Halloween Charcuterie Boards: Entertaining Ideas

October is my favorite month to style boards! In this post are 4 easy ways style a Halloween character board.

Before you start, read the instructions all the way through. Then assemble and prep your ingredients for the board you are creating.

Feel free to substitute or add other cheeses and meats. As you assemble, you can customize by using or adding ingredients you have on hand.

In general, when you style a charcuterie board start with cheeses and meats, then add crackers, and finally fill in gaps with nuts, fruit, or olives. Blackberries, grapes, nuts, olives, salami, goat cheese, and garlic are all flavorful and visually appealing options to include.

You can also fan different colored crackers for a festive look, and serve along side dips and spreads. You can use fill mini pumpkins with cheese and dips or if you prefer festive holiday themed bowls are a good choice.

Salami and goat cheese can be added to the board for variety, and wine pairs perfectly with cured meats like chorizo, which often features garlic as a key ingredient (it also keeps the vampires away!).

Trader Joe's is a great place to find cheese and other specialty items.

These Halloween themed boards will be a hit at any Halloween party—your guests will scream with delight!

How to Make Mummy Brie

1. Cut off  1/4” from the top of a brie wheel.

2. Take the piece you just cut off and slice into long pieces.

3. Arrange some of the pieces on the top of the brie, as pictured.

4. Add eyes.

5. Wait for the cheese to rest before serving for best texture.

How to Make Spider Webs

1. Cover a baking sheet or two with parchment paper.

2. Melt some chocolate in the microwave (I used almost a full bag of white and dark chocolate chips to make the ones pictured, plus many more not pictured). If you want the chocolate shiny you can add 1 tsp coconut oil. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Just do 20 seconds and then stir and then another 10 -20 seconds. Take it out before all the chocolate is melted. When you stir the chocolate it will all melt.

3. Once the chocolate is cooled a little, wait for it to thicken slightly, then put it in a pastry bag with small tip or a plastic bag and cut a tiny tip off the corner.

4. On the parchment paper, arrange 8 pretzels sticks in a starburst shape (like spokes on a wheel). For the smaller webs break the pretzels in half.

5. Pipe the chocolate in the center where all the pretzels meet and then in circles from the middle to the end of the pretzels.

6. Before the chocolate hardens, take a toothpick and drag from the center outward to make the web pattern.

7. Add sprinkles, eyes or other small candy pieces.

8. Place in freezer to harden. Once hard store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

   

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Balls for a Halloween Charcuterie Board

1. Take your 3 favorite flavored goat cheeses and roll them into a ball. For best results, use goat cheese as the base for a creamy texture and tangy flavor.

2. Sprinkle one with everything seasoning, one with paprika and one with ground up cheez-its.

3. Take a piece of string and wrap the string around each cheese ball 4 times to look like a pumpkin.

4. Add a pretzel stick to the top & rosemary or other herb.

5. Serve with crackers.

Hand Shaped Cheese

1. Shape any soft cheese to look like a hand. I used goat cheese.

2. Wrap with prosciutto (easiest to work with when very cold).

3. Add almonds as finger nails. I scraped off some of the almond skin.

4. Serve with crackers, and pair with fruit and nuts to fill the gaps for a complete presentation.

The hand-shaped cheese sits atop a laser engraved skeleton.

Mini Pumpkin Filled with Cheese & Pesto

1. Cut the top off a mini pumpkin to create a small bowl.

2. With a spoon, scoop out the insides.

3. Fill the pumpkin with Boursin cheese and pesto. You can also fill it with goat cheese, cubed cheese, hummus, or your other favorite dip.

Shown on our small end grain cutting board. Click picture for link.

Party Decorations

Setting the scene is just as important as assembling the perfect halloween charcuterie board!

To make your halloween party truly unforgettable, start by creating a spooky and fun atmosphere that will wow your guests the moment they walk in. Play with lighting—string lights, lanterns, and candles add a warm, inviting glow, while LED lights or glow sticks can bring in that extra-creepy, haunted vibe.

Scoop out the top of mini pumpkins, gourds or honeynutsquash and insert candles. 

Layer in spider webs, cobwebs, or even a bit of fake mist to give your space a mysterious edge. If you want to go all out, a little dry ice in bowls can create a dramatic, smoky effect around your charcuterie board and platters.

Don’t forget to sprinkle in classic Halloween decorations like skeletons, bats, ghosts, and jack-o’-lanterns to match your board’s theme.

A bold tablecloth in black, orange, or purple makes the perfect backdrop for your halloween charcuterie board, helping all those cheeses, fruits, and meats pop.

For an extra touch, use decorative bowls and serving dishes in festive colors, or add small pumpkins, gourds, and seasonal fruits as accents around your boards.

Set the mood with a playlist of spooky sounds or Halloween hits to keep the party energy up. And remember, creating your own decorations—like paper bats or DIY ghosts—adds a personal, playful touch that your friends and family will love.

The best part? There’s no right or wrong way to decorate—just have fun, get creative, and let your halloween charcuterie board be the star of your creepy, festive party!

I hope you have found inspiration in this post!