Along with lots of meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies, you need to know what the best crackers for charcuterie boards are if you really want to impress.
Because you need more than just a couple of saltines to hold all that deliciousness!
Crackers are the unsung heroes of cheese boards.
They help balance out the flavors, bring a pleasant element of crunch, and make eating soft cheeses with jellies and meats finger friendly.
And the good news is that the best crackers for charcuterie boards are pretty much anything you can get your hands on.
Best Crackers for Charcuterie Boards
Variety is the spice of life. And that’s especially true when talking about charcuterie boards.
It’s just as important to have a good variety of crackers as it is to offer plenty of cured hams, sliced cheeses, jams, jellies, and fruits.
Though, of course, some crackers are better than others.
For example, I don’t recommend anything overly salty if you already have lots of salty meats and cheeses.
Also, large crackers and crispbreads will take up too much room and make a mess when your guests inevitably break them in half.
So take into consideration the types of cheese on your board. If you have strong cheese, you need a delicate cracker to balance out those flavors.
And if you have a tone of salty salami, you might be better off with buttery crackers to keep things mellow.
1. Saltine Crackers
Generally speaking, saltine crackers are an excellent choice for medium-strong cheeses.
They have a mild flavor but aren’t as gentle as water crackers. And that hit of salt is often just right with soft, creamy cheese.
They’re affordable, readily available, and always a hit.
2. Crostini
Crostini are thicker, crunchier, and often overlooked on cheese boards.
But if you’re offering lots of soft cheeses with spreads, jams, and jellies, they’re the perfect vessel to hold all that yummy stuff.
Pair crostini with herbal cheese spreads, tangy goat cheese, mustard, honey, or Brie.
It’s also a terrific option if you have thick cuts of ham.
Buy them premade, or make your own with a loaf of french bread and a kiss of olive oil and sea salt. Yum!
3. Herb Crackers
You can’t go wrong with herb crackers if your charcuterie board is short on bold flavors.
Not everyone enjoys smelly cheeses and strong, cured meats. So if you’re keeping things mild, this is a fabulous way to amp up the flavor.
Herb crackers pair best with soft Brie or goat cheese. And they’re extra yummy with hummus!
4. Buttery Crackers
For meat-forward charcuterie boards, buttery crackers are a must.
You need something mild and buttery to combat the cured meat’s smokey and salty flavors. And they even go well with most cheeses.
I find they pair best with more pungent cheeses, like pepper jack, sharp cheddar, and bleu cheese.
And since they come with a satisfying crunch, you’ll love every bite.
5. Multigrain Crackers
Multigrain crackers are great for health-conscious guests, but they also complement many of the additions on your charcuterie board.
Unlike other options, they’ll pair just as well with sweet as savory and salty flavors.
They add lovely speckled coloring, too, with just a hint of nuttiness.
Since they’re so firm, they’re best with hard cheeses, like Gouda.
Just remember to get bite-sized crackers or cut them down to size before serving.
6. Water Crackers
Before you buy a million different types of cheese and smoked meats, water crackers are a must-have.
Their crispy texture and very neutral flavor profile go with just about anything from soft to hard cheeses.
They even go great with fruit, jam, and nuts.
As their name suggests, water crackers have little flavor on their own. But they bring plenty of mild crunch!
They pair amazingly with just about anything but work best with strong, robust flavors like bleu cheese, Gruyère, or sharp cheddar.
When in doubt, always include water crackers!
7. Fruit Crackers
Fruit crackers are a clever way to calm intense flavors.
They infuse tiny pieces of fruit baked right into the cracker for a gentle kiss of sweetness you’ll love with a smear of bright Brie.
Fruit crackers work best if you have strong cheese on your board, like Gorgonzola, bleu cheese, or Gruyère.
And that touch of sweetness even plays nicely with salty meats.
They’re harder to find, but well worth it if you can find them.
7 Best Crackers for Charcuterie Board
Along with lots of meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies, you need to know what the best crackers for charcuterie boards are if you really want to impress.
Ingredients
Saltine Crackers
Crostini
Herb Crackers
Buttery Crackers
Multigrain Crackers
Water Crackers
Fruit Crackers
Instructions
- Select a few types of cracker.
- Organize the meats, cheeses, and fun extras.
- Prep a delicious cheese board in 30 minutes or less!
I love your suggestions for charcuterie-boards. I received one as a gift and found your ideas and suggestions very helpful especially what to pair with and flavors! Thank you and I am now excited to shop and build without feeling overwhelmed or buying items nobody will eat.
Hi Lavina, I’m so glad you found these tips helpful! Charcuterie boards can be so much fun to experiment with.
Hi! Do you remember where the fruit crackers in your post came from? They look so good, but I can’t find anything like them.
Hi Mary!
I’ve seen them in places like HomeGoods or speciality stores with cheeses and wines.
But you can make them yourself! Here’s how I would do it:
1. Get a package of ready-made flaky pastry (not puff) and thaw it slightly so you can unfold and roll it.
2. Roll it into about 1/4-1/8 thickness, cut it in half, then spread over a thin layer of fruit preserves or sprinkle some chopped dried fruits on one side.
3. Put the other half on top and roll them together to make them nice and thin and to stick the filling in place. If you used preserves, you might want to seal the edges with a fork so it doesn’t squeeze out while rolling)
4. Use a pizza cutter to cut into squares or whatever shape you like.
5. Brush the tops with milk or a beaten egg and sprinkle coarse sugar over the top.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) on a parchment lined sheet for 10-20 minutes (it will depend on how thin they are) until lightly golden.
Hope this helps!