Okay, technically a charcuterie board refers to a snack board of cured meats and cheeses.

Which is not quite what we’re doing here. We’re using the same idea, but making it sweeter!

This Dessert Charcuterie Board is loaded up with your favorite sweets. You can follow my guidelines OR get creative. It’s just so customizable! Add on fresh fruit, dried fruit, candies, chocolates, sweet dips, cookies, mini donuts…the sky is the limit!

If you love snack boards, you’ll definitely love my Kid-Friendly Snack Board!

Want to make a few homemade offerings to go on it? Try this Cream Cheese Fruit Dip: 3 ways, Easy Caramallow Fruit Dip, these Peanut Butter Balls or Oreo Balls.

Ingredients Needed:

• Fruit: use whatever variety of fruit you like. I love berries and/or grapes, then a stone fruit such as cherries, sliced peaches, or nectarines.
• Crunchies: this can be small cookies, pretzels, or graham crackers.
• Nuts: any combination of your favorite nuts will work. Try roasted almonds, praline peanuts, cashews, or any chocolate covered nuts.
• Dried Fruit: use dried apricots, strawberries, cherries, raisins, apples, etc.
• Candies: anything goes! Use your favorite chocolates, gummies, marshmallows, you name it.
• Optional Additions: feel like dipping? Add on a bowl of whipped cream, Nutella, peanut butter, cookie butter, or your favorite jam or jelly!

How to Make a Dessert Charcuterie Board

It takes just 20 quick minutes to put together your Dessert Charcuterie Board!

1. Gather your items: Grab whatever items you want to include on your board. I like to include something crunchy, salty, chocolate-y, and fresh.
2. Add the focal points: Pick the largest/most exciting ingredient, then add that to the board in a few different spots.
3. Arrange the smaller ingredients: Working your way down in size, add the other ingredients around the board, filling in the gaps with things like small berries and nuts.

Dessert Charcuterie Board FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Distribute well. Balance is key when it comes to a visually pleasing charcuterie board. Make sure any pops of color are spread out around the board. Smaller piles all over is better than one giant pile of a single item.
• Adjust as needed. Serving a lot of people? Use a big wooden board as a serving platter. Preparing for just a few snackers? Use a small one. It’s better to fill the entire board, no matter what size you’re using.
• Pile it up. Make higher piles as opposed to wider, flatter piles. The more depth there is, the more interesting it will be to look at.
• Use bowls for smaller items. Anything bigger and easier to grab is just fine right on the platter. Smaller things like nuts are perfect in your favorite bowls.

Variation Ideas

• Valentine’s Day: Anything red or pink and anything chocolate is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Use strawberries, raspberries, conversation hearts, Valentine’s Day Chocolate Lollipops, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, or even cheeses to balance out the sweetness. Brie, gouda, gruyere, or goat cheese would all be great.
• Christmas: Use any of your favorite holiday sweets! Popcorn Balls, red and green M&Ms, candy canes, Christmas Sugar Cookies, No-Bake Mint Chocolate Bars, etc. Anything green, red, and white is perfect.
• Halloween: All Halloween candy is fair game! Fill in with apple slices and caramel, Caramel Popcorn, Snickers Brownie Bites, candy corn, etc.
• Birthday: Add your favorite cake balls, Grandma’s Candy Popcorn, mini cupcakes, Frosted Sugar Cookies, you name it.
• Chocolate Lover’s: Load it up with everything chocolate! Candy bars, chocolate kisses, Triple Chocolate Raspberry Brownies, M&Ms, Nutella and pretzels, you name it.
• Fondue: It doesn’t have to be sweet! Surround your favorite melty cheese dip with all things dip-able! Crackers, pretzels, chips, even fresh veggies.
• Summer: Pile on whatever summery thing you can think of! Cherries, strawberries, cheesecake bites, and more.
• Sweet and Savory: Fill your board with all your favorite sweet and salty foods. Try chocolate covered pretzels, popcorn, Double Chocolate Potato Chip Cookies, crackers and jam, cream cheese and crackers, your favorite olives, etc.

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Print

Dessert Charcuterie Board

This Dessert Charcuterie Board is the perfect, crowd-pleasing treat. It's cute, packed with all your favorite sweets, and super customizable!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 407cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 cups variety of berries or grapes (i.e., strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
• 1 cups stone fruits (i.e., cherries, sliced peaches or nectarines)
• 1 package small cookies, pretzels or graham crackers (200-300 grams)
• 1 cup variety of nuts (roasted almonds, praline peanuts, cashews, or chocolate covered nuts)
• 1 cup dried fruit (dried apricots, strawberries, cherries, raisins, apples, etc.)
• ½ cup variety of candies (chocolates, gummies, marshmallows, whatever you like)
• optional: whipped cream, nutella, peanut butter, cookie butter, jams or jellies depending on what kind of dessert board you are going for.

