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Home » Eats & Drinks » How to Create the Perfect Cheese Platter

How to Create the Perfect Cheese Platter

Published on April 28, 2020 by Eden

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Sharing step by step instructions all the details for creating the most perfect cheese platter! You’ll easily be able to assemble your own beautiful cheese board to serve at parties and holiday events!

Cheese platter with meat, fruit, honey, cheese, almonds, crackers and dried fruit on a large platter.

You’ve seen countless beautiful cheese platters that actually look like a  work of art. They are perfectly piled with cheese wedges, fruit, and nuts. And if you’re like us, you think I want a delicious glass of wine and an invitation to that party. 

Have you ever wondered how those cheese boards look so appealing even with the simplest of ingredients? Do you want to wow your friends at your next gathering with a show-stopping cheese platter?

Parmesan cheese in chunks with berries and crackers and dried fruit

Read on for all the tricks and tips needed to make your cheese platter the centerpiece of your party. First, we’ll go over all of the ingredients and then we’ll assemble the cheese platter using step by step instructions!

How to Make a Cheese Platter

Before getting into exactly what ingredients to use and how to arrange them, consider these tips when buying cheese for your cheese board or platter.

Cheese Choices

Since the platter is supposed to be about the cheese, let’s start there. You want a variety of hard and soft cheese and cheese that come from a variety of milk sources. 

Cheese varies so much in texture, flavor, and tang, think about how you can get some of each from your choices. 

Five varieties of cheese on a marble table.
  • You want to use a variety of cheeses on your platter. Variety comes in the form of hard, soft, and semi-soft cheeses. Also aged and new.
  • Along with the texture, you want to buy cheese from different sources. So adding one cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, and goat’s milk cheeses.
  • Buy cheese from different locations. Cheese is made around the world and imported so have cheese from Vermont to California and anywhere between as well as overseas like Italy and France.

Here’s an example of animal, texture, and location:

  • Triple Cream – Cow Milk – Soft Cheese – Hudson Valley
  • Humblot Fog – Goat Milk – Soft Cheese – California
  • Aged Pecorino – Sheep Milk – Semi-soft Cheese – Italy
  • Ages Gouda – Cow Milk – Hard Cheese – Netherlands
  • Parmesan – Cow Milk – Hard Cheese – Italy

As you are selecting your cheeses, also think about how you will present them. Some can go on the platter in a block that guests can cut from, others already cubed or sliced. While some of your softer cheeses may need a knife to spread them. 

Parmesan cheese on a board

Hard Cheeses

Hard cheeses are the ones you will likely pre-cut into small cubes or slices. They piled well on a heartily stocked cheese platter. Some hard cheese choices include:

  • Sharp aged cheddars
  • Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Gouda
  • Manchego
  • Gruyére

Think about both texture and color as you select the hard cheeses. Depending on the size of your cheese platter, 2 to 3 hard kinds of cheese is a good choice.

Cheese assembled on a cheese board

Soft Cheeses

Soft cheeses will either spread or crumble. Consider these choices:

  • Brie
  • Blue or Gorgonzola
  • Burrata or fresh mozzarella
  • Goat 

These are often presented on the platter in the form of wedges, or rounds. Again, depending on the size of your platter, 2 to 3 choices of soft cheeses are good. 

How Much Cheese Per Person?

You want to plan for about 3 ounces of cheese per guest.

What should go on a cheese platter?

Now that we’ve covered the main ingredient on a cheese platter, what else should go on it? Keep scrolling to see all the details on what else should go on the board!

Rustic Bakery Crackers and Lesley Stowe raincoat crisps

Crackers

The star of the show, the cheeses, should be enjoyed with a variety of crackers and bread. Offer 2-3 options for crackers or crostinis:

  • Crostini
  • Crackers
  • Flatbread
  • Hunks of fresh French bread
  • Breadsticks
Cracker crips, cheese, sliced apples, blackberries and dried orange slices on a cheese board.

My favorite crackers are the Rustic Bakery and Crisps with fruit baked into them.

Meat Choices for Cheese Platters

Commonly called charcuterie, add a few meat choices to make a wonderful meat and cheese board! Some choices include:

  • Soppressata
  • Bresaola
  • Chorizo
  • Coppa
  • Guanciale
  • Prosciutto
Charcuterie in packages.

The charcuterie choices will add some spice and salt to your charcuterie tray. Consider 2 to 3 of these choices. 

Condiments for a Cheese Platter

Now comes the fun part, adding condiments to a cheese board gives it texture, depth, color, and more flavor!

Olives, candied walnuts, almonds, dried blueberries in mini bowls on a marble table.

Fresh Fruit and Dried Fruit

Choose 2 berries and 2-3 fruits to slice.

