How to Create a Vegan Hot Chocolate ‘Charcuterie’ Board

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, people are hunkering down in the lead up to Christmas and making their very own hot chocolate ‘charcuterie’ boards.  And if you’re vegan or just not a big fan of dairy, recipe box Gousto has some perfect alternatives to try. 

Not only are these hot chocolate boards totally Instagrammable, but all of the ingredients you’d usually find can also be swapped for a dairy-free or vegan alternative. Think gelatine-free marshmallows and dark chocolate swizzle sticks, plus everything else you’ll need to customise a next-level cup of cocoa.

And if you’re wondering how best to capture your decadent hot chocolate board, then Gousto’s Food Stylist Jenny Brown has plenty of tips for styling your cup of cocoa. 

1. Finding the perfect board 

Piled high with soft marshmallows and loaded with yummy hot chocolate toppings, everyone will have tons of festive fun creating their own hot chocolate creations. But first, you’ll need to find a Pinterest-worthy presentation board to store all your sweet treats. 

Any sharing board will begin with a platter, large plate, tray or cutting board. You can purchase a board designed to hold a sharing platter, or for a budget-friendly alternative, look at what you already have in your kitchen, such as chopping boards, or serving trays.

If using existing kitchen items, we recommend it is one that has not been previously used for raw food and can easily be sanitised. 

Wooden or marble boards are a good choice as the texture and colour create a rustic yet modern vibe. This backdrop will make your hot chocolate bar look extra delicious on-screen to share with your followers. 

2. Slow cooker hot chocolate 

Sweet, chocolatey hot cocoa is winter weather’s best companion and what better way to serve it than sharing board style? 

To keep your hot chocolate toasty warm all evening, prepare your favourite recipe in a slow cooker. Leave your slow cooker on a warm setting, set up your toppings and mugs ready for your family to serve themselves. 

For a grown-up festive party, why not test out Gousto’s Irish Hot Chocolate Recipe? Simply replace the usual Irish cream with the almond milk version and add a splash of amaretto.

For the kids, why not whip up Gousto’s Hot Chocolate on a Stick recipe, but replace the milk chocolate with dark chocolate, and be sure to switch out the other dairy products for a vegan-friendly alternative of your choosing. 

3. Toppings to add to your hot chocolate grazing board 

Yes, hot chocolate is delicious on its own, but imagine the added excitement of coconut whipped cream, giant gelatine-free marshmallows, dark chocolate chips, candy canes and more sugar-filled toppings. 

It can be overwhelming to try and decide what to include on your board. We recommend choosing a theme, this can be as simple as matching colours or flavours. For example, if you are making your hot chocolate board with a festive theme choose red, green and white toppings. 

Looking for a beautiful and delicious centrepiece for your board? Then look no further. Gousto’s Dark Chocolate Vegan Truffles make the perfect addition, or why not roll up your sleeves and prepare a batch of Gousto’s Quick And Easy Vegan Brownies. 

4. Incorporate different textures on the board 

Adding a variety of textures throughout your hot cocoa sharing board is a surefire way to elevate it. You can add toasted almonds for a little crunch or crushed candy canes for a festive sprinkle. 

Another way we recommend doing this is by including a selection of different sized toppings, for example, you can add both miniature and large marshmallows, chocolate chunks, a mix of dunking biscuits and a vegan-friendly pick and mix sweet collection. 

Another easy way to create dimension is to break up the colour palette by adding a mix of dark and white vegan chocolate throughout the board. 

Try to arrange the toppings so that you have various colours next to each other, you can also add a pop of colour with colourful vegan sweets, sprinkles and biscuits. 

5. Add a mix of sweet and savoury 

Satisfy all of your cravings at once with a mix of sweet and savoury flavours. For a super impressive hot cocoa spread, mix savoury snacks such as salted nuts and crunchy crackers with your sweet treats for a textural treat that will come across on camera, too. 

If you’re feeling adventurous, sea salt, orange or salted caramel dark chocolate are great additional toppings that provide a mix of both sweet and salty,

After all those chocolate and sweets, you’re going to need something to balance those rich flavours. We suggest serving your sweet board with a savoury counterpart, for the perfect festive feast.

6. Try adding fresh ingredients 

Blueberries, strawberries, grapes, raspberries, blackberries and sliced orange are all great options to add a pop of colour and flavour to your board. 

If you’re trying to up your Instagram game, we suggest coating your fresh ingredients such as strawberries in vegan chocolate.

7. How to assemble a ‘chocolate charcuterie’ board 

Don’t let the name fool you, assembling the perfect ‘charcuterie’ board is easier than you think. Start by filling bowls with your selected small ingredients, such as cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, sweets, sugar and soft spreads. 

Next, add your larger additions around the bowls. Here you can place large marshmallows, biscuits, candy canes and chocolate pieces. 

When you are adding, begin with a base layer, then once the board is full, you can go back in and fill on top to create more height and dimension. 

Further information can be found here: www.gousto.co.uk