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Ella Cooks

The Ultimate Fall Charcuterie Board for Parties

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A really good fall charcuterie board should feel generous and seasonal, but it still has to be something people actually want to eat. This one has creamy Brie, sharp cheddar, goat cheese, salami and prosciutto, crisp apples and pears, grapes, pecans, pickles, fig jam, hot honey and a little bowl of pumpkin butter that makes the whole thing instantly feel like fall.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Charcuterie Board
Cheese
  • 8 oz 225 g Brie
  • 8 oz 225 g sharp white cheddar
  • 4 oz 115 g goat cheese
Cured Meat
  • 4 oz 115 g salami
  • 4 oz 115 g prosciutto
Crackers and Bread
  • 7 to 8 oz 200 to 225 g buttery crackers
  • 4 to 5 oz 115 to 140 g seeded crackers
  • 1 small baguette sliced
Fresh Fruit
  • 1 crisp red apple thinly sliced
  • 1 ripe but firm pear thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch red grapes
  • 4 to 6 fresh figs halved, optional
Salty Extras
  • 1/2 cup cornichons or mini dill pickles
  • 1/2 cup olives
Sweet and Savory Extras
  • 1/3 cup fig jam
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin butter homemade or store-bought
  • 1/4 cup hot honey or regular honey
  • 3/4 cup candied pecans or toasted pecans
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup roasted pepitas optional
  • A few rosemary sprigs for garnish
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter
  • You only need a small amount for the board so this makes a deliberately small batch.
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground ginger
  • Tiny pinch nutmeg
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Equipment

  • 1 large wooden board, platter or serving tray
  • 3 to 4 small bowls or ramekins
  • Small saucepan, if making the pumpkin butter
  • Wooden spoon
  • Cheese knife
  • Small spoons for spreads
  • Paring knife
  • Cutting board

Method
 

  1. Method
Make the Pumpkin Butter
  1. Put the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt into a small saucepan.
  2. Cook over low to medium-low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until slightly darker, thicker and glossy.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
  4. Taste it. If your pumpkin is particularly earthy, add another small drizzle of maple syrup.
  5. Let it cool before spooning it into a small serving bowl.
  6. You can also make this a day or two ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
Bring the Cheese Out of the Fridge
  1. Take the Brie, cheddar and goat cheese out about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
  2. They do not need to become completely room temperature, but taking the chill off makes a surprisingly big difference, especially with Brie.
Add the Small Bowls First
  1. Spoon the pumpkin butter, fig jam, olives and pickles into small bowls or ramekins.
  2. Position them around the board first.
  3. This is my easiest trick for getting a charcuterie board to look balanced because you can then build everything else around them.
Add the Cheese
  1. Space the cheeses around the board rather than putting them all together.
  2. Leave the Brie whole or cut out one small wedge.
  3. Slice or cube the cheddar so people can take it easily.
  4. Leave the goat cheese as a small log or cut it into thick rounds.
Add the Meat
  1. Fold the prosciutto loosely into ribbons rather than laying it flat.
  2. Fan the salami slices or fold each piece in half and tuck them together.
  3. You are not trying to create elaborate salami roses here. A few loose folds make the board look abundant without turning it into a craft project.
Add Crackers and Bread
  1. Arrange crackers and baguette slices in small groups around the board.
  2. I prefer grouping each kind together rather than scattering individual crackers everywhere. It looks cleaner and makes them much easier to grab.
Add the Fruit
  1. Fan the apple and pear slices beside the cheese.
  2. Add small clusters of grapes and tuck the figs into any larger gaps.
  3. Apples and pumpkin butter are particularly good together, so I like putting those fairly close to each other.
Fill the Gaps
  1. Add the pecans, dried cranberries and optional pepitas.
  2. Small piles work better than sprinkling everything evenly across the board.
  3. This is also the point where you can stand back and see which corners need a little more color or texture.
Finish the Board
  1. Add a small bowl of honey or hot honey, or drizzle a little over the Brie just before serving.
  2. Tuck in a few rosemary sprigs for a subtle fall look.
  3. Add cheese knives and small spoons, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 11gFat: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 11g

Notes

Tips & Variations

Make it more savory
Use fewer dried cranberries and add extra olives, cornichons or roasted nuts.
Make it cheaper
Use two cheeses instead of three and skip the prosciutto. A good cheddar, Brie and salami are plenty for a generous board.
Make it more impressive
Warm the Brie briefly before serving and spoon a little pumpkin butter and pecans over the top.
Make it for Friendsgiving
Add cranberry preserves alongside the pumpkin butter and use plenty of sharp cheddar, apples and pecans.
Make it for football
Add pretzels, smoked sausage, cheddar cubes and a warm dip.
Make it vegetarian
Leave out the cured meats and add another cheese, hummus, whipped feta or extra nuts.
Make it ahead
The pumpkin butter can be made several days ahead.
Cheeses and meats can be portioned earlier in the day, but add crackers and sliced fruit fairly close to serving time.
Keep apples and pears looking fresh
A very light brush or toss with lemon juice will slow browning. Do not soak them or they can become wet and slippery on the board.
 

Tips

Start with the bowls. It is much easier to build around fixed points than to assemble the whole board and then realise there is nowhere to put the pumpkin butter.
 
Cut at least one cheese before people arrive. Nobody wants to be the first guest hacking into an immaculate wheel of Brie.
 
Use grapes and nuts to fill awkward spaces. They are basically charcuterie-board camouflage.
 
Do not put ten sweet things on it just because it is fall. Pumpkin butter, fig jam and honey are enough. The salty meat, cheese, olives and pickles are what keep the board interesting.
 

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