Think about adding both fresh and dried fruit choices to your platter. The sweetness of the fruit pairs well with both the tang and texture of the cheese.

Dried pineapple and orange slices on a marble table.

We also like to keep it seasonal, so choose fruit that is in season to serve. Here are some options:

  • Apple slices
  • Pear slices
  • Figs
  • Grapes on the stem
  • Berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
  • Pomegranates
  • Dried orange slices
Squeezing fresh lemon over sliced apples.

Quick tip – Be sure to slice your apples and pears and give them a quick soak in either lemon or orange juice to prevent them from getting brown on the platter. 

Candied walnuts and honeycomb in small bowls.

Nuts

Choose 2 types of nuts to serve.

A cheese plater must have a few varieties of nuts! Adding crunch and texture to the platter. They also pair so nicely with the cheese, fruit, and honey.

We always choose 2 of these varieties:

  • Marcona Almonds
  • Pistachios
  • Candied Walnuts and Pecans
  • Hazelnuts

Marinated Olives

Choose 1-2 varieties of olives to serve.

Another must-have condiment for a cheese platter are marinated olives. Don’t serve an olive with a pit as it is tricky for guests to eat. Pitted olives only.

Some grocery stores have olive bars which are a great option for marinated olives. You can get spicey or garlic olives which are so good! Here are some common olives to serve:

  • Picholine
  • Calamata
  • Morrocan Salt Cured
  • Cerignola
  • Niçoise

We also love adding mini cornichons to the platter! They are tiny pickles and they taste so good! You can find these in jars or at the olive bar.

Honey and Jams

Add sweetness to the cheese platter with jams like fig jam, raw honeycomb, or other fruit spreads.

Savannah Bee Company honeycomb

Imagine how your guests can create their own individualized crudité bites with bread or cracker, cheese, and a dollop of jam. 

honeycomb on a cheese plate surrounded by fruit, cheese and crackers.

Arranging a Cheese Platter (Step by Step)

Now comes the fun part! Arranging all of these ingredients and choices onto your board.

Here are 5 things you’ll need:

  1. A large cheese platter or board.
  2. Small white bowls for olives, jams, nuts, and more.
  3. Small serving spoons.
  4. Cheese knives.
  5. Small cutting board and knife to slice fruit for the board.
Large cheese platter with marble and wood.

Cheese Platter or Board

Start with a platter or cutting board. Don’t be afraid to choose a larger piece and really make a statement with the arrangement. 

Placing cheese on a cheese platter.

Place Cheese Around the Board

Next, place all of the cheese around the platter. Space them out, separate soft cheeses, cut larger wedges into two, and place next to each other.

Cutting soft cheese on a cheese board

Also, think about cutting cheeses in a variety of ways like slices, wedges, and cubes. 

Cheese, honey and olives on a cheese platter.

Fill Mini Bowls with Condiments

Fill mini bowls with olives, nuts, jam, and honeycomb.

Place the bowls around the cheeseboard.

cheese, olives, honey and crackers on a cheese board.

Add the Crackers

Then, add the crackers. Crackers are a crucial part of the cheese platter. Add them around the platter. If you’re using a smaller board you can put these on the side, but we love them on the platter.

Adding meat to a cheese platter filled with cheese, olives and crackers.

Next, Add the Charcuterie

After the larger items are placed, add the charcuterie to the platter. Think about putting these on in a variety of ways by rolling, folding, and cutting into chunks. 

Rolling a slice of salami

For round salami, I like to quickly fold it so it looks more like a pretty flower than just a flat piece of salami.

prosciutto rolled up and a wedge of cheese.

Rolling the meat or folding it helps to add height and shape to the cheese platter.

Adding sliced fruit to a cheese board with honey and crackers and meat.

Add Sliced Fruit

Fill in areas with pretty sliced fruit. Fan the fruit out for a pretty look.

Crackers, apples, cheese and olives
Crackers, berries, cheese, honey, dried fruit on a board.

Fill in Empty Spots with Berries

Step back and take a look at the board. If there are empty spots those are the areas you will place the berries. Fill those areas with fresh berries and extra nuts.

Assembling a cheese board with crackers, cheese, fruit, honey and berries.

Continue filling in the empty spots on the cheese platter until it’s nice and full!

Close up picture of blueberries, apple slices and sliced dried oranges.

Finishing Touches

Add more color and charm with edible flowers or fresh herbs! Little bits of seasonal greenery or winter pines will look beautiful!

Cheese platter filled with cheese, crackers apple, olives and meat and berries.

Lay cheese knives next to each cheese for easy cutting.

Cheese and berries with herbs and crackers on a cheese board.

When to Make Your Cheese Platter

Cheese tastes best when it has come to room temperature. So, it’s best to have your cheeses out at least 30 minutes ahead of when you hope to serve it.

small white bowls filled with olives and honey.

