As part of my at-home Valentine’s Day ideas for 2021, I’ve put together a list of my favorite holiday items for sweet and savory charcuterie boards! These ingredients can be mixed and matched for color, shape, and flavor—one featuring lots of yummy kid-friendly treats and the other with more adult favorites. (You can also find my classic charcuterie board layout in the link!)
A charcuterie board is such a sweet way to make Valentine’s Day special for your kids this year, especially if they’ve been staying home from school or are social distancing in the classroom. Since my kids are attending school physically, I’m planning to lay out these treats as a surprise when they get home in the afternoon. Part of our family tradition is also making some cute Valentine’s crafts, playing games, and decorating our classic pink sugar cookies.
Here are some of the items I used to make my two charcuterie boards!
Cute and Yummy Items for a Valentine’s Charcuterie for Kids
Chewy gummy candies and conversation hearts. (I picked up mine from Harmons in Utah.)
Mini cherry hearts from Brach's.
Pink and white Mother's Circus Animal cookies.
Oreo Thins cookies. (I especially like these for visual contrast to the pinks and whites.)
Lindor chocolate truffles.
Fresh fruits like blueberries and strawberries. I love to add some fiber since my kids will be eating extra treats on Valentine’s.
Graham crackers—perfect for dipping.
Smash Mallow Marshmallows in Strawberries and Cream.
Chocolate- or yogurt-covered Flipz pretzels.
Pink sugar cookies. You can pick up from the store or make your own.
Hershey Kisses candy.
Red Tootsie Roll Pops.
Chic and Delicious Options for a Grownup Valentine’s Charcuterie Board
Fresh fruit like grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and red apples.
Savory accents like pretzel sticks, crackers, and toasties.
Mixed nuts like cashews and almonds. (I also like sweet or savory flavors.)
Spreadable chocolate like Nutella. I put mine in a small bowl for dipping.
Soft cheese like Président brie, Harmons brie, or blue cheese. If the cheese has a rind and you pull it from the refrigerator, it’s fairly easy to cut into a cute heart shape.
Heart-shaped crackers like Valley Lahvosh.
A medium-hard cheese like Sartori Merlot. (Also easy to cut into shapes.)
Sliced meats like Creminelli salami and prosciutto.
Raincoast crackers. (My favorite!)
Fresh honeycomb or a bowl of raw honey for drizzling. (I love combining sweet and savory.)
Edible embellishments like rose petals.
Whatever you choose for your Valentine’s charcuterie board, I recommend focusing on color and texture to make it look sweet and delectable. For mine, I tried to break up the blocks of pink and red with white and black, as well as scatter a few smaller items like candies and rose petals over the finished board to make it feel more organic.
Let me know if you decide to create a Valentine’s charcuterie board this month! You can tag me @rachparcell on Instagram to show off your culinary masterpieces. Happy Valentine’s Day!
