Valentine’s Day Dessert Charcuterie Candy Board
Jan 12, 2024 Updated Feb 13, 2026
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Table of Contents
- How to Make a Candy Charcuterie Board
- Best Candy for Valentine’s Day
- Valentine’s Dessert Charcuterie Ingredients
- How To Make A Galentine’s Day Candy Charcuterie Board: Video Tutorial
- Assemble Your Valentine’s Dessert Board
- Valentine’s Day Dessert Inspiration From Around The World
- Valentine’s Day Beverage Pairing
- FAQs
- Show Me Your Valentine’s Day Dessert Charcuterie
- Valentine’s Day Dessert Board Recipe
- What Board Did You Use Here?
- Shop This Post
This beautiful Valentine’s Day dessert charcuterie candy board is inspired by the holiday of love — sweet, colorful, and perfect for sharing. Gather all the pink, red, and white sweets (seasonal or otherwise!) and make this festive, eye-catching dessert board for your loved ones. Friends, family, or partner, they’ll be struck by Cupid’s arrow the moment they see it.
This Valentine’s charcuterie board leans fully into dessert — think candy, cookies, chocolate, and playful textures — but it’s easy to customize depending on who you’re serving.
For other Valentine’s ideas, check out my Bacon Rose Bouquet Board, Galentine’s Day Dessert Board, Valentine’s Day Fruit Ideas, and Cheese and Chocolate Pairings Board.
Plus, take a peek at my other Candy and Dessert Board ideas for more inspiration!
How to Make a Candy Charcuterie Board
It’s actually pretty straightforward to create a beautiful candy board. If you’ve seen my cheese boards, you’ll notice some similarities in the way I lay out the design:
- Start by picking a color palette (pink, white, red & chocolate brown are perfect for V-DAY).
- Place a few smaller candies in bowls or ramekins around the board. In this case, Heart-shaped bowls are especially fitting for Valentine’s Day.
- Fan cookies and larger candies around the bowls.
- Arrange candies in uniform patterns along the edge of the board or in a triangular pattern (points toward the center).
- Fill in any holes with smaller candies to make the board feel abundant and full.
Tip: Repeating colors and textures across the board helps everything feel cohesive, even if you’re using a mix of candies.
Best Candy for Valentine’s Day
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: almost any candy can feel Valentine’s-themed if it fits the color palette or features hearts, lips, or roses. If it’s pink, white, red, heart-shaped, or rose-shaped, you’re on the right track.
This is also where you can mix textures: chewy gummies, crunchy candy shells, creamy chocolates, and crisp cookies all play well together on a Valentine’s candy board.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again! Any candy can be Valentine’s-themed if it falls within the holiday color scheme and/or uses holiday imagery, so feel free to swap out any flavors or textures you don’t like and/or swap in some low-sugar or sugar-free options! . If it’s pink, white, red, heart-shaped, or rose-shaped, then you’ve got yourself a Valentine’s-appropriate candy!
I love shopping at local candy stores and indie candy companies like Sockerbit, Nuts.com, and Dylan’s Candy Bar, but if you’re more of a grocery store shopper, find these in the seasonal aisle:
- Hershey’s Meltaway Kisses
- Hershey’s Pink Cookies ‘n Creme Hearts
- Whitman’s Sampler
- KitKat Bears
- Nerds Valentine’s Gummy Clusters
- Strawberries & Cream M&M’s
- Trolli Sour Brite Hearts
- Starburst Heart Shaped Jelly Beans
- Sour Patch Hearts
- Haribo Sweet Cherry Heart Quake Chewy Candy
- Brach’s Jelly Hearts
Valentine’s Dessert Charcuterie Ingredients
Red
- Red Gummy Hearts
- Lip Gummies
- Raspberry Fruit Snacks
- Red licorice pinwheels
- Strawberries & Cream Licorice
Pink
- Pink and White Skull Gummies
- Pink M&Ms
- Ghirardelli Valentine Squares
- Pink Lindt Chocolates
- XO Gummies
- Strawberry Rocks
White
- White M&Ms
- Yogurt Pretzels
- Champagne Gummy Bears
Chocolate
- LOVE Chocolate Bar
- Heart Sprinkle Chocolate Bars
- Chocolate Sprinkle Heart Candies
- Chocolate-Covered Sprinkle Pretzels
- Salted caramel chocolates
Cookies & Snacks
- Heart Cookies
- Pink-filled Oreos
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Popcorn
Note: When it comes to dietary restrictions, there are plenty of gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free cookies and chocolates to choose from! Just remember: no matter what you choose to add, shop with the color scheme and heart-shaped theme in mind!
How To Make A Galentine’s Day Candy Charcuterie Board: Video Tutorial
Assemble Your Valentine’s Dessert Board
- Add the popcorn, gummy hearts, raspberry fruit snacks, and XO gummies to small bowls and arrange in the center of the board to anchor it.
- Fan the Oreos around one bowl, then arrange the yogurt pretzels, pink M&Ms, Lindt truffles, white M&Ms, gummy bears, strawberry rocks, and strawberries & cream licorice between the bowls, being careful to separate similar colors.
- Then arrange the licorice pinwheels, Ghirardelli squares, candy skulls, chocolate heart cookies, sprinkle cookies, salted caramel chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, lip gummies, and sprinkle chocolate bars in a uniform pattern along the edge of the board or in a triangular pattern (points toward the center), being sure to separate similar colors.
