Vegan Cheese Boards - Ultimate Step by Step Guide

Vegan cheese boards not only look stunning, they're also super easy to make and perfect for a get-together or a cozy date night. This vegan cheese board post includes an ultimate step by step guide so you can make your own vegan cheese board, too! Plus, I've included lots of ideas for what to add so you can make it your own!

Jump to:

• What vegan cheese works best for a cheese board?
• What goes on a vegan cheese board?
• How to make a vegan cheese board step by step
• Tips for making a beautiful vegan cheese board
• Try these themed vegan cheese/snack boards
• Vegan Cheese Board

What vegan cheese works best for a cheese board?

Firm and spreadable/sliceable cheeses work best a vegan cheese board. Not only do they look stunning on the board, but they're also easy to eat with the bread and crackers. You can use store-bought cheeses or make your own. Making a vegan cheese board is a great way to explore new cheese recipes!

For my vegan cheese board, I used:

• vegan feta cheese made with tofu
• almond & sunflower chili cheese
• roasted garlic & sun-dried tomato cashew cheese from Rawmagazin

What goes on a vegan cheese board?

Of course, cheese! The vegan cheese(s) make up the stars of the cheese board. I like to go with roughly 3 cheeses depending on how big the cheese board will be and for how many people.

Then, we add some bread, crackers, sweet/savory spreads, fruits, veggies and nuts around it. You can also add fresh herbs like a rosemary or thyme twigs. Basically, anything that can be easily eaten with your hands and looks good on a cheese board!

How to make a vegan cheese board step by step

Cheese boards look absolutely stunning, don't they? Making one yourself can be a bit intimidating at first because there's so much going on. Don't worry. With these simple steps, making your own vegan cheese board is not only easy but so much fun!

Step 1: Choose the right board

First, we need to choose the right cheese board. I like using wooden boards because they look nice and have a rustic feel to it. You can choose a round board or rectangular, whatever you prefer. I actually used a thick wooden cutting board for this one. If you don't have a wooden board, you can also use a serving tray or just a regular cutting board and put some napkins on top to make it look nice.

Step 2: Add vegan cheese

First, add your vegan cheeses to your board. You can add them directly on to the board (like I did for the garlic & sundried tomato cheese as well as the almond chili cheese) or place them in a bowl or on a little plate.

How many cheeses you choose really depends on the size of your cheese board and how many people you are making it for. I like to go for 2-3 cheeses.

When choosing what cheese to add, try balancing out the flavors. So if you have a very sharp or spicy cheese, balance it out with a mild one.

vegan cheeses

• vegan tofu feta cheese
• baked cashew cheese
• vegan camembert
• almond chili cheese

Step 3: Add sweet or savory spreads

Next, add a few sweet or savory spreads. Eating only cheeses, especially if they're nut-based, can make you feel full very fast. So I like to add a few lighter dips and spreads. For my cheese board, I added a vegan honey mustard dip and a beetroot hummus.

Spreads

• pesto
• hummus (classic or try beetroot/pumpkin hummus)
• chutneys
• jams
• guacamole
• salsa
• other vegan dips

Step 4: Add something pickled

Pickled foods add another element of flavor to your cheese board! I went with mixed olives.

Pickles

• olives
• pickled cucumber
• pickled beetroot
• artichokes

Step 5: Add bread and/or crackers

Next, add your choice of bread and crackers! I like a combination of soft, fluffy bread (like a baguette) and crunchy crackers. Layer them around the edges of your board so that they're easy to grab.

Bread/crackers

• baguette
• whole-grain bread
• homemade crackers

Step 6: Add fruits and/or veggies

Now, let's add color! Fruits and veggies are great on a vegan cheese board because they add a fresh element and also lots of color. If you're using larger fruits/vegetables, cut them into sticks or slice them and fan out the slices. Scatter them around on your cheese board.

Fruits

• apple
• orange
• grapes
• tangerine
• persimmon
• berries
• pineapple
• melon
• pomegranates
• pear

Veggies

• tomatoes
• sun-dried tomatoes
• radish
• carrot
• cucumber
• bell peppers

Step 7: Add nuts and/or dried fruits

Finally, add a few nuts and dried fruits. They're great to fill any gaps in your cheese board.

Nuts

• walnuts
• pecan nuts
• pistachios
• almonds
• cashews
• hazelnuts
• peanuts

Dried fruits

• dried figs
• dates
• dried apricot
• dried mango

Step 8 (optional): Add fresh herbs for decoration

This step is totally optional. If you like, you can add a few fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary or thyme for decoration.

Tips for making a beautiful vegan cheese board

Tip 1: Keep it simple

When it's your first time making a vegan cheese board, keep it simple! Choose a few flavors that you love and add them to your board. You don't have to prepare a million different things. If there's too many different flavors going on, it can also be a bit distracting.

Tip 2: Use the correct board size

You don't want your board to look too over-crowded with food falling off the edges, and also not too empty.

Tip 3: No empty spaces

Avoid empty spaces. You can easily fill them up with dried fruits and nuts and it makes your cheese board look instantly so much better!

Tip 4: Go seasonal

Looking at what's in season is a great starting point for your cheese board! Choose seasonal fruits and veggies like berries in summer or root vegetables in autumn/winter.

Tip 5: Go for variety

Go for variety in color and in texture! This makes your board more interesting (to look at and to eat!).

Regarding color, think of adding something green, red, orange and yellow. Regarding texture, you want something crunchy but also something smooth and creamy as a balance.

Try these themed vegan cheese/snack boards

Have some fun and pick a theme for your vegan cheese board! I find that choosing themes helps me be more creative and come up with delicious flavor pairings! Here are a few ideas:

• summer cheese board: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, asparagus
• cuisine-inspired boards, like a Middle Eastern inspired board: different types of hummus, falafel, baked eggplant
• breakfast/brunch board: baked beans, vegan sausages, tofu scramble, pancakes, waffles, granola, fruit
• TV snack board: popcorn, nachos, salsa, guacamole, oven-roasted crispy chickpeas
• vegan meat & cheese board: add some vegan meat elements to your cheese board like Seitan slices or vegan meat balls

If you're looking for even more inspiration to make vegan boards, check out the cookbook Vegan Boards by Kate Kasbee.