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Halloween Fruit Tray For Party
Ash Tyrrell

Halloween Fruit Tray For Party

I made this Halloween fruit tray for my niece's party last October, and it vanished faster than the candy bowl. I wanted a snack that looked wickedly fun but still felt fresh and light. Banana ghosts, clementine pumpkins, and grape spiders did the job beautifully. It took me about half an hour, and no oven was needed.
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Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 clementines: peel into easy little pumpkins.
  • 4 firm bananas: shape the ghosts so skip very ripe ones.
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips: make the ghost eyes and mouths.
  • 2 cups green grapes: fill the tray with bright color.
  • 2 cups black or deep purple grapes: become the spider bodies.
  • 1 cup pretzel sticks: act as crunchy spider legs.
  • 4 kiwis: add a slimy green look once sliced.
  • 1 cup blackberries: give the tray a dark creepy tone.
  • 1 cup blueberries: fill gaps and add deep color.
  • 1 cup strawberries: bring a "blood red" pop.
  • 2 celery stalks: cut into tiny pumpkin stems.
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice: keeps the bananas from browning.
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt: the creamy base for the dip.
  • 1 tablespoon honey: sweetens the dip lightly.

Method
 

  1. Rinse the grapes, berries, and strawberries under cool water. Pat everything dry with paper towels so the tray does not turn watery. Dry fruit also looks shinier and holds decorations better.
  2. Peel each clementine gently and keep the segments together so it looks like a tiny pumpkin. Remove the white pith if you can. Press a small celery piece into the top to make the stem.
  3. Cut each banana in half crosswise, then stand the halves upright on a plate. Brush the cut edges with lemon juice to slow browning. Press two mini chocolate chips in for eyes and one for the mouth.
  4. Take one black grape for the body and push 4 pretzel sticks into each side using the pointed end. Snap the sticks to different lengths so the legs look natural. Add a tiny chocolate chip dot as an eye if you like.
  5. Peel the kiwis and cut them into rounds about half an inch thick. Hull the strawberries and leave them whole or halve them if they are big. These two fruits add the bold green and red that make the tray pop.
  6. Stir the vanilla Greek yogurt and honey together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste it and add a little more honey if you want it sweeter. Set the bowl in the middle or at one edge of your platter.
  7. Place the dip bowl first, then set the pumpkins and ghosts in separate clusters. Fill the open spaces with green grapes, kiwi rounds, and blackberries. Tuck the spiders near the edges so they look like they are crawling off the tray.
  8. Cover the finished tray loosely and chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before the party. The cold fruit tastes crisp and refreshing. Bring it out right before guests arrive so the ghosts stay fresh

Notes

  • I always buy the bananas a day early, but only when they are still slightly green at the tips. Firm bananas hold their shape much better.
  • I pick clementines that feel heavy for their size because they peel cleanly and stay juicy.
  • I cut the pretzel legs just before assembling so they stay crunchy and do not go soft.
  • I keep a small bowl of extra chocolate chips nearby because the ghost faces take a few tries to get right.
  • I place the tray on a dark platter or a black cloth because the orange and green colors stand out more.
  • I add the yogurt dip last so it does not drip onto the fruit while I am building.