Serving gluten-free snacks at parties can be tricky, if everyone isn’t gluten-free. You don’t want cross contact to happen and a great way to prevent that, is to make individual charcuterie cups. Today we are sharing this idea for gluten-free charcuterie cups which are safe on so many levels:
1. They keep gluten free food separate from food containing gluten; and,
2 . Entertaining at this point, in the Covid era can be challenging. You want to gather (safely), but you don’t necessarily want everyone touching the food, as they would with a classic charcuterie board. This is the best f both worlds..
By sourcing gluten-free meats you can use all the same things in the cups, like cheeses, olives & marinated mushrooms, etc. only the crackers would change. Though if you make them all gluten-free, no one would suspect, as they are quite delicious.
What is needed to make a great gluten-free charcuterie cup?
A variety of meats and cheeses can be cut up, and retain their shape. You can also use individually wrapped cheeses, if you like.
- Crackers: it is easier to use mini breadsticks or other long crackers.
- Vegetable or fruit: for a fresh element. Dried fruit can also be a great addition.
- A sweet element: like chocolate or candy- you can check out our ultimate guide to gluten-free candy and ultimate guide to gluten-free chocolate for a safe sweet treat. Candied nuts can be a great addition too.
- Any variety of nuts, as they can add crunch – obviously you need to know if there are any nut allergies before you commit to using them. Whether they are dry-roasted, salted, seasoned, or candied, they are a welcome addition.
- Any gluten-free charcuterie cup should be well balanced like a charcuterie board. You can read our gluten-free charcuterie board post, for more delicious ideas of what to add to the cup.
Having a theme to your gluten-free charcuterie cups is key. As it makes picking out the items, much easier. Todays cup is Italian inspired. However, you can change it up to suit your guests tastes, or even the event.
How I arranged my gluten-free charcuterie cups:
Ingredients:
- Candied nuts- I used our recipe for the best homemade gluten-free candied pecans and almonds
- Le Veneziane Gluten Free Mini Grissini – Rosemary
- Provolone cheese cut into cubes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Hot salami sliced
- Sweet capicolla cubed
- Prosciutto cotto cubed
- Organic Kalamata olives
- Rosemary for garnish (optional)
- Toothpicks and wooden skewers
Directions:
- Prepare the candied nuts- if using them.
- Cube cheese.
- Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes.
- Cube and slice the meats, as needed.
- Dry the olives on a paper towel. This is so the juices don’t drip on anything else.
- On one of the toothpicks, thread the slices of salami to form a curl pattern.
- Place cubes of sweet capicola on one toothpick and prosciutto cotto cubes on another
Tip: You can use other meats like turkey, chicken, ham, or whatever you like. I recommend using one spicy meat for a contrast of flavours. However, you should take into account your guests preferences.
- On a toothpick, alternate the cubes of the provolone cheese and cherry tomatoes
- Using a larger wooden skewer make the second stick of tomatoes and cheese
Tip: you can use mini bocconcini cheese if you like and even weave fresh basil leaves between them.
- Skewer the dry olives on the toothpick.
Assembling the gluten-free charcuterie cups
I used small plastic mousse cups- but you can use any vessel you like. I like a clear container so people can see what is in the cup.
At the bottom of the cup, I placed the candied nuts.
On top of the nuts, I made a double layer of Gluten Free Mini Grissini crackers.
I then arranged the skewers into the cups.
I place a few sprigs of rosemary in for colour and aroma.
I recommend making extra skewers and not placing them in the cups – this way there are more in case you need them. You can use the extra skewers for snacks or lunches the next day.
These individual gluten-free charcuterie cups are perfect for BBQs, birthdays, informal gatherings, graduations, and really any party or event.
If you try these cups let us know how you enjoyed them. What would you put in one of these cups? Let us know in the comments below. We love hearing from our Gluten-free Foodee community.
It’s through sharing our ideas, that we learn.
