2 Easy Vegan Charcuterie Boards: DIY Plant-Based Appetizers

3.3K

Making a plant-based appetizer can seem intimidating. (After all, don’t most starters include cheeses, meats, and dairy-laden dips?) 

But one quick and straightforward solution is called a charcuterie board. 

And these two do-it-yourself vegan charcuterie boards are piled high with yummy combinations of sweet and savory goodies, perfect for holiday get-togethers, parties, happy hours, and even a night in with the kids.

(Yes. Our kids love these two boards!)

Before we go any further, let’s clarify what a charcuterie board is and how the heck to make it vegan.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

What is a Vegan Charcuterie Board? 

A charcuterie board is a French tradition and is the art of displaying cured meats. Through its increased popularity, charcuterie boards expanded to include cheeses, fruits, bread, vegetables, nuts, and spreads, all still artfully displayed around the meats.

Charcuterie boards are also thought of and referred to as cheese, snack, or grazing boards. 

How can a cheese board be vegan? Heck, how can an essentially all-meat board be vegan?

Well, frankly, we take out the meat. And the cheese. And any honey, fish, eggs, or dairy. And replace it with plant-based alternatives. 

Think fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, jams, olives, spreads, and finally, some vegan cheese and meat replacements.

Here’s what’s on two of our favorites.

1. Suitably Savory Vegan Charcuterie Board

You’ll see our family serve this board before a vegan holiday meal, as an accompaniment with wine amongst friends, or for dinner with our kids when we all feel like grazing rather than sitting down to a formal dinner or lunch.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what we include in this colorful snack board:

• Green olives
• Persian cucumbers 
• Tabouli
• Vegan cheddar
• Vegan gouda
• Multigrain crackers
• Lavash
• Grape tomatoes
• Marinated artichokes
• Cashews
• Hummus

How It’s Served

If I’m taking these to a friend’s house, I’ll keep the spreads and dips in the containers I purchased them in, making transport easier. 

And while this one in most of these photos is arranged on a wooden cutting board, I’ve also used a cookie sheet wrapped in plastic wrap because again, it made transporting it so easy!

Try not to feel intimated by arranging the items. I usually start with the dips or whatever will be housed in a container. I play with how I want those to appear on the board and then fill in the gaps with the nuts, cucumbers, cheeses, and crackers. 

I love the addition of lavash bread on this vegan cheese board because its soft texture makes it the perfect container for a dollop of tabouli, a quarter of a marinated artichoke, and a square of vegan gouda. Perfection!

The Persian cucumbers and grape tomatoes dipped in hummus is a light and crisp snack before a heavier holiday meal. 

2. Subtly Sweet Vegan Charcuterie Board

This board reminds me of the cheese plates I used to make for lunch or dinner on hot days before we went vegan. The kids would devour those and they do the same with this vegan version.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what we include in this cheese board:

• Pears (I used bartlett) 
• Vegan cream cheese
• Multigrain crackers
• Raspberries
• Almonds (I found these coconut macaroon almonds at Sprouts)
• Jam (I used fig because I love how it tastes with the cream cheese)
• Blueberries
• Vegan gouda
• Vegan provolone
• Grapes

How It’s Served

I think it’s the addition of all the fruit in this platter that makes it a summer favorite for our family. And while I, again, used a wooden cutting board to arrange this, I’ve also used fancy platters in the past. 

I try not to get too picky with how I arrange the fruit and cheeses and spreads. I start with the spreads and containers and figure out where I want those to go first. Then I fill in the blank spots with the other items.

One of the combinations I love most about this vegan cheese board is spreading the vegan cream cheese on a cracker and topping it with the fig jam. It’s divine. 

The other is starting with a slice of pear and topping it with a slice of vegan gouda. When I can’t find pears, I’ll use apples and it tastes great, too.

Related Posts:
10-Ingredient Vegan Chili
Charming Vegan Sugar Cookies
Simple and Savory Vegan Artichoke Dipping Sauce

Other Questions and Considerations

As you start designing this plant-based appetizer, you may come across some questions. Hopefully, this next section answers them!

What else can I put on a vegan snack board?

The two vegan charcuterie boards I included in this post are packed with our family’s favorites. But there are so many other vegan foods you can include. Here are some ideas:

• Vegan meats
• Pretzels
• Chips
• Pita bread
• Crispy breadsticks
• Sourdough
• French bread
• Seeds
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Melons
• Kiwi
• Sundried tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Black olives
• Vegan spreadable cheeses
• Dark (milk-free) chocolate

How much does it cost to make a (vegan) charcuterie board?

This can vary greatly depending on how large your board is and what you include on it. I find that the fancier the dips or vegan replacements I include, the more costly the platter. To make the two on this post, I spend somewhere around $50-$75. But it’s possible to make less and more expensive ones.

What should I arrange my spread on?

I used my cutting boards, but if you have a festive holiday plate, use that. You can also use matching cheese and knife sets. Or, as I mentioned earlier, you can use a rimmed cookie sheet! It’s not fancy, but it’s perfect for transporting the platter to another location.

What are your favorite brands of vegan cheeses?

We love Follow Your Heart American, Smoked Gouda, and Provolone Style Slices. For the vegan cream cheese, I recently fell in love with Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese. It’s got a fantastic consistency and pairs great with jams. Boursin’s Garlic and Herb Dairy-Free dip is also fantastic.

What are some other plant-based appetizers?

Making vegan appetizers doesn’t have to be as challenging as it may seem. If you want another appetizer to pair with your cheese boards, try chips, vegan artichokes and dipping sauce, and cut up veggies with dip.

Final Thoughts: Have Fun!

If you still feel intimated about making a vegan charcuterie board yourself, keep the following in mind. 

1. Include what you love (and will eat). 
2. There’s no right or wrong way to assemble your board.
3. Have fun putting this together.

Remember to have fun with this: the assembly and the consumption.

Think of your charcuterie board as a centerpiece to any great event, meal, or get-together. Your loved ones will crowd around it, talk about life, walk away to mingle and then come back for more. The charcuterie board is almost like a home base that guests return to throughout the evening, granting you continued access to catch up with those attending if you hang close by.

If you have any questions I didn’t answer, please feel free to leave them in the comments below!