Last updated on May 18th, 2024

Creating an awesome gluten-free Valentine’s Day charcuterie board is easier that you might think. Whether you’re planning a sweet Valentine’s treat for your family or throwing a Galentine’s Day party with your besties, learn how to construct a beautiful board filled with sweet and salty bites ready to mix and match in exciting flavor combinations. Completely customizable, this gluten-free Valentine’s charcuterie board is an absolute crowd pleaser everyone will love!

A huge thank you goes out to Savor by Suzie for providing the chocolate grain-free pretzels for this gluten-free charcuterie board!

How to Plan a Charcuterie Board for Valentine’s Day

Of course you want to create a beautiful display, but ultimately the most important consideration for a grazing board is how the food tastes and feels. Charcuterie boards allow everyone to mix and match tidbits in every bite, so it’s important to create a balance of flavors and textures.

Since this is a charcuterie board for Valentine’s days, layering sweet and salty flavors is a classic way to go. Next, think of different textures to include in the offerings, like crunchy, chewy, and juicy. Balance the meats and cheeses with plenty of healthy fruit and gluten-free chocolate covered pretzels.

Spotlight a variety of red, pink, or white foods, but don’t limit yourself—chocolate and dark berries will make striking additions to the display. You can also play with the shapes of the items. Sliced strawberries are a cute choice, and a small heart-shaped cookie cutter will create on-theme cheese slices.

Charcuterie roses are an easy way to dress up a charcuterie board for Valentine’s Day, but stick with 1, maybe 2 on a very large spread. Meat roses look cool, but some guests might not feel comfortable pulling apart the display, leaving the charcuterie uneaten.

What to Serve on a Gluten-Free Charcuterie Board

Included with This Gluten-Free Charcuterie Board

1. Gluten-free bagels, sliced vertically and toasted
2. Dried papaya spears
3. Toasted squash seeds
4. Savor by Suzie dark chocolate grain-free pretzels
5. Turkey pepperoni
6. Sharp cheddar cheese
7. Coconut date balls
8. Salami rose
9. Blueberries
10. Dried cranberries
11. Aged raw milk gouda
12. Savor by Suzie milk chocolate grain-free pretzels
13. Apricot spread
14. Blackberries
15. Prosciutto
16. Wild blueberry goat cheese
17. Sliced strawberries

More Charcuterie Board Ideas for Valentine’s Day

The grazing nature of a charcuterie board is a perfect way to use odds and ends you already have at home. From a tiny jar of specialty jam to a handful of nuts, check your fridge and pantry for items to include.

Charcuterie (Cured Meat)

Besides the meats included on this Valentine’s charcuterie board, you could put out capicolla (AKA gabagool), mortadella, summer sausage, chorizo, or any other pink or red cured meat. Look for natural, nitrate-free options.

If meat’s not your thing, consider plant-based deli slices or skip the charcuterie and make it a gluten-free cheese board.

Cheese

With so many delectable types of cheese out there it can be difficult to decide what variety will make the cut. It’s helpful to categorize cheese by firmness, then select one from each style. Examples of soft cheese include brie and neufchâtel, popular semi-soft cheeses are havarti and mozzarella, and firm cheese includes manchego and parmesan.

Like with the meat, if dairy’s out you could offer an assortment of plant-based cheeses, or leave off the cheese and build a gluten-free snack board.

Fruit (Fresh or Dried)

A combination of fresh and dried fruit adds color and texture to the display, while contributing sweet and tangy flavors. Additionally, fresh fruit serves as a palate cleanser between bites of rich meats and cheeses. Options not included on this Valentine’s charcuterie board include:

• Raspberries
• Cherries, fresh or dried
• Grapes on the vine
• Pomegranate seeds
• Dragon fruit
• Apple slices, fresh or dried
• Mandarin segments
• Figs
• Dried apricots

Vegetables

There are no veggies on this charcuterie board, but nothing’s stopping you from loading your Valentine’s grazing board with healthy vegetables! Include anything red, pink, purple, or white.

