Whether served as an appetizer or snack or even as a replacement for dessert, a cheese board is a great way to impress your guests. Cheese is one of the most loved foods and a cheese board is the perfect start or end to your dinner parties, birthday celebration or even wedding!
The wonderful thing about cheese boards is that you can use a whole host of different cheeses to cater to every preference. In general, cheese is often savory in taste and so to balance out the salty and savory flavors on your board, you can incorporate a lot of different accompaniments such as preserves, pickles, crackers and most notably, fruit.
The sweetness and sometimes tangy notes of fruit are a perfect counter to the often salty, rich and creamy cheese.
Knowing what fruit to put on a cheese board and what cheese and fruit go well together can be overwhelming, and you certainly don’t want any pairings that nobody will enjoy.
This guide will help you create the perfect fruit-cheese combinations, and you will know exactly what fruit has a place on your cheese board and which cheeses pair best with which fruit.
What Fruit Goes On A Cheese Board?
When creating a cheese board and incorporating fruit, the first thing to do is to consider which season you are in. Depending on the season, different fruit will be available to purchase, and the seasonal fruit will be of superior quality in terms of taste and flavor.
If it is summer, there will be a lot of different fruits available to choose from, but most notably will be your berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Other fruit that will be super sweet and delicious in the summer months will be your stone fruits like peaches, plums or cherries.
You will find fruits like watermelon and summer melon in season as well, however, if you use these juicy fruits, be sure to cut them beforehand and keep it in the fridge before serving, or you can keep them in a small bowl on the cheese board so that the juices don’t go all over the board.
Then in the winter, you could include sliced persimmons (Sharon fruit), pears, apples and pomegranate seeds or some dried fruits such as dried apricot, mango, cranberries or cherries.
The fruit that is normally seen on cheese boards include strawberries, red or green grapes and dried fruits like apricots are all favorites. However, you can use any fruit depending on your preference, what’s in season and of course what cheeses you are pairing them with. Below is a breakdown of all the fruit types perfect for a cheese board.
Types Of Fruit And Their Cheese Pairings
Your cheese board should include offerings of a variety of different types of cheeses from different milk sources such as cow, sheep and goat. All these have different flavor profiles and textures.
However, if you are catering for a wide array of people, it is best to have one or two familiar cheeses so that your guests actually eat the cheese on the board.
Another good way to choose your cheese is to do a hard cheese, soft cheese and a crumbly cheese-these normally come n different shapes and sizes, so visually it will look great as well.
Many grocery stores and delis have specialty cheeses if you want to try something different. When you are ordering your cheese, it is best to cater for around 2 ounces of cheese per person to make sure you have enough to go around.
Hard cheeses types include aged cheddar cheese, which have a sharp taste that can go well with a variety of fruits. Parmesan cheese is a great choice to bring a nutty and salty element to the board. Gouda has as creamy, sweet interior which pairs well with your sharper apples and apricots.
Gruyère or Swiss cheese has a distinct flavor which pairs well with deep and bold flavors from plums and cherries. Another hard cheese example is Manchego cheese, which is a Spanish cheese that is rich and nutty and goes well with a lot of fruit.
Moving on to the softer cheeses, if you want to include brie on your board, it is best to not also include Camembert on the board or vice versa as they are quite similar in flavor profile and texture.
They both are creamy and have a mild to strong taste but pair well with a lot of fruits but especially apples, pears and cherries, along with the berries.
The same principal apples with Mozzarella and Burrata cheeses. They are mild soft cheeses that are super creamy and are also very versatile in terms of their pairing options on a cheese board.
Crumbly cheeses include blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola or Stilton cheese which pairs well with sweet fruits as they have quite a pungent flavor and are not for everyone!
Goats cheeses have a distinct flavor profile and is almost a cross between a feta cheese and a cream cheese in consistency. These go well with berries and grapes. Feta cheese has an extremely salty taste and pairs well with your sweeter fruits.
Below is a detailed list of the fruits normally seen on a cheese board and their cheese pairings.
Apples
Apples pair well with a variety of cheeses. The Granny Smith apples are tart and crisp, other apples like the Pink Lady, Fuji and Gala or Honey Crisp varieties are sweeter and have a less sharp freshness to them.
Apples should be thinly sliced for the cheese board. If you are worried about oxidative browning, use a squeeze of lemon juice over the apples to prevent the browning.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like gouda
- Soft cheeses like brie or Camembert cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like blue cheeses and goats cheese.
Pears
Pears, although not as crispy, are similar to apples in flavor profile and so tend to work well with a range of cheeses. Varieties to use for cheese boards included the Bosc, D’Anjou, Barlett or Comice pears – these pears tend to be sweet and juicy and not floury.
