If you love festive treats that charm every guest, the Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe is your new go-to delight. This playful, edible masterpiece brings together luscious chocolate and vanilla buttercream with a colorful array of cookies, candies, and fresh strawberries, all arranged to create an adorable snowman on a wooden charcuterie board. It’s not just a dessert but an experience—a perfect way to bring warmth, smiles, and a sprinkle of holiday magic to any gathering. Whether you’re impressing friends or spoiling your family, this recipe offers a stunning visual and a deliciously indulgent flavor profile that’s both fun and memorable.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of the Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe lies in its simplicity and the way each ingredient contributes uniquely to the overall taste and texture. From the creamy buttercream that forms the snowman’s body to the crunchy cookies and vibrant candies that add pops of color and fun contrasts, these ingredients are essential for crafting an irresistible dessert board.
- Chocolate and vanilla buttercream: Use smooth, spreadable buttercream for piping and filling the snowman’s shape on the board.
- Blue sprinkles: These add a subtle snowy sparkle, perfect for visual separation and extra charm.
- M&Ms: Mini and regular-sized to create the snowman’s eyes, nose, smile, and buttons—colorful and candy-coated for texture and sweetness.
- Peel apart Twizzlers: Ideal for shaping the snowman’s whimsical scarf with vibrant red color and chewy texture.
- Oreos: Their rich chocolate flavor and crunch make a great accompaniment on the board’s side.
- Chocolate chip cookies: For a homier, comforting cookie option to balance the board.
- Shortbread cookies: Buttery and crumbly, perfect for adding textural variety and visual appeal on the board’s corner.
- White and dark chocolate covered pretzels: Sweet and salty treats that add flair and contrast—great for decorating the hat and filling spaces.
- Strawberries: Fresh and juicy, providing vibrant red pops that perfectly complement the sweet elements.
How to Make Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe
Step 1: Prepare Piping Bags with Buttercream
Start by filling two piping bags, one with chocolate buttercream and the other with vanilla buttercream. Snip the ends of the bags to create a half-inch round piping tip, which helps you outline and fill the snowman shape with precision.
Step 2: Outline the Snowman Shape
Using the white vanilla buttercream, carefully pipe the shape of a snowman onto the wooden charcuterie board. Make sure you outline all parts, including the head, body, and base. Once outlined, fill in the interior with the same vanilla buttercream for a smooth, snowy effect.
Step 3: Create the Snowman’s Hat
Switch to the brown buttercream and pipe a wide hat on top of the snowman’s head. Fill in this area completely, giving your snowman a charming winter-ready look.
Step 4: Smooth and Add Blue Sprinkles
Next, use a butter knife to gently smooth out any harsh piping lines, ensuring a polished look. Sprinkle blue sprinkles along the base to give the impression of fresh snow surrounding the snowman.
Step 5: Decorate the Face and Buttons
Get creative with the mini M&Ms! Place two mini M&Ms for eyes, arrange six orange ones into a triangular carrot nose, and create a smiling mouth with four M&Ms. Finish by dotting more M&Ms vertically on the snowman’s body for buttons.
Step 6: Add a Twizzler Scarf
Take the pull-apart Twizzlers to form a scarf by wrapping it snugly around the snowman’s neck. Let the ends dangle down for a playful, cozy look that adds texture and color.
Step 7: Place Oreos and Pretzels
Arrange Oreos in a layered fashion at the bottom right corner of the board for a rich, chocolatey contrast. Then place white chocolate covered pretzels at the top right of the snowman’s hat to create a fun decorative flair.
Step 8: Add Shortbread and Chocolate Chip Cookies
On the left side of the snowman, layer shortbread cookies at the top left and chocolate chip cookies below them. This balances the board visually and offers a variety of cookie textures for everyone to enjoy.
Step 9: Position Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Fill the middle right area with dark chocolate covered pretzels. Their glossy finish and distinct flavor add sophistication and delicious contrast to the sweetness on the board.
Step 10: Fill Spaces with Strawberries
Finally, scatter fresh strawberries across the board, filling in empty spots with bursts of red. This not only brightens the presentation but also adds a refreshing, juicy bite between all the buttery and sweet elements.
Step 11: Serve and Enjoy!
Your Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe is now ready to share. Gather your friends or family, grab a knife or simply dig in with your hands, and enjoy the festive cheer this delightful dessert brings.
How to Serve Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe
Garnishes
Think about adding a touch of fresh mint or edible silver glitter for extra sparkle. These garnishes elevate the snowman board visually, creating a sense of whimsy while complementing the flavors. A light dusting of powdered sugar over the strawberries and cookies can also simulate a fresh snow effect.
Side Dishes
Pair this buttercream board with warm mulled wine or a cozy hot chocolate to enhance the winter vibe. You can also serve alongside fruit preserves or whipped cream for dipping, which adds variety to the taste experience.
Creative Ways to Present
Try serving the Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe on a chilled wooden board or slate platter for rustic appeal. Surround it with fairy lights or a small garland to create a stunning centerpiece. For parties, place small dessert forks or wooden picks nearby to encourage easy sharing.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Cover the board lightly with plastic wrap or an airtight container to keep the buttercream fresh and prevent cookies from going stale. Store in the fridge and consume within 2 days for the best taste and texture.
