Easy Snack Board
Filled with fruit, nuts, cheese and crackers, this Easy Snack Board is perfect for afternoon grazing. Come learn my tips and tricks to make your own, as well as how to customize it to your tastebuds.
Love a hands-on snack? You’ll adore the Best Summer Snack Sandwiches and Crispy Taco Spiced Chickpeas!
Last October, I created a Fall Snack Board for Feminist Book Club. I joined this book club in 2019 through an influencer program but ended up staying on after the program ended a year later.
Why? I love the group, the people, the discussions and the monthly book themes and boxes.
So I was thrilled to make a snack board for the members for the book club’s Fall Read-a-thon. And when I was making that one, I forgot that I made and photographed this one, as well.
It’s a little bit different than the fall board, too! This small cheese board with fruit is perfect for snacking—or sharing with littles in the mid-afternoon hours.
Why I love this recipe:
To be honest, I feel like an easy snack board is more of a guide (than a recipe) because you can choose your own adventure with it.
The world is your oyster with an easy snack board like this one, and in all honesty, it’s one of the best things to come out of 2020 for me because I love it and so do my girls, who have helped me take down more than one of these in an afternoon. 😉
You can add more elements that you like or take away the ones you don’t. If you’re not a cheese lover, skip that and add more nuts or dried fruit. If you like pears instead of apples, use those! And vice versa. 🙂
More easy snack ideas to enjoy at home: Vegetarian Taco Cups | Cucumber Bruschetta (Easy Cucumber Appetizer) | Valentine’s Day Dessert Board | Cucumber Finger Sandwiches with Feta and Cream Cheese Spread | Avocado Deviled Eggs
Need more appetizer inspiration? Head on over to my Appetizer Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make a Snack Board
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- A platter
- Cheese knife(s)
- Small bowls or ramekins to hold certain elements
In addition to the tools and products above, you’re going to need some ingredients to put your snack board together.
These are what I used on the board, but please know that you can adapt this to your tastebuds, too. I’ve added some variations you can add below, too.
- Cheeses — we always have cheddar cheese blocks at our house, so I sliced some of those. I also added cubes of Kilaree, an aged cheddar, and a wedge of gouda.
- Crackers — two of our favorites, rosemary garlic crackers and as pita rounds, ended up on this board. We keep ‘em in our pantry at all times.
- A heaping handful of pistachios — go for the ones that have been removed from the shells, especially if you’re sharing this with your kids and don’t want the shells all over your floor. 😉
- Dried cranberries — because they add color and a pop of sweetness, too
- Grapes — our board contains cotton candy grapes because of their color, but feel free to grab any variety that you enjoy!
- Apple — not only does apple add beautiful color, but the sweetness and crunch is so lovely for a board!
- Pear — like the apple, we get sweetness and lovely texture from the pear, too
Other easy additions that you could add to any snack board:
- A dip, like Garlic Hummus or even Cheesecake Dip if you think you’d like to dip the fruits into it
- Peanut or almond butter
- Honey—if you’re using a cheese that it might pair well with, like goat cheese or a creamy brie
- Additional dried fruit, like figs or apricots
How do you make a snack board?
Choose your ingredients. Also, consider how hungry you are. Depending on this, you can (and should!) make a larger board or a smaller one. As a point of reference, my two daughters and I ate this board together.
Choose your board. A cutting board, like the one shown here, is a great thing to serve a snack board on because it’s the perfect size for 2-3 snacks. However, you can also serve this on a regular plate or another serving vessel of your choosing.
Keep in mind that snack boards like this one are similar to a puzzle in the sense that you’re going to have to tinker with the placement of the items on the board to get it to look “right” and there’s a chance it won’t. Please do not fret this because the important part of a snack board is it including items you adore and you enjoying the end taste, not just the look of it.
- Place the crackers on your board.
- Add the cheese to the board. I like to put them close to the crackers, but it’s not a necessity since a snack board isn’t a huge charcuterie board.
