How to make a Christmas Pavlova Charcuterie Board

Who doesn’t love Pavlova? This elegant dessert is made with meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s perfect for any holiday gathering! I’ve created a fun Christmas themed Pavlova Charcuterie Board that is sure to impress your guests. Even better you don’t have to cook anything if you don’t want to!!! Follow my simple instructions and you’ll be able to make one too!

On my blog A Joyful Ordinary Life, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Choosing the right board

The most important thing to remember when choosing a board is to ensure that it will hold all the ingredients you want to include. There are so many options, you can use timber trays, large timber trays with a handle. You can also use things like tiles or large white platters. The choices really are endless and this allows a lot of room for creativity. If you would like to see how I styled some other charcuterie boards you can check out this blog post. For my pavlova charcuterie board I chose a rectangle board.

What to include in your Pavlova Charcuterie Board

Ok now this process can be as simple or as complicated as you choose. You can keep it simple by including the following:-

• Plain small meringues – you can purchase or make
• Whipped Cream for topping
• Chopped fruit for example, strawberries, mangos, raspberries, blueberries or whatever is available to you for the decoration

These three items will give you a beautiful simple board , BUT – you can also mix it up which is what I am doing and include further items:-

• Use plain and chocolate meringues
• As well as whipped cream for the topping also include items like custard, Nutella, Biscoff. Also think of delicious things to drizzle for example a caramel sauce or a curd such as lemon or passionfruit.
• Of course fruit is great for decorating but I also like to include other items for example some crumbled honeycomb, flaked chocolate, shredded coconut and toasted flaked almonds.

Creating your Charcuterie Board masterpiece

This is where you can really have some fun. I like to start with small bowls that will hold the toppings such as whipped cream, caramel etc. These can be bowls or small jars however size suits your board and your ingredients. Remember all the things you need to include. I love using small mason jars both for practicality and look. You may want to consider a bigger size for your cream as it will be used the most. Arrange these jars or bowls on the board while considering where you will place your other food items. The other item you will need is some small spoons to serve the toppings. I often use mismatched vintage ones but if you want to go for a more sophisticated look you can use matching teaspoons.

All that remains now is to place the balance of food items around your board. Ensure that your fruit is a manageable size for placing on your pavlova shells. You will need to chop things like mango, peaches, pineapple and even strawberries. The idea is to fill all the gaps on the board with food so that you don’t see any of your board. It looks much nicer to have the board full so choose an appropriate sized board for the amount of food you have.

Can my Charcuterie Board be made the day before?

The answer is both yes and no. You can do the following the day before:-

• Make your pavlova shells if you’re not buying
• Whip your cream
• Make custard
• Decant caramel and curds etc into your jars
• Cut up all your fruit and chocolates etc

What you shouldn’t do is arrange them on your board as things will definitely go a bit soggy over time.

What size Charcuterie Board should I use?

The answer to this question will depend on how many people you would like to serve.

• If you’re doing a small board for two people choose a board up to 25cm (10 inches) long.
• For 4 – 6 people between 25cm (10 inches) and 35cm (14 inches)
• For larger groups use a large rectangle or round tray of about 50cm (20 inches) or you could use two separate platters if you don’t have something that large.

A charcuterie board is a great way to provide a variety of flavours and textures for your guests. This Christmas Pavlova Charcuterie Board is easy to make, but impressive nonetheless. The best part? Guests can help themselves! Be sure to include some delicious caramel sauce and chocolate in addition to the fruit. Do you have a go-to charcuterie board for entertaining? Share it with us in the comments below.