How to Make a Beautiful Fruit Platter

Everything you need to know on how to make a beautiful fruit platter! Making a show-stopping fruit tray perfect for parties and gatherings is easy. An assortment of irresistible, delectable fruit can be made for any occasion. You’ll be amazed by how simple and yet stunning this platter looks.

These fruit platter ideas can be used in the middle of the winter or for a hot summer day! They’re great to serve for all occasions as a side dish or with dessert. 

Keep reading to learn how to make a show-stopping fruit tray perfect for parties! 

Fruit Tray

A fruit tray is a colorful and healthy option for a large group at parties, gatherings, or as a snack. It consists of various fresh fruits arranged appealingly on a platter or tray. The fruits can be seasonal or year-round favorites such as strawberries, pineapple, grapes, kiwi, oranges, apples, and more.

A fruit tray can be made for any season. It’s the perfect appetizer for larger gatherings like holidays, BBQs, and celebrations. It can be customized per season and to your liking; make my Christmas wreath fruit platter for the holidays. 

Check out our fruit and cheese platter to serve this with cheese. 

Serve this platter with a cheese board and a dessert charcuterie board for the ultimate party appetizers! 

What Kind Of Fruit To Use

Various fruits, such as fresh and delicious seasonal fruits, should be on your fruit platter. Using perfectly ripe fruits that are in season will help your fruit stay fresher longer.

Aim for all the colors in the rainbow when picking your fruit. Here are some of the best fruits for a fruit platter: 

• Golden Pineapples add a tropical and refreshing touch to a fruit platter. I love their unique texture and sweetness that balances out the other fruits on the platter.

• Seedless Grapes (red, green, or black) – Easy to eat and come in various colors, adding visual interest to the platter. Their small size also makes them perfect for mixing in with other fruits. I even like to keep them on the vine for presentation. If you’ve ever seen green grapes that taste like cotton candy, those are a great option for the platter.

• Apples (red or green) – Sweet yet slightly acidic flavor that pairs well with other fruits. They also come in various colors, making them visually appealing on a platter. Add a splash of lemon juice to them to prevent browning.

• Star Fruit, Passion Fruit, Dragon Fruit – Tropical fruits add a unique shape and flavor to a fruit platter. 

• Pomegranate Seeds – These are great for winter fruit platter.

• Kiwis – Another fun fruit to add with its bright, vibrant green color. 

• Oranges – These are great year-round and add vibrancy to the platter.

• Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries – I always have fresh berries on my platter. They add color and texture and are easy to eat. 

• Melons: Seedless Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew – Melons are juicy and can be sliced, cubed, diced, or served as small balls using a melon scooper. They add color and seasonality to a summer platter. 

• Pears – A must for a winter fruit tray; they come in different colors and varieties. 

• Peach Slices – Juicy peaches are among my favorite fruits to add to an end-of-summer fruit platter. 

Tip: Some fruits like apples, pears, or bananas tend to brown quickly, so cut them promptly. Dip cut apples, pears, or even bananas in pineapple or lemon juice to stop them from browning.

Fruits by Seasons

To make this a seasonal fruit platter, use fresh in-season fruit. You can find the freshest fruit at farmers’ markets. For fall, use cherries, pomegranates, and even winter pineapple. 

Summer fruit platters will be brighter and filled with fresh strawberries and watermelon.

Winter Fruit: Pears, grapefruits, passion fruits, kiwis, lemons

Spring Fruit: Strawberries, apricots, mangoes, limes, honeydew melons

Summer Fruit: Blackberries, watermelons, peaches, oranges, raspberries

Fall Fruit: Apples, cherries, grapes, pomegranates, pineapples

How to Arrange a Gorgeous Fruit Platter

Fruit should be arranged and stacked by height to add a dramatic appeal. 

First, place small dipping bowls on the platter for fruit dip, caramel, or berries.

Use small bowls to organize the fruit. 

Next, add more oversized items, like watermelons and grapes, to the platter. Keep grapes on the vine for extra height and to ensure they don’t roll off the tray. 

• Add slices of oranges, apples, and chunks of pineapple. If you have the room, place a few small piles, separated, on the platter. If you’re using a round platter, use the shape of the plate to guide where you add the fruit. 

• Then, layer in smaller items like sliced kiwi and berries. 

• Tuck in garnishes like fresh mint leaves and edible flowers around the platter.

• A wood cutting board, marble serving tray, or large white platter makes for the prettiest fruit platter.

Best Tips for a Beautiful Platter

• Decide early what fruits you want to have at your event. Be sure to buy melons early enough for them to ripen and mangoes before they turn mushy.

• Choose ripe fruits in season for a long-lasting fresh fruit platter. 

• Prep only hearty fruits like melons or berries the night before your event. Store fruits separately in airtight containers to keep them fresh. 

• Use lemon and pineapple juice to stop fruits from browning. Buy a fancy cookie or vegetable cutter to make different shapes.  