- Add the fruits, nuts and other elements to fill in the empty spaces. Do whatever feels natural to you—there’s no science to making a snack board… it’s more of an art!
Pro tip: Don’t forget to have fun! Don’t fret about your snack board being perfect—while it’s fun to tinker with snacks like this one, the most important thing is for you to be happy and enjoy your board.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
An Easy Snack Board would be a fun addition to any gathering because who doesn’t like to snack?
Here are a few ideas of transforming this smaller snack board into one for a crowd:
- Determine how many guests will be snacking, and plan accordingly. I’ve done a lot of research and learned that if you’re serving a snack board as a snack or appetizer, you should have 1-2 oz. of cheese per person.
- Purchase your ingredients in advance so that the only thing you have to do before friends arrive is put together the board.
- Add your own flair and have fun with it! If you’re hosting a themed gathering, consider adding elements of your board that accentuate this. (My friend, The Baker Mama, has so much board inspiration on her website, as well as in her book, Beautiful Boards* affiliate link.)
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s just what it sounds like—a board (or plate) full of snacks to nibble on. On this easy snack board, we’re using both fruits and cheeses along with crackers and nuts, but you can mix and match the ingredients to fit your tastebuds. Some might call this small cheese board a “nibbles platter,” which I discovered while doing some research on the topic.
It depends on what you like to eat! We love an Easy Snack Board for a party, though you’ll have to double the recipe to share this with guests. 😉 We also like Thanksgiving Cheese Board, Pretzel Cheese Dip and Apple Chutney Bruschetta for gatherings.
Game night is so fun! Dips and chips, like Caramelized Onion Guacamole or Homemade Loaded Queso, are good snacks for game night. So are hand-held appetizers like Pepperoni Pizza Rolls and Steak Bruschetta with French Onion Marmalade. Also, how could we skip this small cheese board with fruit? It’s great for game night, as well!
Easy Snack Board Tips, Tricks and Variations
- Customize the fruit to your taste. Apples, pears, oranges and grapes are all fantastic on snack boards because they’re easy to slice and enjoy.
- Add veggies, too! My girls and I love to add carrots, cucumbers and baby tomatoes to snack boards.
- Leave off the cheese for a vegan-friendly board. In its place, add more nuts or crunchy additions.
- Add in more things you love. Trail mix is awesome for a snack board like this. A little bowl of peanut butter or hummus would be, too!
- Use your favorites. If my recipe calls for ingredients you’re not into, replace them with a similar one that you are into. (For example, if you don’t like cheddar cheese, consider replacing it with another hard cheese, like Swiss or Manchego.)
More easy appetizer recipes:
Easy Snack Board
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cubed Kilaree cheese
- 2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese sliced
- 1 wedge gouda cheese
- 5-8 rosemary garlic cracker or another cracker, like a water cracker
- 10-15 pita crackers
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ½ cup grapes
- ½ apple sliced
- ½ pear sliced
Equipment
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Instructions
- First and foremost, select a platter for your snack board that can fit all your ingredients. (I used this paddle board, but you could easily use a dinner plate or another type of plate if that’s what you have. Choose whatever works best for you.)
- Set out the cheeses on the board, spacing them out.
- Next, add any bowls or jars holding snack ingredients.
- Next, layer the fruit onto the board.
- Finally, add the crackers and fill in any empty spaces with additional ingredients, like additional nuts and dried fruit.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Easy Snack Board Tips, Tricks and Variations
- Customize the fruit to your taste. Apples, pears, oranges and grapes are all fantastic on snack boards because they’re easy to slice and enjoy.
- Add veggies, too! My girls and I love to add carrots, cucumbers and baby tomatoes to snack boards.
- Leave off the cheese for a vegan-friendly board. In its place, add more nuts or crunchy additions.
- Use your favorites. If my recipe calls for ingredients you’re not into, replace them with a similar one that you are into. (For example, if you don’t like cheddar cheese, consider replacing it with another hard cheese, like Swiss or Manchego.)
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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