What is the 3-3-3 rule for charcuterie board?

The 3333 rule applies to the number of foods to create the perfect board. To follow the 3,3,3,3 rule, stick to three cheeses, three meats, three starches, and three accoutrements.

How to make a heart-shaped charcuterie?

Use a heart shape cookie cutter to cut out some cheese hearts. Use kitchen shears to cut the sliced meats into hearts or other shapes, as desired. Once you've arranged the meats and cheeses in a visually appealing way, place the fruits and extras around them to fill up any empty spaces. Add your bacon roses.

What is the secret to a great charcuterie board?

After all that meat and cheese, you're going to need something to balance those rich flavors. Cairo suggests accenting the board with acidic pickles, crunchy nuts, whole grain mustard (Maille is his favorite brand), tinned fish, and something sweet like quince jam or a drizzle of honey.

How unhealthy are charcuterie boards?

Many ingredients used in charcuterie boards are high in sodium, including deli meats, dry sausages, cheeses, salted nuts, pretzels and crackers. The recommendation for daily sodium intake for adults is 2,300 milligrams or less. To reduce the sodium load on your board, add more fresh or dried fruits and raw veggies.

How do you make charcuterie look fancy?

There are no limits to your charcuterie board items and decorations. Add in some fresh herbs – I love using rosemary, fresh thyme, basil along with many other herbs. I absolutely love accessorizing with flowers, or even edible flowers which can really help elevate the look of your feast!

How do you cut a wedge of brie for a charcuterie board?

Instead of cutting the brie into chunks, use your knife to make long, thin slices. Start at the tip of the wedge and cut along one side. Then, switch to the opposite side of the wedge and cut another thin sliver. Try to keep the cheese wedge-shaped as you slice it.

What do you put in a charcuterie board as a gift?

Goodies for Charcuterie Boards Pick out meats like Genoa Salami, Prosciutto, Bresaola, and Spanish Chorizo. Cheese like Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Chevre and Pecorino can be found in various flavor profiles. Don't forget to include some fun pick-ons like dried fruits, olives, crostini, crackers, nuts, and jams.

What to put on a charcuterie board besides cheese and meat?

Believe it or not, it's super simple to create an impressive presentation of cured meats, specialty cheeses and all the colorful complements. Get creative with olives, antipasti, fresh fruit, nuts, spreads, crackers and more.

Valentine’s Charcuterie Board (2024)

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This candy Valentine’s charcuterie board is filled with candy hearts, heart marshmallow’s, chocolate hearts and other sweet treats! Make this Valentine’s Day charcuterie board with our easy step by step pictures and instructions.

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through this link (at no extra cost to you).

If you are looking to make the perfect Valentine’s charcuterie board with your favorite Valentine’s Day candy, you are in luck!

There are so many different candies and sweet treats you can choose from to make the perfect Valentine’s candy board.

Plus, you can riff and make other Valentine’s charcuterie board ideas such as a heart shaped candy board, heart shaped charcuterie box, romantic charcuterie board or Galentine’s Day charcuterie board!

The sky is the limit and creative liberty is where it’s at! Hearts galore, vibe with that love and romance! If you love sweet treat, don’t miss this Edible Sugar Cookie Dough and this Strawberry Cheesecake Martini.

Now, before you start shouting, “but Aubrey, charcuterie means meat!” You are correct. TheMerriam-Webster definition of charcuterieis “a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes, also:the products sold in such a shop.”

That being said, we are seeing a broadened interpretation of the words charcuterie board to mean a bountiful board with anything from meats and cheeses (Trader Joe’smeat and cheese board), to vegetables, to candy and fun holiday and themed boards (ex:Easter Charcuterie Board and Halloween Charcuterie Board).

So, technically, this Valentine’s Day charcuterie board is a Valentine’s candy board. Are we good now?

And speaking of boards, check out this Thanksgiving charcuterie board, Fall charcuterie board and Christmas charcuterie board for when those leaves and snow start to fall!

And since we are discussing Valentine’s Day, romance and all things love, be sure to check out these Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies, Espresso Martini and Lobster Ravioli Sauce for a well rounded romantic Valentine’s Day meal!

Why this recipe works

You can make asmall, medium or large size candy boardor a combination thereof.
There is no limit to the types of candy and sweet treats you can use. The beautiful part about creating a Valentine’s inspired board is that you can becompletely creative with the look and flavors.
All of the candy ingredients for this dessert board can be purchased online or at your local store such as Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s or, my personal favorite for a great budget shop, the Dollar Store making this areasonably priced Valentine’s party dessert!

Ingredients

Depending on the size of the board you are using, I recommend the following rough numbers. If you prefer more variety on your board, you can always buy extra bags of different Valentine’s Day candy. Trust me, the extra candy won’t go to waste!

10-12packagesValentine’s Day candy, assorted choices(large board)
6-8packagesValentine’s Day candy, assorted choices(medium board)
4-6packagesValentine’s Day candy, assorted choices(small board)

See also below for myextensive list of different candy optionsyou can buy for your Valentine’s charcuterie board.

