Let's face it: there are a lot of great things about Halloween, but the best part of this spooky holiday is the candy. And what better way to please a party (or a party of 1) than with a Halloween candy charcuterie board (AKA a bunch of delicious candy, all on one plate)?
In fact, there's only one way we can think of to make a Halloween candy charcuterie board even better: make it CUTE! This year, we went with a pink disco theme, and we are LOVING IT. (The Barbie vibes are strong with this one!)
Ready to start making your own? It's easier and more affordable than you think, and the results are seriously spooktacular.
Check out our step-by-step guide to creating your own boo-tiful board below.
How to make a Halloween Candy Charcuterie Board
1. Choose a color palette.
When deciding what to include on your board, start by choosing a color palette. Select 3 to 5 colors and try to use a combination of bright and neutral or muted colors. The bolder colors will help you create a color block effect, and adding the softer colors will help create dimension. To achieve a cohesive and eye-catching look, you'll want to make sure most of the items on your board are within your color palette.
So, what colors should you choose? We know that people associate orange and black with Halloween, and that can be a great combo to go with! However, you don't have to stick to the classic palette. If you ask us—pink is the new orange. 😉
If you decide to use a unique color palette, we recommend including at least a small nod to the traditional Halloween colors, so consider using at least one of the following: orange, black, lime green, or purple.
For our board, we chose 5 colors: Hot pink, light pink, orange, lavender, and black.
Adding in some metallics will help keep things looking vibrant, too. We brought in a little shine by including pops of silver with the disco balls and glitter with the spider toys.
2. Choose your charcuterie board.
From cutting board to tray, the options are endless! You can use something Halloween-themed or not. We chose to use a "Boo" board as part of a larger table setup, but any size board will do!
When selecting a board, think about how many people you'll be serving. A full candy charcuterie platter will probably feed more people than you think. An 8" x 12" board full of candy should comfortably feed at least 4 people.
3. Include an assortment of candy sizes, shapes, and textures.
Variety is key when it comes to candy charcuterie design. Choose an assortment of gummy candies, chocolate candies, crunchy candies, and sour candies to make sure everyone has something to snack on. Try to find candies within your color palette.
And don't forget about other types of treats, such as cookies, brownies, macarons, mini cupcakes, and cake pops! Anything small and handheld will make a great addition.
Here's a pro tip to keep things more affordable: you don't have to use all Halloween-specific candies! Check out our board, which includes Nerds, gumballs, gummy rings, lollipops, and Sixlets. None of these are technically Halloween-themed, but all of them are within the color palette. Combined with the few Halloween items we included, the entire board reads as "Halloween".
So, as long as you include a few Halloween-themed items, you can shop the regular candy aisle—or your pantry—and your board will fit the spooky party vibes perfectly.
4. Arrange your candy from largest items to smallest items.
To make sure your board is the ultimate eye candy, you'll want to fill up as much space as possible. A great way to start arranging your board is by placing the largest items on the board first. Then, you can use the next largest item, and so on and so on until you reach the smallest treats.
Be sure to include a few small items on your board, such as M&Ms, Sixlets, Skittles, Sweet Tarts, Mike & Ikes, or Hot Tamales, to fill in the empty spaces of your board.
Have a lot of small candies you'd like to use? Pour some of them into small bowls, mini pumpkins, or other containers to create the illusion of larger items.
5. Hide in a few surprises. (Boo!)
When it comes to Halloween candy boards, you can get tricks AND treats! 😉 Include a few hidden Halloween surprises for an extra dose of fright and delight.
On our candy charcuterie board, we mixed edible googly eye sprinkles into our white M&Ms. We chose to combine these because they look similar from afar, but when you get closer and grab a handful, you notice the spooky detail. Boo! Someone's watching you! 👻
Similarly, we added witch hat sprinkles to our candy corn. And who knows, there may be more surprises lurking underneath the layers of candy!
6. Add some non-edible Halloween items.
Once the board is filled, you can add a few Halloween toys, trinkets, or other small items as a finishing touch. These can go directly on the board, or you can place them around the board to complete your sweet spooky setup.
Pro tip: the non-edible items don't have to be Halloween-themed! The silver, pink, and purple disco balls we included work on the board because they are within our color palette. This is another thing you can do to keep your costs down. You don't necessarily have to go out and buy things specifically for your board. Use what you have at home!
7. Snack, munch, and treat yourself to all your hard work!
The best thing about your Halloween candy board is that you'll get to enjoy it twice: when you're having fun making your board, and when you're having fun during party time!
Of course we recommend enjoying the board once you've finished arranging it, but don't forget to snack while you work, too. After all, you'll want to make sure you taste test everything you include...you know, just to make sure it's not poisonous. 💀😉
Halloween Candy Charcuterie Board Shopping List
Looking to replicate our board? Here's our shopping list:
- Halloween-themed tray
- Halloween Oreos
- Purple Whirly Pops
- Large skull gummy candy
- Small skull gummy candy
- Pumpkin Peeps
- Mini boxes of Nerds
- Gummy peach rings
- Gummy watermelon rings
- Pumpkin spice malted milk balls
- Pink gumballs
- Candy corn
- Purple sixlets
- White M&Ms
- Witch hat sprinkles (similar)
- Eyeball sprinkles
- Mini disco balls
- Glittery spider props (similar)
Budget-friendly Tips
Here's a recap of some of our favorite tips (plus some new ideas we haven't mentioned yet) to help keep costs down:
- Use a non-traditional color palette so you don't have to purchase lots of Halloween-specific candies. You can even start by gathering the candy and sweets you already have, then building a color palette of 3-5 colors from there.
- Use a board you already own or thrift one. You can even use a large plate or a piece of parchment paper cut to the shape of your choice (a pumpkin or ghost would be adorable!)
- When in doubt, use a smaller board. Your candy charcuterie will probably feed more people than you think, and you can always refill it if it starts to look empty.
- Keep candies in their packaging to help fill up space.
- Use props, pumpkins, and other non-edible items to help fill up space.
More Halloween Candy Charcuterie Board Ideas
When is comes to Halloween Candy Boards, more is more! Check out these other char-BOO-terie boards for more inspo and ideas:
The Cupcake Bar's 2022 Halloween Candy Board
via HonestlyYUM
via A Tufted Life
No time to create your own candy board? Our Pink Disco Halloween Candy Boards are also available for purchase! We offer pickup or delivery in Austin, Texas, or nationwide shipping.