• Buy organic fruit when possible. Organic fruits are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, making them cleaner and safer

Five Secrets to Making a Fruit Platter

I’m all about adding charm to any of our platters. Here are three easy ideas you can do at home:

1. Edible Flowers: Add edible flowers or fresh herbs around the finished board.
2. Height: Add height with cake stands and small bowls. Stacking soft fruit on hard fruit will also help achieve a more dramatic platter. 
3. Color: Remember you want your platter to be attractive and irresistible; including all the rainbow colors will help you achieve this.
4. Theme: Style fruit platters by color scheme or theme. Choose all red fruits for a stylish platter or all tropical fruits for a unique platter.
5. Different Shapes: You can use a melon baller to scoop the flesh of watermelon or pineapples or cookie cutters for fun shapes. Get a sharpened knife to cut kiwis or oranges in a v shape easily. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Making a fruit platter ahead of time is simple and can save you time on the day of your event. Here are some tips to help you prepare in advance:

1. Choose fruits that will stay fresh: Opt for fruits that won’t bruise easily or turn brown quickly, such as apples, pears, grapes, and citrus fruits. 
2. Cut fruits in advance: Wash, peel, and cut your chosen fruits into bite-sized pieces and store them in separate airtight containers or bags. This will prevent the fruits from getting soggy or mixing flavors.
3. Keep certain fruits fresh: For fruits that tend to brown quickly, such as apples and pears, soak them in a mixture of lemon juice and water for 5 minutes before storing them to help preserve their color. 
4. Assemble the platter on the day of your event: While you can prepare the fruits in advance, assemble your fruit platter for optimal freshness and presentation. When arranging the fruits, start with larger pieces like melon slices and fill in gaps with smaller fruits like berries.

How-To Store: If you have leftover fruit, storing sliced fruit in an airtight container before putting them in the refrigerator is best. Sliced fruits typically last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days if stored properly. Store the fruits separately so the juices don’t mix and make the flavors mix. 

Serving Guide

Here’s a rough guide to help you know how much to serve, depending on the type of fruit you choose. Suppose you are using larger fruits like apples or oranges. In that case, you may need fewer pieces than using smaller fruits such as blueberries or strawberries.

• 6 Guests – We suggest about 3-4 cups of fruit.

• 10 Guests – You will need about 6 cups of fruit.

• 20 Guests – You will need about 15 cups of fruit.

Another rule to gauge how much fruit you will need per guest is half a cup to one cup of fruit for each guest. 

The Best Fruit Dips

Every fruit platter should have a creamy fruit dip served with it. We have the best recipe for a refreshing yogurt fruit dip that goes with every type of fruit. This dip is creamy and a healthier version of most fruit dip recipes. 

Another option is making a homemade caramel sauce to dip juicy fruit in. Our recipe is easy to make and so delicious with all fruit!

If you want a sweeter fruit dip, try homemade marshmallow fluff. This makes it a dessert platter when marshmallow fluff is added.

Chocolate sauce is another delicious option for a fun take on fruit fondu!

You can also serve fruit with a creamy peanut butter dip. 

Tip: Adding a chocolate sauce or fruit dip will help break the dimensions of the platter up and add to its appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Keep a Fruit Platter Fresh?

The best way to keep a fruit platter fresh is to choose fruits that are ripe and in season. Making fruit platters the same day as your event is ideal to ensure the fruit is fresh. 

If you need to make the platter the night before, cover it up and store it in the refrigerator. Remember that some fruits are brown when cut, so avoid fruits like apples, bananas, or pears when making a platter in advance. 

It’s best to stick to fruits that are in season but once you cut an apple it will brown very quickly. Dip them in lemon juice only on the day of the event. 

Don’t add the bananas until the platter is ready to be served. Mangoes tend to get mushy if not cut when ripe. Cantaloupes and melons can often be as solid as a rock before cutting. Be sure to purchase fruits with the timing of your event in mind.

Tip: Cut up your fruit and store it in separate air-tight containers. Preparation is key when making an attractive fruit platter! 

How Do You Cut Strawberries for a Fruit Tray?

Strawberries can be cut with any paring knife. Cut the strawberry stems off and remove the white core for a more appealing berry. If the strawberries are particularly small, cut the stems and the white core and leave it whole for the platter. 

Be sure only to do this with bite-size strawberries. Strawberries can be cut in halves, whole, slices, or quarters. 

You can also use mini vegetable cutters and cut them into shapes. We used a tiny heart and made heart-shaped strawberries for our Valentine’s Day fruit and cheese platter.

If you have leftover strawberries, try these strawberry recipes.

Another idea, if you’re serving a fruit platter for dessert, is to add homemade chocolate-covered strawberries to the platter. They’re a juicy, sweet treat that people love!

How Early Can You Cut Fruit for a Party? 

The best time to cut fruit for a platter is the morning of your event. However, you can cut them early if you need to save time. Most fruits can be sliced 3 to 4 days in advance. 

Tip: Store fruits like blueberries and strawberries in an airtight jar with a paper towel at the bottom. This hack will keep your fruit fresher for longer. 

What to Serve with a Fruit Platter

Fruit goes well with so many meals. You can serve it for brunch with fresh banana bread or our favorite blueberry muffins or have it as a side platter with appetizers like our ham and cheese sliders. It’s great for parties, BBQs, or even as a dessert. 

When to Serve a Fruit Platter

Fruit platters are great for a dinner party, or anytime you’re entertaining and perfect year-round. You can make them as large as you need to provide for all of your guests or keep them small for a simple evening dining alfresco. 

Here are some of our favorite occasions to serve a fruit platter:

• Brunch
• Pool Party or Beach Bonfire
• Wine and Cheese Party
• Birthday Party: it’s also perfect for a last-minute birthday party! 
• Carnival Party or Garden Party 
• Tropical Party
• Baby Shower or Bridal Shower 
• Outdoor Movie Night 

More Platter Ideas You’ll Love

Here are some of our favorite platters for holidays and special occasions:

• Mexican Style Fruit Platter
• Valentine’s Charcuterie Platter
• Candy Platter for Easter 
• Appetizer Platter for Kids
• Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Platter 
• Southern Charcuterie Platter 
• Thanksgiving Platter
• Greek Mezze Platter

Now that you know how to create an epic fresh fruit tray let us know if you make one for your next party! 

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