Instructions

• Pick a theme for your board and gather your items. Aim for a variety — something crunchy, something salty, something chocolate, something fresh, etc.
• Lay out your ingredients and begin by arranging your focal points on the board — this could be the largest or most exciting ingredient, or a key to your theme.
• Work your way down your list of ingredients according to size. Place the largest items, then the second largest, and fill in the gaps with the smallest items last. Aim for pops of color in different areas for visual interest.
• Keep in mind how long you will need to store it before people arrive. Most items can be left at room temperature for a couple of hours, but you may want to wait until just before serving if you have items that should stay cold.

Notes

Though you really don’t need a recipe for this board, here is a list of exactly what is pictured in mine in case you are wondering:

• roasted, salted almonds
• dark chocolate covered almonds
• salted caramel pretzel pieces (Snyder’s brand)
• praline peanuts
• chocolate hazelnut roll cookies
• coconut flavor cookie chips (the flat cookies)
• mini powdered donuts
• chocolate covered pretzels
• dried apricots
• fresh strawberries
• fresh blueberries
• fresh white peaches

 

**I photographed this board at the end of summer, so I had access to fresh fruit that didn’t cost a ton. Please adjust your fresh fruit options according to what is available and in season.

Nutrition

Calories: 407cal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Dessert Charcuterie Board appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

These Seven Layer Magic Bars are made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk—the perfect mix of gooey, crunchy, sweet and salty!

If you’ve never had Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars, then get ready for your life to change.

I feel like everyone has a recipe for magic bars from their childhood. You know, those magically delicious, totally irresistible, gooey, caramel-y, chocolate-y slices of goodness?

I will admit, I don’t make Seven Layer Bars often. But when I do they’re gone within hours. Plus, they’re so easy to throw together!

Looking for more delicious bar cookies? Try my Nanaimo Bars, Millionaire Shortbread, or Homemade Brownies!

Ingredients Needed:

This recipe really couldn’t be simpler. Here’s my guide to what you’ll need, but feel free to mix up the types of nuts, baking chips, and cookie crumbs to suit your tastes!

• Butter: you’ll use melted butter to bind the graham cracker crumbs together for the crust.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs: you can buy these already made OR you can crush your own graham crackers in a zip-top bag with the bottom of a glass or a rolling pin.
• Shredded Coconut: I love the added sweetness and texture of shredded coconut in this recipe, but if you aren’t a huge fan feel free to leave it out. Use any “granola”-type mix in its place if you prefer: dried fruit, rice crisp cereal, etc.
• Nuts: hazelnuts and pecans are extra good, since they have their own sweetness, but walnuts or even chopped peanuts are certainly fine to use too.
• Chocolate Chips: I use a mixture of white chocolate and semisweet chocolate, but feel free to use one or the other.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: sweetened condensed milk is the key to a sweet, chewy, gooey bar cookie. The syrupy sweetness of condensed milk is a must-have!

How to Make Seven Layer Magic Bars

This decadent sweet treat takes a quick 10 minutes to prep! Find the full step by step recipe down in the recipe card.

1. Make the crust: In a bowl, mix together butter and graham cracker crumbs until combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a parchment or foil-lined and greased baking dish.
2. Layer the bars: Sprinkle the graham cracker crust evenly with coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips.
3. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk — no need to stir!
4. Bake: Bake the bars at 350ºF until light golden-brown, then cool completely, slice, and serve.

Seven Layer Magic Bars FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Line the pan. Make sure you line the pan with parchment paper or foil, then spray it with a thin coating of cooking spray. This makes it so much easier to get the bars out after baking.
• Use sweetened condensed milk. Make sure the canned milk you buy is sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk. They look similar, but are not the same. The thick, syrupy texture and flavor of sweetened condensed milk is what helps the bars hold their shape.
• Chill them first. Although this isn’t totally necessary, chilling the Seven Layer Magic Bars helps them firm up, which translates to easier cutting. Plus, they are scrumptious when cold! (P.S. they’re even pretty great out of the freezer).

Variations

• Use another crust. Any dry, crumbly cookie will do here. Try vanilla wafers, chocolate sandwich cookie halves (you can buy them without the filling for this purpose), or even Biscoff cookies.
• Try other candy. You can go wild here! Use chocolate chunks for a more chocolatey bar or go with smaller chips for a more evenly layered bar. You could do. butterscotch chips, mint chips, toffee bits, broken candy bars, M&Ms, tiny marshmallows, you name it.
• Add a drizzle. These Magic Bars are delicious drizzled with hot fudge, caramel drizzle, or marshmallow sauce.

