People Are Making Pumpkin-Shaped Snack Boards—and They’re Gourd-geous
Updated: Dec. 08, 2022
This is so perfect for Halloween!
There’s nothing we love more than seeing the creativity of bakers and chefs from all over the globe, with help from Instagram. It’s no wonder we love following the snack board inspiration guru herself, Maegan Brown aka @thebakermama!
Just last year, Maegan debuted her snowman cheese board for the holidays. Lucky for us, she’s back this fall with a Halloween snack board.
This Jack-O’-Lantern Is Serving Snacks
If you haven’t heard of Maegan and her beautiful boards, let us introduce you! She creates an assortment of seasonal shapes with some of our favorite finger foods, and honestly, they’re a sight to behold. Just take a look at her pancake and waffle breakfast board—I didn’t even know this could be done! Color me impressed.
For this spooky holiday season, she’s rolling out a Halloween classic. It;’s…a pumpkin! We didn’t really keep that a secret, though, did we?
How to Make Your Own
According to Maegan, she started with a circular 20-inch board for the general shape of the pumpkin. To create the eyes and nose, she set out triangular cookie cutters. For the mouth, she took black grapes and shaped them into a smile. Too cute!
As you may have already expected, this board is going to be very orange-centric. Maegan mentions that she got most of the snacks from Trader Joe’s except for a select few.
For the main part of the pumpkin, she alternated neatly laid lines of different snacks from left to right. Here’s a list of what she used for the body:
- Cuties (clementines)
- Dried apricots
- Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s
- Cheddar popcorn
- Cheez-Its
- Cheddar cheese slices
- Baby carrots
- Orange peppers
- Cheese balls
- Sweet potato crackers
- Cantaloupe
- Cucumbers (for the stem)
For the eyes and nose, she focused on black-colored foods to match the mouth. Here’s what she used:
- Blackberries
- Olives
- Black figs
While she built the board, she mentioned starting with the eyes and nose first and packing in the lines of orange snacks afterwards. She did an incredible job, and we can’t help but give her a round of applause!
While the foods Maegan used seem perfect, she encourages others to use their own creativity and create boards that fit their own personal style. So, give this pumpkin or this Halloween charcuterie board a shot with all your favorite goodies, and most importantly, have a happy Halloween!
Find More Ideas for Your Harvest Spread
Cheesy Meatball SlidersThese meatball sliders are a fun way to serve meatballs at your party without using a slow cooker. Made on mini Hawaiian rolls, they have a hint of sweetness to balance out all the wonderful Italian seasonings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Beer & Cheddar FondueThis great-tasting beer cheese fondue is my mom's favorite, so I make it for her birthday every year. I like to serve this cheddar cheese fondue recipe with apple slices, rye bread cubes, and chunks of carrots, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, squash and broccoli. —Amanda Wentz, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Spicy Honey Sriracha Game-Day DipYou can easily whip up this creamy, spicy, salty dip. For parties, I love dips in the slow cooker—just turn it to low once the dip is cooked and let your guests help themselves. No need to worry about the dip getting cold and having to reheat it. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese EmpanadasI created this appetizer because I entertain a lot and wanted something simple but special. People like these empanadas so much! I always make extra. —Lynn Scully, Rancho Santa Fe, California
Tomato Apple ChutneyDuring the fall and winter, I love to make different kinds of chutney to give as hostess gifts. Cook this chutney in a slow cooker, and you don't have to fuss with it until you are ready to serve it. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
Baby Swiss Appetizer CheesecakeThis beautiful cheesecake appetizer can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before serving, so it's the perfect make-ahead recipe for holidays, game days or special occasions. —Marilyn Edelman, Sabetha, Kansas
Shredded Lamb SlidersI made about 1,500 of these easy, tasty sliders for the Great American Beer Fest. Everyone—right down to the last customer—thought the bites were delish. —Craig Kuczek, Aurora, Colorado
