween-themed platters. This instantly adds to the Halloween feel before the food has even been placed. Knowing your board size will also inform the amount of food you can place on it. One cheese along with some fruit and crackers may be best for a small plate. Large platters can accommodate multiple cheeses and charcuterie.

Also, be sure to have different cheese knives on hand for each cheese you intend to use – so that the flavors don’t mix.

Choose Your Ingredients

My go-to cheese is a brie wedge. I love to pair it with blackberries, charcuterie (especially prosciutto), and gore-met – I mean, gourmet crackers. From there I add other items depending on the scale of the platter and what interests me at the store.

A general rule of thumb for a full platter is 1 hard cheese, 1 soft cheese, and 1 blue cheese; 3-4 cured meats; and a mix of accompaniments like fruits, jams, nuts, and crackers. There should be about 1-2 ounces of cheese & 1-2 ounces of meats per person.

Here are a few suggestions for each element:

Hard Cheeses:
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Aged Cheddar
- Gruyère
- Gouda
- Leyden
Soft Cheeses:
- Brie
- Goat Cheese
- Burrata
Blue Cheeses:
- Roquefort
- Gorgonzola
- Stilton
Charcuterie:
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Pancetta
- Chorizo

Fresh Fruits:
- Grapes
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
Dried Fruits:
- Apricots
- Figs
- Cranberries
Nuts:
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
Spreads:
- Fig Jam
- Honey
- Fruit Preserves
Crackers/Breads:
- Water Crackers
- Baguette slices
- Crostini

Popular Halloween boards often feature ingredients with lush purples, blues, and oranges.

Placement & Presentation

First place your cheese and large jars (if applicable), then add your other elements around them.

To add some spooky fun, try some of these presentations:

Cut off the tip and top corners of your brie wedge to create a coffin shape. Add seaweed strips to spell out “RIP”.
Pretzels & string cheese make fun shapes.
- Witches’ Brooms: Cut the string cheese into 1″ pieces. Stick the pretzel in the top and pull apart the cheese at the bottom to make a broom shape.
- Kasa Obake: To create this yokai, cut the string cheese into 1.5″ pieces. Pull apart the cheese at the bottom and stick the pretzel into the end with the pulled apart cheese. Add a candy eye and use seaweed to make a long tongue.
Use cookie cutters to cut the cheese into Halloween shapes – like pumpkins or ghosts. You can also just a knife to make coffin shapes.
Add mini pumpkins or plastic skeletons to your platter for aesthetics.

Ready to create your own spooky cheese board? Share your creations with me on Facebook & Instagram.

Want more food ideas for your next party? Check out my post on 5 Ways to Make Spooky Meals

Spooky Cheese Board

Start with Your Board

Choose Your Ingredients

Placement & Presentation