How to Make A Fruit Platter (Fruit Tray)

Learn how to make the ultimate Fresh Fruit Platter! Read my hints, tips and tricks to ensure your easy fruit tray is the star of the party. You'll love these fruit platter ideas.

A Fruit Platter is a pretty display of fruit for a party, event or get together.

It sounds easy enough to make, and it is, however, with a few tricks you can make sure it lasts, looks delicious and the fresh fruit stays at its best.

Don't worry, I'm here to help with LOADS of hints, tips and fruit tray ideas for you.

Whether at a winter buffet or a summer party, a fruit tray can be the star of the show.

The colourful display of fruit, berries and melon always looks so inviting. There are so many colors, shapes and varieties that it's sure to entice any guest.

It's a rainbow of fresh fruit and lifts a party food table from beige to 'wow'.

From choosing the fruit to how to display it, read on for the Ultimate Fruit Platter Recipe!

Ways to make it extra special include placing the fruit onto a cake stand, adding sprigs of mint and including a selection of fruit dip.

What is the best fruit to use?

It goes without saying that fresh seasonal fruit is best for your fruit tray.

Check out your local farm shops, fruit and vegetable stands and CSA veg box schemes as they'll likely have the best ingredients.

Making sure your fruit is fresh, ripe and flavourful is key to creating an amazing fruit platter that gets devoured by guests.

Look for a variety of types and aim for a rainbow of colours.

You'll want to get quite a lot of fruit because the best fruit trays are piled high.

If you have too much, leftover fruit can be frozen or used in smoothies or other recipes.

Fruits for a fresh fruit platter

Melons - they're firmer so make a great base for the softer berries and fruits.

Tropical fruit - the top of a pineapple can be included for height, while dragonfruit looks vibrant. Check out speciality shops for interesting tropical fruit.

Berries - plump, ripe, juicy berries are always a winner on a fruit platter.

More fruit platter ideas

Fresh figs  - not everyone will know how to eat these, so I like to slice them into quarters. Then they're bite-sized so people don't wonder if they can eat the skin - hint: yes you eat the skin of figs. Plus, they have such a beautiful color inside that it adds another pretty layer to your fruit display.

Dried fruit (particularly for an autumn/winter fruit platter). Go for any you like. Dates are lovely and sweet, cranberries make it a festive Christmas fruit platter, raisins are always popular and dried mango or apples are great too. For small dried fruits, put them into a small dish so they don't get lost in the fruit tray. I like to use a vintage teacup!

Orange slices - nice and zesty! Tip: leave a small dish for people to leave their peels in.

Herbs - particularly mint, but a few long sprigs of rosemary or thyme could work well too. They look so lovely on the tray of fruit.

Edible flowers - they add more colour and look so pretty. I like to use nasturtiums, marigolds, pansies etc... 

PRO TIP: When serving pineapple and papaya, I like to hollow the shell, use a melon baller for the fruit and then pile it back into the shell.

Fruit to avoid

Some fruit has a tendency to go brown, even if you toss them in a little lemon juice.

Although it's fine to eat fruit that's going brown, it doesn't look very appetising, so it's best avoided on your display of fruit.

However, you could always pile some of them whole and uncut in a bowl next to the fruit tray.

It's best to NOT include (at least if cut):
Pears
Apples
Banana

But you don't need to leave them off your fruit tray. Instead, I like to include them whole. Then if they're anyone's favourite fruit, they can still enjoy them. 

PRO TIP: If you really want to use sliced apples and pears, then I suggest cutting them just before serving and tossing them in diluted lemon juice to help prevent browning.

How much fruit do I need?

You want to have enough fruit for each guest, but you also don't want a lot of waste at the end of your party!

To make sure you don't over or under cater for your fruit tray, here is a rough guide for how much fruit per guest.

• 10 guests - 8 cups of fruit
• 15 guests - 10 cups
• 20 guests - 15 cups
• 30 guests - 20 cups
• 40 guests - 25 cups

Why make your own fruit platter

Sure, you can easily pick up a fruit tray in Publix, Costco, Walmart or other grocery stores.

But it's really easy to make it yourself at home, and then you know that it's fresh and full of the best seasonal ingredients.

A Costco Fruit Platter can be expensive too. Plus, it's never displayed very attractively and you're probably going to want to transfer it to a pretty plate or dish anyway, rather than the plastic box.

If you grab a load of fresh, ripe fruit, then you can quickly make your own elegant and gorgeous platter at home.

Also, I love that you can customise the fruits you use!

How long does a fruit platter last?

It's best to make the fruit platter the day that you plan to serve it. Once assembled, store it covered in the fridge.

Alternatively, if you don't have space in the fridge, keep it chilled by placing it, covered, on a tray of ice.

If you need to make the fruit tray ahead of time, then wash and prepare all the fruit, and keep each type in separate containers in the fridge and assemble on the day.

It will keep this way for 3-4 days.

Pro Tip: use fancy cutters for interesting shapes!

Interesting fruit platter ideas for serving

Place the fruit on a cake stand to show it off and give it height above the other party food.

Use hollowed pineapples or coconut shells for extra interest.

Add edible flowers and sprigs of mint.

Make sure there's a bowl or trash can for guests to discard of any pips, stems or peelings.

Don't forget the napkins! Fruit can be juicy.

Use fancy crinkle cutters for interesting shapes.

Tips for the best fruit platter

• Buy seasonal fruit that's perfectly ripe.
• Avoid fruit that tends to go brown (apples, pears, banana).
• Make it on the day, or late the evening before.
• Ensure grapes are seedless and serve them in a bunch so they don't roll off the serving dish.
• Remove seeds from melons or buy seedless.
• Go organic if you can.

Fruit Display Tips

• Group the same fruits together (ie: mango, strawberries or blueberries) so guests don't have to pick through it.
• Distribute colours so there's variety (don't put raspberries and strawberries in the same area).
• Add firmer fruit, like melon, first, then pile soft fruit on top.
• Add height with a bunch of grapes or pineapple. You can slice the pineapple in half lengthways, scoop out the flesh with a melon baller and pile the pineapple balls back in.

Other Fruit Platter Ideas

Serve it on a special dish or cake stand.

Add something special, such as fresh figs, mint sprigs or edible flowers.

Make skewers of alternating types of fruit.

Fruit Dips

I also love to add a selection of dips that pair well with fruit.

For an extra-special fruit platter, I pile the fruit onto a cake stand, then add vintage teacups of dip around the bottom.

But of course, any containers would work perfectly too.

Or get creative and put them into shelled out coconuts or pineapples!

Tea Simple Syrup
Chocolate Avocado Dip
Vanilla Yogurt Dip

Get the recipe

📖 Recipe