Fruit Turkey Thanksgiving Fruit Tray

A colorful Thanksgiving fruit turkey made with fresh fruit arranged on a large platter. This easy, 20-minute recipe can be partially prepared ahead of time and customized with different fruit and decorations.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit turkey, fruit turkey platter, Thanksgiving fruit platter, thanksgiving fruit tray, turkey fruit platter

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 55kcal

Author Erin Dooner

Ingredients

1 green pear sliced in half lengthwise
1 fresh clementine
1 small pack (1 lb - 454 grams) strawberries stems removed and cut in half - try to keep the top part where you remove the stems flat and not curved
2 kiwi sliced into about 1/4” (2/3 cm) slices
2 red apples sliced into about 1/3" or 1/2” slices (.8-1.25 cm)
lemon juice, if needed
1 small pack (6 oz - 450 grams) blackberries
1 small pack (1 lb - 454 grams) green grapes
eyeballs candy eyeballs, mini chocolate chips, blueberries, etc. - see post for more ideas
icing, honey or toothpicks to attach eyeballs
carrot or cheddar slice to form feet

Instructions

Clean the fruit and pat dry with paper towels.
I used a 12” (30 cm) lazy susan for this turkey, but you can use any size or plate you'd like.
Start with the apples. If the apples are being cut hours ahead of time or if the turkey will be sitting out for a few hours, toss the slices in a bowl with a small amount of lemon juice. Then lay them down to form the outer feathers. They shouldn’t be touching.
Lay the kiwi slices just a bit over the apples, so they’re overlapping.
Place the strawberry slices over the kiwis so that they cover the border between the apple slices and kiwi slices.
Arrange the blackberries just inside the strawberry layer, slightly overlapping the exposed inner edges of the kiwi slices.
Add the green grapes.
Then the clementine segments.
Add the turkey body and attach the eyes and “beak.”
Make the feet with the cheddar or carrots and add to the turkey.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

The fruit amounts are approximate. You may need a little more or less depending on the size of your platter and the fruit. The amounts listed are for a 12-inch (30.5 cm) platter.
If you're vegan/paleo/dairy-free, make sure to use appropriate choices for the eyes (the eyes themselves and whatever you use to attach them). The post gives you several ideas. Also use carrots for the feet and beak.
If you're gluten-free, make sure your candy eyeballs are GF if that's what you want to use.
To save time on the day of serving, you can wash, peel, and chop the fruit up to one day in advance. Store the prepared fruit in airtight containers in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. I would wait to cut the apples and pear until you’d like to put the turkey together.
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition