Build a Charcuterie Board at Whole Foods for Under $50
Dec 08, 2025
Cheese Boards Charcuterie Boards Budget Boards Christmas Recipes
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Table of Contents
- Whole Foods Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- How to Make Whole Foods Charcuterie on a Budget
- Whole Foods on a Budget: 10 Tips & Tricks
- Whole Foods Cheese Substitutions
- Vegan Cheese Alternatives
- Cracker Alternatives for Whole Foods Charcuterie
- Whole Foods Beverage Pairings
- FAQs
- Show Me Your Whole Foods Charcuterie
- Whole Foods Budget Charcuterie Board Recipe
“Whole Foods” and “budget” aren’t normally paired together, but making an affordable Whole Foods charcuterie board is absolutely doable. Yes, you heard that right! You don’t have to spend your whole paycheck on meats, cheeses, and produce to create a stunning spread–all you need is $50 and my hacks for shopping on a budget.
I love shopping at Whole Foods because they have a great cheese selection, including a number of my favorite specialty cheeses. Their Whole Foods brand (365) also offers a ton of high-quality ingredients that are more affordable than brand-name ones. Plus, the olive bar cannot be beat–not only do they have an amazing selection, but you can also buy just enough for your board so you don’t have to worry about leftovers or waste.
It’s true, you can spend a lot on a Whole Foods trip, but it’s a total myth that you can’t shop there if you’re on a budget. My goal is always to serve high-quality and delicious boards, and Whole Foods is one of the best places to do it.
For more budget-conscious cheese board grocery shopping ideas, try my Trader Joe’s Charcuterie & Cheese Board Ideas, Aldi Charcuterie Board, Costco Grazing Table, and Walmart Charcuterie Board.
Whole Foods Charcuterie Board Ingredients
At my local, Los Angeles Whole Foods, I spent a grand total of $47.81 in November 2025. Prices may vary slightly, but use this list while you shop to stay below $50!
Cheese
- 5.75 ounces Fromager D’affinois (soft) – $6.48
- 3 ounces Humboldt Fog (semi-soft) – $5.10
- 4.5 ounces Roth Aged Gouda, sliced (hard) – $3.92
Accoutrement
- 3.5 ounces Mixed olives (pitted) from Olive Bar – $2.64 (at $11.99 per pound)
- 4 ounces Mitica Marcona Almonds – $7.99
- Fresh rosemary sprigs – $3.99 (you can save costs if you have a rosemary plant)
Produce
- Red grapes – $4.99
- Red apple, sliced – $1.22
Carbs
- 4 ounces Rustic Bakery Organic Sourdough Flatbread Bites – $4.49
Meat
- 4 ounces Gusto Sopressata Salami, folded – $6.99
How to Make Whole Foods Charcuterie on a Budget
- Start by adding the cheeses around the edge of the board.
- Place the olives and almonds in separate ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in the center of the board.
- Arrange the grapes and apple slices on the board between the cheeses.
- Fan the crackers around the ramekins, leaving spaces in the center of the board. Then add more crackers along the edge.
- Tuck the salami into the empty spaces on the board.
- Garnish with rosemary to serve.
Whole Foods on a Budget: 10 Tips & Tricks
Whole Foods has weekly sales, so be sure to check what’s on sale at your local store! And don’t forget to use your Amazon Prime perks if you’re a member. Here are some other hacks to help you save:
- Make a shopping list and stick to it, and don’t go to the store hungry! Impulse purchases are the enemy.
- If you live in a state with bag charges, bring your own reusable bags
- Download the Whole Foods Market app and check the daily specials! The salad bar used to be on sale every Wednesday, which I believe is no longer a thing (RIP my favorite Whole Foods special), but there are still sales on occasion if you check the app.
- Speaking of the salad bar, it’s a great way to buy just the right amount of fresh accoutrements, like pre-sliced veggies, for your board without having to buy a whole bunch of vegetables. I love using their rainbow radishes on crudite platters and my Avocado Toast Board.
- Use Whole Foods’ 365 brand when you can; it’s just as good as name-brand and a whole lot cheaper!
- Shop for shelf-stable accoutrements, like nuts, in bulk and keep them on hand in your pantry.
- Avoid jarred olives and go for the olive bar so you can measure out exactly what you need. Go for pitted olives to cut down on weight!
- Keep an eye out for markdowns (yellow signs) and “last chance” tags! There are usually 2 cheeses on sale at any given moment (plus Prime members save an extra 10% on sale items).
- Check the clearance section, especially if you’re looking for candy
- Stop by the $5 and under cheese bin tucked away in the cheese section! This bin of cheese odds and ends is a collection of the smaller pieces of cheese that remain after breaking down the larger wheel, which means it’s a great way to find affordable, albeit small, cheeses and try new things.
- If you’re shopping around the holidays, make sure to check the Whole Foods 12 Days of Cheese! They offer huge savings on 12 selected cheeses that are great for holiday boarding.
Whole Foods Cheese Substitutions
The most important thing I focus on when I need to make substitutions is making sure I have 1 hard cheese, 1 soft cheese, and 1 semi-hard or semi-soft cheese. For more cheese boarding pro-tips, check out my in-depth Charcuterie Board Guide!
