The Best Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards

I don’t believe there’s much better in life than a beautiful, well-balanced charcuterie board. Yet I’m certain that without cheese being part of that equation, it just wouldn’t be the same. Here you’ll find our suggestions for the best cheeses for charcuterie boards, including suggestions on how to pair each type at the bottom of the post. Many are sold at just about any grocer, with a few you may have to work a bit harder to locate – but all are delicious and will make excellent additions to your boards!

a wedge of mimolette cheese as part of the best cheeses for a charcuterie board. It's sitting on a wooden table next to a cheese knife and a basket of bread and crackers.

The Best Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards

Before we get into it, I’d like to point out that there are no wrong answers when it comes to building a charcuterie board or choosing the best cheeses. The best cheeses for my charcuterie board may not be the best for yours – it’s all about personal preferences. And don’t worry if you’re not sure if something goes together – we’ve given some guidelines, but in the end, the best cheeses and pairings are the ones you love!

Hard Cheese

Hard cheese refers to cheese that’s been aged and has a firm texture. Its low moisture content means it has a dense, crumbly structure – perfect for slicing or crumbling. They often have bold, nutty, and sometimes sharp flavors due to the aging process. Hard cheeses stand up nicely to cured meats – on a charcuterie board, they offer a nice contrast in texture and flavor.

Best Hard Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards

  • Manchego: Manchego is a Spanish cheese with a nutty taste that pairs well with chorizo and marcona almonds.
  • Cheddar: With different levels of sharpness, it’s no wonder cheddar is so popular. Try pairing this cheese with Genoa salami and pickles.
  • Gruyere: Gruyere is a favorite for good reason: it’s has a slight nutty flavor that’s sharper the more its aged. Try pairing it with a slice of prosciutto and cornichons.
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano: This coveted cheese also has a sharp, nutty flavor with an almost gritty texture (don’t let “gritty” put you off – it’s quite pleasant). Parmagiano-Reggiano pairs well with bresaola and fig jam. Or enjoy some on its own with a nice glass of wine.
  • Pecorino Romano: Pecorino Romano has a salty, sharp flavor. It pairs well with soppressata and olives.
  • Comté: This cheese has a smooth texture and fruity undertones – it’s definitely a favorite. It’s wonderful with jambon de Bayonne and roasted nuts.
  • Asiago: The texture of asiago depends on how long it’s been aged: Asiago that’s been aged a shorter time is creamy, while an older piece will be more crumbly. Whichever type you decide to serve, try pairing it with mortadella and pepperoncini peppers.
  • Aged Gouda: Gouda that’s been aged is sweeter with caramel-y undertones – it’s incredible! Put a high-quality pastrami and stone-ground mustard on your board for a fantastic pairing.
  • Emmental: Its flavor is strong, fruity, and almost buttery. Pair it with salami and some berry jam.
  • Mimolette: Here’s another one with a fruity and nutty flavor, which is common among harder cheeses. Add some capocollo and cherry tomatoes for a delicious bite.
an assortment of cheese wedges and blocks to show different choices from the best cheeses for charcuterie. The cheese is on an old wooden white-washed board that sits on a white tablecloth.

Semi-Soft & Creamy Cheese

Semi-soft cheeses cheeses have a supple yet firm texture, which is perfect for slicing without crumbling. They often have a milder flavor than hard cheeses, making them a solid choice to appeal to most guests. They pair well with a range of meats and accompaniments, easily making them some of the best cheeses for charcuterie.

Creamy cheeses are characterized by their rich and smooth consistency, and create a terrific mouth-feel when they melt in your mouth. Their flavors can range from buttery and mild to pungent and tangy, depending on the aging process. They pair well with both sweet and savory accoutrements from crisp fruits to cured meats.

You’ll find that semi-soft and creamy cheeses have anywhere from subtle, nutty undertones to bold, earthy notes. Aging and added ingredients, like herbs or peppers, enhance their flavor even more for a more unique and sometimes spicy edge.

Semi-soft and creamy cheeses serve as the board’s bridge between hard cheeses with stronger flavors and more delicate soft-ripened options. They have a creamy bite compared to drier textures and bring balance to cured meats. That difference in flavor means they can pair with a wide variety of charcuterie board sides, from olives to sweet jams.

