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Frankenstein Fruit Tray Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Frankenstein Fruit Tray Recipe

I put this Frankenstein fruit tray together for my daughter's class party last October, and it ended up being the only platter that came back completely empty. I'm not a fancy party planner by any means, but this one tricked everyone into thinking I'd spent hours on it.
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Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups green seedless grapes — forms Frankenstein's face and body so pick ones that are firm and unblemished
  • 1 cup blueberries — lines the top of the face to create his signature spiky hair
  • 2 tablespoons black licorice laces cut into small strips — shapes the stitched scar and the flat-top hairline
  • 24 candy eyes — gives him that classic wide-eyed monster stare and they press right into the grapes
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries sliced — adds pops of red around the tray for contrast and a bit of extra sweetness
  • 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt — the creamy base for the dip and fat-free works just as well here
  • 1 package instant cheesecake-flavor pudding mix — thickens the dip and gives it that rich tangy-sweet flavor
  • ⅓ cup skim milk — loosens the dip to a smooth scoopable consistency, add more if you like it thinner
  • 2 cups assorted extra fruit such as pineapple, cantaloupe, or kiwi — fills out the rest of the tray around Frankenstein

Method
 

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the vanilla Greek yogurt, instant cheesecake pudding mix, and skim milk. Stir everything together until it's completely smooth with no lumps of pudding mix left behind. Set it in the fridge while you prep the fruit, since a slightly chilled dip holds its shape better on the tray.
  2. On your serving tray, arrange the green grapes into a rectangular block shape, close together so there are no visible gaps between them. This forms Frankenstein's head and gives you a solid canvas to build his face on top of.
  3. Line a row of blueberries along the top edge of the grape rectangle to create his short, spiky hairline. Keep the blueberries tightly packed so the "hair" reads clearly from a few feet away.
  4. Press two candy eyes gently into the grapes toward the upper half of the face, leaving space between them. Add a small strip of black licorice across the forehead or along one side as his signature stitched scar.
  5. Arrange the sliced strawberries and your extra fruit around the edges of the tray, filling in any open space. Place your bowl of dessert dip either beside the face or in an open corner, then it's ready to serve.

Notes

  • I always buy my grapes a day ahead and rinse them early so they're fully dry before I build the face, since wet grapes make the candy eyes slide right off.
  • I like using a rectangular cutting board instead of a round platter, because Frankenstein's face reads much more clearly on straight edges.
  • I press the candy eyes in at a slight angle instead of flat, which somehow makes his expression look a little more alert and fun.
  • I prep my dip the night before and just give it a quick stir before serving, which saves me time on the day of the party.
  • I keep a few extra grapes on hand in case any crack or roll away while I'm shaping the face