New Year’s Dessert Board
Dec 01, 2021 Updated Dec 15, 2025
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Table of Contents
- The Best Candy and Sweets for New Year’s Eve
- Pro Tip: Choose a Variety of Textures and Flavors
- NYE Candy Board Step-by-Step Instructions
- Other Occasions For A Numerical Board
- Use Number-Shaped Dishes for Your NYE Board
- Other Themes and Ideas for Your New Year’s Board
- Can I Use Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Candy?
- FAQs
- Show Me Your Boards
- New Year’s Eve Candy Board Recipe
- Shop This Post
You know I love a candy board! New Year’s Eve is the perfect occasion to make this beautiful gold, white, and silver dessert board, filled with all your favorite sweet treats. Delight your guests with a NYE-themed candy board—it’s a fun and delicious way to count down to midnight.
This board pairs perfectly with bubbly beverages and it’s so easy to assemble. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Happy New Year!
For other winter-themed boards for your NYE inspiration, check out my Hot Chocolate Board, Charcuterie Chalet, Brie & Cranberry Bites, Christmas Candy Board, Christmas Tree Dessert Board, New Year’s Charcuterie Board, and Hanukkah Candy Board.
The Best Candy and Sweets for New Year’s Eve
Create a sparkling NYE dessert board by choosing sweets that match the festive black-tie palette of the holiday. I use all gold and white, with a touch of silver and black. Ultimately, choose the things that you love and that your guests will love.
- Start with the festive flair—gold-wrapped candies such as Rolos, Ferrero Rocher, or chocolate coins.
- Add in a mix of white and silver treats like white fudge Oreos, meringues, marshmallows, Hershey’s Kisses, yogurt pretzels, and peppermint patties—these form the bright, wintry base.
- Keep it festive with a few special items like champagne-flavored gummies, sparkly sugar cookies, glitter marshmallows, and star-shaped treats.
- Place a few special sparkly items on the board. This Happy New Year cake topper was perfect. (I also love these star cupcake toppers because they are useful for other occasions too!) See also SHOP THIS POST below for additional options.
Pro Tip: Choose a Variety of Textures and Flavors
Even candy boards benefit from balance, so when building this dessert snack board, be sure to include a mix of various flavors and textures.
Do you have one of each of these textures—chewy, crunchy, crispy, and soft?
Do you have something from each flavor category—chocolate, mint, caramel, fruity?
Having variety will make sure your board has balance, and every guest finds something they love.
NYE Candy Board Step-by-Step Instructions
- Arrange Rolos into the shape of the 2026 numbers on your board.
- Place white M&M’s inside each of the numbers.
- Place larger white treats around the border of the board.
- Fill in the remaining gaps with the rest of your silver and white candy.
Other Occasions For A Numerical Board
I love making a statement piece out of a candy board. You can do this style of board for many other occasions. Here are some celebrations that call for a numbered dessert board.
- Birthdays. Write out the age of the birthday girl or boy. Milestone birthdays are a great time to get these out (1, 25, 40, 50, etc.). Or you can use numbers for the year they were born! Use a Happy Birthday cake topper, or this birthday cupcake topper.
- Anniversaries. Make any anniversary—from 2, to 25, to 50—feel extra special with a festive dessert board.
- Corporate events. Celebrate a company milestone or sales goal.
- Game day. Any sporting event, championship, playoff game, or Super Bowl would be a perfect time to build a numerical board.
Whatever the occasion you can change the colors of your treats to accommodate the party theme. Just make sure the color of the numbers is high contrast to the surrounding items—you want the numbers to stand out.
Use Number-Shaped Dishes for Your NYE Board
In lieu of spelling the numbers out with candy, or if you want to use candies that aren’t as structured as Rolos, I love using number-shaped dishes. They make assembly super quick and keep your numbers perfectly shaped even as guests get their fill of candy. Fill them with sweets for a dessert board, or with savory items on a cheese board, like my NYE Charcuterie Board.
Other Themes and Ideas for Your New Year’s Board
Colors: black, gold, and pops of champagne pink
Why it works: A chic, glam board that captures the sparkle of midnight with bold dark tones, metallic gold, and soft pink accents for a celebratory finish.
