Need to know how to make a fruit tray or just some ideas? This is a great how to guide to help you plan out what you’ll need.

I have a pretty awesome post today in my opinion! This how to make a fruit tray guide will be a hit at your next party and I will give you guys lots of suggestions. There are so many options when it comes to a fruit tray and my best advice is to buy the fruit in season with a few indulgences.

A fruit tray pleases all ages and could also be used for a healthy dessert tray as well. You should have seen my kiddos faces when I brought this to the table after I was done taking pictures. They even asked if it was all for them and when I told them yes their faces lit up like it was Christmas morning.

My kids are easily entertained…….

How much to make???

Fruit: you will need about 1/2 -1 cup of fruit per person or 6-8 cups for 12 people.
Dips: have about 3 tablespoons per person or 1 1/2 cups for 12 people. I have these three dips as possible choices for you: Healthy Almond Butter Fruit Dip, Quick and Easy Marshmallow Fruit dip, or Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip.
Cookies: about 2 per person or 24 pieces for 12 guests. (I like to provide more than this because it helps the tray last a little longer but that’s just my choice.)

Here is my seasonal fruit guide:

Winter:

Apples (if you do use apples put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Bananas (if you do use bananas put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Oranges
Pears
Pineapple

Spring:

Apples (if you do use apples put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Apricots
Bananas (if you do use bananas put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Pineapple
Strawberries

Summer:

Apples (if you do use apples put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Apricots
Bananas (if you do use bananas put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Berries of all kinds
Cherries
Melons of all kinds
Kiwi
Mangos
Nectarines
Peaches
Plums

Fall:

Apples (if you do use apples put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Bananas (if you do use bananas put them on the tray very last or dip them in a little lemon juice to help prevent browning)
Grapes
Mangos
Pears
Pineapple
Raspberries

Take note that many of these fruits are available out of season. Buying the fruit in season will save you some money. So choose as many in season fruits then splurge on a few that are considered out of season. Some that I like to splurge on are berries. But that’s because I love berries. You do you and choose what you and your guests will like the best.

Other tips to make your tray a success:

Buy your fruit the day before but no sooner so it is as fresh as possible.
Make the dips the day before and spoon into the desired serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
You can cut your fruit the day before to help save time but it’s best if cut the day of. Cut fruit into bite sized pieces and store in the refrigerator in separate containers. (I do this just so fruit juices don’t intermingle and everything tastes the same because ripe watermelon can put off a lot of juice once cut.) If you are serving bananas and/or apples I strongly suggest cutting them just before serving and dipping in a small amount of lemon juice to help prevent browning.
Assemble your fruit tray about 10-15 minutes before your guests arrive. Start by placing your dip/dips on the platter. Arrange the fruit in an eye appealing manner. Maybe try putting the colors in the order of the rainbow. Or group similar fruits together or just place them in a random order. Use the cookies to help fill in blank areas. I like to garnish my dips with a small amount of finely chopped nuts but this is optional.

Most of all have fun making your fruit tray and enjoy your party!!