Thanksgiving is all about gathering, grazing, and celebrating good food together. A festive appetizer board is the perfect way to welcome guests and keep everyone satisfied while the main meal comes together. From classic spreads to creative turkey-shaped boards, these Thanksgiving appetizer ideas are filled with fresh, seasonal ingredients that bring color and flavor to your holiday table.
Explore the ideas below for inspiration, ingredient lists, and simple ways to make each board your own.
Looking for even more inspiration? Check out:
Tips for Creating Charcuterie Boards for Thanksgiving
While we’ve shared plenty of specific Thanksgiving board ideas below, you can easily create your own using favorite ingredients or whatever you already have on hand. The beauty of a charcuterie board is its flexibility — mix and match flavors, colors, and textures to make something that fits your table and your crowd.
Here are our best tips for crafting the perfect Thanksgiving charcuterie board:
- Start with a beautiful base: Choose a wooden or slate board sized to fit your guest list and food selection.
- Mix up the meats: Add a variety of cured options like prosciutto, salami, or chorizo for rich, savory depth.
- Choose a range of cheeses: Include soft, semi-soft, and hard varieties such as Brie, cheddar, gouda, and blue cheese. Don’t forget cheese knives for easy serving!
- Layer in condiments and spreads: Whole-grain mustard, honey, fig jam, and cranberry sauce all pair beautifully with meats and cheeses.
- Add fresh and dried fruits: Seasonal picks like grapes, apple and pear slices, plus dried figs or apricots, add a burst of color and sweetness.
- Offer breads and crackers: Include baguette slices, whole-grain crackers, or breadsticks to balance the flavors and textures.
- Include nuts and olives: Roasted almonds, walnuts, and assorted olives bring salty crunch and variety.
- Garnish with herbs: Sprigs of rosemary or thyme add a festive aroma and elevate presentation.
- Balance with veggies: Fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber slices bring brightness and color.
- Arrange with care: Fold meats, fan out cheeses, and play with colors and shapes to create an eye-catching display.
- Label your items: Small name tags help guests identify cheeses, meats, and spreads.
- Serve at the right temperature: Take the board out 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Be inclusive: Add vegetarian, gluten-free, or other options to accommodate your guests.
- Have fun with it: Don’t stress about perfection—charcuterie is about creativity and abundance!
- Replenish as needed: Keep the board looking full and inviting throughout your gathering.
Option 2 – Shorter, more conversational (good for social media, newsletters, or repurposed posts)
You don’t need a complicated recipe to make a show-stopping Thanksgiving charcuterie board—just a mix of your favorite ingredients and a little creativity. Start with a nice board, add a few cheeses, cured meats, fruits, spreads, and crackers, then fill in the gaps with nuts, herbs, and colorful veggies.
Pro tips for success:
Use a mix of textures and colors, serve at room temperature, and don’t forget to replenish as the day goes on. Label your items, add festive garnishes like rosemary sprigs, and most importantly—have fun with it!
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to serve up a charcuterie board. Whether you plan to make a traditional board or a creative turkey charcuterie board, we’ve got lots of thanks charcuterie board ideas to get you started.
Medium Charcuterie Board for Fall
This medium sized charcuterie board is perfect for Thanksgiving. Make this board early in the day and let people snack withoutout eating a large meal before the big event. Most of the food on this board will can sit out for an hour or two and you can keep adding and replacing as people eat.
Apple-Shaped Charcuterie Board
This board is an easy snacking board that can be served throughout the day on Thanksgiving.
Medium Sized Charcuterie Board
I originally made this board for a fall birthday party, but it makes the perfect Thanksgiving board as well. Add a few decorative gourds and you have a delicious and seasonal board that is big enough for a medium sized gathering!
Baked Brie Charcuterie Board
This baked brie pumpkin charcuterie board is a fun Thanksgiving board. Keep it autumnal with sage leaves and mini gourds and serve this up alongside your other thanksgiving appetizers.
Tree of Plenty Board
Bring the spirit of the harvest to your table with this Tree of Plenty Charcuterie Board! 🌳🧀
Loaded with colorful fruits, cheeses, meats, and sweets, it’s a stunning (and simple!) way to celebrate Thanksgiving or any fall gathering.
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Cups
Make these individual and fun Thanksgiving Charcuterie cups as the perfect snack before the big meal. You can make these as fun and personal as you like. These are perfect if you have people with a lot of dietary restrictions! You can easily personalize these boards to add another fun element to your gathering.
Charcuterie Cornucopia Cups
Give your Thanksgiving table a creative twist with these Individual Charcuterie Cornucopia Cups! 🦃✨
Flaky, golden cornucopias filled with cheese, fruit, and meats — a fun, single-serve take on the classic charcuterie board. Perfect as appetizers or at each place setting for a festive touch!
Funny Little Turkey Charcuterie Board
This funny little bird is an easy and excellent thanksgiving charcuterie board is you are looking for a small snack before dinner, or want a creative way to get your kids to eat some veggies on Thanksgiving.
Fall Charcuterie Board
This fall charcuterie board is loaded with ingredients with fall colors and textures. Add some decorative gourds to your boards and select orange and yellows to make your board fit into fall. This is a fun and festive charcuterie board for Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Shaped Board
I love making fall charcuterie boards and one of my new favorites that works all fall is to make a simple pumpkin shaped charcuterie board. This board is made from mostly orange or fall colored ingredients: think orange cheese, peaches, oranges, etc.
Little Acorn Snacking Board
This is one of my favorite little boards for the fall. Make this acorn charcuterie board for Halloween or Thanksgiving or a kid’s birthday party. Full of fun ingredients with a little salty and sweet combination. This board is easy to make as a small or medium board and can be adapted based on dietary preference or allergies.
Mediterannean Charcuterie Board
This slightly more traditional charcuterie board combines foods found along the Mediterranean. Create a classic charcuterie board to serve before Thanksgiving dinner to spice things up a bit.
Turkey Shaped Charcuterie Board
This turkey shaped charcuterie board uses a pear as the turkey body. Get creative and surround your turkey body with cheese, fruit and vegetables and serve it up as a Thanksgiving appetizer.
Dairy Free Charcuterie Board
Even if you don’t have someone joining your for Thanksgiving who needs a dairy-free board,this board is perfect for the holidays. Instead of cheese, choose some classic charcuterie board dips like hummus.
Simple Charcuterie Board
This simple an elegant charcuterie board is a refreshing board to serve up before Thanksgiving dinner. Add a few sweets like fresh blackberries and chocolate for a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board.
Foccacia Charcuterie Board
Looking for Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas that can be served during dinner? Why not try this edible foccaciaa charcuterie board. Decorate your bread with cheese and veggies and make this showstopper a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving meal.
Cornucopia Charcuterie Board
Mark the season’s abundance with a cornucopia charcuterie board tailored for fall. Shape the cornucopia with ease using puff pastry and adorn it with your chosen ingredients, arranged to overflow from the horn of plenty for a festive touch.
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