Here's a holiday-themed Indian dessert charcuterie board that I call the Indian Mithai (sweets) Board! It's easy to assemble and is a showstopper! Try this for your next party!
If you love the idea of a beautiful charcuterie board but want to add a unique Indian twist, this Indian Charcuterie Board is the perfect choice. Combining traditional Indian mithai (sweets) with a variety of textures and flavors, it's a festive way to impress your guests.
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What is a Charcuterie Board
I'll be honest-I had no idea what a charcuterie board was until TikTok made it a trend! Then Instagram followed, and suddenly, every second post on my feed was some creative spin on a charcuterie board. But what exactly is it?
Charcuterie (pronounced shahr-koo-tuh-ree) is a French term that refers to the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and other deli-style items. Traditionally served as an appetizer, a classic charcuterie board includes an assortment of cheeses, meats, artisan bread, olives, fruits, and nuts, all beautifully arranged on a wooden board.
Over time, this concept evolved into more personalized and themed boards, including cheese boards, vegan boards, and now, the popular dessert charcuterie board.
These boards are not only delicious but also a visual treat, designed to be shared with friends and family. The beauty lies in the variety-bite-sized savory and sweet elements displayed aesthetically, inviting everyone to graze and enjoy.
And that's where the idea of an Indian charcuterie board comes in-bringing together the same inviting presentation but with a festive twist using Indian sweets and flavors!
Indian mithai board
You've probably seen countless versions of dessert boards online-but have you ever tried an Indian Mithai Board? This unique twist on the classic dessert charcuterie board is the perfect way to showcase the rich and colorful world of Indian sweets.
Whether you're hosting a festive party, celebrating a special occasion, or simply entertaining guests, an Indian charcuterie board filled with mithai (traditional Indian desserts) makes a stunning impression. It's a fun, shareable way to enjoy a variety of treats-and it doubles up as a vibrant festive table centerpiece!
Indian cuisine is known for its decadent desserts, especially during festivals and holidays. Serving them beautifully arranged on a tray or board not only does full justice to their flavors and textures but also elevates the whole dessert experience.
This kind of board is also a clever way to repurpose leftover mithai after a party. Just place them on a board with a few garnishes, and suddenly you've got a charming treat for family or visiting guests.
Whether it's Diwali, Eid, a wedding, baby shower, or even a cozy family get-together, there are plenty of occasions to serve an Indian Mithai Board-and every time, it's sure to impress.
Why make it
- 🪔 It acts like a sampler - Everyone gets to try a little bit of everything!
- 🎉 Perfect for parties - A fun and festive way to serve Indian mithai to a crowd.
- 🧁 Fully customizable - Use homemade or store-bought sweets; arrange them your way!
- 👀 Visual and sensory treat - Colorful, aromatic, and utterly eye-catching.
- ✨ Doubles as festive decor - Adds charm and elegance to your celebration setup.
- 🌱 Easily made vegan - Just use dairy-free mithai and treats!
- 🍬 Great for leftovers - Repurpose extra mithai after a celebration.
- ⏳ Make-ahead friendly - Assemble it earlier and refrigerate until showtime.
- 🍽 Perfect for large groups - There's something for everyone, from traditional to modern.
- 🎁 Holiday-ready - This holiday charcuterie board is a total crowd-pleaser.
If you're looking for a creative, no-fuss way to serve Indian sweets this season, the Indian Mithai Board checks all the boxes!
Ingredients needed 🧾
To create this festive and colorful Indian Mithai Board, I included a delicious assortment of traditional and modern Indian sweets. You can mix and match based on what you have at home or what's available at your local Indian store. Here's what I used:
- Sweet Boondi - tiny pearls of fried chickpea flour soaked in sugar syrup
- Badam Doodh - flavored almond milk, served chilled in mini glasses or kulhads
- Shankarpare - crispy, deep-fried flour bites sweetened with sugar
- Varieties of Ladoos - such as Coconut Ladoo, Rose Ladoo, Besan Ladoo, Rava Ladoo, and Motichoor Ladoo
- Kaju Katli - silky cashew fudge, cut into diamond shapes
- Peanut Chikki - crunchy and nutty brittle made with jaggery and peanuts
- Mithai-flavored Chocolates - fusion treats that blend Indian flavors with chocolate
- Exotic Bite-Sized Sweets - like mini pedas, anjeer rolls, chocolate thandai bark, paneer gujiya shells, lemon cream cheese bites, Air Fryer Apples, or rose sandesh.