Beef Wellington Fried WontonsThese tasty appetizers scale down classic beef Wellington to an ideal party size. They feel fancy and fun! —Dianne Phillips, Tallapoosa, Georgia
Mediterranean Hummus NachosMy husband once piled all the Middle Eastern dishes I'd made on top of pita chips. It was delicious and fun, so we've kept doing it! We love this combination with ground lamb, too. I am half Lebanese, so we usually call these Lebanese nachos. Whatever you call them, you can't help but like them! —Gina Fensler, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cranberry Brie Pecan PinwheelsThis recipe is a twist on baked Brie. My family always requests these during the holidays. They are delicious and make the kitchen smell amazing! —Jacquie Franklin, Hot Springs, Montana
Mini Beef TourtieresHere's a twist on the traditional tourtiere recipe. Ground beef replaces pork, and cream cheese pastry takes the place of pie pastry. The filled mini cups make a melt-in-your-mouth addition to a buffet. —Cheryl Bruneau, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Maple Pulled Pork BunsMaple syrup is the sweet secret to these irresistible buns. Slow-cooking the flavorful pork couldn’t be easier, and the buns are quick to roll up. We love them for parties because they serve a packed house. —Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Thyme and Fig Goat Cheese SpreadWhen I started growing herbs in my garden it took me a while to find a good way to use thyme, but this easy appetizer spread lets it shine. I usually garnish it with a sprig of thyme, slivered almonds and chopped figs. —Laura Cox, Columbia, Missouri
Mushroom PalmiersI found this recipe while working at a small-town museum in West Texas. It was the appetizer for a fundraiser a long, long time ago, and it’s still a huge hit at parties. Frozen puff pastry helps make it easy and impressive. The palmiers also freeze well. —Judy Lock, Panhandle, Texas
Buffalo Chicken Deviled EggsMy daughter Sara loves spicy Buffalo chicken and deviled eggs, so I combined the two. Make and chill a day ahead so the flavors mingle. —Robin Spires, Tampa, Florida
Brandied Blue Cheese SpreadPour on the holiday spirit with a splash of brandy and three kinds of cheese. Pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, are a crunchy topping for the smooth spread. —T.B. England, San Antonio, Texas
Apple-Pecan Baked BrieAs family arrives for a get-together, I make sure this fruity and savory Brie is in the oven so the aromas of cinnamon and apples fill the house. —Alicia Gower, Auburn, New York
Mushroom BundlesMy guests rely on me to come up with yummy starters like these crispy mushroom appetizers made for a New Year's party. They vanish before your eyes. —Tina Coopman, Toronto, Ontario
Mini Teriyaki Turkey SandwichesPreparing the pulled turkey in a delicious teriyaki sauce for these snack-size sandwiches is a breeze using a slow cooker. Serving them on lightly-toasted sweet dinner rolls is perfection made easy.—Amanda Hoop, Seaman, Ohio
Barbecue Glazed MeatballsStock your freezer with these meatballs and you'll always have a tasty appetizer on hand. We even like to eat them as a main dish with rice or noodles on busy weeknights. —Anna Finley, Columbia, Missouri
Baked Baby Potatoes with Olive PestoThese little cuties pack all the appeal of a dinner baked potato into a perfect bite-sized appetizer. I top each one with a dollop of sour cream and coarsely ground pepper. —Sarah Shaikh, Mumbai, India
Parmesan Mushroom TartletsMy easy tartlets loaded with a cheesy mushroom filling take advantage of refrigerated crescent roll dough. I think they’re best warm from the oven with a sprinkling of green onion.—Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
German Beer Cheese SpreadWe love recipes inspired by our German heritage. This tangy spread is fantastic served alongside everything, including pretzels and pumpernickel or crackers and sausage. Choose your favorite beer—the flavor really comes through. —Angela Spengler, Tampa, Florida
Thanksgiving WontonsWe get creative with leftovers and make them into wontons. With a little turkey, cream cheese, cranberry sauce and wrappers, you’ve got appetizers. —Sarah Gilbert, Beaverton, Oregon
Originally Published: September 02, 2020