- Fill in any hole with smaller candies.
Valentine’s Day Dessert Inspiration From Around The World
While Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated everywhere, it’s not only an American holiday, though Hallmark has certainly cornered the market.
The origin of the holiday is somewhat murky: some say it’s based on the Roman festival Lupercalia, which was held in mid-February to celebrate the coming of spring, some say it’s based on a long-ago martyred priest who signed a letter “from your Valentine,” and others say it’s so named for Saint Valentine who secretly married couples to help them escape war.
Regardless, who doesn’t love to celebrate love? Elevate your Valentine’s dessert charcuterie board with some international inspiration! Try incorporating:
- French macarons
- Cherries: While Valentine’s Day itself is not celebrated in the Czech Republic, their version of the holiday happens on May 1st and involves kissing under a cherry blossom tree.
- Ginger snaps or gingerbread cookies: In Germany, lovers exchange heart-shaped and/or decorated gingerbread cookies
- Italian Baci chocolates (Baci means “kisses” in English!)
- Belgian liege waffles
- Chocolate: I know, chocolate isn’t a revolutionary concept for Valentine’s Day, but in Japan, it’s less about the chocolate itself and more about how it’s given. There are two categories: honmei choco (“true love chocolate”), which is the fancier stuff like handmade truffles, and giri choco (“obligatory chocolate” for friends and family), which is the more pedestrian kind like what you’ll find at a drug store.
Valentine’s Day Beverage Pairing
It can be tricky to pair drinks with a candy board, but, generally speaking, you want to counter the sweetness with something dry, like sparkling wine or Champagne, or something tart! Anything more specific will depend on your candy preferences.
For Chocolate-Forward Boards
- Wine
- Milk chocolate: Pinot Noir
- Dark chocolate: Cabernet sauvignon
- White chocolate: Chardonnay or sparkling wine
- Chocolate-peanut butter: Merlot
- Espresso Martini
- Old Fashioned
- Spiked Hot Chocolate
For Candy-Forward Boards
- Whiskey Sour (And other sour cocktails!)
- Dry sparkling wine or rosé
- Chardonnay
- Vodka martini with a twist
- Moscow Mule
FAQs
In this case “charcuterie” isn’t literal–there is no meat to be found! It’s simply to just help convey how this dessert should be built and served.
If your board is mostly (or all) candy, plan for ¾ to 1 cup per person. If you have a more balanced board between candy and other sweets, plan for ½ to ¾ cup candy per person.
A medium board (about 16–18 inches) works well for 4–6 people, while a larger board is better for parties or Galentine’s gatherings.
Absolutely. Many gummies, chocolates, and candies are naturally gluten-free and nut-free. Just check packaging carefully and make labels to identify any potential allergens.
Stick to grocery-store finds like seasonal M&Ms, licorice, and Valentine’s gummies. Mixing inexpensive fillers like popcorn and cookies can also help balance pricier chocolates.
Dry sparkling wine, rosé, sour cocktails, or even espresso martinis balance the sweetness beautifully. For non-alcoholic options, try sparkling water with citrus or a tart mocktail.
Show Me Your Valentine’s Day Dessert Charcuterie
I hope this post inspires you to create a Valentine’s Day candy spread. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful boards you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg and use #AintTooProudToSweet so I can see and share!
And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Valentine’s Day Dessert Board
Ingredients
Red
- Red Gummy Hearts
- Lip Gummies
- Raspberry Fruit Snacks
- Red licorice pinwheels
- Strawberries & Cream Licorice
Pink
- Pink and White Skull Gummies
- Pink M&Ms
- Ghirardelli Valentine Squares
- Pink Lindt Chocolates
- XO Gummies
- Strawberry Rocks
White
- White M&Ms
- Yogurt Pretzels
- Champagne Gummy Bears
Chocolate
- LOVE Chocolate Bar
- Heart Sprinkle Chocolate Bars
- Chocolate Sprinkle Heart Candies
- Chocolate Covered Sprinkle Pretzels
- Salted caramel chocolates
Cookies & Snacks
- Heart Cookies
- Pink-filled Oreos
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Popcorn
Instructions
- Add the popcorn, gummy hearts, raspberry fruit snacks, and XO gummies to small bowls and arrange in the center of the board to anchor it.
- Fan the Oreos around one bowl, then arrange the yogurt pretzels, pink M&Ms, Lindt truffles, white M&Ms, and gummy bears, strawberry rocks, and strawberries & cream licorice between the bowls, being careful to separate similar colors.
- Then arrange the licorice pinwheels, Ghirardelli squares, candy skulls, chocolate heart cookies, sprinkle cookies, salted caramel chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, lip gummies, and sprinkle chocolate bars in a uniform pattern along the edge of the board or in a triangular pattern (points toward the center), being sure to separate similar colors.
- Fill in any hole with smaller candies.
What Board Did You Use Here?
This board is 19in, found HERE (make sure you select the large option) and HERE.
You have the most creative and delicious ideas. I love making boards and you make it easy to do. Dessert boards are an easy way to have a little something for everyone. I brought this Valentine board to a party and it was a hit. It’s also a great way to have one regular board and a smaller allergy friendly one too.
Thank you, Suzi. I love hearing that you find my recipes helpful and delicious.
Can’t wait to do this for my friends galentines party! I love this idea :)) Thank you for sharing!
This is the perfect Valentine’s Day treat!! It’s such an easy recipe!!