Simple Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie Board

Get excited for this simple Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie board with creamy avocado, nuts, meats, and more! I'll show you how a gluten and dairy-free charcuterie board can be just as tasty as the traditional. I also include my favorite gluten and dairy free brands to make your shopping a little easier.

Important staples for a gluten and dairy free charcuterie board include: gluten-free crackers, meats, veggies, fresh fruits, and spreads. 

I'll share my favorites with you below. Then I'll teach you how to put together an attractive looking board.

Be sure to check out our How do I go Gluten-Free post if you're new to the diet and lifestyle!

How is a Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie board different?

Gluten is usually found in crackers on a charcuterie board, but it can also be found in processed meats or spreads. Dairy is usually found in the cheeses. Sometimes, there is also dairy in crackers or processed meats like salami. For a Gluten and Dairy free charcuterie board, gluten and dairy free crackers and meats are chosen carefully. Cheese is replaced with dairy-free cheeses or creamy spreads and nuts.

Let's make a Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie Board

First gather your food. Choose at least one item from each category:

1. Crackers

• Square crackers
• Round crackers
• Flatbread
• Tortillas

The best gluten and dairy free crackers:

Simple Mills - My favorite flavors are sun-dried tomato and basil and rosemary. The plain salted are good too, and Simple Mills offers a variety of gluten free cracker shapes.

Mary's Gone Crackers - These are loaded with super foods and ultra crunchy. My favorite is the super seed collection.

Simple Rice crackers (from the asian foods aisle) - These light and crispy round crackers are readily available. When I can't find other brands, I can always rely on these.

2. Meats

• Salami slices
• Meat sticks
• Deli meat slices, like turkey or ham

Gluten and dairy free meat options:

• Applegate Farms brand has all gluten and dairy free sliced meats. I like their salami trio for a charcuterie board.
• Salami Whips make for a fun twist! This brand is gluten-free.

3. Creamy Fats

• Avocado, sliced in half with the pit removed
• Nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc)
• Olives
• Dairy Free cheeses

4. Veggies

• Sliced carrots, celery, or bell pepper
• Jarred roasted veggies, like red bell peppers

5. Fresh Fruits

• Sliced apples
• Grapes
• Orange slices
• Pomegranate seeds

6. Spreads (optional)

• Hummus
• Olive Tapenade
• Jam
• Honey

These two amazing hummus recipes are Charcuterie favorites:

• Black Bean Hummus with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
• Canned Chickpea Hummus

Since I prefer natural whole foods over processed foods, I did not include processed vegan cheeses. However, this post on vegan cheeses has a list of "best in class" vegan cheeses. Violife and Daiya are gluten-free and vegan cheese brands I recommend.

Next, let's use a few simple styling techniques to make the board appealing. But before we do, know that you don't need an official charcuterie board to make a stylish plate.

What to use in place of a charcuterie board

In place of a charcuterie board, you can use any dining tray, a cutting board, a baking tray, or even the top to a plastic storage bin. 

I used a tray that I found at Fred Meyer. Charcuterie boards make amazing gifts for foodie friends!

Charcuterie boards I like:

• Large bamboo cutting board
• Small Charcuterie board with utensils in a drawer
• Large extendable charcuterie board with utensils in drawer

How to Organize a Charcuterie Board

Step 1: Start with an item you have a lot of (grapes in my case). Arrange them in a line that travels the length of your charcuterie board.

Helpful Tip: Arranging your foods in a waved line, like a river, can make your Charcuterie board more attractive.

Step 2: Choose another food to trace your first line on one or both sides. On my board, you can see I used crackers.

Helpful Tip: Stack your crackers before laying them down. Then they will lay nicely and overlap in the same direction.

Step 3: Create more lines, or begin arranging foods around the lines you already have. Have fun and don't worry about perfection. As you can see, my board isn't symmetrical.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy! 

The point of a charcuterie board is to have fun and keep tasty food easy. Switch up ingredients, give it style, add a garnish, it's all up to you!

I love using Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie boards for easy dinners or an appetizer for a picnic or party. Tasty food does not get much easier than this!

What's on my Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie Board:

• Crackers: I used Blue Diamond Rice Thins. Note that this brand has trace amounts of dairy. I definitely prefer Simple Mills brand but I could not find them at the time. Some stores only carry one or two types of gluten-free crackers. I recommend keeping some on hand so you have them when you need them. 
• Meats: Applegate Farms Salami and Salami Whips
• Creamy Fats: A fresh avocado sliced in half, Mezzetta garlic stuffed olives
• Veggies: Fresh basil leaves, jarred Mezzetta Roasted Red peppers (chopped and placed inside the avocado)
• Fruits: sliced apples, a 'river' of green grapes

📖 Recipe

Have fun with this one! I'm sure you'll make it over and over like I do.

Jamie