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Easy Halloween Fall Charcuterie Board with Cheese Ghosts

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A festive and easy Halloween charcuterie board featuring adorable cream cheese ghosts, savory meats, seasonal fruits, and crunchy crackers. Perfect for parties, movie nights, or trick-or-treat gatherings, this board comes together in just 15 minutes and is always the first thing to disappear.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, cold
  • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds or poppy seeds
  • Small cookie cutters or a sharp paring knife
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced into thin squares or Halloween shapes
  • 6 ounces salami or prosciutto
  • 1 cup mixed olives (kalamata and castelvetrano)
  • 1 cup roasted almonds (unsalted)
  • 1 cup pretzel sticks or mini pretzels
  • 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Fuji), sliced
  • 1 cup red grapes, washed and in small clusters
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots or dried figs
  • 1/4 cup honey (optional)
  • 1 box of crackers (water crackers or neutral)
  • 1 baguette, sliced into thin rounds and lightly toasted
  • 1 small jar of fig jam or pumpkin butter

Instructions

  1. Make the cheese ghosts first. Take the cold cream cheese block and cut it into 6 to 8 equal slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Using your paring knife, shape each slice into a ghost form — round at the top, tapering slightly at the bottom. Place the ghosts on a small plate and refrigerate while you prepare everything else.
  2. Add the ghost faces. Just before serving, take the ghosts out of the fridge and press two black sesame seeds into each one for eyes. For the mouth, you can either use a tiny dot of the seed or just leave it off.
  3. Prepare the fruits and vegetables. Wash the grapes and leave them in small clusters. Slice the apples into thin wedges and toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice if making ahead. Arrange the dried apricots or figs in a small pile nearby.
  4. Slice the baguette and arrange the crackers. If toasting the baguette slices, do that now and let them cool completely. Arrange the crackers in a fan pattern or in small clusters around the board.
  5. Fold the salami or prosciutto. For salami, fold each slice in half, then in half again, and stand them up on the board so they look like little rosettes. For prosciutto, simply drape the slices in loose ribbons.
  6. Cut the cheddar cheese. Slice the cheddar into thin squares, or use Halloween cookie cutters to make pumpkin or bat shapes. Arrange these in a separate section of the board.
  7. Fill the small bowls. Put the olives in one bowl, the almonds in another, and the fig jam or pumpkin butter in a third. Place these bowls strategically around the board.
  8. Assemble the board. Start by placing the small bowls first. Then arrange the cheese ghosts in a row or scattered around the board. Add the cheddar shapes, salami rosettes, and fruit clusters in the spaces between. Finally, fill in any gaps with crackers, pretzels, and nuts.
  9. Drizzle the honey. If using honey, drizzle a small amount over the brie or over one or two of the cheese ghosts.
  10. Serve immediately or refrigerate. If not serving right away, cover the board loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Take it out 15 minutes before serving to let the cheeses come to room temperature.

Notes

Keep the cream cheese cold for easier shaping. Double the cream cheese ghosts if serving a crowd. Toss apple slices in lemon juice to prevent browning. Leave grapes in small clusters for a fuller look. Don’t overcrowd the board; leave some negative space. Prep all ingredients before arranging. The board can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before serving; remove 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween charcuterie board, cheese ghosts, easy Halloween snack, fall charcuterie board, cream cheese ghosts, Halloween appetizer, grazing board

Find it online: https://emmastirs.com/easy-halloween-fall-charcuterie-board-with-cheese-ghosts/