Prosciutto and Melon Appetizer
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Impress your guests with this simple and delicious prosciutto and melon appetizer! With an assortment of cheeses, nuts, and gluten free crackers, this mini charcuterie board is perfect for your next holiday party or get together.
2025 Update: This recipe is still a family favorite! It’s been updated to simplify the process of making it, and there are some additional helpful tips, too. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Prosciutto Appetizers
If you do a lot of entertaining, you may already be familiar with prosciutto. It’s a delicious dry-cured Italian meat that pairs really well with melon and other fresh fruits.
Prosciutto is shaved into very thin slices, so it’s easy to wrap around other foods. Its flavor is similar to ham or bacon, but Italian meats like this are typically lower in sodium and fat.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
- Healthier than most holiday appetizers. It’s nice to have options for people who might be watching what they eat. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and pretty low in carbs.
- Easy to make ahead. Wrapping the melon is simple enough, but you can do the prep work up to 3 days before you plan to serve it.
- Allows you to be creative. You can use other varieties of nuts and cheeses, and even swap out the cantaloupe for a different melon if you want to.
Because I love the flavor of prosciutto so much, I have a lot of appetizer recipes that use it. Aside from this prosciutto and melon appetizer, there is Prosciutto Wrapped Pears with Arugula and Prosciutto Wrapped Dates. Oh, and it’s fantastic as a brunch item, too – my recipe for Prosciutto Egg Cups is always a hit!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Feel free to use different ingredients on your snack board, but here’s what I used on mine:
- prosciutto: Most grocery stores stock this near other imported meats and cheeses.
- melon: I use cantaloupe, but the salty meat also tastes great with honeydew and even watermelon.
- gluten free crackers: I like the whole grain crackers from Simple Mills.
- cheeses: This is where you can get really creative! Use a basic sharp white cheddar cheese, or try something like blue cheese, Havarti, gouda, or baby Swiss . Use any brand you like! I use Tillamook.
- For the goat cheese, I love the marinated Orange & Fennel Goat Cheese from Chevo.
- nuts: I like the flavor of pistachios with the prosciutto and melon appetizer. Feel free to swap out the pistachios for almonds, cashews, or any other nut of your choice.
The star of the show are the prosciutto wrapped melon segments, each with a few fresh basil leaves tucked inside.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet, juicy, herbaceous, and savory. I’m telling you, you will love it and your guests will be super impressed.
How to Make the Prosciutto and Melon Appetizers
Making this appetizer is super simple!
- Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice cantaloupe into 8 wedges, each 1 to 2 inches in thickness. Use a sharp paring knife to cut away the peel.
- Lay a slice of prosciutto on a cutting board. Sprinkle a few basil leaves on top of the prosciutto, then set the melon segment on top.
- Wrap the prosciutto around the melon a few times. Repeat until all are wrapped. Hold the appetizer together with a toothpick, if necessary. Season the top with fresh black pepper.
- Slice the cheese and arrange on a large serving platter with the crackers, prosciutto wrapped melon, and nuts. Garnish with a few extra basil leaves.
Tips for Success
Follow these tips to ensure that everything on your appetizer board is as fresh and tasty as possible.
- Refrigerate after 2 hours. If you include cheeses on your charcuterie board, don’t keep it out for more than 2 hours.
- For a tastier and fancier presentation, drizzle some balsamic reduction over the prosciutto and melon just before serving.
Other Delicious and Easy Appetizers
- Keto Charcuterie Board
- Crudité Platter with Healthy Snacks
- Barbacoa Beef Sliders
- Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Prosciutto and Melon Appetizer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces prosciutto
- 1 large cantaloupe or other melon
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1 cup pistachios or nut of your choice
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 6 ounces white cheddar cheese or Gouda
- 8 ounces gluten free crackers
Instructions
- Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice cantaloupe into 8 wedges, each 1 to 2 inches in thickness. Use a sharp paring knife to cut away the peel.
- Lay a slice of prosciutto on a cutting board. Sprinkle a few basil leaves on top of the prosciutto, then set the melon segment on top.
- Wrap the prosciutto around the melon a few times. Repeat until all are wrapped. Hold the appetizer together with a toothpick, if necessary. Season the top with fresh black pepper.
- Slice the cheese and arrange on a large serving platter with the crackers, prosciutto wrapped melon, and nuts. Garnish with a few extra basil leaves.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for one prosciutto and melon appetizer. It does not include nuts, crackers, or cheeses.
- If you include cheeses on your charcuterie board, don’t keep it out for more than 2 hours.
