How to Make a Santa Gnome Dessert Board

5 from 2 votes

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You’ve probably seen a variety of butter boards trending on social media, so I decided to make my own version with this Santa gnome dessert board using fruit dip!

Not only is it completely simple and easy to make, you can make it your own using your favorite fruits, cookies, and crackers.

dessert board with gnome marshmallow dip
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I know what will be on our table on Christmas Eve! Everyone loves snacking on these goodies. And you know I have a special place in my heart for gnomes!

What I Love About This Recipe

  • Simple Ingredients
  • Cute for a holiday party
  • Easy to customize
  • Great for kids

Ingredients

There’s not much to this ingredients list because we are just making a simple fruit dip.

That said, I will list what we used to give you some ideas so you can make it your own!

easy fruit dip ingredients

For the fruit dip:

  • Marshmallow Fluff
  • Full fat cream cheese
  • Strawberries (quartered) – for the hat
  • Vanilla wafer cookie – for the nose

For the Snack Board:

  • Banana Chips
  • Vanilla wafer cookies
  • Sugar wafers
  • Mini marshmallows
  • M&Ms (red and green)

Variations

  • Other snack ideas include animal crackers, apple slices, graham crackers, Chessman cookies, yogurt-dipped pretzels, grapes, and nuts.
  • You could also add some Bugles Santa hats for more color and a salty kick.
  • The idea is to use items your family will love and enjoy!

How to Make it

To get started, we’ll make a classic fruit dip. This one will take you back to your childhood!

Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature for about an hour. Then add it to a mixing bowl with the marshmallow fluff.

add cream cheese and marshmallow fluff to bowl

Using a spoon or electric hand mixer, stir until well combined.

mix fruit dip until well combined

Once you have your dip, take your dessert board and start to spread on a beard shape with the dip using an offset spatula.

Use as much or as little as you want depending on the size of your board.

For reference, my board is about 13.5×11.5 inches and I only used half a package each of the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.

use an offset spatula to spread dip on a board in a beard shape

Once your gnome beard is done, wash and quarter fresh strawberries. Then pat dry with a paper towel.

Arrange the strawberries in the shape of a gnome hat. I like to place them so the outside of the strawberry is visible.

add quartered strawberries in the shape of a hat

Take one vanilla wafer cookie and gently press it into the fruit dip for the nose. Leave a little space of white above the nose.

push a vanilla wafer into the fruit dip for a nose

Add Your Snacks

Once you have your gnome Santa as the center of your dessert board, it’s time to fill it in. I like to stack in pairs on the diagonal but you don’t have to.

If you have more snacks than I did, you may just want to add one pile of each. You can always refill it!

I started with the larger items and worked my way around.

surround the gnome dip with cookies fruit and candy

When the board was full, I sprinkled in a few mini marshmallows and M&Ms for added color. You could do this with candied nuts, or dried fruits too!

gnome fruit dip dessert board

I just love how this gnome dessert board turned out and boy was he delicious! My son was so happy to see it waiting for him after school.

Storage Tips

If you have any leftover fruit dip, scoop it into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Uneaten fruit should also be refrigerated.

Snack foods can be stored in a zipper bag on the counter.

cookie dipped in gnome dip dessert board

Print the Recipe Card

This no-bake dessert board is sure to be a hit. Be sure to save this idea and enjoy! For more Christmas ideas, try these pecan pie truffles or a delightfully festive Christmas dessert lasagna.

Santa Gnome Dessert Board

5 from 2 votes
Start with a classic fruit dip and some strawberries and build the cutest Santa Gnome dessert board! So fun for the holidays.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Charcuterie Board

Ingredients 

  • 4 ounces Cream cheese, full fat
  • 4 ounces Marshmallow Fluff
  • 1 cup strawberries, quartered
  • 1 Vanilla wafer cookie
  • Assorted snacks to surround the dip, fruits, cookies, nuts, etc.

Instructions 

  • Let cream cheese come to room temperature (about an hour).
  • Mix cream cheese and marshmallow fluff until well combined to create fruit dip.
  • Use an offset spatula to create a beard shape with the fruit dip in the middle of your board.
  • Wash strawberries and remove crowns. Chop into quarters and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Arrange strawberries above dip in a hat shape.
  • Place one vanilla wafer cookie on the beard for a nose.
  • Surround the dip with more fruits, cookies, marshmallows, nuts or whatever you like.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information is based on the gnome only (dip plus strawberries and cookie nose). Added snacks will alter this information.
Leftover fruits and dip should be refrigerated in airtight containers, separately. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 64mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 257IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Dessert
Cuisine: American

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About Andrea Updyke

Andrea Updyke is a married mom of two boys living in Raleigh, NC. She is a published author and blogger of more than 18 years and loves to celebrate the little things that make life awesome.

Whether she's sharing tasty recipes, traveling or hanging with the family, Andrea's goal is to help make your days a little easier and a lot more fun! Email inquiries to andreaupdyke@gmail.com.

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4 Comments

  1. Do you think you could set up the dip and strawberries on the board ahead of time then place in the fridge until serving then add the rest of the board at that time? We have company coming over this weekend and would love to serve this!

    1. @Jessica, I think I would keep the strawberries in a bowl (you can chop them in advance) and put it all together before serving. Since the strawberries will touch part of the sweet dip, you don’t want them to get too juicy and start to run. Enjoy! It really only takes a few minutes at that point.