You can click the links if you want to buy online or to get an idea of what they look like so you can buy them at your local retail store.

How to make a Valentine’s charcuterie board

Build a Foundation

Place any bowls first. Then, place any larger candy (such as the cupcakes, chocolate Valentine characters (unicorn and raccoon), large candy packages and twizzlers around the edges).

This sets your foundation. From there, you will want to arrange your items in descending order focusing on next heaviest or large items. The items should get gradually smaller and fill in the gaps.

Create Movement on the Board

You want to utilize movement to create a beautiful board. Experiment with placing your bowls off-center in a variety of places on the board.

When placing the foods, you can create a combination of wavy patterns or more uniform placements. Don’t be afraid to play.

Contrast your Colors

When placing your foods, contrast your colors indifferent areas of the board.

For example, if you have pink candy, you might place them near white or red candy instead of near the same color. This creates visual excitement.

Vary your Sizes

Play around with placing larger items next to smaller items. You can also experiment with different sizes of Valentine’s candy.

Vary Flavors

Depending on your preferences, it is always great to have a variety of flavors on the plate.

Use different chocolates, gummies, sour candy, lollipops, twizzlers, marshmallows etc. This variety is part of the fun of this Valentine candy charcuterie boards.

Amounts:The amounts of each item will depend on the size of your board and your taste preferences.

Don’t be afraid to grab a few extras so you have a full and bountiful Valentine’s charcuterie board. I don’t know about you but leftover candy never seems to be a problem in my house!

Where to Purchase Candy: Dollar store (you can get almost all of the items on this board from here!), Target, Walmart and Trader Joe’s are my favorite stores to pick up reasonably priced Valentine’s Day candy options.

Best boards and bowls for charcuterie

You can use any type of wood board for charcuterie. You can also use a plastic or glass platter as well.

Small, medium or large depends on how many people you are feeding and the visual aesthetic you are going for.

A few great wooden charcuterie boards you can buy online are this Basic Rectangle Board, a Board with Handle or this Rounded Board.

As far as bowls to use on your charcuterie or candy board, it is fun to use different shapes and sizes of bowls for visual contract.

A few of my favorites include a more traditional Round Bowl paired with a Square Bowl or Heart Shaped Bowl for Valentine’s Day!

FAQ and expert tips

Where to buy Valentine’s Day candy?

The best places to buy Valentine’s Day candy are the Dollar store, Target, Walmart and Trader Joe’s for reasonably priced Valentine’s Day candy options.

Should my candy be packaged or unpackaged on my Valentine’s candy board?

You can use packaged, unpackaged or a combination thereof. Adding variety to your board adds visual appeal. Sometimes the packaging on the candy is eye-catching and sometimes the unpackaged looks better. Let your creativity be your guide!

Looking for other delicious Valentine’s Day recipes?

Best Valentine’s Day Wine
Godiva Chocolate Martini
Lobster Ravioli Sauce
Pistachio Crusted Salmon

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You can also comment below. I LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, a 5 STAR RATING is the ultimate compliment as food is my love language!

Valentine’s Charcuterie Board

This candy Valentine's charcuterie board is filled with candy hearts, heart marshmallow's, chocolate hearts and other sweet treats! Make this Valentine's Day charcuterie board with our easy step by step pictures and instructions.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Aubrey

Cost: $20

Equipment

▢
Charcuterie board, various smaller bowls

Ingredients

Ingredients Based on Size of Board

▢ 10-12 packages Valentine's Day candy, assorted choices (large board)
▢ 6-8 packages Valentine's Day candy, assorted choices (medium board)
▢ 4-6 packages Valentine's Day candy, assorted choices (small board)

Valentine's Day Charcuterie Candy Options

▢ 1 package Valentine's Day cupcakes, cookies or bars (mini or large size)
▢ 1 package Palmer Valentine's Day Cuddly Cuties Chocolate Candy (Unicorn or Raccoon, pictured)
▢ 1 package Sour Patch Kids Hearts (Soft & Chewy Valentine Candy Hearts)
▢ 1 package Sour Patch Kids Strawberry (Soft and Chewy)
▢ 1 package Sour Patch Kids Black Raspberry Sour Hearts Soft & Chewy Valentines Day Candy
▢ 1 package Original Twizzlers
▢ 1 package Cherry Twizzlers
▢ 1 package Pink Marshmallow Peeps
▢ 1 package Pink Hershey Kisses
▢ 1 package Red Hershey Kisses
▢ 1 package Valentine Colored M&M's
▢ 1 package Smarties Valentine Hearts
▢ 1 package Haribo Sweet and Sour Gummy Hearts
▢ 1 package Palmer Double Crisp Hearts
▢ 1 package Palmer Fudge Hearts
▢ 1 package Palmer Cookies & Cream Hearts
▢ 1 package Heart Shaped Marshmallows
▢ 1 package Chocolate truffles (any kind)
▢ 1 package Trader Joe's Peppermint Pretzel Slims