Freezing
Freezing the whole board is not recommended because the buttercream and strawberries lose their texture. However, you can freeze leftover cookies and pretzels separately in an airtight container for up to one month.
Reheating
Since this is a cold dessert board, reheating is unnecessary. Instead, let refrigerated leftovers come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream slightly and bring out the best flavors.
FAQs
Can I use store-bought buttercream for this recipe?
Absolutely! Store-bought buttercream works well if you don’t have time to make your own, but be sure to choose a high-quality brand with a rich, creamy texture for the best results.
What board size works best for the Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe?
A medium to large wooden charcuterie board works best, roughly around 12 by 16 inches. This gives enough space to pipe the snowman and arrange all the cookies and candies neatly without crowding.
How do I keep the cookies from going soggy?
Place cookies on the board just before serving to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the buttercream or strawberries. If preparing early, store cookies separately until it’s time to assemble.
Can I customize the dessert for allergies?
Yes! Swap out any candies or cookies that don’t fit your dietary needs with allergy-friendly alternatives, such as gluten-free cookies or nut-free candies, while keeping the overall design and structure intact.
Is this recipe suitable for kids to help make?
Definitely! Kids will love adding the M&Ms and arranging cookies, and piping simple shapes with buttercream can be a fun, supervised activity that gets everyone involved in the festive fun.
Final Thoughts
The Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe is a delightful blend of creativity, taste, and holiday spirit that’s sure to become a family favorite year after year. It’s an impressive yet approachable way to brighten any occasion with charm and sweetness. I encourage you to gather your ingredients, get a little messy, and make this joyful dessert board—it’s truly as fun to make as it is to eat!
Print
Snowman Buttercream Board Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 charcuterie board
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Create a festive Snowman Buttercream Board featuring beautifully piped chocolate and vanilla buttercream shaped into a snowman on a wooden charcuterie board, decorated with colorful sweets like M&Ms, Twizzlers, Oreos, pretzels, cookies, and fresh strawberries. This no-bake, visually stunning dessert board is perfect for winter celebrations and holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Buttercream
- Chocolate buttercream – quantity as needed for piping
- Vanilla buttercream – quantity as needed for piping
Decorations
- Blue sprinkles – as needed for decoration
- Mini M&Ms – for eyes, nose, smile, and buttons (1 for each eye, 6 for nose, 4 for smile, additional for buttons)
- Peel apart Twizzlers – 1, for making the snowman scarf
- Oreos – several, for layering on the bottom right of the board
- Chocolate chip cookies – several, for layering on bottom left of the board
- Shortbread cookies – several, for layering on top left of the board
- White chocolate covered pretzels – several, for topping the snowman’s hat
- Dark chocolate covered pretzels – several, for middle right side decoration
- Strawberries – enough to fill empty spaces across the board
Instructions
- Prepare piping bags: Place the chocolate and vanilla buttercream separately into piping bags and snip the ends to create a ½ inch round opening for piping.
- Outline snowman shape: Using the vanilla buttercream, pipe an outline of the snow and snowman shape onto the wooden charcuterie board. Fill in the shape completely with the white buttercream to form the snowman base.
- Create the hat: Using the chocolate buttercream piping bag, pipe and fill in a brown hat shape on the top of the snowman’s head.
- Smooth edges and add sprinkles: Use a butter knife to gently spread and smooth out any harsh piping lines. Sprinkle blue sprinkles along the bottom snow portion on the board to visually separate it from the snowman figure.
- Add facial features and buttons: Place 1 mini M&M for each eye, arrange 6 orange M&Ms in a triangle for the carrot-shaped nose, and 4 more to create a smiling mouth. Use additional M&Ms to form the snowman’s buttons down the center.
- Make the scarf: Take the peel apart Twizzler and shape it to wrap around the snowman’s neck, draping down the front to simulate a scarf.
- Layer Oreos: Arrange Oreos in a layered fashion on the bottom right side of the charcuterie board, leaving some space in the upper middle right area.
- Arrange cookies on the left: On the left side of the snowman, place shortbread cookies on the top left and chocolate chip cookies on the bottom left of the board.
- Place chocolate pretzels: Fill the middle right space left open previously with dark chocolate covered pretzels, and position white chocolate covered pretzels on top of the snowman’s hat for accent.
- Fill remaining spaces: Scatter strawberries evenly across all remaining empty spaces on the charcuterie board to add color and freshness.
- Serve and enjoy: Present the completed Snowman Buttercream Board immediately and enjoy this sweet, festive treat with family and friends.
Notes
- Ensure the buttercream is soft enough to pipe smoothly but firm enough to hold shape on the board.
- You can substitute other small candies or berries based on preference or availability.
- This is a no-bake dessert board, making it easy to assemble and perfect for gatherings.
- Use a sturdy wooden board for best presentation and ease of decorating.
- Refrigerate the board briefly if the room is warm to help the buttercream set before decorating further.
