DIY Charcuterie Cups (Step-by-Step Instructions + Printable Grocery List)

Transform the traditional charcuterie board into charming, portable individual servings with these delightful DIY Charcuterie Cups! This adorable appetizer combines the best elements of a classic charcuterie board—cured meats, artisanal cheeses, fresh fruits, and crunchy accompaniments—all arranged in a convenient, single-serving format that’s perfect for any gathering.

With our detailed step-by-step instructions and convenient printable grocery list below, you’ll be able to create these stunning individual-portioned appetizers with ease. By making individual portions, your guests can enjoy their own selection of treats without the worry of crowding around a communal charcuterie board!

I absolutely love making these DIY charcuterie cups for any event or occasion! For ease, you can assemble them up to a day in advance, making them a host’s dream for entertaining.

Each cup features a perfect balance of flavors and textures: savory meats and cheeses, sweet berries, crunchy vegetables, and crispy crackers. The addition of decorative skewers not only makes the cups even more beautiful, but also provides an easy way for guests to enjoy their treats!

Equipment Needed

• Disposable Paper Cup: I like to use disposable paper or plastic cups, especially for large gatherings.
• Popsicle Sticks or Long Skewers: I prefer popsicle sticks because they do a better job of holding the items in place!
• Sticker or label: For a themed party or a wedding, you can use a sticker or label to make these charcuterie cups feel extra special!

Ingredients Needed

For these easy charcuterie cups, there are several ingredients that are placed loose in the cup, and several that are threaded on skewers. Here are the ingredients that I recommend!

• Cheese Cubes: Choose firm cheeses like aged cheddar, gouda, or Colby jack!
• Nuts: Any variety works—try candied pecans for a sweet twist!
• Pretzel Rods: For a crunchy, salty addition!
• Pirouette Cookies: Pirouettes add height and elegance, but chocolate-dipped sticks like Pocky work too.
• Carrot Sticks & Pepper Strips: These were the vegetables I chose to add, but you can customize based on seasonality and color preference.
• Flatbread Cracker: Add a cracker or two to eat with the cheeses!
• Fresh Herb Sprig: For a pop of color.

For the Savory Skewers:

• Dry Salami: Dry salami folds the best, so it is easy to pop onto a skewer.
• Mini Pickle: I like to use mini dill pickles!
• Cheese Cube: Your choice of cheese cube.
• Olive: Your choice of olive, just make sure it is pitted!

You can always DIY your pickles using this super easy Quickles recipe!

For the Brie Skewers:

• Mini Brie Wheel: These are super adorable, and everyone loves brie!
• Berry: Add a berry on top like a raspberry or blackberry.

Substitutions & Additions

Consider this recipe a base for your own creativity! Make your charcuterie cups your own. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

• Feel free to add extra loose items like chocolates, pita chips, almonds or walnuts into the bottom of the cups.
• Instead of the pirouette cookies, you can use another tall item like breadsticks, stick pretzels or even a sprig of rosemary.
• Any long veggie sticks can replace the pepper and carrots. Grape tomatoes or kalamata olives are a great addition to the skewers.
• A dip like hummus or French onion dip can be placed in the bottom of the cup instead of the loose items.
• I used cheddar and Colby jack cheese cubes, but feel free to substitute with your favorite cheese!
• Dry salami folds very well, but other cured meats like prosciutto or pepperoni could be used in its place, too.
• If you can’t find the baby brie wheels, you can substitute with a Baby Bel cheese, mini mozzarella balls, or a small wedge of any hard cheese.

If you’re making these charcuterie cups for a birthday, consider adding a festive cake pop!

How to Make DIY Charcuterie Cups

In this recipe, I assemble the skewers ahead of time. You can absolutely do this ahead of time and store them in a tray or large Ziploc bag in the fridge to save time assembling your cups.

1. Make Savory Skewers: Before assembling the cups, assemble the skewers. Fold and skewer the salami, then the mini pickle, the cheese cube, and top with the olive.
2. Make Brie Skewers: Next, assemble the brie skewer. Place the mini brie round on the popsicle stick, then top with the berry.
3. Assemble the Cup: Add the cheese cubes and nuts to the bottom of the cup. Then, add the assembled skewers to the cup. In the remaining space, add pretzel rod, cookies, vegetables and cracker.
4. Garnish: Garnish with the herb to add color to a space that needs it.
5. Store or Serve: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving. Serve chilled.

Tips for the Best Charcuterie Cups

A beautiful charcuterie cup combines visual interest in both color and height! Here are a few tips:

• Arrange the items with the tallest items in the back, and shorter items in front, so that you can see each color and item!
• Prepping the skewers ahead of time will make assembly of the cups go much faster! I highly recommend assembling the skewers a day ahead of the day you plan to serve them.
• This is design to provide appetizer portions. If you’d like these to be a more substantial, dinner-sized portion, double the meat, cheese and crackers included.

When to Serve Them

You can serve these charcuterie cups anywhere you would serve a traditional charcuterie board! They are a great idea for:

• Bridal or baby showers
• Corporate events
• Outdoor picnics
• Wedding cocktail hours
• Birthday celebrations
• Holiday parties
• Game day gatherings

How to Store Personal Charcuterie Cups

You can make these individual charcuterie cups ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving them! Cover with Press and Seal to keep the items fresh.

If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 2 days, but please know that some of the ingredients don’t do great in the fridge, like the cookies, crackers and pretzel rods.

More Easy Appetizer Recipes to Try

• Individual Charcuterie Boxes
• Spicy Oyster Crackers
• Game Day Veggie Platter
• How to Make Salami Roses
• Fruit Charcuterie Board