Feel free to include or swap in regional favorites or homemade mithai. This dessert charcuterie board is completely customizable-just keep the portions small and the colors vibrant!
Which board to use
You don't need to buy a special board to make your Indian Charcuterie Board-just get creative with what you already have at home!
Traditionally, charcuterie boards are styled on large wooden platters. You can use a wooden pizza platter, chopping board, serving tray, or even a large dinner plate. It doesn't have to be round-any shape works, as long as there's enough space to arrange your mithai and treats attractively.
If you're planning to serve this Indian mithai board for a festive celebration like Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, or Navratri, take it up a notch by using ornate silver, brass, or copper trays. Colorful or decorative platters can also help match the vibe of the festival.
Mix in small decorative bowls, mini glasses, or leaf-shaped plates to hold certain items like nuts, sweet syrups, or flavored milk like badam doodh. The goal is to make the board feel celebratory and personal to the occasion.
How to make it 🔪
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Creating your own Indian Mithai Board or dessert charcuterie board is simple, fun, and requires no cooking-just thoughtful arranging! Follow these easy steps:
- Choose your board or tray
Pick a wooden board, serving tray, or platter based on your party size and the number of sweets you plan to include. Larger gatherings may require a bigger board or even multiple trays. - Start with the main items
Begin by placing your key sweets-the ones that serve as the centerpiece of your Indian charcuterie board. This includes anything that needs to go in small bowls like Badam Doodh, Sweet Boondi, or syrupy treats like Rasgulla or Gulab Jamun. - Place the oversized items next
Arrange larger mithai pieces like Kaju Katli, Ladoos, Shankarpare, or Chikki around the bowls. These form the framework of your board layout. - Fill in the gaps
Use bite-sized sweets and colorful additions to fill the remaining spaces. Add mithai-flavored chocolates, nuts, dried fruits, or even edible flowers or rose petals for a festive look. - Add final touches
Garnish with chopped pistachios, saffron strands, or silver varak to elevate the visual appeal. You can also tuck in small spoons or toothpicks for easy serving.
That's it! Your Indian dessert charcuterie board is ready to wow your guests!
Serving suggestions 🍽
Serve this stunning Indian Mithai Charcuterie Board at your next party or bring it as a showstopping potluck dessert! It's perfect for festive gatherings like Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Holi, or even more personal celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, or date nights.
Since this dessert charcuterie board is rich, indulgent, and full of variety, you don't really need to serve anything else alongside it-it stands beautifully on its own. But if you'd like to elevate the experience even more, pair it with fun party drinks, such as:
- Festive mocktails (like Rose Lemonade or jaljeera spritz)
- Flavored Chai shots, Mohabbat ka Sharbat, or Basundi Shots
- Signature cocktails with Indian-inspired flavors like cardamom, saffron, or mango
Encourage your guests to take small bites and sips, creating a slow, indulgent tasting experience that's as enjoyable as it is memorable.
This Indian sweets board is more than a dessert-it's a centerpiece, a conversation starter, and a celebration in itself!
What more can be added to the Indian Charcuterie Board
Want to take your Indian Charcuterie Board to the next level? Here are some delicious and creative add-ons that will make your dessert charcuterie board even more festive and crowd-pleasing:
🍨 Ice Creams
Add a chilled element with mini scoops or cups of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors like:
- Guava Ice Cream (with chili salt for a fun twist!)
- Gulkand Ice Cream (rose petal preserve-based)
- Carrot Halwa Ice Cream (a fusion of warm and cold!)
