Name: Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 cups popped popcorn; 1 cup Chex cereal; 1 cup mini marshmallows; ½ cup white melting wafers; ¼ cup red and green M&Ms; Red and green sanding sugar; 1 premade 9x9 pan of brownies (cooled); 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature); 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; Red and green food coloring; ¼ cup mini M&Ms; Strawberries; Raspberries; Grapes

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If you’re looking for a fun and festive way to celebrate the holidays, this Christmas dessert charcuterie board is perfect for sharing sweet treats with friends and family. Filled with delicious goodies like Christmas popcorn, brownie Santa hats, and tree-shaped brownies, this dessert board is both visually stunning and easy to assemble.

What makes it even more special is how it brings the whole family together in the kitchen. Kids can help with simple tasks like mixing popcorn, decorating brownies, and arranging the treats on the board.

This activity creates lasting holiday memories and encourages children to explore their creativity and gain confidence in the kitchen. The vibrant red, green, and white treats will brighten up any holiday table.

Keep reading to discover how to make this crowd-pleasing holiday snack centerpiece as enjoyable to create as it is to eat!

Are you looking for more kid-friendly Christmas recipes? Try my gingerbread pancakes for Christmas breakfast or my Ritz cracker reindeer treats.

Why Make a Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board?

A Christmas dessert charcuterie board is more than just a snack tray—it’s an opportunity to create magical memories with your kids.

The hands-on decorating process, from piping frosting on brownies to sprinkling popcorn with festive colors, is the kind of festive fun that builds excitement for the season.

Plus, it’s an excellent way to let kids explore their creativity while learning practical skills like assembly, color matching, and sharing responsibility.

What Makes This Dessert Board Special?

This dessert board isn’t just about its festive look; it’s also packed with variety to suit everyone’s taste. Sweet and salty Christmas popcorn, fudgy brownies turned into Santa hats and Christmas trees, and fresh fruits like grapes and strawberries fill the board with textures and flavors.

It’s a visually stunning centerpiece that doubles as a dessert everyone will want to dig into. The best part? It’s super customizable, making it easy to include store-bought or homemade components based on your schedule.

Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board

Looking for a show-stopping dessert idea that combines holiday cheer and festive fun? This Christmas dessert charcuterie board is a delightful centerpiece for your next holiday gathering. Packed with sweet treats like Christmas popcorn, brownie Santa hats, and Christmas tree brownies, it’s a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike.

What You’ll Need

This is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. See the recipe card below for exact quantities, detailed instructions, and special notes.

Variations to Try

You can add a peppermint twist by including candy canes or peppermint bark.
For a Nutcracker-themed board, consider adding sugar plum candies or gingerbread men.
If your family prefers healthier treats, swap in dried fruits, dark chocolate squares, or yogurt-covered pretzels.
You can even adapt the colors for different holidays—blue and silver for a winter wonderland look or pink and gold for a whimsical twist!

Christmas Popcorn

Prepare a Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix Ingredients: Combine the popcorn, Chex cereal, and mini marshmallows in a large bowl.

Melt and Drizzle: Melt the white melting wafers according to the package instructions and drizzle over the popcorn mixture.

Add Festive Touches: Spread the mixture on the baking sheet, sprinkle with red and green sanding sugar, and let it cool.

Top It Off: Transfer the mixture to your serving dish and sprinkle M&Ms on top.

Brownie Christmas Trees and Santa Hats

Cut the Brownies: Slice the brownies into 10 triangular pieces for the trees and hats (see picture for guidance).

Make the Frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing until smooth and fluffy.

Color the Frosting: Divide the frosting into three bowls. Tint one green, one red, and leave the third white. Transfer to separate piping bags.

Decorate the Brownies:

Christmas Trees: Pipe green frosting in zigzag patterns and decorate with mini M&Ms.

Santa Hats: Pipe red frosting for the hat shape and use white frosting for the trim and pom pom.

Assemble the Board

Place the Christmas popcorn in the center of your board.

Arrange the Santa hat brownies and Christmas tree brownies around the edges.

Fill in the gaps with strawberries, raspberries, grapes, mini marshmallows, and extra M&Ms for a festive look.

A Fun Homeschooling Connection

This board isn’t just delicious; it’s also a learning opportunity in disguise! While making it, kids can practice math by measuring ingredients, improve fine motor skills by piping frosting, and even discuss the art of balance when arranging the board.

It’s a perfect way to tie festive fun into your homeschool day while making memories that will last long after the holidays.

This Christmas dessert charcuterie board is the perfect way to bring festive cheer to your holiday gatherings. With its colorful arrangement of sweet treats like Christmas popcorn, Santa hat brownies, and Christmas tree brownies, it’s as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. Whether you’re hosting a party or enjoying a cozy family night, this board is sure to be a hit with everyone.

It is fun and easy to assemble and offers a creative activity for kids to help decorate and add their personal touch. With some preparation, you’ll have a stunning centerpiece that’s guaranteed to spread holiday magic and leave your guests coming back for more.

Yield: 1

Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board

A festive and easy-to-make Christmas dessert charcuterie board featuring Christmas popcorn, Santa hat brownies, and Christmas tree brownies, perfect for holiday gatherings!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups popped popcorn
1 cup Chex cereal
1 cup mini marshmallows
½ cup white melting wafers
¼ cup red and green M&Ms
Red and green sanding sugar
1 premade 9x9 pan of brownies (cooled)
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Red and green food coloring
¼ cup mini M&Ms
Strawberries
Raspberries
Grapes

Instructions

Christmas Popcorn

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for later use.

Mix the popcorn, Chex cereal, and mini marshmallows in a large bowl.
Melt the white wafers as directed on the package, then pour the melted mixture evenly over the popcorn blend.
Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with sanding sugar in red and green, and allow it to cool completely.
Transfer the cooled mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle the M&Ms over the top for a pop of color.

Brownie Christmas Trees and Santa Hats

Carefully slice the brownies into triangle shapes, following the guide in the photo, to create ten evenly cut pieces.
In a mixing bowl, whip the butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, blending until smooth and fluffy.
Separate the frosting into three portions—color one red, another green, and leave the third plain white. Transfer each to its own piping bag.
For Christmas Trees, pipe the green frosting in zigzag patterns and add mini M&Ms for ornaments.
For Santa Hats, use red frosting for the main shape and white frosting for the trim and pom pom.

Assemble the Board

Place the prepared popcorn in the center of your board.
Add the decorated Santa hat brownies and Christmas tree brownies around the edges.
Use grapes, strawberries, raspberries, mini marshmallows, and extra M&Ms to fill empty spaces, creating a festive and colorful display.