The Best Vegan Cheese Board

A vegan cheese board combines three to five plant-based cheeses with crackers or bread, a sweet spread, fresh fruit, something tangy such as olives or pickles, and a handful of nuts. Vary the textures and colours so the board doesn’t look flat, and add vegan charcuterie or dips if you want a bigger spread.

There are many artisan and cultured vegan cheeses on the market now, along with options you can make at home, which makes building a board straightforward once you know the formula. The tips below cover cheese types, textures, colours and how to lay everything out so nothing looks bare.

Tips for Building a Vegan Cheese Board

Cheese boards are easy to assemble. At their core, they consist of cheese, bread and fruit, so keep it simple if you’re unsure and use the formula below with minimal ingredients.

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If you’re not confident mixing flavours, don’t crowd the board. A plate of cheese, crackers and fruit works better than too many flavours that don’t sit well together.

What size board should you use?

Match the board to the amount of food. If you’re only serving one or two cheeses, use a smaller plate or cutting board so they aren’t surrounded by empty space. A packed board reads better than a large one with gaps, so it’s less about the size of the board and more about keeping it full.

Why does colour matter on a cheese board?

A board that’s entirely white or pale is less appealing than one with a few pops of colour. Scatter berries, colourful jams and bright fruits across the board to draw the eye.

How do you add texture to a cheese board?

Contrasting textures make a board more interesting, and it’s easy to build in. Place smooth, creamy cheeses next to crusty French or Italian bread, or pair fresh berries with a creamy cashew sauce, so the board has layers rather than one uniform texture throughout.

Which vegan cheeses should you choose?

Cheese is the main component of the platter, so it’s worth choosing a mix of hard, creamy, aged and herbed blue styles if you’re feeding a crowd. There’s now a wide range of artisan and cultured plant-based cheeses on the market, well beyond the block-style options from a few years ago.

Brands worth trying include Pulse Kitchen and Nuts for Cheese. You can also make your own, like this vegan blue cheese.

Which flavours pair well together?

Choose cheeses that contrast rather than clash, such as a creamier, milder cheese alongside a tangy blue. The same logic applies to the rest of the board: add tangy items like olives or pickles to cut through a creamy cheese, and pair fruit preserves with salty cheese or crusty bread for a sweet and savoury contrast.

Should you go seasonal with your cheese board?

Yes, where you can. Strawberries are only in season for part of the year, so build around whatever fruit is at its best at the time. Figs, pears, persimmons and cranberries all work well on a board, and cranberries in particular are easy to turn into a quick preserve if you’d rather not serve them raw.

Simple Recipe: The Best Vegan Cheese Board

You can make a vegan cheese board as simple or elaborate as you like, since it all comes down to one basic formula that adjusts to any size or type of platter.

Cheese Board Formula

Cheese with Bread/Crackers, plus something Sweet/Savoury Spread, also Some Fruit and Something Tangy or Pickled, and of course, some Nuts. 

Optional:

You can also add some Plant-based ‘Meats’ and Dips

If that feels like a lot, the example below shows how it comes together.

A Simple Vegan Cheese Board Example

This example puts the formula into practice for a board that serves eight people.

Prep Time20 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

Cuisine: French, British, GF, Vegan

Servings for 8

Ingredients

• 3 Vegan cheeses (includes a variety of flavours and styles).
• 1 jar of savoury spread, pate, or tapenade
• 1 jar preserve or sweet jam
• 1-2 loaves of good quality artisanal bread (sourdough bread, walnut bread, French baguette, etc. - Gluten-free if necessary).
• 1 pack of savoury crackers
• 1 jar salty or tangy such as pickles, olives in brine or sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, or pickles,
• 2-3 cups fruit/berries, about 300-450 g (a mixture of fruits such as figs/pears, apples, grapes, and/or seasonal berries works well)
• 1 cup mixed nuts, about 120-150 g (walnuts or toasted almonds are great options)

Optional

• You can add some vegan meats, including sausages and hams.
• Decorate with sprigs of colourful flowers or herbs

Instruction

• Spread your cheeses, and spreads/preserves on a platter/board. To balance the visual balance, they should be spread on different parts of the board. For decoration, make a few wedges from cheese wheels.
• Slice or chop small pieces of bread. Spread them around with the rest of the loaf.
• Spread the spreads and cheeses around the crackers in the same manner.
• Cut slices of vegan meats and place them near crackers.
• Place groups of your tangy food (olives or artichokes, etc.) around the board. Place groups of your tangy foods (olives, artichokes, etc.) around the board near the cheeses. You can also place them in their jars on the board.
• Slice fruits such as apples and pears thinly. Slice figs and apricots in half. Place the fruits/berries in clusters on the cheeseboard.
• To fill in any gaps on the board, add small clusters or nuts.
• To decorate the board, add some colourful veggies and sprigs from herbs.
• Enjoy!

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