These are some of my favorites:
Soft Cheese Options
- La Tur – buttery, tangy, and Italian
- Harbison (a splurge) – rich, creamy, and wrapped in spruce bark
- St Andre – lush, ultra-creamy, and French
- Bonne Homme Brie – mild and buttery (this brie is exclusive to Whole Foods and available around the holidays)
- Brie En Croute – brie baked in puff pastry (available around the holidays)
Hard Cheese Options
- Midnight moon – aged goat gouda with caramel notes
- 15 Month Kilaree Cheddar – sharp and crumbly Irish cheddar
- Mimolette – nutty with caramel notes
- Merlot bavitano – Parmesan-like cheese with a merlot rind
Semi-soft or Semi-hard Cheese Options
- Tallegio – stinky and silky Italian, washed-rind cheese
- Port Salut
- A Young Gouda
- Gruyere
- Fontina
Vegan Cheese Alternatives
Whole Foods is a great place to shop for folks with dietary restrictions! They have a great selection of dairy-free cheese and gluten-free crackers (see more below!). Check out my Vegan Cheese Board for more tips.
- Treeline Plant Based Goat Cheese (block); comes in multiple flavors
- Treeline Nut Cheese (spreadable); comes in multiple flavors
- Good Planet Sharp Cheddar Olive Oil Cheese Snack Pack (cubed)
- Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge (block)
- Miyokos Plant Milk Cheese Spread (spreadable)
Cracker Alternatives for Whole Foods Charcuterie
There are two ways to shop for crackers at Whole Foods: choose from a great selection of specialty crackers, like Rustic Bakery, or go the more affordable route with Whole Foods’ 365 brand. These are all my favorite brands that range from light and crispy to hearty and crunchy:
Specialty
- Firehook Artisan Baked Crackers
- Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes
- Rustic Bakery Artisan Crisps
- La Panzanella Croccantini
Affordable
- A whole baguette, sliced and turned into crostini
- 365 Almond Flour Sea Salt Crackers (gluten-free)
- Simple Mills Seed Flour Crackers (gluten-free)
- Blue Almond Nut Thins (gluten-free)
- Crunchmaster Rice Crackers (gluten-free)
Whole Foods Beverage Pairings
Depending on where you live, you might be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at your local Whole Foods. If not, there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages!
Non-Alcoholic
- 365 Flavored Sparkling Water
- Whole Foods Market Organic Italian Soda
- 365 Organic Lemonade & Black Tea Blend
- 365 Organic Blueberry Lemonade
- 365 Organic Cherry Creme Soda
- 365 Cherry Limeade
- 365 Cherry Vanilla Creme Soda
Wine
- Sparkling Wine: Cava or Prosecco goes well with everything on this board, and the dry, crisp flavor will cut the richness
- White Wine: Sauvignon Blanc has a crisp, citrusy flavor that pairs well with goat cheese, fruit, and olives
- Red Wine: Pinot Noir Great is a light red that complements the Gouda and salami without overpowering anything
Learn more about wine and cheese pairing in my Wine Pairing 101.
FAQs
It can be, but it doesn’t have to be! Follow my recipe and see all my shopping hacks to keep this board under $50.
5-8 people. A good rule of thumb for shopping is about 3 ounces of meat and 3 ounces of cheese per person if this is the main appetizer, or 1.5 ounces per person if it’s part of a larger spread. I went light on the meat because the main course after this was meat-heavy, and we had some non-meat eaters, but if you have a meat-loving crowd, you can double up here.
Since there isn’t much to prep for this board besides slicing the Gouda and the apples, this isn’t a great board to make ahead! You want to slice the apples right before serving to keep them fresh (and put some orange or lemon juice on them so they don’t brown), and cheese also stays fresher when it’s not cut. That said, hard cheeses like the Gouda are definitely hardier and could be cut up to a couple hours before serving. You could also put accoutrements in ramekins ahead of time, just cover them with plastic wrap.
No matter what, be sure to keep all the non-shelf-stable ingredients refrigerated until you’re ready to serve! Charcuterie boards should only stay out for about 2 hours at room temperature.
Of course not! You know I’m all about customization, so pick cheeses that suit your needs and taste. My rule of thumb for a board this size is to have 3 cheeses: 1 hard cheese, 1 soft cheese, and 1 semi-hard or semi-soft cheese. And be sure to check out my shopping hacks to stay on budget!
Show Me Your Whole Foods Charcuterie
I hope this post inspires you to shop for a high-quality cheese board on a budget. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the snacks and apps you create from my budget-friendly tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked these recipe ideas, please rate and review.
Whole Foods Budget Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
Cheese
- 5.75 oz Fromager D'affinois ($6.48)
- 3 oz Humboldt Fog ($5.10)
- 4.5 oz Roth Aged Gouda ($3.92)
Accoutrement
- 3.5 oz Pitted mixed olives (from Olive Bar) ($2.64)
- 4 oz Mitica Marcona Almonds ($7.99)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs ($3.99)
Produce
- Red grapes ($4.99)
- Red apple Sliced ($1.22)
Carbs
- 4 oz Rustic Bakery Organic Sourdough Flatbread Bites ($4.49)
Meat
- 4 oz Gusto Sopressata Salami folded ($6.99)
Instructions
- Start by adding the cheeses around the edge of the board. Place the olives and almonds in separate ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in the center of the board.
- Arrange the grapes and apple slices on the board between the cheeses. Fan the crackers around the ramekins, leaving spaces in the center of the board. Then add more crackers along the edge.
- Tuck the salami into the empty spaces on the board. Garnish with rosemary to serve.