Having said that, you don’t want to put this together days in advance, as the flavors on your platter will meld together and items will get soggy. 

a pretty cheese platter with cheese, meat, berries, crackers and honey.

It’s best to assemble the platter an hour before the party.

Simple Cheese Platters

Don’t be intimidated by fancy platters. Creating your own best cheese platter is really all about choosing a small variety of quality ingredients and then having some fun displaying them all together on a platter. 

Large cheese board filled with cheese, fruit and charcuterie

You won’t be breaking any rules by just starting. Avoid any big open spaces and your platter will be a hit. 

Seasonal Cheese Platters

Make a cheese platter for holidays and season! Here are some beautiful cheese boards we’ve made in the past!

How to Create the Most Beautiful Halloween Cheese Board

Thanksgiving Appetizer Cheese Board

Summer Wine and Cheese Party and Large Cheese Board

Cheese platter with mini white bowls and dried fruit.

Tips for Making An Affordable Cheese Platter

Cheese platters can be pricey, but there are ways to save money. Truly it’s just about spending less money on items. Maybe instead of honeycomb, you can add honey into a small bowl.

  • Use packaged cheese like cheddar and cut it into cubes. Not all of the cheese has to be fancy imported cheese. Add a little bit of both.
  • Trader Joe’s has a wonderful selection of cheese and crackers for good prices. You can find almost everything on this platter there.
  • Buy items on sale! I always see cheese fruit and nuts on sale and it’s a great way to save money on the end total.

Let us know if you make this cheese platter! We would love to know your thoughts by leaving a comment and review below.

You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious recipes, cocktails, desserts and parties!

The Perfect Cheese Platter

These are the ingredients we used to create this cheese platter. Use this as a general guide for creating your own platter! Add different cheese and seasonal fruit to your platter.
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheese, Cheese Board, Cheese Platter
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Eden

Ingredients

Cheese

  • Humbolt Fog Goat Cheese
  • Mitica Aged Pecornio Toscano Cheese
  • St Andre Triple Cream 
  • Clarina Aged Gouda
  • Aged Parmesan

Condiments

  • Marinated Olives
  • Marcona Almonds
  • Pistachios
  • Candied Walnuts

Charcuterie

  • Napoli Salami
  • Prosciutto
  • Soppressata

Fruit

  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Apples, Sliced
  • Oranges, Dried
  • Pineapple, Dried

Sweets

  • Jam
  • Honey Comb

Notes

Use this as a general guide for creating your own platter! Add different cheese and seasonal fruit to your platter. 
Garnsih with edidble flowers and herbs.
Make one hour before your party.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarandcharm or tag us #sugarandcharm!


14 Comments

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Comments

  1. Natalie says

    April 28, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    5 stars
    Love the tips! This is making me hungry! Can’t wait to have guests over to make a nice platter like this!

    Reply
    • Eden says

      April 29, 2020 at 12:21 am

      Thank you Natalie!!

      Reply
  2. Kristyn says

    April 28, 2020 at 11:54 pm

    5 stars
    Pretty & yummy!! These are always such a crowd pleasing platter. Love all the different options on there!

    Reply
    • Eden says

      April 29, 2020 at 12:29 am

      Thank you Kristyn!

      Reply
  3. stephanie says

    April 29, 2020 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    This is such a fun platter. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  4. April says

    April 29, 2020 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    What I love about cheese platters is they’re perfect not just for entertaining, but they’re also great for just chilling on the couch and snacking while watching a movie with the family. You have a ton of great options to include, I love it!

    Reply
  5. Toni says

    April 29, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    5 stars
    I love everything about this platter! So good and delicious!

    Reply
  6. alisha says

    April 29, 2020 at 5:40 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect for a party

    Reply
  7. Lily says

    July 13, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    I am loving all of these tips and tricks for a perfect cheese platter. Thank you for this easy to follow explanation it will make help girls brunch a lot more beautiful.

    Reply
  8. Beth says

    July 13, 2020 at 9:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love this platter! It’s so beautiful and colorful! Thanks for all the tips and hints to this!

    Reply
  9. Melissa says

    July 16, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    5 stars
    Beautiful and delicious!

    Reply
  10. Anna says

    July 28, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    Cheese platters are so fun to make! Perfect for treat a movie night!

    Reply
  11. Jen says

    July 28, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve started making these on Friday afternoons to hold my family over until our late dinner. You have so many amazing options (dried pineapple sounds fantastic!). I’m heading to TJs right now to pick up a few of your suggestions to add to our platter.

    Reply
  12. Kara says

    July 28, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    I love the idea of adding in some berries and other fruits. Most cheese platters I’ve seen just have meats, cheese, and crackers. Perfect to add a bit of sweetness to the mix!

    Reply

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