This recipe/post for Charcuterie Cups with California Grapes is sponsored by Grapes from California. All thoughts and ideas are my own.
These DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups with California Grapes are easy to assemble and make a great blood sugar friendly appetizer. You can customize them any way you like!
DIY charcuterie cups
DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups with California Grapes are the perfect appetizer to share with friends and family this time of year! … and any time of year really!
Charcuterie cups are ideal for people with diabetes that need to count carbohydrates. A traditional charcuterie board can be difficult to navigate if you’re unsure of how much you’ll be eating and what is included.
Charcuterie cups offer an improved way to enjoy charcuterie for people who pay attention to their blood sugars as it can potentially make carb counting easier.
How to make charcuterie cups
When you’re thinking through what you want to put in your charcuterie cups, consider these different categories:
- Fruit (California grapes are perfect and honestly my favorite fruit to add to charcuterie boards and cups!)
- Crackers or pretzels
- Veggies
- Meat
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Chocolate
California grapes and heart health
I love adding California grapes to charcuterie boards and these DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups for the flavor profile and beautiful color they add. But, I also love the nutrition benefits they provide! Research has shown that including grapes in a balanced diet may help support a healthy heart.
Grapes are a heart-healthy food. Grapes contain no fat or cholesterol, and are very low in sodium. They are a good source of vitamin K which promotes heart health, provide 7% of the daily recommended intake for potassium, a nutrient critical to heart health, and are a natural source of polyphenols which also contribute to heart health.
In two studies conducted at the University of Connecticut, researchers found that adding grapes to the daily routine may help support a healthy heart.
- Women who consumed 11⁄4 cups of grapes every day benefited from reduced blood triglyceride levels, LDL cholesterol levels, inflammatory proteins, and other markers of heart disease.
- Men with metabolic syndrome who consumed 11⁄2 cups of grapes every day
reduced blood pressure, improved blood vessel function, and decreased a key marker of inflammation.
In a study conducted at UCLA, researchers observed that subjects consuming grapes reduced cholesterol levels, as well as bile acids which play a crucial role in cholesterol metabolism.
What to put in charcuterie cups
To make a balanced charcuterie cup, we want to focus on ingredients with fat, fiber, and protein. In addition to this, we want to add polyphenol-rich and flavorful ingredients like California Grapes!
Charcuterie cup ingredients
Here are my choices for these charcuterie cups:
- California grape skewers
- Cheese cubes
- Mini brie rounds
- Pretzel sticks
- Low sodium meat
- Chocolate covered pretzels
- Rosemary sprigs
- Nuts
What do you put in the bottom of a charcuterie cup?
I like to add nuts to the bottom of my charcuterie cups. Not only do these offer us a low/no sugar base, but they’re also rich in plant based fats, fiber, and protein. And, they help our California grape and cheese skewers stay in place!
More charcuterie cup ideas
And, if you’re looking for some other options for charcuterie cups, consider these options:
- Small tomatoes
- Breadsticks
- Small cookies
- Dried fruits
- Dark chocolate squares
- Homemade energy bites
- Crackers or crisp breads
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
What you need to make mini charcuterie cups
If you do a quick image search online for DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups you’ll see two different approaches:
- Disposable cups
- Glass mason jars
If you’re serving a large number of people I recommend going with a disposable cup, but if you’re looking to serve 10-12 people or less I love the look of glass mason jars. This way you can see everything inside your charcuterie cup too!
You’ll need the following supplies
- Cups or jars
- Long skewers
- Toothpicks
Can you make charcuterie cups the night before?
I would not recommend assembling your charcuterie cups the night before. Something might go stale or lose their visual appeal if they sit out too long. Here are some things you can prep ahead of time though:
- Add your grapes to their skewers and store in an airtight container
- Add your cheese cubes to their skewers and store in an airtight container
- Fold your low sodium meat as desired and add to skewers, then store in an airtight container
- Wash and dry your rosemary sprigs
How many charcuterie cups per person?
These DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups with California Grapes provide an appetizer size portion for one person each. You can adjust the serving sizes and amounts in each cup as needed for your group though. Just remember to adjust your carbohydrate counts as well.
DIY Individual Charcuterie Cups with California Grapes
Equipment
- 12 8oz mason jars
- 36 long toothpicks
Ingredients
- 2 cups California grapes any color will work!
- 12 oz cheese cubes
- 1 1/2 lbs low sodium turkey lunchmeat
- 3 cups raw nuts
- 12 large pretzel rods
- 1 package dark chocolate covered pretzels
- 12 rosemary sprigs optional
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup nuts to the bottom of each of your cups/jars.
- Place a pretzel rod in each cup.
- Add 4 cheese cubes to a skewer and place in a jar.
- Add 2-3 chocolate covered pretzels to each jar.
- Add 4 large grapes or 5 small grapes to a skewer and add to your jar.
- Fold two pieces (~2oz) lunchmeat on to a skewer and add to your jar.
- Repeat steps 2-6 for each jar.
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious California grape recipes
Looking for more delicious grape recipes made with California grapes? Check these out!
Dark Chocolate Covered Nuts with Grapes
The Best Roasted Grapes with Goat Cheese Crostini
Fall Harvest Salad with Grapes, Squash & Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Sources
- Heart health research highlights, California Table Grape Commission
- Hu, W., Zheng, R., Feng, Y., Tan, D., Chung-Tsing, G.C., Su, X., and Kim, J.E. (2023). Impacts of regular consumption of grapes on macular pigment accumulation in Singapore older adults: a randomized, controlled trial. Food Funct. 14, 8321-8330.
- Chaves A.A., Joshi, M.S., Coyle, C.M., Brady, J.E., Dech, S.J., Schanbacher, B.L., Baliga, R., Basuray, A., & Bauer, J.A. (2009). Vasoprotective endothelial effects of a standardized grape product in humans. Vascular Pharmacology, 50, 20-26.
- Zern, T.L., Wood, J.R., Greene, C. West, K.L., Liu, Y., Aggarwal, D., Shachter, N.S., & Fernandez, M.L. (2005). Grape polyphenols exert a cardioprotective effect in pre- and postmenopausal women by lowering plasma lipids and reducing oxidative stress. Journal of Nutrition, 135, 1911-1917.
- Barona, J., Aristizabal, J.D., Blesso, C.N., Volek, J.S., & Fernandez, M.L. (2012). Grape polyphenols reduce blood pressure and increase flow-mediated vasodilation in men with metabolic syndrome. Journal of Nutrition, 1-7.
- Yang, J., Kurnia, P., Henning, S.M., Lee, R., Huang, J., Garcia, M.C., Surampudi, V., Heber, D., and Li, Z. (2021). Effect of standardized grape powder consumption on the gut microbiome of healthy subjects: a pilot study. Nutrients, 13, 3965.