Colors: navy and silver
Why it works: Inspired by a winter night sky, this board mixes deep blues with shimmering silver treats for a magical, celestial look.
Flavors: champagne gummies and chocolate truffles
Why it works: A luxe combination of champagne-flavored sweets and rich chocolates, perfect for a sophisticated NYE dessert moment.
Colors: rainbow and bright colors
Why it works: Think sprinkle cookies, marshmallows, and fun-shaped gummies. Use bright, playful colors and fun-shaped treats to keep little partygoers excited.
Colors: any
Why it works: Add fortune cookies and candy “crystal balls” for a whimsical, forward-looking board featuring symbolic sweets that tie into goal-setting, manifesting, and dreaming big for the new year.
Can I Use Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Candy?
For guests with dietary needs, it’s easy to customize your NYE candy board with inclusive options. Choose gluten-free candies, add nut-free swaps like Smarties, marshmallows, or Starburst, and include vegan-friendly treats such as UnReal chocolates, YumEarth gummies, or Dandies marshmallows so everyone can enjoy the celebration.
FAQs
Getting the board size right is key to the perfect spread. Here are some suggestions:
– For a small gathering (4-6 people), use a 12-inch board.
– For a medium gathering (8-10 people), use a medium board, 15-18 inches
– For a large gathering (12+ people), use a large board or oversized tray (20+ inches).
Here are some estimates of how much candy you’ll want out.
– For a small gathering of 4-6 people, plan for 6-8 varieties of candy, totaling about 3-4 cups.
– For a medium gathering of 8-10 people, plan to include 8-12 varieties, totaling 5-6 cups of candy.
– For a large gathering of 12 or more people, use your favorite varieties of candy, totaling 8-10 cups.
Yes! You can assemble the board 3-4 hours ahead of your party. Store it fully assembled, wrapped lightly in plastic wrap, and keep it in a cool area of your kitchen.
You may want to wait to add anything that may melt or get stale, like chocolates or marshmallows. If you stick with the items on my board, they are all shelf-stable and can be assembled any time that day, in advance of your celebration.
If you are in a temperate place (ideally below 70°F—basically not on a hot beach) you shouldn’t have to worry about melting chocolate. But if you want, you can always build the board and add the chocolate at the last minute. Make sure it’s in the center of the board, away from candles, hot dishes, or direct sunlight.
If your party is warm or crowded, set out chocolate in small batches and refill as needed.
Chocolates or candies with a hard shell or coating (like M&Ms or malt balls) won’t melt as easily as others like fudge.
If you have any leftovers, you can separate the sweets and store them in airtight containers.
– Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dry place. It will keep for up to 2-3 months.
– Gummy and chewy candy can be kept in airtight bags or containers to prevent them from hardening. It will be good for 1-2 months.
– Hard candy should be stored separately so that it doesn’t stick to other items. It should be edible for up to 6+ months.
Show Me Your Boards
I hope this post inspires you to create delicious celebratory treats. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked this board recipe, please rate and review.
New Year’s Eve Candy Board
Ingredients
- Rolos wrapped in gold foil
- White chocolate Kit Kat Bites
- White chocolate Reese’s Bites
- Hershey's Kisses
- Snowball cookies
- Mini meringues
- Peppermint chocolates wrapped in silver foil
- Snowflake marshmallows
- White M&M’s
Instructions
- Lay out the gold-wrapped Rolos in the shape of 2026, in the center of the board.
- Place white M&M’s inside the numbers.
- Fill in the spaces between the numbers with the Reese's and Kit Kats.
- Line the edge of the board with the snowball cookies and mini meringues.
- Fill in any gaps in the board with kisses and peppermint chocolates.
- Garnish with snowflake marshmallows and enjoy the countdown to midnight!
THIS is the board used here (also included in the SHOP THIS POST below). It’s dimensions are 12″ x 9″ x ½”, but I have also listed some other options below.
This board was a hit last year! Who knew then how it would all turn out?!?!
such a clever idea! I think this has to be recreated this year! safe to say we are all ready for 2021!!
I love it! I have a feeling this year’s NYE board is gonna look different though… ????????????
I’m SO excited to make this for NYE!