🍰 Baked Goodies
Incorporate slices or cubes of:
- Pound cake
- Sooji cake
- Eggless tea cakes with Indian flavors like cardamom or saffron
- Chocolate Brownie
- Banana Strawberry Bread
- Karanji Baklava
- Carrot Halwa Baklava
🍓 Fruits
Fresh fruits add color, freshness, and balance to the richness of Indian mithai:
- Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, grapes, or pomegranate pearls
🥜 Nuts & Dry Fruits
Add crunch and variety with:
- Roasted or chocolate coated pistachios, cashews, almonds, or walnuts
- Dates, figs, or apricots
🍪 Indian Cookies & Wafers
Balance sweetness and texture with:
- Nankhatai (Indian shortbread cookies)
- Ghee biscuits
- Ferrero Rocher Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Macaroons
- Cream wafers for a playful, nostalgic twist
🌸 Decorative Touches
Dress up your Indian dessert board with:
- Edible flowers (like rose or marigold petals)
- Festive toppers, sprinkles, or holiday-themed trinkets depending on the occasion (think Diwali diyas, Christmas ornaments, or Holi colors)
These small but thoughtful additions make your Indian mithai board feel even more luxurious and personalized-perfect for creating that wow moment at any gathering!
Top recipe tips 💭
The key to making your Indian Charcuterie Board visually stunning and appetizing lies in variety and balance. Here are a few styling tips to elevate your dessert charcuterie board:
🎨 Play with shapes, sizes, and colors
Choose a mix of round, square, spiral, and irregular-shaped Indian sweets to create visual interest. Contrasting colors-like the bright orange of boondi ladoo, the silver sheen of kaju katli, or the deep brown of chikki-add drama and appeal.
🍭 Mix textures
Pair soft and syrupy mithai with crunchy or chewy elements like dry fruits, nuts, or brittle. This keeps each bite exciting.
🔪 Go bite-sized
Choose mithai that's naturally small or cut larger sweets (like barfis or pedas) into smaller, easy-to-pick-up pieces. The goal is to make the board easy to graze from.
📸 Use a reference
If you're unsure how to arrange everything, sketch a quick layout or refer to a styled photo or template. It helps with placement and balance.
🪄 Fill every space
Avoid empty gaps on the board. Use tiny items like nuts, rose petals, or chocolate-coated fennel seeds to fill in the blanks and make the board feel abundant and festive.
🧂 Balance sweetness
If you feel the mithai is too sweet-heavy, add a few savory elements like spiced roasted almonds, masala mathri, thattai, jalapeno cornbread biscotti, chiwda, namak pare, moong dal namkeen, sev, boondi, or roasted chana to contrast the flavors.
Remember-there's no right or wrong way to make an Indian mithai board. Let your creativity guide you, and most importantly, have fun with the process!
Recipe FAQs
One of the best things about this Indian dessert charcuterie board is that it can be assembled ahead of time-perfect for stress-free entertaining!
🧊 Make it ahead
You can prep and arrange your Indian mithai board 1-2 days in advance. Simply cover it with foil or cling wrap and store it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days, depending on the sweets used.
🍬 Storing leftovers
If you have any leftover Indian sweets, store them individually in airtight containers or zip-top bags. You can even return them to their original boxes if you used store-bought mithai.
📦 Pro tip
Store syrupy or delicate items like rasgulla, gulab jamun, or badam doodh separately in sealed containers to avoid them leaking or making other treats soggy on the board.
This way, your Indian charcuterie board stays fresh, flavorful, and ready to enjoy again!
Absolutely! You can easily create a vegan Indian charcuterie board that's just as festive and delicious.
Simply swap out traditional dairy-based sweets for vegan Indian mithai. Many classic recipes can be made dairy-free at home by using plant-based milk (like almond, coconut, or cashew milk) and vegan-friendly ingredients.
Alternatively, look for store-bought vegan mithai options such as:
Coconut Ladoo
Vegan kaju katli made with cashew cream
Dry fruit-based sweets like date and nut rolls
Sweets made with jaggery instead of sugar and ghee
With a little creativity, your dessert charcuterie board can be fully plant-based without compromising on flavor or festivity!
Favorite festive desserts
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