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Watermelon Halloween Fruit Tray Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Watermelon Halloween Fruit Tray Recipe

I made this watermelon Halloween fruit tray for a small spooky get-together, and the whole platter disappeared in minutes. The carved watermelon looks like it is spilling a colorful fruit salad out of its mouth, and the kids went wild for it.
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Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium watermelon: the spooky "bowl" and also part of the fruit filling so choose one that is neither giant nor tiny.
  • 1 cantaloupe or honeydew: adds soft orange or pale green cubes that look great against the red.
  • 3 bananas: they are creamy and easy to cut but slice them last so they stay fresh-looking.
  • 12 strawberries or more: they bring bright red color and sweetness, and you can never go wrong with extra.

Method
 

  1. Wash the watermelon well and dry it. Slice off roughly the top one-eighth of the melon. You do not need to measure it, just make sure you create a straight, flat opening wide enough to get a spoon inside.
  2. Use a large spoon to scoop out all the red flesh. Unlike a pumpkin, this is the fun part, so sneak a bite while you work. Drop the scooped watermelon into a bowl and save it for the fruit pile.
  3. Flip the watermelon over so it stands on the flat cut side. Draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth with a marker, then cut them out with a small paring knife. I placed the mouth low on the front so the fruit could tumble out easily.
  4. Set the carved watermelon toward the back of your platter. Leave a big open space in front of it. That empty space is where your "spill" of fruit will go, so give yourself plenty of room.
  5. Cut the scooped watermelon, the cantaloupe, and the bananas into bite-sized squares. Remove the green tops from the strawberries and leave them whole. Soft fruits like cantaloupe and banana are easy for little hands to cut, so let the kids help.
  6. Heap the cut fruit right in front of the open mouth, letting some pieces fall out of it. Mix the colors so the red, orange, yellow, and pale green all show. Serve right away and watch everyone laugh.

Notes

  • I always draw the face with a marker first, because it makes carving so much less stressful.
  • I choose a watermelon that sits steady, since a wobbly one is hard to carve.
  • I chill the watermelon and all the fruit before I start, so the tray tastes cool and crisp.
  • I cut the bananas last, so they look fresh when guests walk up to the table.
  • I leave a little rind around each eye hole, because thin edges can crack.
  • I keep the scooped watermelon in a separate bowl, so the tray never gets watery.
  • I let kids handle the soft fruit, since they love feeling like part of the Halloween magic.