Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board (Gluten Free)

Pops of vibrant red and charcuterie roses make this Valentine's Day charcuterie board a real treat!

No need to cram a board with candy and desserts when your charcuterie board looks like this — and it can easily be a lunch, light dinner, or appetizer for Galentine's Day.

What is a charcuterie board?

Charcuterie boards have exploded in popularity the past few years (probably because of content creators like me who like to take stunning food photos). Unfortunately, along with that, some have mistaken a "charcuterie board" to be ANY food arranged prettily on a platter or cutting board.

That's not the case.

Charcuterie specifically refers to cured meats, like salami or pepperoni or proscuitto.

Although we attribute charcuterie boards to these multi-colored boards with a ton of variety, a tray with just cured meats on it is a charcuterie board. It's only more recently that nuts, crackers, and cheeses have started to "fancy up" a charcuterie board.

So technically, anything that doesn't have cured meats on it is more accurately called a snack board, platter, or grazing board.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 🙂 I can be a stickler for language like that.

What's on this Valentine's Day charcuterie board

Given the above, when I set out to make a Valentine's Day charcuterie board, I knew I wasn't just going to fill it with various desserts and call it good.

Instead, I wanted to build a charcuterie board that still had most of the qualities I think are a big part of an Epic DIY Charcuterie Board. And of course, with Valentine's Day as the theme, I focused on red or pink foods and foods that supposedly "set the mood."

So, here's what's on this board!

• Salami roses (both regular and hot)
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Soft goat chevre, molded into a heart shape
• Raw sharp cheddar
• Dark chocolate
• Raspberry jam
• Cosmo crisp apples (they have a ruby-colored skin but taste universes better than red delicious)
• Pistachios
• Fresh rosemary

How to put together a charcuterie board

I covered this EXTENSIVELY in an old post: How to Build an Epic Gluten Free Charcuterie Board. Go check that out for the best tips!

To sum it up, though, here are some quick tips:

Start with large objects. I typically start with soft cheese (since I can't break it up) and any small dishes. So for this board, the chevre heart, dish of raspberry jam, and salami roses were the first things I placed.

Alternate textures and types of food. Avoid placing cheeses next to other cheeses or meats next to other meats, even if you're using different kinds. Leave space for a handful of raspberries or pistachios. This is key!

Fill empty spaces with garnishes, like fresh herbs. You'll spot rosemary in the photos of this Valentine's Day charcuterie board, but do you think I expected anyone to eat it? Nope! But it sure helps to fill in spaces and make the board look visually appealing!

How to make salami roses for a charcuterie board

Don't worry, it's not hard!

Grab a drinking glass or wine glass. Any glass will do, but the circumfrence of the glass will dictate how big the rose is.

Fold pieces of salami around the rim of the glass. Keep going until the rim is totally covered and you have at least 2 layers.

Flip the glass upside down to place the rose. You may have to help coax the salami off of the glass.

Customize your board with these additional tips!

Of course, one of the BEST parts of a charcuterie board is how easy it is to customize.

Here are other ideas I had for this board that I didn't manage to fit/include:

• Figs, fresh or dried
• Red grapes (keep some on the vine for visual interest!)
• Red pears
• Candied ginger
• A small dish of chocolate tahini spread or SunButter fruit dip
• Dried cranberries
• Swap the pistachios for any other nut — or use a variety of nuts
• Crackers

Unless you have a gigantic platter, I would caution against using ALL possible foods. You'll more than likely run out of space!

More charcuterie boards and snack boards:

Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.

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📖 Recipe