Red White and Blue Charcuterie Board (Desserts)

This Red White and Blue Charcuterie Dessert Board is destined to be the talk of your patriotic party! A mini dessert board that is festive, easy to make, and filled with tasty treats.

Charcuterie boards are taking the world by storm. Just a short while ago we were searching for ideas on the internet and creating them ourselves, like our 4th of July Snack Board. Now, there are brick and mortar charcuterie shops and you can even order them online.

Not only do the boards offer a creative dining experience, they make great gifts. And you can even purchase smaller versions for lunches. The possibilities are endless! But don’t be intimidated, they are so easy to create!

Of course I thought it would be fun to make a patriotic version. And with Memorial Day and July Fourth right around the corner, red, white, and blue seemed fitting. For more themed treats try these easy Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats and Red White and Blue Cookie Bars.

What the Heck is Charcuterie Anyway?

The term charcuterie is from the French and means cold cooked meat. I know what you’re thinking – this is a dessert board, not a meat-focused platter. 

While charcuterie started with meat and cheese trays, it’s been transformed into grazing boards of all types. This is a food trend I can get on board with!  

Not to mention charcuterie presentations can be seasonal and holiday specific. 

Styling dessert boards is a lot of fun, but making everything from scratch can be time-consuming. This is why we’re going semi-homemade and using store-bought ingredients. But feel free to make from scratch if you prefer. 

What You Need for a Patriotic Charcuterie Dessert Board 

Ingredients for the Cupcakes: 

• White Cake Mix – don’t forget the ingredients to make (for example oil, eggs, etc.) 
• Frosting – choose your favorite or use my homemade frosting recipe from my Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake
• Sprinkles – assorted shapes in red, white, and blue

Mini Ice Cream Cone Ingredients: 

• Cones – we are using mini cake cones 
• Almond bark – we’re using white so the sprinkles pop, but you could use a different color
• Sprinkles – use the same ones you used for the cupcakes or grab different ones

Ingredients to Make Chocolate Dipped Oreos:

• Oreos 
• White almond bark 
• Candy Melts – blue and red 
• Sprinkles

Pretzel Bite Ingredients:

• Pretzels – the square shape
• Peanut Butter – we like the creamy version best
• Mini Chocolate Chips 
• White almond bark 
• Sprinkles 

More Ingredients to Style the Dessert Charcuterie Board:

• Red White and Blue Oreo Balls (aka Oreo Truffles)
• Strawberries
• Blueberries 
• Blackberries  
• Candy 
• Yogurt dipped pretzels 
• Yogurt raisins 

Kitchen Tools and Gadgets: 

• Mini cupcake pan and liners
• Containers for melting the chocolate 
• Small bowls for sprinkles 
• Ziploc bag – for adding peanut butter to pretzels 
• Squeeze bottle – to decorate Oreos 
• Large serving board – it’s easier to style if it has sides

Which Red, White, and Blue Candy Did You Use? 

You can choose whatever candy you’d like. These are the candies we used on this red white and blue charcuterie board:

• Cherry Sours
• Red Vines
• Licorice Circles 
• Reese’s White Thins
• Swedish Fish 
• Lindt Sea Salt Milk Chocolate Truffle
• M&M’s – grab the patriotic mix
• Watermelon Gummy Rings 
• Hot Tamales 
• Rock Candy Lollipops
• Blue Lollipops 

How To Make a Patriotic Dessert Board

Cupcake Instructions 

Make the mini cupcakes following the package instructions. Let them cool completely before adding your favorite frosting. Top with red, white, and blue sprinkles of choice. 

Mini Ice Cream Cones 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals. Coat the rim of each cone with chocolate then immediately dip into sprinkles. 

Dipped Oreos 

Start by melting the chocolate in 15-second intervals. Dip half of the Oreo in the chocolate. You may need two coats for full coverage. Immediately dip in the sprinkles before the chocolate dries.

Repeat with remaining cookies. Using the squeeze bottles filled with red and blue melted candies, drizzle and decorate the dipped Oreos. 

Pretzel Bites 

Add the peanut butter to a Ziploc bag and cut the corner. Squeeze enough peanut butter to cover the pretzel, add mini chocolate chips, then add another pretzel square on top to make a “sandwich”.

Dip into the melted chocolate halfway or you can completely cover in chocolate. Immediately add sprinkles, before the chocolate dries. I usually work in batches of 3-4 when dipping and decorating.

Styling Your Red White and Blue Charcuterie Board 

Select your charcuterie board. A board with raised edges will help keep everything contained.

Start by placing the largest items first, like the cupcakes and cones. Next add the larger berries and candies. The Red Vines can be used to separate sections.

Follow with the medium-sized treats (Oreo Truffles and Peanut Butter Squares) and candies.

Use the smaller candies and fruits to fill in the empty spaces. You can also put them in small bowls if preferred. 

Check to make sure the colors are spread evenly throughout the board.

More Treat Ideas to Add To Your Dessert Board: 

You can modify these recipes to fit the patriotic color scheme. Keep in mind you may need to store the treats in the refrigerator if you are using candy and chocolates, especially if you are serving on warmer days. 

• Crockpot Candy – we originally created this for Christmas, but you can use white chocolate and add red, white, and blue sprinkles in place of the red and green sprinkles..
• Cookie Dough Bites – use milk chocolate or white chocolate and drizzle with candy melts for a patriotic look.
• Fluffy Marshmallow Cream Cheese Fruit Dip – perfect the way it is and a nice dip for the fruit used on this board.