Healthy Breakfast Charcuterie Board

Make a healthy charcuterie board that’s beautiful but also flexible with items you can make ahead, keep warm and feed your crowd stress free. See my definition of nourishing breakfast food and why they make a difference when you start your day.

Jump to Recipe

Most breakfast charcuterie (pronounced shar-coot-uh-ree) boards make carbs the focus.

That’s no surprise since our culture does this every day, but when you want to focus on feeling good, go lower on the carbs and focus on serving your guests more fats and protein.

Fry eggs in butter.

Focus on meats locally raised if you can get them and if you want carbs, make them a supporting act. I used gluten free buckwheat waffles here to further cut down on wheat flour.

How to make a charcuterie board stand out

I love breakfast food … pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausages, eggs, pastries … but let’s face it, none of these delights are particularly eye-catching.

When making your breakfast charcuterie, add pops of color with fresh fruit or edible flowers. Fruit is the easiest way with the least amount of work. Try fresh strawberries, blueberries, or mandarin orange segments.

Edible flowers can be ordered if you really want to do things up or if you grow edible flowers like marigolds, pansies or chamomile flowers (pictured) use them!

10 Tips for breakfast grazing board success

An empty wooden board and a bunch of ingredients can be daunting. Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for creating a beautiful, tasty, well-balanced board:

Board types and shapes

There are several ways to go here, but I prefer using a wooden platter. The aesthetic is lovely and items are less likely to stick.

That said, there is nothing wrong with using a metal or ceramic platter. Just make sure to put down parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make cleanup easier.

Any shape will do, but I prefer oval or rectangular with a slight rim to keep your plethora of goodies from spilling out.

How many people can a charcuterie board feed?

As many as you’d like! This is a great option for groups of all sizes. The great news is that there will be something for everyone. The only limitation, truly, is the size of your board and the appetites of your guests.

I like a charcuterie board that’s pretty large–at least 12-18″ long and about 10″ wide for serving a party of four or five people.

Try to estimate how many of each item people will eat then make sure your board will hold those. You can always keep items warm in the oven and refresh the board as food gets taken off.

Healthy and filling ideas for your board

• Pancakes! Almond flour pancakes are great for those following a gluten-free or low-carb diet, but feel free to whip whichever version of this breakfast classic you’d like. If making traditional ones, do try to keep them to a minimum and not the star of the show.
• Breakfast sausages…yum! Reach for links or patties (or both!). I love chicken-apple but choose your favorite. Do make sure to select uncured meats free from nitrates or nitrites.
• Bacon. I prefer uncured, sugar-free.
• Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are an easy go-to. They travel well and don’t have to be kept warm. If you have the ability to keep your items warm, whip up some fried eggs instead!
• Fresh fruit, please! Not only does it contribute pops of color, but it provides added nutritional benefits as well as a fresh, sweet break from some of the heavier items.
• Nut and seed butters are a great addition—select products with no added sugars or vegetable oils.
• Raw honey is one of my favorites. Spread it over your pancakes and even your sausages. There is nothing like that sweet/savory combo.
• Jams and jellies! Raid your local farmers market for something special. Aim for products that are sweetened only with natural fruit juice. Thrive Market carries some great ones with no refined sugar.
• Yogurt and granola. Yum! Opt for whole milk, full-fat yogurt, and unsweetened granola. Craving sweetness? Add some raw honey or jam!
• Last but not least, croissants and/or toast (especially sourdough) can round out your board nicely.

How to arrange a charcuterie board

As mentioned in my tips and tricks above, it’s best to start by placing the largest, tallest items in a long triangle with one item at the top and the other two lower on the board. Fill in the gaps with smaller items and accents.

Step 1: Form the triangle with honey, jams or jellies. My maple syrup pitcher was a tad big, but it works okay.

Step 2: If you’re doing fried eggs, put those little time bombs on first. The yolks need to be firm enough not to break. I did this by spooning hot butter over the tops while they fried to help form a skin over the yolks.

Step 3: Nestle in your sausages (links or patties are great) and bacon. Put some at the top and some at the bottom with the bacon in the middle. This makes your board feel like there’s more variety than there really is.

Step 4: Add carbs. I cut my waffles in to quarters so they didn’t over power the other items. Mini bagels, small muffins, or pancakes could all work here. Tuck them in on the right and left.

Step 5: Add color to your breakfast grazing board with fruit. Strawberries and blueberries are the star here but in winter you could use mandarin orange slices (fresh ones), pears, or grapefruit wedges.

Step 6 (optional): Add flowers for fun. I had chamomile here on the farm so I used it but there’s no need to buy extra edible flowers if you don’t want to. You could always just lay the board on a layer of affordable greenery like baby’s breath or eucalyptus for a pretty presentation.

What to serve with a breakfast charcuterie board

What’s breakfast without some yummy beverages? Teas and freshly squeezed juices, such as orange, grapefruit, and guava are some of my favorites. Feeling more creative? Here are some fun concoctions to whip up that take a step beyond juice:

• Hawaiian Lemonade
• Chamomile tea
• Carrot + Orange + Ginger Juice
• Cucumber Detox Juice
• Kiwi Agua Fresca
• Sparkling Pineapple + Mint Juice

What’s on the breakfast board?

Serves: 4

Sauces and condiments

• Maple syrup
• Naturally sweetened jam
• Raw honey

Meats and Proteins

• Fried eggs (or hard-boiled)
• Uncured, sugar-free bacon
• Uncured sausage links

Carbs

• Gluten-free or almond flour miniature waffles

Produce

• Blueberries
• Strawberries

Optional

• Edible flowers
• Add the maple syrup, jam and honey to the board first, placing them in a triangle on the board with space between them.
• Add the eggs next, carefully placing them to one side. Be careful not to break the yolks!
• Add the bacon, piling several slices to one side of the eggs.
• Add the sausage in loose piles at the top and bottom of the board.
• Cook the waffles and cut them into quarters; tuck them in at the top and bottom of the board near the bacon at the top and near the sausage at the bottom. It’s fine if they hang off the board a little bit.
• Fill in with berries in the empty spaces. I used blueberries then dotted strawberries cut open vertically. Make sure to spread the color evenly around the board but don’t make it look perfect.
• Finish the board with edible flowers if you have them. I used chamomile but you could do pansies, nasturtium, or marigolds.

To make a few minutes ahead

• Add all of the warm ingredients to the board including the honey and maple syrup and put the board in the oven at 170°F or the lowest temperature you have just until guests are ready to eat. No more than 10 minutes or so.
• Remove it from the oven,  add the jam and sprinkle on the fruit and flowers and serve.