• Red peppers (fresh or roasted)
• Jicama
• Red, purple, and white rainbow carrots
• Watermelon radishes
• Small tomatoes, red or heirloom varieties
• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Purple sauerkraut
• Purple or white cauliflower florets

Dips or Spreads

Match one or more of these ideas with the other food you serve on the board:

• Dip made with Greek yogurt
• Fig jam
• Quince paste
• Honey
• Babaganoush
• Mustard
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Gluten-Free Snacks

Round out your board with other gluten-free snacks.

• Chocolate meringues
• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Roasted chickpeas
• GF crackers
• Mini rice cakes
• Root vegetable chips
• Plantain chips
• GF candy

Serving Sizes

In order to estimate how much food you’ll need to pull together for the Valentine’s Day board, think in terms of servings per person, spread over each element.

For instance, a serving of cheese is around 1½ ounces, but people often eat more than one serving, so it would be safer to aproximate closer to 3 ounces of cheese per person. With this in mind, guests probably won’t eat multiple servings of each type of cheese you put out on the board, so estimate the total amount of cheese you want to offer and then divide it by how many types of cheese you provide. Similarly, around 3 ounces of cured meat per person should be good, and as with the cheese, this is total for the various kinds of meat you set out.

However, if you’re going to put out the charcuterie board as the Valentine’s Day main rather than a starter, plan to serve more of everything so people can eat their fill.

Charcuterie Board Equipment

Board

I used a 15-inch by 15-inch heart-shaped wooden board, but you can use whatever you have around the house, including slate, marble, glass, or bamboo.

The shape and size of the board will dictate how many elements and how much of each component you will include in your arrangement. Don’t feel overwhelmed if all the food doesn’t fit on the board at once. As people nosh their way through the offerings you’ll be able to reload the board with more of everything as needed.

Containers

Corral ingredients and add some height to the presentation with small dishes, bowls, or glasses on the grazing board. I also like to keep gluten-free crackers, bread, or similar items on the side in a basket or serving dish to make room for more components on the board.

Serving Utensils

In addition to the board and containers, you’ll need some tools for everyone to help themselves to the goodies on the Valentine’s Day charcuterie board. Depending on what you serve, set out cheese knives, spreaders, spoons, small forks, tongs, or even chop sticks. Look around for what serving utensils you have in your house and dare to get creative.

How to Assemble a Valentine’s Charcuterie Board

Gather Ingredients and Equipment

Having everything out together will help you envision your final masterpiece, and will make assembly go quickly and smoothly. Set out all the ingredients you would like to include on the Valentine’s charcuterie board. Next, match serving utensils with the corresponding fare. What knife or spreader will go with each cheese? Would a fork or small tongs be helpful to serve the meat? Do you need a small spoon to scoop spreads from dishes?

Lay Out the Large Elements

Start out by positioning any containers you’re including evenly around the board (they’re the easiest element to move around as you decide where everything should go).

Next, set out the cheeses, leaving plenty of room between them to fill in later with fruit and snacks. Cut a few slices of each variety to invite guests to dig in.

Add the meat assortment to the board. If you feel like a certain meat will pair well with a particular cheese, you could place them near each other, but not every variety needs to be matched up.

Pre-cut a few slices of any sausages, and think of how you can style the other charcuterie to add texture to the display. Could you roll the meat for height or fold it to resemble ribbons? If the slices come in long strips like prosciutto, break it up into smaller pieces so guests don’t end up contending with a big wad of meat.

Fill In the Board

Have fun with arranging the rest of the ingredients around the board. Play with color, texture, and type of food. Depending on how many components you include, you could cover the entire surface with ingredients, or leave space between items.

If you feel stuck on styling, it can be helpful to visualize the board in sections. For instance, this heart-shaped board naturally has 3 areas to work with, so one variety of cheese can be placed in each section and the gaps filled in from there.

Takeaway

A little planning goes a long way when you want to create a charming charcuterie board. Remember: there’s no wrong way to style your board, so get inspired and have fun! I’d love to see what you come up with—take a picture and tag me on Instagram!