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The perfect dessert spread for a holiday Polar Express movie party! This fabulous and festive Christmas dessert board is really cute and you’ll have great fun putting it all together. A Polar Express dessert board is a fun activity for the whole family to create together and you can mix and match what you add to personalize yours. It’s a fun hot chocolate charcuterie board if you’re looking for some sweet (and savory) bites to pair with your mug of hot chocolate, or you can serve it as a dessert or as a table centerpiece.
Looking for something tasty to pair with your Polar Express movie night? This fantastic Polar Express dessert won’t let you down!
You might also like to make seasoned jalapeno popcorn, Santa’s hat coconut rum cocktails, Christmas tree cake dip or an antipasto Christmas tree.
Why You’ll Love It
Fun for the holidays: Whether you’re having a Polar Express party or just looking for fun ideas to make for the holidays, you can’t go wrong with this festive project.
So cute and colorful: This is the kind of table centerpiece you’ll want to take a million photos of and share!
Easy to make and assemble: You can get really creative making your Polar Express theme dessert board. There is nothing complicated you have to do.
Polar Express Treat Board Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Hot cocoa cookie cups: Make these hot chocolate cookie cups.
Swiss roll trains: Make these Polar Express Swiss roll trains.
Chocolate chip cookies: I like these Almond Joy chocolate chip cookies.
Vanilla wafer cookies: These sugar-free vanilla wafer cookies are really tasty or you can use regular ones.
Hot cocoa mix: Use your favorite brand or whip up this boozy hot chocolate mix.
Peppermints: Starlight peppermints look the most festive.
Chocolate Chex: Or your favorite cereal.
Train Tickets: These train tickets are a great addition!
How to Make a Polar Express Charcuterie Board
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Add the Swiss roll trains: Line up your Swiss roll trains around the bottom area of your serving board.
Add more snacks: Next, add the mini marshmallows and hot cocoa mix in little bowls. Add the Chex.
And some more! Add the hot chocolate cookie cups to the top area of the serving board, and then add popcorn, some mini cinnamon rolls and fresh strawberries.
The finishing touches: Fill in the remaining spaces on the Polar Express edible craft board with cookies, graham squares and peppermints.
Substitutions and Variations
Different snacks: You can add whatever you want to your festive dessert board – fruit, nuts, candy canes, cereals, trail mix, mini cupcakes – anything goes!
Treats for the grownups: Want to add some extra bits for the adults? Consider bittersweet or dark chocolate squares or shot glasses with festive shots.
Go nuts: Nuts are really good. Choose from candied pecans or walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate or yogurt coated nuts, or any other kind you want.
Serving Suggestions
To start: Kick off Christmas with an Italian antipasto board.
The main event: Serve up a sheet pan turkey breast dinner for your main meal. Or perhaps you prefer holiday roasted chicken.
On the side: Gouda and cream cheese corn is such a delicious side dish.
To finish: Once everyone’s had their fill of Christmas dinner, it’s time to bring out your Polar Express dessert board and make them all ooh and ahh! And perhaps some cranberry margaritas too.
How to Store Your Polar Express Movie Party Board
Store: Keep leftovers in separate containers and eat within a couple of days. Anything perishable like the strawberries should be refrigerated.
Freeze: This isn’t freezable.
Top Tips
Add Polar Express tickets and decorations: This train ticket kit is just perfect for adding those super-cute touches!
Add the strawberries last: You can make your dessert board ahead if you like, but don’t add the strawberries until just before serving.
Easier to assemble in place: If you’re making this just before serving, it’s easier to assemble it wherever you plan to serve it rather than carry a big, heavy and loaded platter across the room!
Polar Express Movie Night Treats FAQs
Yes – the choice is all yours! This train set would be perfect if you want to take that route.
Not only can you use different items on your dessert board but you should have fun and include your absolute favorite candies, nuts, sweet and/or salty treats on there. It’s fun to get creative.
You can make the hot cocoa cookie cups and Swiss roll train ahead. You can also divide the other ingredients between serving dishes. The only thing it’s best to leave until just before serving are the strawberries, to keep them juicy and fresh.
That’s up to you and depends how many people you plan to feed with it and whether you’re making other desserts too. Choose the size of board you think you’ll need and then just use small bowls and dishes for the ingredients. You can, of course, omit anything you don’t want to use and/or add other ingredients.
Polar Express Movie Night Dessert Board Recipe
Polar Express Dessert Board
Equipment
- Serving Bowls Small
Ingredients
- 8 Swiss roll trains
- 12 hot cocoa cookie cups
- 3 Cups popcorn
- 12 chocolate chip cookies
- 20 chocolate-covered graham squares
- 20 strawberries
- 12 vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 hot cocoa mix
- 1/4 Cup mini marshmallows
- 12 mini cinnamon rolls
- 20 starlight peppermints
- 1 Cup chocolate Chex cereal
Instructions
- First line up your Swiss roll trains around the bottom perimeter of your serving board.
- Next add in two small bowls of mini marshmallows and hot cocoa mix. Then a small bowl of chocolate Chex.
- Add in your hot cocoa cookie cups at the top perimeter of your serving board.
- Add about 1½ cups of popcorn next to the bowl of Chex.
- Next to the hot cocoa mix bowl, place some mini cinnamon rolls.
- Above the Swiss roll trains, add in some fresh strawberries.
- Fill in the remaining empty space with chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered graham squares, and peppermints, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Add the strawberries last: You can make your dessert board ahead if you like, but don’t add the strawberries until just before serving.
Easier to assemble in place: If you’re making this just before serving, it’s easier to assemble it wherever you plan to serve it rather than carry a big, heavy and loaded platter across the room!
Nutrition
This charming Polar Express dessert board looks fantastic and will be talked about for all the right reasons at your Christmas dinner this year! There’s something for everyone on there including cookies, chocolates, candies, strawberries, and much more. It’s so much fun to make for your Polar Express party or as your Christmas day dessert.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This dessert board is such a fun holiday activity! It’s easy to personalize, and everyone enjoyed building their hot chocolate charcuterie masterpiece together.