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Create a beautiful, easy fruit and cheese platter that’s fresh, simple, and always crowd-pleasing! I’ve made dozens for parties, showers, and cozy gatherings, and I’m sharing my best tips to help you make one that’s just as stunning and delicious.
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How to Make a Fruit and Cheese Platter
Prep Ingredients: Select 3 – 4 cheeses (soft, semi-soft, hard), slice them into different shapes, and wash and dry your fruit. Set out small bowls for honey, jams, or dips.
Start with Cheese and Bowls: Arrange your cheeses and any bowls first, anchoring them around the board. Add cheese knives for easy serving.
Add Fruits and Extras: Layer in larger fruits like grapes, then fill gaps with smaller fruits, nuts, and crackers.
Garnish for Color: Finish with fresh herbs or edible flowers for a colorful, fragrant touch.
Use Extra Plates if Needed: If your board feels crowded, serve crackers and bread separately.
Best Items to Add to a Fruit and Cheese Platter
Cheese:
- Fresh Cheese: Feta, Goat Cheese, Ricotta
- Soft Cheese: Brie, Camembert
- Semi-Soft Cheese: Havarti, Provolone
- Hard Cheese: Cheddar, Parmesan
- Blue Cheese: Gorgonzola, Roquefort
- Washed Rind Cheese: Taleggio, Limburger
- Bloomy Rind Cheese: Brie, Camembert
Fruits:
- Mango and Kiwi: Tropical, juicy, and perfect with creamy cheeses
- Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries for sweet and tart flavor
- Grapes: Green and purple grapes add crispness and balance
- Peaches, Plums, and Pears: Juicy, sweet fruits that pair beautifully with Brie, Goat Cheese, and Feta
- Melon: Refreshing and sweet, perfect for bright contrast with rich cheeses
Extras:
- Nuts: Cashews, almonds, pistachios
- Crackers: Multi-grain, pretzels, or pita chips
- Honey and Jam: Honeycomb, fig spread, or seasonal jams
- Edible Flowers: Lavender, rose petals, or pansies for a colorful, elegant touch
- Dried Fruit: Dehydrated oranges, cranberries, or raisins for pops of flavor and color
Perfect Pairings:
Cheddar and Apple: A sweet and savory combination everyone loves
Feta and Watermelon: Light, refreshing, and perfect for summer platters
Brie and Pears: Classic, creamy, and delicious with a sprinkle of candied pecans
Eden’s Tips
Use cheese signs: Label each cheese so guests know exactly what they’re trying. It also prevents mixing strong flavors (like blue cheese) with milder ones. Plus, it makes your board look polished and thoughtful!
Serve cheese at room temperature: Cheese tastes best when it’s slightly soft and full of flavor, not cold from the fridge. Let it sit out for about 30 minutes before guests arrive for the perfect texture and taste.
Plan for 3 ounces of cheese per guest: A good rule of thumb is about 3 ounces per person. If the platter is your main appetizer, you can bump it up a little – people always go back for seconds when it’s this good!
Looking for more platter ideas? Check out my fruit platter, favorite fruit dip, and my complete guide on making a cheese platter!
I can’t wait to see your beautiful fruit and cheese platters! Tag me on social media so I can celebrate your delicious creation!
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Fruit and Cheese Platter
Equipment
- 1 large platter
Ingredients
Choose a Variety of Cheese
- 4 ounces goat cheese, or any soft cheese
- 8 ounces brie cheese, or any similar creamy cheese
- 8 ounces aged cheddar, or any aged cheese
Choose a Variety of Fruit
- 1 lb grapes, red or green grapes
- 3 kiwi, sliced
- 1 large orange, sliced
- 4 ounces blueberries
- 4 ounces blackberries
- 4 ounces raspberries
- 4 ounces strawberries, slice the tops off
- 1 pear, sliced
Nuts, Dried Fruit + Honey
- 4 ounces candied walnuts, or candied pecans
- 4 tbsp honey , with honeycomb if possible
- 3 ounces dried fruit, strawberries, orange slices, etc.
Bread and Crackers
- 6 ounces crackers, or crusty bread
Instructions
- Choose 3-4 different types of cheese. Cut them into different shapes if needed. We like cubes, triangles, slices, etc.
- Wash, slice, and chop any fruit you’ll be adding to the platter.
- Add honey, dips, and sauces into small bowls.
- Add the different cheeses to the platter. Put the cheese in different corners of the platter. Add a cheese knife to each selection and a cheese sign so your flavors don’t get mixed.
- Add in the larger fruit items like grapes first.
- Then, fill in the empty spaces with your small fruits, nuts, and other things. Finish off your fruit and cheese platter with some garnish, like fresh herbs and edible flowers.
- Add the crackers on the platter or on a separate plate near.
Video
Notes
You can prepare your platter in advance! Assemble it the day before, but wait to add crackers or nuts to avoid sogginess. Wrap the platter in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Platter Ideas
Here are a few more of our favorite appetizer boards:
I am so informed now. II can’t wait to start shopping and creating..
Delicious!! I could live off of this fruit and cheese platter. So good! I love the fruit and cheese pairings you recommend, it’s so helpful. My favorite cheeses for cheese platters is brie, a very sharp cheddar, dubliner cheese, and sometimes a package of Boursin cheese. Yum!
Thank you so much for these tips, I made a beautiful platter for our party over the weekend! I wish I took a picture, it was amazing.
Thank you so much! I was able to put together the perfect appetizer to take to a cookout and everyone was blown away!