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Halloween Fruit Board Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Halloween Fruit Board Recipe

I made this Halloween fruit board last weekend, and it was gone in minutes. I wanted something festive that needed no oven and no long prep list. So I cut fruit into bats, one-eyed kiwi monsters, and silly cucumber faces.
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Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 English cucumber sliced into rounds: Thin skin means no peeling; slice just before serving so it stays crisp.
  • 1 medium cantaloupe: Cut into flat sheets so you can stamp out orange bat shapes.
  • 3 green kiwis: Choose ripe but firm ones so the slices hold their shape.
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced: Adds a pumpkin-orange crunch and a veggie option.
  • 1 cup blackberries: Their dark color feels spooky; rinse and pat dry so they don't bleed.
  • 2 to 3 cheeses about 6 ounces each: Mix mild and tangy, soft and hard for variety.
  • 2 to 3 kinds of crackers and breads about 1 cup each: Offer both plain and seeded for different tastes.
  • 1 cup pretzel bites: Salty crunch that balances the sweet fruit.
  • 1/4 cup mustard optional: A tangy dip for the pretzel bites.
  • 2 tablespoons honey: Drizzle over cheese and bread; use a small bowl with a spoon.
  • 1/4 cup candy eyes: Press onto fruit and cheese for instant monster faces.
  • 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips: Perfect tiny pupils and creepy spots.
  • Plastic spid

Method
 

  1. Place all your ingredients on the counter before you start. Seeing it all lets you quickly judge how much you have. I also wash and dry the produce at this stage so nothing gets soggy later.
  2. Slice the cucumber into rounds about a quarter inch thick. Press the lid of a clean marker into each round to cut out a small "mouth." The slices look like friendly little monsters, and they take only a couple of minutes.
  3. Cut the cantaloupe into large, flat sheets. Use a mini Halloween cookie cutter to stamp out bat shapes. Save the leftover scraps for snacking, since they taste just as sweet.
  4. Peel the kiwis and slice them into rounds. Press one candy eye onto the center of each slice to make a cyclops. Add a mini chocolate chip on top of the eye for a tiny pupil if you like.
  5. Put the cheeses and small bowls in the middle of your large board first. These bigger pieces act as anchors for everything else. I add a small knife or serving fork next to each cheese now so I don't forget.
  6. Add one ingredient at a time and fill small sections as you go. Place contrasting colors side by side, and keep two green items on opposite sides. Keep working outward until you reach the edges and the board looks full.
  7. Tuck in the blackberries, pretzel bites, crackers, and bell pepper slices. Drizzle honey over the cheese, then set candy eyes and a few plastic spiders for fun. Give the dips a spoon and the board is ready to serve.

Notes

  • I always cut the fruit shapes first, because cutting is the slowest part and I like to finish it before I get hungry.
  • I pat every fruit dry with a paper towel, which keeps the crackers from turning soft.
  • I use a sharp cookie cutter, since a dull one tears the cantaloupe instead of cutting it cleanly.
  • I keep the cheeses cold until the last minute, so they slice neatly and stay firm.
  • I choose one bold color for each section, which makes the whole board pop in photos.
  • I place the plastic props on after everything else, so I don't mix them up with the food.