By: Jill Mills Posted: Oct 21, 2022 Updated: Nov 21, 2023

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This Charcuterie Tree turns a basic charcuterie board into a fun and festive Christmas design. Made with assorted fruits, meats, and cheeses this is an easy charcuterie board for beginners and makes a wonderful appetizer for your holiday party.

Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board with crackers on the side.

Easy Charcuterie Tree

If you feel intimidated by the idea of assembling a classic charcuterie board, this charcuterie tree is a wonderful option. It’s super easy to assembling in a basic triangle shape. Pretzels create a tree trunk while rosemary acts as branches and a star made from cheese adds the final touch.

For more Christmas charcuterie board ideas, try my classic charcuterie board, Christmas charcuterie board, and hot chocolate charcuterie board recipes too.

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Charcuterie Tree

Perfect for beginners. If you’ve never made a charcuterie board before, this charcuterie tree is a wonderful place to start. It’s hard to mess up assembling a triangle!
Great for holiday parties. Charcuterie boards in general are always a hit at any holiday party and this charcuterie tree adds an extra festive touch.
Easy to prep in advance. Since there are no soft cheeses or easily perishable ingredients, you can easily prepare this charcuterie tree a night in advance. Just keep it covered tightly in the fridge.

Key Ingredients

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for your charcuterie tree. See the recipe card below for measurements.

Cheese: You will need a variety of cheeses including cheddar, pepper jack, Colby jack, and fresh mozzarella. Havarti, Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Gouda also work well.
Veggies: Cherry tomatoes, black olives, and green olives add pops of color to the charcuterie tree. Be sure to pit the olives first.
Meat: I used pepperoni and salami but you can add other kinds of meats as well.
Fruit: Use green or purple seedless grapes to add a sweet variety of flavors to the board.
Pretzels: Pretzels help fill in the extra spaces and add some saltiness to the charcuterie board.
Equipment: Large Rectangular Platter

Other Ingredient Ideas

The sky is the limit when it comes to charcuterie ingredients. In addition to those listed above, here are some ideas of things to include:

Jellies and jams
Nuts
Raisins or cranberries
Prosciutto, ham, and other cured meats
Crackers
Berries
Fresh herbs
Pomegranate, pineapple, and other fruits
Pickles

How To Make A Charcuterie Tree

Here’s an overview of how to make a charcuterie tree. Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

Adding the pepperoni and cheese to a charcuterie tree

Adding more cheese and rosemary to the charcuterie tree

Make the trunk. Place pretzels on vertically near the bottom of the platter to form the trunk of the tree. Add rosemary horizontally to form the base of the tree.
Add the remaining rows. Begin arranging the ingredients in shorter rows to form a triangle shape, alternating colors. I recommending placing the mozzarella balls with the salami so they prop it up. Add rosemary through to make more tree branches.
Add the star topper. Cut a star shape from a slice of cheese and place on top of the tree.

The tomato and mozzarella ball on a toothpick.

Proper Storage

Make ahead. You can prepare your charcuterie tree a day in advance and keep it tightly covered with plastic in the fridge. Any sauces or jams should be added just before serving.
Store. You can cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days or transfer ingredients to plastic ziplocs or return to their original containers. Many of the ingredients used will last for several days.