They, too, should be thinly sliced and if you don’t want them browning, drizzle some lemon juice over the exposed flesh.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Parmesan or an aged cheddar cheese.
- Soft cheeses like brie or Camembert cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like blue cheeses and goats cheese.
Berries
As mentioned earlier, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all fantastic with cheese. They bring a sweetness and tartness to the board and can be paired with some of the saltiest and also most pungent cheeses.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda or Gruyère cheese.
- Soft cheeses like brie or Camembert cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses such as feta cheese.
Grapes
The food of the gods has to be included on this list. Either red or green provide a sweet and crunchy element to the board. They are great at counteracting the rich, creaminess of some cheeses. It is a good idea to trim the bunches into smaller bunches so that they can be picked off the board with ease.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda, Gruyère or an aged cheddar.
- Soft cheeses like Burrata or brie cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like feta or goats cheese.
Stone Fruits
Stone fruits like apricots are a great choice to include in the summer months and bring a tartness that cuts through the richness of blue cheeses and goats cheese. Plums are also a star stone fruit that is bold and beautiful and goes well with a variety of mature and nutty flavored cheeses. Cherries with their deep and bold flavor are also paired well with the more mature cheeses.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda, Manchego and Gruyère cheeses.
- Soft cheeses like Camembert cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like goats and blue cheese.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates are bursts of sweetness which go well with stronger flavored and saltier cheeses. Their deep, rich color also looks very attractive on the board.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda or Swiss cheese.
- Soft cheeses like a cream cheese or Burrata.
- Crumbly cheeses like feta cheese or goats cheese.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits like oranges and blood oranges are a nice accompanienet to a cheese board. Their sweetness pairs well with creamy soft cheeses like brie or camembert, and they also look great on the platter themselves.
Oranges are also versatile as these go well with other elements that may be included on your cheese board like nuts and chocolate.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda
- Soft cheeses like Camembert or mozzarella cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like feta or goats cheeses.
Dried Fruits
Super sweet dates work well with your stronger and more pungent flavored cheeses like blue cheeses or goats cheese. Dried cherries and cranberries are a classic combination to have with the likes of Camembert and dried figs go with just about any hard, soft or crumbly cheese.
The figs also bring a unique textural element to the cheese board. In the winter, use dried apricots to substitute the fresh ones.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Manchego cheese or an aged cheddar cheese.
- Soft cheeses like brie.
- Crumbly cheeses, like blue cheeses.
Melons And Persimmons
Watermelon and summer melon are super sweet and refreshing and pair well with strong crumbly cheese or more subtle mozzarella cheeses. Persimmons are also a sweet addition to the board and go well with most soft cheeses or a good goats cheese.
Works Well With:
- Hard cheeses like Gouda or an aged cheddar cheese.
- Soft cheeses like mozzarella cheese or Burrata cheese.
- Crumbly cheeses like feta or blue cheeses.
What Else Can Go On A Cheese Board?
There are several other ingredients you can include on your cheese board that are not fruit. Good examples include dried or cured meats, nuts, olives and pickles as well as a variety of dips and spreads as well as jams.
Here things like honey, preserves and even something like hummus can work well. Otherwise, the standard bread and crackers are always a sound addition to any cheese board. Then one of the more out-there inclusions can be that of dark chocolate which gives a great flavor contrast to the rich cheese and sweet and tangy fruits.
Plating Out the Cheese Board
The cheese board has to look good enough to eat, as most people eat with their eyes first. It is a good idea to have a board that is overflowing with food rather than a sparse one, and the board can be anything from a wood chopping board to a piece of marble or slate (depending on the look you are going for).
To make the board look appealing, use odd numbers of ingredients, as well as maximizing on the different shapes and sizes of the different slices of fruit and cheeses. It is also good to use contrasting colors and shapes to draw the eye to the board. Use small jars and ramekins to house your condiments and pickles where you can.
When you are entertaining, it is a good idea to keep restocking the board so that it never looks sparse.
Other Tips
- Before serving your cheese, bring it up to room temperature for maximum flavor.
- Serve the board with enough spoons, knives and plates so that every guest has their own.
- Allow for 2 to 3 ounces of cheese and meats (if using) per person to make sure everyone gets enough.
- Have fun with your flavor combinations and hopefully this guide has made you feel more comfortable in knowing what fruit to put onto a cheese board!
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, there is no greater pairing than fruit with cheese. The only real issue is choosing which ones to include in your cheese board as the choice is endless!
Using our handy guide you will be able to create a cheese board to restaurant standard. By following our handy hints and tips there will be no holding you back from creating your own cheese board for any occasion. Mix it up to serve something different each time and have fun with your combinations! Enjoy!
