Santa Charcuterie Board – The Cutest Christmas Appetizer You’ll Ever Make!

Christmas is all about creating those magical holiday moments, but if you’re anything like me, nothing steals your joy faster than complicated recipes and a messy kitchen. That’s exactly why this Santa Charcuterie Board has become one of my absolute favorite Christmas appetizers. It’s fun, festive, kid-approved, and requires zero actual cooking. That’s right, mama — cute AND mess-free? Say less!

This Santa Charcuterie Board brings together the perfect mix of sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy. You’ll use Gouda cheese for Santa’s face, berries for the hat, marshmallows for the beard, Cosmic Brownie eyes (yes… trust me, it WORKS!), and all your favorite crackers, pretzels, and meats to fill out the board. The end result is an adorable Santa face that instantly becomes the star of your Christmas table.

Whether you’re hosting a holiday party, attending a school gathering, planning a family movie night, or looking to make a festive charcuterie board without spending hours in the kitchen, this Santa Charcuterie Board is your new go-to.

Ingredients for Santa Charcuterie Board

How to make Santa Charcuterie Board: ingredients you need!

Santa Face & Decorations

1 wheel Gouda cheese (red wax removed)

1 Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie

2 blue candies (M&Ms or Smarties)

1 bag jumbo marshmallows

2–3 cartons fresh raspberries

1 carton fresh blackberries

1 Blue Hive Honeycomb cracker (or any round cracker for the buckle)

Board Fillers

Assorted pretzels

Assorted crackers

Salami, pepperoni, prosciutto (or your favorite cured meats)

Tools Needed

Large serving board or platter

Sharp knife

Small star cookie cutter

Small circle cookie cutter

All simple, affordable ingredients — one more reason this Santa Charcuterie Board is officially CBM-approved!

Santa Charcuterie Board Video Tutorial

For my visual learners, here is a step-by-step video tutorial you can follow! Assemble along with me and make Santa come to life right on your kitchen counter.

How to Make Santa Charcuterie Board

How to make Santa Charcuterie Board : a step by step guide

Prepare Santa’s Face

Cut your Gouda cheese wheel in half.
Place one half, flat side up, in the center of your board — this is Santa’s face.
Use your star cookie cutter to punch out a cheese star from the other half. Save it for Santa’s hat topper!

Craft the Eyes

Use the tiny round cookie cutter to punch two circles from a Cosmic Brownie.
Place the brownie circles on the Gouda as Santa’s eye bases.
Add a blue candy to the center of each circle — suddenly Santa has bright, cheerful eyes!

Build Santa’s Beard & Hat Brim

Arrange jumbo marshmallows along the curved bottom edge of the Gouda to form Santa’s fluffy beard.
Line marshmallows across the top straight edge to create the brim of the hat.
This instantly transforms your cheese wheel into Santa’s face — SO cute!

Assemble the Hat

Above the marshmallow brim, add raspberries in a triangle shape to create Santa’s famous red hat.
Let the berry triangle “droop” to one side for an adorable slouchy look.
Fill small gaps with blackberries for color and dimension.
Finish with your Gouda cheese star at the tip of the hat.

Fill the Board

Now add your pretzels, crackers, salami, pepperoni, and prosciutto around Santa’s face.
The mixture of colors and textures makes your Santa Charcuterie Board look full, festive, and professional with hardly any effort.

Santa Charcuterie Board Side Idea

If you want to make your Christmas spread even more magical, pair your Santa Charcuterie Board with my Reindeer Donuts, Hot Chocolate Dip, and Snowman Cheesecake Dip for the cutest (and easiest!) festive snack table your family has ever seen!

Crazy Busy Mama Tip

Prep your Santa elements — the sliced Gouda, brownie circles, and berries — a few hours ahead of time and keep them chilled in airtight containers. Then when guests arrive, you can assemble your entire Santa Charcuterie Board in minutes. It looks impressive, but only YOU know how easy it was!

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Mama, If you give this recipe a try and love it, I’d be thrilled if you could leave a comment and a 5-star rating below! Your feedback not only makes my day but also helps me understand what kinds of recipes you'd like to see more of.

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More Easy Appetizer Recipes

If you love this Santa Charcuterie Board, be sure to check out these other easy appetizer recipes that will add fun and flavor to every meal.

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