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    Home » Course » Appetizer

    Charcuterie Cups

    Published May 1, 2023 | Updated May 8, 2023 | By Laura

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    Entertaining for a small group or a large crowd? These Charcuterie Cups are sure to be hit! They‘re fun and full of yummy flavors!

    A charcuterie cup filled with meat, cheese and fruit skewers with a jar of honey next to it.

    These Charcuterie Cups were a big hit at my niece Lauren Kennedy’s wedding. Filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, sweets, and treats, they are the perfect starter for a lovely evening. At the wedding, we placed one at each guest’s plate setting beside a tiny jar of local honey.

    Initially, Lauren wanted to have a large grazing table for guests to enjoy. While those are stunning and absolutely delicious, many folks don’t like the possibility of lots of hands touching food items they may decide not to take. My comfort level limit of people for a grazing table at an event is 50. Her wedding had over 250!

    It was our hope that guests would start eating their cups once they were seated while they waited for dinner to be served. It worked like a charm! The variety of textures and flavors in each cup makes for a unique and exciting eating experience. Besides weddings, Charcuterie cups are great for parties, showers, game-day events, and holiday get-togethers!

    a tray filled with completed charcuterie cups

    Table of Contents

    • What You’ll Need
    • Tools You’ll Need
    • Why You’ll Like This Recipe
    • How to Make Charcuterie Cups
    • Tips and Substitutions
    • Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Recipes Like This 
    • Charcuterie Cups
      • Ingredients 1x2x3x4x5x
        • Skewer 1
        • Skewer 2
        • Skewer 3
        • Additional Cup Additions
      • Video
      • Nutrition

    What You’ll Need

    Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

    • Charcuterie Cups and Picks/Skewers
    List of items that can be included in a charcuterie cup

    Tools You’ll Need

    • Cutting Board
    • Chef’s Knife

    Why You’ll Like This Recipe

    • They look beautiful at an event!
    • They’re filled with lots of delicious flavors and textures!
    • They’re easy to assemble!
    • You can get creative with the items you want to include!

    How to Make Charcuterie Cups

    To make charcuterie cups, you will need small cups or containers to assemble the individual servings. You can start by placing a layer of nuts and dried fruit. Add a variety of crackers and skewers of meats, cheeses, fruits, olives, and/or pickles. Lastly, add a sweet dessert touch like a wafer-style cookie or chocolate candy. See under “What You’ll Need” for a wide variety of items to include!

    Tips and Substitutions

    • Make a plan ahead of time. I like creating 3 skewers per cup. Here is my Charcuterie Cup draft for Lauren’s wedding and the cost of the ingredients:
    Draft plans for creating charcuterie cups. The image lists the ingredients and cost of the items.
    • Customize the charcuterie cups to suit individual tastes, preferences, and the event you’re preparing them for by including ingredients that the people you are serving will like.
    • French fry cups and punch cups work great for charcuterie cups.
    • Make sure the ingredient skewered at the top of the pick isn’t too heavy as it can cause them to topple over.
    • Don’t assemble more than 45 minutes-1 hour prior to serving as this will cause the crackers to absorb some of the moisture and cheese can harden.

    Storage

    • The meat, cheese, and fruit picks/skewers can be assembled ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
    • Dried fruits and nuts can be placed in the charcuterie cups ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container until ready for assembly.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does charcuterie mean?

    Charcuterie is just a fancy word for cured meat.

    Are charcuterie cups gluten-free?

    It depends on the items you include. Cheeses, meats, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, dried fruits, olives, and nuts are gluten-free. Crackers, wafer cookies, and some ground sausage-style meat sticks can contain gluten.

    How much do charcuterie cups cost?

    This will depend on where you live and what you choose for your cups. The cups and the ingredients we included for Lauren Kennedy’s wedding cost about $2.00 per Charcuterie Cup.

    How long do Charcuterie Cups take to make?

    This will depend on the number of items you are planning to include and how many skewers you’ll be making. For 275 cups for the wedding, it took 3 hours to clean/cut/prep the ingredients, 4 hours to make the skewers (with 4 people making them), and 1 hour to assemble the cups with the prepared skewers, crackers, and cookie.

