Six Great Snacking Cheeses to Serve with Fruit

Finding a snack that is quick, easy, and not too unhealthy can be hard to do. Sometimes the simple foods are the best . . . and there is nothing better on so many occasions than fresh fruit and cheese. It makes a party better, it makes a great mid-afternoon snack, it’s a wonderful appetizer, and it goes well in a packed lunch. But there are so many cheeses to choose from. We’ll help. Here are our favorite snacking cheeses to serve with fruit—apples, grapes, pears, and more.

Snacking Cheeses to Pair with Tart Fruits

These cheeses tend to be harder cheeses, in the way that they have a more pronounced flavor. You can easily pair any of these snacking cheeses to go with tart grapes, plums, and apples.

Jarlsberg

Jarlsberg often has holes in it like Swiss though it is a harder cheese with more flavor and a nuttier flavor than Swiss. We like it with tart apples and plums.

Asiago

Asiago is hard and pungent. It is a strong flavored cheese that is used often in cooking. The flavor is almost a cross between a sharp cheddar and parmesan. We like it paired with tart, hard apples like a Granny Smith. It also goes well with plums and tart grapes.

Edam

Edam is a mild, buttery cheese. It is a close cousin to Gouda but with a little firmer texture and nuttier flavor and slightly sweet. It is a universal cheese going well with sweet or a tart fruit though we think it balances very well with red grapes.

Snacking Cheeses To Pair With Sweet Fruits

These are the type of snacking cheeses that have a milder flavor that tends to pair nicely with sweet fruits like pears, honey crisp or other sweet apples, or sweet red grapes.

Havarti

Havarti is smooth and buttery. It is a very mild cheese with a soft texture and a creamy near-white in color. It works especially well with sweet fruits like a honey crisp apple or a pear since the mild flavor of the cheese complements rather than overpowers the delicate flavor of the sweet fruit.

Munster

Munster has a mild flavor that mellows with age. It is a near-white cheese with an orange, edible rind. It is often used in Mexican dishes. We like it with grapes and sweet apples.

Gruyere

We absolutely love gruyere. It is nutty and rich without being pungent. It has a medium firm texture and often creamy colored, sometimes with eyes. There is quite a difference in flavor from brand to brand. We think it is a perfect cheese to go with apples.