Holly Berry Cluster Platter (Print View)

A colorful arrangement of berries, cheeses, herbs, and nuts perfect for holiday gatherings.

# Components:

→ Berries

01 - 1 cup fresh red currants or cranberries
02 - 1 cup pomegranate arils
03 - 1/2 cup red grapes, halved

→ Cheese & Accompaniments

04 - 7 oz goat cheese, shaped into small rounds
05 - 3.5 oz brie, cut into cubes
06 - 3.5 oz aged cheddar, cut into cubes

→ Crackers & Bread

07 - 1 cup assorted crackers
08 - 1/2 baguette, sliced into rounds (optional)

→ Fresh Herbs

09 - 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 - 1 small bunch fresh mint
11 - 1 small bunch fresh rosemary

→ Garnishes

12 - 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
13 - 2 tbsp honey, for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Wash and thoroughly dry all berries and herbs.
02 - On a large serving platter, arrange clusters of red berries in tight, organic groupings to mimic holly berries.
03 - Nestle small rounds of goat cheese and cubes of brie and cheddar among the berry clusters.
04 - Tuck sprigs of parsley, mint, and rosemary around the berries and cheeses to create the look of holly leaves and greenery.
05 - Fill in any open spaces with assorted crackers and baguette rounds if using.
06 - Sprinkle toasted nuts over the platter and drizzle honey lightly over the cheeses as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Zero cooking required means you can spend your energy on hosting instead of standing over a stove
  • It's the kind of platter that makes people gasp when they walk in, even though it takes just twenty minutes to pull together
  • Everything comes together on one board, so cleanup is refreshingly simple
  • You get to taste test every component as you arrange, which is honestly half the joy
02 -
  • Assemble this no more than two hours before serving, or the herbs will start to look tired and some berries may begin weeping. If you must make it earlier, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thirty minutes before guests arrive.
  • The most important discovery I made was that berry juices will stain the platter itself if you let them sit in pools. Distribute the berries evenly so no single spot bears the weight of the juice. This small awareness makes a massive difference in how fresh everything looks.
03 -
  • Buy your ingredients the morning of serving, or the afternoon before at the very latest. Berries lose their firmness quickly, and herbs start to wilt. Timing is everything with something this fresh.
  • If you're nervous about arrangement, do a quick sketch on paper first—sounds silly, but it takes the pressure off and you'll arrange faster and more confidently. Or just look at how berries cluster on an actual holly plant for inspiration.
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