Charcuterie Board

Last Updated on January 15, 2020 by Annie

Provide a show-stopping dairy free Charcuterie Board packed with fresh vegetables, meats, and dips that are sure to give everyone on any diet something to try.

Before going dairy free a charcuterie board at my home looked drastically different than the ones I throw together today. Probably because they were cheese boards with a meat and just maybe some apple slices.

When I made my first dairy free charcuterie board I thought there had to be some kind of cheese replacement, so I made a vegan cheese ball. My husband enjoyed the “blended nut spread” as he called it, but wasn’t sold on it being cheese. While it added a different texture to the board, I know making vegan cheese balls won’t always be an option as some may take a day to prepare.

Here I will share with you a quick and easy dairy free charcuterie board you can make for any gathering.

What can you put on a dairy free charcuterie board?

Honestly, there is no hard and fast rule about what you can and can’t put on your charcuterie board. That said, it’s safe to say cheese probably should be excluded from your board.

When assembling a charcuterie board, try to incorporate a balance of salty, sweet, soft, and crunchy. Then make sure the different items pair well together. Typically I include meats, vegetables, fruits, dips or spreads, and crackers.

Meats

The meat selection for a charcuterie board is virtually endless. Often people use cured meats such as salami or prosciutto. Additional ideas include baked chicken or grilled steak sliced into thin pieces. My dad usually smokes sausage and slices them into 1 inch cuts for snacking.

On this board I include salami and prosciutto.

Veggies

Some of the most commonly used vegetables for a charcuterie board include bell pepper, grape tomatoes, carrots, celery, or cucumber. Raw broccoli and cauliflower also make appearances and fill up the space on a board beautifully.

For this board I used carrots, celery, cucumber, and sliced bell pepper.

Fruit

Common fruits to include on a charcuterie board are grapes, sliced apples, and strawberries. I choose not to include fruit on this board simply because I forgot, but also because I didn’t think they would pair well with the dips. Future me learned this was foolish as the board tended towards the salty side. Next time I would include grapes and apples.

Dips

This charcuterie board served as dinner for my husband and I so I kept the dips pretty simple. Hummus makes a perfect dip for any charcuterie board. It pairs well with most vegetables as well as many different meats and crackers.

Hummus also comes in a variety of flavors at the store and can be quickly made at home with just a few ingredients.

Whole 30 ranch dressings or a jalapeño cilantro lime dressing (found here paired with fish tacos) would pair well with the veggies. Garlic aioli or stone ground mustard pair divinely with the meats.

This board includes plain hummus and a small bowl of honey mustard for the meats.

Crackers

The biggest thing to remember about selecting crackers for a dairy free charcuterie board is to read the labels. Make sure the crackers you are using do not contain milk, butter, cheese, or dairy of any kind.

For this board I selected Carrs, Triscuits (Garden Herb), and Good Thins (Spinach and Garlic).

How to Assemble a Dairy Free Charcuterie Board

Start by washing and chopping all of your produce. Cutting your produce in advance makes assembly of the board quicker when you are ready to serve. Don’t feel like you need to place everything on the board at the beginning. Start small and go back and fill in empty spots at the end. Store any extra produce in the fridge and pull it out to restock the board when needed.

To assemble, begin by placing bowls with dips and spreads. These will provide a space to build produce, meats, and crackers around.

Next begin placing your veggies. There is no wrong way to do this. I like to alternate colors of vegetable and leave spots for meat or crackers in between the vegetables. I like to place some of each vegetable on alternate sides of the board so people on either end of the table can enjoy without reaching over everything to get to what they want.

Add the meats. Again, no wrong way. Stagger the meats around the veggies and alternate sides of the board for even distribution.

Finish with crackers. I end with crackers for a few reasons. If I run out of space, crackers can easily go in a bowl or on a different plate. Fill in remaining spaced with crackers and then supplement with additional meat or produce if necessary.

Enjoy!!!! If you made and enjoyed a deliciously dairy free Charcuterie Board feel free to tag me on Instagram @mylifeafterdairy so I can share all of your life after dairy creations!