This rainbow fruit platter is made with fresh fruit, mini marshmallows and a simple fruit dip. It is great for kids' parties, spring celebrations or St. Patrick's Day, and it comes together with a few simple ingredients.
It is easy to customize and easy to share, especially for parties and holiday gatherings.
What you need for a rainbow fruit platter
For this rainbow fruit platter, I used strawberries, raspberries, mandarins, pineapple, green grapes, blueberries and purple grapes, along with mini marshmallows and a simple fruit dip. If needed, you can swap some of the fruit for similar options in the same color, depending on what is available.
To prepare everything, you will need a cutting board and knife and a large serving tray or board, preferably round or rectangular. You can also line the tray or board with parchment paper before arranging the fruit. Measuring spoons are handy for the dip, but regular spoons will work too. Start with less and add more to taste.
How to arrange a rainbow fruit platter
Start with the outer layer and use the red fruit first. You do not need to have all the colors, but 4 is the minimum and 5 or 6 will give the best look.
Arrange the fruit in curved rows and fill in any gaps as you go so the rainbow looks full. Once everything is in place, add the dip and marshmallows at the ends.
If you want to bring this platter to a party or picnic, choose a rimmed tray so it is easy to transport and go for fruits that hold up well.
How to make it for St. Patrick's Day
To turn this into a St. Patrick's Day fruit platter, make a "pot of gold" with chocolate coins or Rollos.
For the "clouds", use whipped cream, coconut yogurt, fruit dip, lemon curd dip, marshmallows or meringue kisses.
Recipe FAQs
For the red section, use strawberries, raspberries or pomegranate. For orange, use oranges, mandarins, loquat, apricots, cantaloupe melon, papaya or persimmons. For yellow, fresh pineapple works well. For green, use green grapes or kiwi. For blue, blueberries are the easiest option. For purple, use purple grapes or blackberries.
Use anything white you like, such as fruit dip, marshmallows or meringue kisses. For a savory option, you can also use mozzarella balls or diced white cheddar.
A round cutting board, rectangular tray or a large serving plate are all great options.
Rinse all the fruit, peel and cut or dice what needs preparing and keep everything in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Another option is to use two aluminum trays. Fill one with ice and fill another one with fruit arranged in a rainbow shape. Place the tray with fruit over the ice and serve it this way.
All the fruit can be prepared in advance, but it is important that it is as fresh as possible and not overripe.
You can rinse and pat dry strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and grapes. You can peel the mandarins and separate them into segments. Pineapple can also be prepared in advance by removing its hard skin and core and cutting the rest into bite-sized pieces.
More kid-friendly party recipes
- Mini Sandwiches: The easiest appetizers for parties and easy to customize.
- Yogurt Fruit Dip: Another tasty dip with Greek yogurt.
- Turkey Pinwheels: Delicious tiny snacks for any occasion.
Rainbow Fruit Platter
Ingredients
For the rainbow:
- 1 pound strawberries
- 4 ounces raspberries
- 5 mandarins (peeled)
- ½ pineapple (about 2 cups diced)
- 1 cup green grapes
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup purple grapes
For the fruit dip:
- 8 ounce cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the clouds:
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
For the platter:
- Rinse the strawberries, raspberries, grapes and blueberries well. Pat them dry so the platter does not get watery.
- Remove the stems from the strawberries, then halve or quarter them if they are large. Remove the hard skin and core from the pineapple and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Remove the grapes from the stems. If you see any loose strings on the mandarins, remove those.
- Arrange the fruit in curved rows on a round 15-inch (38-centimeter) board, following its shape. Start with strawberries and raspberries, then add the mandarins, pineapple, green grapes, blueberries and purple grapes. Tuck in extra fruit where needed so the rainbow looks full.
For the fruit dip:
- In a food processor, blend the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust if needed. Transfer it to a small bowl.
- If you do not have a food processor, you can mix everything by hand. It will still taste the same, but it will not be as creamy.
- Spoon the dip into a small bowl and place it at one end of the rainbow. Arrange mini marshmallows at the other end to look like clouds. If you have another small bowl, you can place them in that instead.
- Keep the platter refrigerated if not serving immediately. For the freshest look, serve the same day.
Notes
- If the rainbow platter is too large to fit in your fridge, prep the fruit in advance, keep it refrigerated and assemble it right before serving.
- For the clouds, you can use only marshmallows, only fruit dip or both. Meringue kisses are also a tasty choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from available data and may vary with ingredient brands and portion sizes.
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