Best Semi-Soft & Creamy Cheese for Charcuterie Boards

  • Gouda: Gouda makes our list in this section, too, but this variety isn’t aged nearly as long. It has a rich flavor with a slight sweetness and a smooth, buttery texture. It pairs well with prosciutto and a fig jam.
  • Havarti: Havarti is creamy and mellow, with a wonderful mouth-feel. Try pairing it with a slice of salami and pickled vegetables.
  • Fontina: Fontina has a velvety texture and is known for it’s earthy flavor. Try some with bresaola and marinated artichoke hearts.
  • Muenster: Muenster is mild-flavored and has a slight sweetness to it. It goes well with smoked sausage and a little mustard. It also happens to be amazing on a sandwich!
  • Taleggio: This is the cheese that, when combined with pancetta and honeycomb, gives me one of my absolute favorite charcuterie bites. Its flavor is slightly tangy and fruity.
  • Brie: Brie is one of the most common and widely-loved cheeses on charcuterie boards – for good reason! Its creamy interior and edible rind are simply heavenly – try some with a slice of fresh pear and prosciutto. This is also a great choice for baking and making it the centerpiece of the board.
  • Camembert: Camembert looks very similar to brie with the same textures, but it has a much more earthy flavor. It’s wonderful paired with chorizo and salty, roasted almonds.
  • Garlic and Herb Chèvre: Tangy goat cheese is infused with garlic and herbs – how could it not be filled with flavor? Try it with coppa and green olive tapenade.
  • Blue Brie: This is one I can never stay away from as it combines two of my favorite cheese flavors: brie and blue cheese. It’s creamy like brie with a sharper flavor. Pair it with honeyed ham and figs – you won’t regret it.
  • Port Salut: Port Salut has a strong scent, but its mild and slightly sweet flavor and smooth texture will win you over. Try some with pepperoni and a berry jam.
a wheel of brie, cut into wedges but still in a circle, sitting on its paper on a wooden table

Soft-Ripened Cheeses

Soft-ripened cheeses have a special place in my heart, since I tend to love creamy, gooey textures. I’m apparently not alone in that since they’re incredibly popular on charcuterie boards. You can spot a soft-ripened cheese by its edible rind. As they ripen – which is helped by bacteria or mold such as Penicillium candidum – they become soft and smooth. They have a mild, earthy flavor and a buttery texture. The more they’re aged, the more they’ll develop an almost mushroom-like flavor.

Soft-ripened cheeses are easy to cut and spread, which makes them perfect for a crostini, cracker, or a piece of crusty bread. They’re wonderful with charcuterie meats, pickles, and more tart fruits.

Putting a soft-ripened cheese on the same board as harder varieties creates the wonderful texture contrast that you want on a charcuterie board, so if you’re going for just two types of cheese, go with one hard and one soft-ripened.

Best Soft-Ripened Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards

  • Brie: Yes, Brie makes an appearance on this list, too. It’s creamy with an edible white rind, it’s mild and earthy, and it’s rare that it doesn’t make an appearance on a board – especially because it’s so easy to “style”. It pairs well with prosciutto and a drizzle of honey – absolute heaven!
  • Chèvre: This is a soft goat cheese with quite a bit of tang. Candied nuts, pickled vegetables, or slices of chorizo all pair well.
  • Robiola: This is a great choice in place of Brie if you’d like to try something new. It’s mild, salty, and a bit earthy, and pairs well with capicola and roasted peppers.
  • Chaource: It has a soft, creamy texture that’s almost buttery and fruity. It pairs well with ripe apples and pears.
  • Taleggio: Tallegio has a fairly strong aroma but don’t let that put you off. It also has a mild, fruity flavor that’s perfect with coppa and olives.
  • Triple Cream Cheese: You won’t have to worry too much about pairing a triple cream cheese – it’s incredible with just a little crusty bread. It has an almost luxurious smooth texture that’s to die for. Try adding a little bresaola to the board for an awesome addition.
  • Valençay: You’ll know Valençay the moment you see its pyramid shape and ash rind. It’s creamy, tangy, and slightly salty and pairs well with pancetta and fresh raspberries or blackberries.
  • Saint-André: This buttery cheese is soft, creamy, and rich. If you have the chance to add some to your charcuterie, don’t miss out. Add some soppressata and cornichons to your board for a great pairing.
  • Brillat-Savarin: This is a brie-style cheese with flavors of sweet cream and mushrooms. Pair it with mortadella and a tart cherry jam.

Perfect Cheese Pairings

Bookmark this page so you can scroll straight to this section the next time you’re putting together a charcuterie board! The right pairings of cheese and accompaniments can take your board from good to wow! As a general “rule”, stronger flavors pair well with stronger meats, milder cheeses go well with milder flavors, etc.

Pairing Hard Cheeses: Hard cheeses like Aged Cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano have fairly rich and strong flavors, so a cured meat like chorizo makes a great pairing.

Pairing Semi-Soft & Creamy Cheeses: Semi-soft and creamy cheeses like Havarti or Brie pair best with lighter meats like prosciutto or Genoa salami. Adding a little fig jam or honey just makes it that much better.

Pairing Soft-Ripened Cheeses: Cheese like Camembert and goat cheese that have an earthier flavor pair well with herbed or peppery meats. Have you seen those packs of salami that have genoa, herbed, and peppered salami in one package? You could go with an all-salami board with Camembert as its main cheese.

It wasn’t easy choosing the best cheeses for charcuterie – there are many more that aren’t on this list. If you’re interested in learning more, go to our Charcuterie Board Cheeses section. You can also check out the best meats for charcuterie or our list of the best jams for a charcuterie board.

And remember, the key to crafting perfect pairings on your charcuterie board is balancing flavors and textures. Experiment with various combinations to discover what you enjoy the most!

Kristy Bernardo
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