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Inside: Recipe for a delicious and absolutely stunning fig and goat cheese appetizer “butter” board with prosciutto, fig jam, and crunchy toppings like fresh cranberries, crushed pecans, and pine nuts. It’s a perfect party appetizer or a date-night meal.

I love serving “butter” boards as appetizers because they double as a table centrepiece and instantly wow all guests.

Although made with the simplest of ingredients, they are so easy to customize and decorate according to the occasion.

Plus, these boards are such a CHEAP and creative alternative to cheese and charcuterie boards.

Fig and Goat Cheese Appetizer "Butter" Board With Prosciutto - appetizer board with fresh figs, fig jam, prosciutto, and crunchy toppings sprinkled over a whipped goat cheese spread on a party platter.

This fig and goat cheese appetizer “butter” board with prosciutto isn’t a classic butter board, as it uses spreadable goat cheese instead, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less delicious.

In fact, it’s exactly the opposite!

The goat cheese pairs perfectly with the juicy figs, sweet fig jam, savory prosciutto, and all the crunchy toppings, and the whole thing tastes like heaven when served with fresh bread.

If you serve this at your next party, I promise your guests will be crowding around it before you even set down the drinks!

How to Make This Fig and Goat Cheese Appetizer “Butter” Board With Prosciutto

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe

10–12 oz spreadable goat cheese
½ cup fig jam
6–7 slices of prosciutto (about one 4-oz pack)
Handful of mixed salad greens
4–5 fresh figs, medium size
Handful of pecans
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Handful of fresh cranberries
Fresh sourdough bread, ciabatta, or French baguette, for serving

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread the goat cheese in a smooth, even layer across the surface of your serving platter.

I went from side to side, but you can keep about 1 inch free from all edges, so the board is easier to handle. See Recipe Notes for tips on how to choose a serving board for this recipe!

2. Drop small spoonfuls of fig jam all over the goat cheese base, making sure to add a little pile every inch or inch and a half or so.

3. Tear the prosciutto into smaller strips and place them in little heaps around and between the fig jam piles.

4. Arrange salad greens all over the rest of the surface.

5. Slice your figs and arrange them all over the platter. Try to space them out so that each area of the board has at least a few slices for every guest.

6. Roughly chop the pecans (or crush them gently with your fingers) and scatter them all over the board, along with the pine nuts, focusing on any blank spots you notice.

7. As a final ingredient, arrange the fresh cranberries all over the board wherever you see any empty space or a spot that could use a pop of color.

8. Serve with fresh sourdough bread, ciabatta, or French baguette.

Important Recipe Notes

If possible, choose a salad mix with a variety of salads and colors to add more visual interest to the board. Something like Kroger’s Baby Spring Mix would work well.
The quantities for this recipe are enough to cover an 18×12-inch party tray or cutting board.
Although pretty much any cutting board can be used to serve this recipe, I prefer using dedicated slate serving boards for these types of recipes, as they are much easier to clean than wooden ones.
When using a regular wooden cutting board, line it with parchment paper first. This protects the board from all the oils and fats from the cheese, but also helps keep your food safe from any lingering residues on the surface.
When lining a board with parchment paper, make sure it’s large enough to fold over the edges of the board. Ideally, you would tape it underneath to keep the paper in place as you spread the goat cheese. Plus, it will be a lot easier for your guests to scoop up all the goodness from the board, too!
This board will look best when assembled up to one or two hours before serving, as the salad greens will start to wilt fast.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Although it looks really fancy, it’s super easy and quick to put together. You can make this gorgeous “butter” board in just 20 minutes!
It’s a festive party appetizer with its beautiful mix of green and red colors, and it will look amazing on your Thanksgiving or Christmas party table.
It’s a lot cheaper to make than a big charcuterie or cheese board, but because it’s such a unique idea, I can guarantee you it won’t be any less impressive!
I added the fresh cranberries as a last-minute idea, but they taste so good together with the sweet figs and fig jam. The pecans and pine nuts bring a lot of extra crunch, too.