Make this cute fruit turkey platter for your holiday buffet table. The turkey’s feathers area are made with fresh fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, orange slices, apples, and bananas – with the turkey’s body and head made from a juicy pear half. This fun fruit turkey is easy enough that you can get the kids involved and will make a lovely edible centerpiece everyone will admire and enjoy.
Just look at this adorable turkey fruit platter! If you have followed me for any amount of time, then you know that a fruit turkey is pretty much the only kind I’ll be eating for Thanksgiving dinner!
This festive fruit tray would be the perfect addition to any holiday table or buffet. It is easy enough to make that you could enlist the kids to help too! Use the suggested fruits, or substitute any other of your favorite fresh fruits of your choice.
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Ingredients needed to make your own fresh fruit turkey platter for your holiday meal
The fruits I used are listed below. You can use any fresh fruit (or canned fruit) that makes you happy. Just make sure that you have some large circles or semi-circles for the base to build the “feathers” on. These are the fruits that I used:
- on-half bosc pear -A bosc pear is the best pear to use because it’s brownish and looks perfect for the turkey body.
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 10 strawberries – You will be removing the stems and cutting the strawberries in half. It looks better to cut the top part off with the stem rather than just digging it out.
- 1 orange – You will be leaving the peel on and slicing the orange into thin slices. Depending on how large your orange is, you might need two. The orange slices will be making the top part of the turkey feathers and provide a base on which to arrange the other fruit.
- 2 apples – You will be leaving the skin on and making thin wedges to pattern into the feathers or plume area. Either a red-skinned or green apple will do. Or be extra and use one of each.
- 4 canned pineapple rings or chunks (or use fresh)- you will be cutting the pineapple rings into thirds or halves and using them to make patterns on the turkey feathers. You can use more than four rings if you’d like.
- 1 banana – You will need to wait till right before serving before you peel and slice the banana so that it won’t get too brown too quickly. You might also want to purchase a couple of bananas in case part of the one you are using is bruised and icky looking.
- a squeeze or two of lemon juice – If your turkey fruit platter is going to be sitting out for any amount of time then a quick squeeze of lemon juice on top will keep the apples and bananas from browning right away.
Other suggested fruit to consider
The above-listed fruit is the fruit I used when I made my Thanksgiving turkey fruit platter. This project is pretty flexible though. You can choose any fruit you’d like to use. I like to use larger round fruit like the orange slices for the tops of the turkey’s feathers and larger pieces like the apple wedges to define the individual feathers. But you can use any combination of colorful fruits you’d like to arrange fruit into a pattern on the feather area.
Here are some other suggestions for different fruits that would look nice:
- blueberries
- kiwi slices
- red grapes or green grapes
- pitted cherry halves
- fresh cranberries
- mango wedges
- slices canned peaches
How to make a turkey fruit platter you’ll be proud to share this Thanksgiving
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
Step 1: Wash, drain, dry, and slice your fruits
Rinse the berries in a strainer and pat them dry. Slice the tops off from the strawberries and then cut them in half. Slice the oranges into circles and slice the apples into somewhat thin wedges. Cut the bosc pear in half. You will only be using one-half of the pear. Slice or cut into bite-sized pieces any other fruits you want to use.
Step 2: Arrange the fruit
Arrange the largest curved or round pieces at the top of your try in a semi-circle. I find it best to use an oval-shaped tray because it really suggests the half-circle turkey feather plume.
I very strongly recommend using sliced oranges for this turkey fruit tray. The curved edges and orange color is perfect for the rounded top of the feathers. Continue to arrange other large pieces like apple wedges and pineapple near that top layer.
Layer additional fruit from the back to the front of the tray. Try to pattern shapes and colors as you continue to add the fruit until you have a pleasing-looking “turkey tail”.
Leaving space for the body, use a dark-colored small fruit such as these blackberries for the final layer. Notice how I made a narrow layer of raspberries in a semi-circle and then placed the blackberries? This makes a nice contrast.
Step 3: Make the fruit turkey body
Prop up a pear half at the front of the tray on top of that final layer to create the turkey body. You can use blackberry seeds, pineapple, or strawberry chunks to create the face of the turkey. Or, make use of any type of fruit you are using. Be creative!
Right before serving, slice the bananas and set them around the bottom of the pear to make chest feathers. I suggest saving the banana till right before serving so that they don’t brown.
I also suggest not trying to prep the turkey tray too far in advance of serving anyway so that the fruits will remain fresh, firm, and tasty.
For some other tasty plant-based food to serve at your Thanksgiving celebration, try:
The printable recipe card
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Fruit Turkey Tray
Ingredients
- ½ bosc pear for it's brownish color
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 10 strawberries
- 1 orange
- 2 apple
- 4 pineapple rings
- 1 banana
- other fruit of choice see notes
Instructions
- Wash the fruit and pat dry. Cut the pear in half, slice/wedge the apples, thinly slice the oranges, cut the pineapple rings in fourths, remove the stems from the strawberries and cut in half. Do not slice the banana until just before serving.
- Arrange the orange slices in a semi-circle at the back of the tray. You will build the turkey plume on these.
- Arrange three semi-circle rings/layers of apple wedges/slices and pineapple pieces. See photos.
- Add the strawberries, berries and other fruits in patterns to make the plume look interesting. Reserve a majority of the blackberries and raspberries.
- Make a ring of raspberries and then blackberries. Prop the pear half at the front on the berries to make a body/head. Use blackberry seeds, pineapple, and strawberry chunks to create a face.
- Right before serving, peel and slice the banana. Layer the banana slices around the bottom of the pear to make chest feathers.
