These Ultra-Festive Candy 'Charcuterie' Boards Will Put Your Creativity on Display

These Ultra-Festive Candy 'Charcuterie' Boards Will Put Your Creativity on Display

Skip trick-or-treating and make yourself a candy board instead.

It’s finally Halloween candy season, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Normally, I’d be filling my shopping cart with the good stuff to hand out to trick-or-treaters, but since traditional trick-or-treating is canceled this year, I've been on the hunt for an alternative that still gives me an excuse to buy Snickers and candy corn.

Luckily, I stumbled upon this trend on Instagram: Halloween candy charcuterie boards. It’s exactly what it sounds like: A classic charcuterie board (here’s how to make one!), but instead of meat and cheese, it’s made entirely from Halloween candy, cookies, and other treats.

Is it excessive? You bet it is. Will I be re-creating these boards as soon as I pick up the candy I just ordered? Absolutely. Of course, I won’t judge anyone who eats their Kit Kats and Butterfingers straight out of the bag. But after the year we’ve had, I’m all about making the holidays as fun and festive as possible—which means I now have an excuse to re-create every one of these boo-tiful candy creations.

I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite candy boards to inspire your Halloween concoctions.

Spooky Spiders

Don't be fooled by the scary-looking spider—this candy board is nothing but sweet! Tami O’Malley built her board on a marble and wood paddle board ($60, World Market) and covered it with the Halloween classics: Candy corn, ghost-shape cookies, caramel corn, and gummy vampire teeth.

Skeleton Snacks

This might be the most creative holiday snack I've ever seen. Chanel van Reenen placed her Halloween candy atop a wood charcuterie board holding a creepy faux skeleton, and the result is stunning. She included all the good stuff—candy corn, Twizzlers, and Halloween Oreos ($4, Target)—and then decorated the display with miniature pumpkins and festive faux skulls.

Mix and Match

Elizabeth Schmitt from ATL Boards created this delicious display of treats on top of a White Mod Pumpkin Charcuterie Board($140, etúHOME) for a classic and simple look. She mixed the trick-or-treating must-haves (Reese's, Twix, and Milky Way) with fancier Halloween sweets, like black and orange rock candy and alphabet gummy candies.

Pumpkins Galore

Jennifer Maune not only created this deliciously over-the-top candy board for Halloween, she put together a quick instructional guide for how to make your own at home. Her Halloween candy board how-to will walk you through each step. To get the same look as Jennifer, fill your board with candy and add in decorative white ramekins and a ceramic pumpkin candy jar—like this similar 17-ounce stoneware pumpkin ($8, Target)—to separate the treats in your display.

Kid-Friendly Creations

This delicious board from Amanda Rollison of Value Minded Mama proves that candy boards aren't just for adults! If you're looking for a family alternative to trick-or-treating this year (we've got 11 fun options), pick up the kids' favorite Halloween treats and let them help create the board! If you want to re-create Amanda's board, she has a blog post that'll walk you through exactly how to make it.

Tricks and Treats

Janan Kissler put together this dreamy collection of candy, cookies, and ghost-shaped chips that add a salty surprise to this sweet creation. Plus, she got most of her treats from Trader Joe's holiday section, so I'll be making a stop there ASAP. I can tell you from experience that Joe Joe's Halloween Cookies should be at the top of your shopping list.

Salty and Sweet

If you don't have a big sweet tooth (or you don't want to hype the kids up on more sugar than necessary), build out your board with some salty snacks, too. Maury from MauryOctober created her board with the traditional candy corn, fall M&Ms, and Brach's Pumpkins ($5, Walmart), before mixing in peanuts, pretzels, and popcorn to balance out the sweets.

Fill it Up

Kaylene from Sage to Silver built this board with every Halloween treat imaginable. From chocolates to gummies and everything in between—including my personal favorite, Caramel Apple Pops ($3, Walmart)—this candy board truly has it all.