Charcuterie cups are an easy way to serve a cheese board without the crowd hovering over one platter. Each glass gets a mix of dry-cured meat, cheese, fruit and crunchy bits, and you can keep them casual or make them look extra festive for New Year’s Eve or Christmas.
Below you’ll find a simple build guide and a few tips that help these hold up well if you want to prep ahead.
How to make individual charcuterie cups
Think of these as a mini cheese board in a cup. You only need a few ingredient categories, then you can mix and match with what you like or have on hand.
Cured meat (2 options) – Choose thinly sliced dry cured meats that are easy to fold onto skewers. Salami, prosciutto or cured sausage all work well.
Cheese (2 kinds) – Hard cheeses hold their shape best, especially if you are making these ahead. Aged Gouda, sharp Cheddar or Manchego are all great options, but you can also use mild or flavored cheese.
Fresh fruit (1 or 2 types) – Grapes are the simplest and one of the best choices. Blueberries also hold up well. You can add other berries, but keep in mind some can leak if they sit too long.
Marinated foods (1 or 2 options) – Olives are always a good choice (have you tried almond-stuffed olives?). Pickled pearl onions and cornichons are great here, too.
Crunch – Use something that fits easily into the cups, like breadsticks, crackers or crostini.
Dried fruit and nuts – This is individual. It works best if you want to fill any empty gaps. Dried cranberries, roasted almonds, pistachios and dried apricots all work well.
Assembling:
The best way to prepare these individual appetizers is to make a few skewers using toothpicks or cocktail sticks. Your guests can grab them easily without making their hands dirty.
The same cocktail stick can be used to grab other soft items, if possible. The bottom of the glass is a good place for any small snacks like dried fruits or nuts.
For a 6 to 8 ounce cup (170 to 240 ml), I aim for 4 skewers per cup (2 meat, 1 pickle/olive, 1 olive).
What to remember
- Drain all wet (or rinsed) ingredients well, then pat them dry. This will prevent other items from turning soggy.
- Choose items that don’t change shape or color after being exposed to oxygen or not refrigerated (skip bananas or apples to avoid browning).
- Add some color with fresh herbs or berries. Throw a few dried cranberries in each glass or better yet, use sugared cranberries to make it festive.
- Best for make-ahead: grapes, blueberries, hard cheeses, dry cured meats, olives, cornichons.
Skip unless serving right away: apple slices, soft berries that leak, very soft cheeses, anything oily or wet.
If you are planning a large grazing table, my winter cheese board might be a good inspiration.
Recipe Q&A
If you are serving other appetizers (like dips, mini sandwiches or cocktail meatballs), plan on 1 cup per person. If the cups are the main snack, you might need to double that or make one batch with different nibbles than the first batch. As a quick guide, 6 cups serve about 6 guests (light) and 12 cups serve about 12 guests (light) or 6 guests if the cups are the main snack.
You could but I don’t recommend doing so. It’s better to serve it on side in a bowl with a spoon and let your guests decide whether they like to add some to their charcuterie cups or not.
Plastic or paper cups, wine glasses (look more festive for a New Year’s Party menu) or whiskey glasses. 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 240 milliliters) would be the perfect size: not too big, not too small.
Yes. You can prep these several hours ahead or the night before. Wash, drain and pat everything dry, then make the skewers, cut the cheese, and assemble the cups without crackers or breadsticks. Add the crackers or breadsticks right before serving so they stay crisp.
They should last up 2 to 3 hours. For longer parties, put them out in batches and keep the rest chilled until you are ready to refill.
Add them at the last minute or serve them in a bowl on the side.
Short paper cups, omit the skewers and any strong-flavored cheeses.
More charcuterie board recipes for you to try
- New Year’s Eve Charcuterie Board – A festive and easy tray to ring in the New Year.
- Simple Charcuterie Board – A no-fuss board with classic meats, cheeses and easy add-ons.
- Snowman Cheese Board – A winter-themed snack tray that makes the perfect centerpiece.
Individual Charcuterie Cups Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces salami (thinly sliced)
- 3 ounces dry-cured sausage (see note 1)
- 1 cup seedless grapes (or more, see note 2)
- 18 pickled pearl onions (see note 3)
- 18 green olives (pitted or stuffed)
- 2 blocks cheese (7-ounce each, diced or cut into wedges, see note 4)
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup almonds (see note 5)
- ½ cup pistachios
- 6 crackers (or breadsticks, see note 6)
- 6 dried apricots
Instructions
- Dry any wet foods: Rinse the grapes and pat them dry with a paper kitchen towel. Drain the pickles and olives and pat them dry as well as you can. Rinse and dry the blueberries.
- Make skewers: Thread 3 to 4 pieces of salami onto a toothpick or cocktail stick. Repeat to make 6 salami skewers. Thread 3 to 4 pieces of cured onto another toothpick and repeat to make 6 of them. You can also do a combo of the deli meats on 1 skewer.
- Thread olives and pickled onions onto a toothpick, either in a combo or separately and prepare at least 2 pickle skewers per glass.
- Cut the cheese: If you have a block of cheese, cut it into bite-sized cubes. Smaller pieces work better because they fit more easily into a glass or cup. If you have a wedge of cheese, slice it into wedges.
- Assemble the cups: Place 1 apricot to the bottom of each glass. Add a few almonds and pistachios, followed by grapes (about 4 per glass) and some cubed cheese. Fill any gaps with dried cranberries and blueberries. Top the glasses with the skewers and place a slice of cheese on top. Finally, add a few crackers or breadsticks.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Deli meats: Salami, prosciutto or other dry-cured meats will all work well here.
- Fruits: Grapes are usually the best and last the longest if you want to make these ahead. Blueberries also hold up well, but you can add any berries you like.
- Pickled and marinated foods: Pickled pearl onions, olives and cornichons are some of the best options. Add as many as you like, but a minimum should be 2 skewers with 2 pickles on each skewer.
- Cheese: Use what you like. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but I like to add 1 classic cheese (like Cheddar) and 1 different kind (aged Gouda, Manchego, etc.). Hard cheeses work best if you are not serving them right away.
- Nuts: If you don’t like some of the ones listed, use whatever you prefer. Cashews and walnuts work well, too. They’re great fillers. For pistachios, it’s nicer to peel them, but if you’re making these hours ahead, I actually like them better left in the shell.
- Crackers, breadsticks, crostini: I recommend something that fits easily in the cups, but serve them also in a separate bowl for the guests to be able to take some more.
- Make ahead: Charcuterie in a cup can be prepared the night before your party, minus the crackers, but make sure to pat dry all the wet ingredients beforehand.
- Storage: Cover each cup with plastic wrap making sure not to pierce it with the toothpicks. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. If transporting these, set them in a deep oven dish so they don’t tip.
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