How to Design a Sundae Grazing Board

How to Design a Sundae Grazing Board

Whatever name you give it — party platter, grazing board, snack tray — you can’t deny there’s something inviting about a spread that features all your favorite finger foods nestled cozily in one place.

To ring in the transition from summer to fall, we assembled a grazing board that marries our No. 1 warm-weather treat (ice cream and cones) with some of our favorite fall snacks. These intermingling appetizers are tough to pass up at a party, especially when you’ve got something on the board that appeals to everyone. Guests can graze on stand-alone snacks or get creative assembling the items into sundaes using serving bowls, waffle bowls, or ice cream cones.

The best part for the hosts? No cooking required.

Below we’ve compiled some tips to create an eye-catching sundae-inspired grazing board and listed several snacks to get you started on your very own creation.

Tips to assemble an alluring sundae grazing board:

Pick the perfect platter: Start with a cutting board or decorative platter with a food-safe surface — but aim for one on the larger side because you’ll want to load it up with lots of items guests might enjoy in or alongside a sundae.

Concentrate on color: Add vibrancy to the board by including food with bold colors, like strawberries, oranges, and cherries. Eyes are drawn to the most colorful items.

Use your space: That age-old maxim “keep it simple” doesn’t cut it here. Instead, we’re shooting for over-abundance. We like to make use of every inch of space by fitting items snuggly together. We arranged Joy Cones around the outside of the platter, but you can tuck them in anywhere on your grazing board.

Add beautiful bowls: Corral messier or hard-to-wrangle snacks, like pomegranate seeds or mini marshmallows, with decorative bowls or ramekins. These will add dimension and height to the board. Guests can load up a Joy ice cream cone or waffle bowl with snacks if they wish, but also provide serving bowls near the grazing board so they have more options for their sundae creations.

Spread the love: Swirl around some free-roaming snacks, like cookies or candied orange slices, to add more visual interest. A little creative chaos is OK!

Spotlight your sauces: What’s a sundae without hot fudge, chocolate sauce, or other toppings to drizzle over your dessert? Use ramekins and spoons, or small carafes, to contain a variety of sauces.

’Tis the season: No one says your grazing board has to adhere to a certain season, but we always love a good theme. For our autumn grazing board, we chose seasonal snacks and decorations like apples, cinnamon sticks, ginger snaps, and some decorative leaves.

Toss in whole fruits: Add some whole pieces of fruit to the mix, like an apple or an orange. Not only will it look great by introducing a larger pop of color, it will likely appeal to someone who prefers a healthier option.

Keep your cool: Runny ice cream doesn’t make for a great party, so keep the cold stuff stocked in your freezer until the time is right, then announce to your guests when it’s time to assemble sundaes.

Need a little help getting started? Check out our favorite sundae grazing board ideas below and let us know in the comments what you’ll include when you make your own!

Joy Cones (we chose waffle cones and sugar cones for our board)
Your favorite flavors of ice cream
Chocolate-covered pretzels
Pomegranate seeds
Cocoa truffles
Chocolate-covered raisins
Kettle corn
Figs
Sweetened dried orange slices
Chocolate chunks
Caramels
Caramel sauce
Marshmallows
Pecans
Strawberries
Milk chocolate caramel crunch medallions
Maple leaf cookies
Ginger snaps
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherries

Have your guests assemble their sundaes using any of the sundae grazing board items and Joy cones, and encourage extra snacking on the side throughout the party.