More Cookie Bars You’ll Love!

Desserts

Butter Tart Squares

Desserts

Caramel Nut Bars

Desserts

No Bake Chocolate Crunch Bars

Desserts

Better No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Print

Seven Layer Magic Bars

These Seven Layer Magic Bars are made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk—the perfect mix of gooey, crunchy, sweet and salty!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total Time 33 minutes minutes

Servings 36 bars

Calories 153cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts I used hazelnuts and pecans
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 300ml/14oz can sweetened condensed milk

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment or foil and grease lightly.
• In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle evenly with coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.
• Bake for 23-25 minutes until light golden brown (not too dark at the edges). Let cool completely before slicing.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmrpCiUIttw

Nutrition

Calories: 153cal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 45mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.4mg

{Recipe adapted from Eagle Brand Condensed Milk.}

The post Seven Layer Magic Bars Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

These Easy Candied Nuts are just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes start to finish! They are sweet and salty with a hint of cinnamon — perfect for an edible holiday gift!

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

I will admit, the last few years I haven’t really done a whole whack of Christmas baking and candy making and homemade gifts because, well, kids are crazy.

This year, we have a 1 year old, 3-almost 4 year old, and a 6 year old, and it’s busy. And I don’t like busy (you can ask anybody) — I’m an introvert big time and when I don’t have enough time to recuperate and refill, I start to feel a little crazy myself.

And so, I let go of the expectations that I will spend hours and hours baking and prepping and making edible gifts with cute labels for every person we see ever, and I don’t make homemade Christmas cards and I give myself a little leeway.

But I so badly want to make space for good, homemade treats, so for me this year is all about finding those easy recipes that are just as fun and delicious as the sugar cookies you have to spend 18 hours chilling and rolling and cutting and baking.

All that to say these Candied Nuts are on that list.

They are easy (really), with just 6 ingredients and super customizable.

They look cute in a small glass jar with a simple ribbon, which means minimal wrapping for you.

They are perfect for snacking or an appetizer or dessert, or even to top a salad.

They are gluten-free and vegetarian. Plus, nuts are full of healthy fats and protein

How to make Candied Nuts:

Making these Candied Nuts is relatively easy, as long as you have a thermometer. There are other methods but using a thermometer to check if the candy is ready by far the easiest.

Your best bet is to get a clip on candy thermometer like this one. Then you’re on your way to perfect candy coating!

Simply simmer the sugar and milk (I haven’t tried this recipe with non-dairy milk, so I can’t advise on that), until it reaches the correct temperature, stir in the flavorings (cinnamon, vanilla and salt – but you could mix this up if you wanted!), then stir in your nuts.

Feel free to mix up the nuts to suit your tastes — our favorite are almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans and peanuts.

How to store and freeze Candied Nuts:

• You can store these at room temperature in an air tight container (I love to keep them in mason jars as they look so pretty!) for up to 1 week.
• To freeze, place in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Eat them right out of the freezer or allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes on the counter.

How to customize this Candied Nuts recipe:

I mentioned a few options earlier, but here are some ideas to take this candied nuts recipe to the next level:

• ¼ teaspoon of salt will give it just the slightest hint of salt, ½ teaspoon will give it a more pronounced sweet/salty flavor.
• Add in a pinch of cayenne for a bit of spice!
• Use only your favorite nuts — there’s no reason you need to use a mix! If you love almonds, use just almonds, or pecans, or walnuts, etc.
• Add more cinnamon, and a pinch of ginger, cloves and nutmeg for a fall spice blend — just start with a teeny tiny amount so you don’t overdo it!

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Print

Easy Candied Nuts

These Easy Candied Nuts are just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes start to finish! They are sweet and salty with a hint of cinnamon — perfect for an edible holiday gift!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Calories 189cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups mixed nuts almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, peanuts, cashews

Instructions

• In a medium pan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and milk and heat until boiling.
• Without stirring (resist the urge to touch it!), let the mixture boil on medium heat until it reaches 242-248 degrees F or firm ball stage on a candy thermometer. This took about 10 minutes for me. You can also test it by dropping a small amount into a glass of very cold water — if it forms a firm but pliable ball, it’s ready.
• Stir in cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Add nuts and stir until coated.
• Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and separate or let harden in large chunks — whatever you prefer. 
• Let cool until candy coating is firm, then store in an air tight container for up to 1 week at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Recipe adapted from Company’s Coming.

Nutrition

Calories: 189cal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.9mg

The post Easy Candied Nuts Recipe + VIDEO appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.