Ingredients

70g white chocolate, plus extra for sticking on the eyeballs

3 small bananas, peeled and cut in half crosswise

Eyeball cake decorations or black writing icing or edible ink pen

Small piece of celery

6 small tangerines, peeled

1 red apple, cored and cut into 6 wedges

2 tbsp nut butter (we used almond)

25g yogurt-coated raisins

425g can lychees in juice, drained

150g blueberries

250g black and green grapes

Short wooden skewers

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the 70g white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Allow the chocolate to cool to room temperature.

Step 2: Place the banana halves on a tray lined with baking parchment. Drizzle the cooled chocolate over the bananas in a criss-cross pattern to create “bandages.” Attach eyeball decorations or draw eyes with black icing or an edible ink pen. Chill the bananas for about 30 minutes until set.

Step 3: For the tangerine pumpkins, cut tiny stalks from the celery piece and insert them into the tops of the tangerines where the segments meet to resemble pumpkin stems.

Step 4: Create apple fangs by cutting a small wedge from the peel side of each apple wedge to form “lips.” Fill the mouth area with nut butter and press yogurt-coated raisins into the nut butter to mimic wonky teeth.

Step 5: For lychee eyeballs, stuff each drained lychee with a blueberry. Attach eyeball decorations onto the blueberry using some of the melted white chocolate or skewer the lychee and blueberry together. Optionally, drop these into a punch bowl for a spooky effect.

Step 6: Make grape snakes by threading alternating green and black grapes onto short wooden skewers. Stick on eyeball decorations with white chocolate as done in step five.

Step 7: Arrange all the prepared fruit creations on a large serving platter. Fill any gaps with leftover blueberries and decorate with spooky Halloween figures if desired.

Tips & Variations

Use clear white chocolate buttons for easier melting and smoother drizzling on the bananas.

Substitute nut butter with sunflower seed butter for a nut-free alternative.

If you can’t find eyeball decorations, use small edible sugar pearls and an edible marker to draw pupils.

Freshen cut apple wedges in lemon water to prevent browning before assembling.

Storage

Store the assembled fruit platter covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The bananas are best eaten the same day as they start to discolor after a couple of hours. If refrigerated, bring the platter to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving to enjoy the best flavor and texture.

FAQs

Can I prepare the fruit platter in advance?

You can prepare the components like the banana mummies and grape snakes a few hours ahead and keep them chilled, but assemble the platter close to serving time for the freshest look and taste.

What can I use if I don’t have eyeball cake decorations?

Black writing icing, edible ink pens, or small edible sugar pearls with drawn pupils work well as alternatives to eyeball cake decorations.