    More Recipes Like This 

    • Mini Holiday Charcuterie Boards
    • Spring Charcuterie Board
    • Holiday Meat and Cheese Spread
    A charcuterie cup filled with meat, cheese and fruit skewers with a jar of honey next to it.
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 13 votes

    Charcuterie Cups

    Entertaining for a small group or a large crowd? These Charcuterie Cups are sure to be hit!
    Prep Time8 hours hrs
    Cook Time0 minutes mins
    Total Time8 hours hrs
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 275 Servings
    Calories: 399kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    Skewer 1

    • 275 Kalamata olives
    • 275 fresh basil leaves
    • 275 cherry tomatoes
    • 275 miniature mozzarella balls or cubes .33oz each
    • 275 pepperoni slices

    Skewer 2

    • 138 strawberries halved
    • 275 cheddar cheese cubes 1oz each
    • 275 salame slices
    • 275 red or green seedless grapes

    Skewer 3

    • 92 meat and cheese roll ups cut into thirds
    • 275 red or green seedless grapes
    • 275 sopressata slices

    Additional Cup Additions

    • 17 ½ cups salted mixed nuts 1 tablespoon each
    • 275 praline pecans
    • 5.5 cups dried cranberries 1 teaspoon each
    • 275 long white crackers
    • 275 wheat crackers
    • 275 Triscuit crackers
    • 275 Pocky’s or wafer cookies

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Charcuterie Cup | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 848mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @dinnerin321 or tag #dinnerin321!
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    Filed Under: Appetizer

    Laura

    About Laura

    Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Phyllis Dennis

      May 01, 2023 at 8:46 pm

      5 stars
      These charcuterie cups were so amazing for the wedding!!

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 05, 2023 at 11:22 am

        Thank you so much!!!💕😁

    2. Phyllis Dennis

      May 05, 2023 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      These charcuterie cups were amazing and so beautiful on the wedding guests tables!

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 12:07 am

        Thank you so much! They were fun to make together too!

    3. Michelle

      May 05, 2023 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      I love the idea of Charcuterie cups. Practical and cute for every party

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 12:10 am

        Thank you so much, Michelle!! They are a fun treat for sure!

    4. April

      May 05, 2023 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is amaze balls. I love charcuterie boards but I don’t love the fact that all the food is right there for EVERYONE to put their hands all over. During covid, we put veggies and fruits in cups for our Girl Scout Cookie Ball but this takes it to another level. Thank you so much for being the brain behind this, it will make me look good at the next one!!!!!

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 2:52 pm

        Aww!! That just made my heart so happy! Thank you so much! My niece initially wanted a grazing table and I said it was a no go for that very reason…so eww with over 250 folks. They were a big hit, and will definitely be at yours too!

    5. Susie Jordan Lavender

      May 05, 2023 at 4:04 pm

      I love this idea. It would be ideal to take on a picnic.

      Reply
    6. Susie Jordan Lavender

      May 05, 2023 at 4:06 pm

      I rate it a 10

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 1:56 am

        😁Thank you so much!!

    7. Nancy Allen

      May 05, 2023 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      I cannot wait to try these, they look amazing!

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 2:45 pm

        Thank you so much! I hope you love them too!😁🥰

    8. Donna Isfort

      May 05, 2023 at 7:38 pm

      5 stars
      I love love love these !! ❤️🥰

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 1:20 pm

        🥰💕Aww!! Thank you so much sweet friend!!

    9. NDW

      May 05, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      Love this idea and all your tips to make them ahead and assemble. And thank you for the link for the cups! Great idea for our upcoming sunset cruise with 12 people. Environmentally friendly and easy to distribute to guests. Fun and festive!

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 1:21 pm

        You’re so sweet! Thank you so much! It’ll be perfect for your cruise! I love that idea!

    10. Nancy Schmidt

      May 06, 2023 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      This would be such a nice alternative to doing a board!🙌🧀🍇

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        May 10, 2023 at 12:58 pm

        For sure! 😁it’s kind of like an adult goodie bag

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    Welcome to my kitchen! I'm Laura Ashley, and I'm excited you're here! As a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, I love cooking all kinds of food and trying new restaurants. Food is my love language! Here at Dinner in 3, 2, 1, I serve up delicious and nutritious recipes you and your family will love.

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