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Easy Fall Pumpkin Patch Fruit Tray with Clementines

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A fun and festive fruit tray shaped like a pumpkin patch, featuring clementine ‘pumpkins’, grape vines, and a creamy maple-cinnamon dip. Perfect for fall gatherings, school parties, and Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 to 8 medium clementines
  • 2 cups green grapes, washed and dried
  • 1 large apple (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji), sliced thin
  • 1 ripe but firm pear (Bosc or Bartlett), sliced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)
  • A handful pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces
  • A few sprigs fresh mint leaves
  • Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the cream cheese dip: In a small mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate while preparing fruit.
  2. Prepare clementine ‘pumpkins’: Peel clementines and separate into individual segments. Gently press a small piece of pretzel stick into the flat side of each segment to create a stem. Set aside.
  3. Slice apples and pears: Core and slice into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick). Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes if desired. Toss apple slices in lemon juice to prevent browning if not serving immediately.
  4. Wash and dry grapes thoroughly with paper towels.
  5. Arrange the pumpkin patch: On a large platter, spread the cream cheese dip in a rough oval shape in the center, about 1/4 inch thick, leaving 2 inches of space around the edges.
  6. Create the vine: Arrange green grapes in a squiggly line coming from one side of the cream cheese patch, trailing off the platter.
  7. Place clementine pumpkins: Press clementine segments with pretzel stems gently into the cream cheese dip in clusters (3-4 clusters of 4-5 pumpkins each).
  8. Add apple and pear slices around the edges of the cream cheese patch and along the grape vine.
  9. Tuck fresh mint leaves here and there along the grape vine and near the clementine pumpkins.
  10. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Best assembled just before serving.

Notes

Use a white or light-colored platter for best contrast. Dry fruit thoroughly to prevent watery dip. For best results, make dip a day ahead and assemble tray just before serving. Pretzel stems can get soggy if left in dip too long; add them right before serving if possible.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall fruit tray, pumpkin patch fruit tray, clementine pumpkins, easy fall appetizer, healthy snack, school party, Thanksgiving appetizer, fruit platter

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/easy-fall-pumpkin-patch-fruit-tray-with-clementines/