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Create a festive holiday pastry board with a mix of sweet and savory bites using easy recipes from What’s Baking. Perfect for Christmas, Easter, brunch parties, or edible gift trays.
🍽️ Entertaining Just Got Easier (and Prettier)
Move over charcuterie—pastry boards are stealing the spotlight this holiday season. These themed spreads filled with homemade cookies, flatbreads, tartlets, and festive bars are visually stunning, customizable, and perfect for any celebration.
This guide shows you:
- How to design and style an eye-catching board
- Sweet and savory recipes from What’s Baking
- Gluten-free, kid-friendly, and freezer-ready options
- Tips for prepping ahead, packaging as edible gifts, and storing leftovers
🍬 What to Include on Your Holiday Pastry Board
1. Sweet Bites
- Cranberry Orange Oat Scones – buttery and festive with citrus notes
- Nanaimo Bars – The best traditional Canadian dessert features three irresistible layers
- Ginger Molasses Cookies – cozy holiday flavors
- Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Dip – chewy, sweet, and easy to make
- Mini Vanilla Cupcake Loaves – perfect bite-size cakes with festive frosting
- Spiced Pumpkin Bread Cubes – cubed and drizzled with maple glaze
2. Savory Pastries
- Mini Chorizo & Manchego Quiche - A Spanish-inspired mini quiche in a buttery crust filled with spicy chorizo and nutty Manchego cheese—rich, savory, and perfectly bite-sized
- Spinach & Ricotta Mini Quiche – Creamy and herb-filled, these mini quiches feature spinach and ricotta nestled in a flaky shortcrust—great for brunch or tea-time mingling
- Crustless Veggie Egg Muffins – For a lighter option, bake eggs with cheese, peppers, and mushrooms in muffin tins—no crust required, gluten-free, and freezer-friendly
3. Extras for Styling
- Bowls of pistachios, pecans, walnuts
- Fresh herbs: rosemary sprigs, thyme
- Holiday fruits: Pomegranate, fresh cranberries
- Edible sugar-dusted rosemary or mini ornaments
- Small jars of clotted cream, fruit curd, or honey
- Light sprinkling of powdered sugar or cocoa
❄️ Prep & Storage Tips for Holiday Boards
- Cookies/Bars: Bake 3–4 days ahead; store airtight or freeze
- Flatbreads: Bake and freeze; reheat before serving
- Frostings & Dips: Make up to 7 days ahead; refrigerate in jars
- Tartlet Shells: Freeze baked or raw shells; use within 2 months
🧁 How to Arrange Your Board
- Start with a sturdy wooden or marble board
- Place small bowls first for dips, nuts, and spreads
- Arrange large items (flatbreads, loaves, tartlets) next
- Fill in blanks with cookies and bar cubes
- Finish with garnishes: herbs, fruits, decorative dusting
Gift Idea: Wrap segments in parchment and place in festive tins with "Homemade from What’s Baking" labels 🌟
🎉 Occasion-Based Styling
- Christmas: Use red berries, sugared rosemary, peppermint bars
- Easter Brunch: Light pastel frostings, citrus tartlets
- Fall Gatherings: Pumpkin cubes, cinnamon bars, dried apple slices
- New Year’s Eve: Sophisticated tartlets and champagne jelly cubes
✅ Conclusion: One Board, Endless Celebration
A festive pastry board is more than just food—it’s an experience. With these make-ahead, easy-to-style recipes from What’s Baking, you're set to impress at your next holiday gathering—or gift a handmade tray that steals the show.
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