Halloween Fruit Platter
This Halloween fruit platter is a fun and healthier way to celebrate the spooky season! The fruits are easy to decorate for kids and adults alike. And they're a great addition to your Halloween party menu, scary movie night or as a special after-school snack!
Ingredients
Candy Eyes (or use store-bought)
- ⅔ cup (65g) powdered sugar / icing sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons (10-15g) aquafaba (brine from a can of chickpeas) or dairy-free milk
- ½ teaspoon activated charcoal powder or a few drops of black food coloring
Apple Monsters
- 2 green and/or red apples
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- 1-2 strawberries sliced
- ¼ cup pine nuts slivered almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
Banana Ghosts
- 2 bananas peeled
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan chocolate
- ⅛ teaspoon coconut oil if needed
Strawberry Mummies
- 5-8 fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan white chocolate
- ⅛ teaspoon coconut oil if needed
Other Spooky Fruit (feel free to use different fruit!)
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup fresh seedless grapes green, red or black, halved
- 2-4 mango cheeks cut into a criss cross pattern
- 2-4 mandarins peeled
- 2-4 x 3" (6cm) pieces of celery
Instructions
Make the candy eyes (or use store-bought):
- Add the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons (10g) of aquafaba or milk to a small bowl and mix until combined. It should form a thick paste that flattens out slightly when dropped. If the mixture is too thick, add a small dash of liquid and mix again.
- Using a piping bag with a small round tip, pipe the mixture into approximately 30-40 circles on a piece of parchment paper. The circles should be around 1/3 inch or 8mm wide.
- Remove the remaining icing from the bag and stir in the charcoal powder or food coloring. Using a piping bag with a very small tip, pipe the black icing into the middle of each of the circles.
- Let the eyes dry uncovered at room temperature for 1-2 days, or until they are firm.
Make the apple monsters:
- Remove the cores from the apples and cut them into quarters. Cut a wedge out of each apple quarter to create the monster ‘mouths’.
- Spread 1-2 teaspoons of peanut butter on the areas that you just cut out. Place a strawberry slice in the lower half of the monster mouths.
- Press the pine nuts into the upper half of the mouths to resemble ‘teeth’. If the pine nuts don’t stick, use a toothpick to create indents in the apple for the pine nuts. Don’t worry about being neat – the monsters are meant to look scary!
- Arrange the candy eyes on the apple skin, using nut butter or melted chocolate as 'glue’.
Make the banana ghosts:
- Cut the bananas in half. Use a knife to cut out a zig-zag on the cut side of the bananas.
- Arrange the candy eyes on the bananas, using some nut butter or melted chocolate as ‘glue’.
- Use a small spoon and the melted chocolate to draw ‘mouths’ on the bananas.
Make the strawberry mummies:
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate across the strawberries.
- Stick the candy eyes on the strawberries. If the white chocolate has set, use a little melted chocolate as 'glue' for the eyes.
Make the other spooky fruit:
- Arrange the candy eyes on the blueberries, grapes and mango cheeks. Use melted chocolate or nut butter as 'glue' if needed. (note 1)
- Insert the celery sticks in the center of the mandarins.
- Arrange the fruit on a large platter or tray, as desired. Store covered for a couple of hours in the fridge until needed. Store leftover fruit in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Notes
- If you made your own candy eyes, they will start to 'melt' on extra juicy fruit such as grapes and mangoes. I suggest placing the eyes on these fruit just before serving. The candy eyes keep well on the strawberries and blueberries.