Gilded Hive Cheese Board (Printable)

Visually striking cheese and cracker arrangement with honeycomb centerpiece and hexagon shapes.

# What You Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 3.5 oz Manchego cheese
02 - 3.5 oz Aged cheddar
03 - 3.5 oz Gruyère
04 - 3.5 oz Brie
05 - 3.5 oz Blue cheese
06 - 3.5 oz Goat cheese log

→ Crackers

07 - 8.8 oz whole wheat crackers (large, square or rectangular)
08 - 8.8 oz seeded crackers

→ Honeycomb Center

09 - 3.5 oz edible honeycomb

→ Accompaniments

10 - 2 tbsp runny honey
11 - 1/2 cup Marcona almonds
12 - 1/2 cup dried apricots
13 - 1/2 cup fresh grapes
14 - Fresh edible flowers or microgreens (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Using a food-safe hexagon-shaped cutter approximately 2–3 inches wide, cut all cheeses into neat hexagon slices. Chill softer cheeses like Brie and goat cheese briefly beforehand to ensure clean edges.
02 - Arrange crackers on a flat surface. Use the same hexagon cutter to carefully trim crackers into hexagonal shapes, choosing the best intact pieces for display.
03 - Place the piece of edible honeycomb at the center of the serving board as the focal point.
04 - Radiate cheese hexagons in a circular pattern around the honeycomb, alternating cheese types to provide color and texture contrast.
05 - Form additional concentric circles or rays around the cheeses using the hexagon-cut crackers to create a beehive-inspired layout.
06 - Nestle Marcona almonds, dried apricots, and fresh grapes into the spaces between cheeses and crackers to enhance visual interest and flavor balance.
07 - Lightly drizzle runny honey over and around the honeycomb and cheeses to impart gloss and sweetness.
08 - Decorate with edible flowers or microgreens if desired. Serve immediately with cheese knives or spreaders.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours planning when really it's mostly about having a good hexagon cutter and a bit of patience.
  • Every guest asks for the recipe because the visual is so striking they assume it's complicated (your secret: it isn't).
  • You get to taste six different cheeses in one sitting without committing to a whole block of anything.
02 -
  • The cutter must be completely clean and dry between every cut or cheese will stick and ruin your hexagon shape—I learned this the expensive way with a block of Gruyère.
  • Arrange this board no more than 30 minutes before serving or the cheeses will warm and soften in ways that look less intentional.
  • If your honeycomb is hard as a rock when it arrives, don't panic; it's supposed to be. It's meant to be admired and nibbled, not spread.
03 -
  • If your cutter sticks, dip it briefly in warm water between cuts—a tiny bit of moisture helps the release without making anything wet.
  • Buy honeycomb from specialty food shops or beekeeping suppliers; the flavor and visual impact are irreplaceable and worth the small extra cost.
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