June 2022 | Cook Now

Fruit Skewers

Fruit skewers are a fun and festive appetizer or snack! This healthy treat is easy to make and pleases everyone.

Looking for a fun appetizer idea or healthy snack? Try Fruit Skewers! Everything tastes better on a stick, right? This is a simple concept that’s more like an idea than a recipe: but it makes everyone go crazy for pure, fresh fruit. Use whatever fruits you like and if desired, serve with our favorite 3 ingredient fruit dip! The skewers are perfect for a summer appetizer, snack ideas or even a healthy dessert. We recently served these after a summer meal al fresco and it was the perfect after-dinner treat!

Ingredients for fruit skewers

Fruit skewers work with just about any fruit: so you can get as creative as you like! There are a myriad of artistic ways to combine fruits and thread them onto skewers. For our version, we picked fruits our family loves: because to be honest, we’ve got a few picky fruit people (sorry cantaloupe, you’re not a fave!). Here’s what we chose and a few other ideas:

Strawberries
Watermelon
Pineapple
Grapes
Blueberries
12-inch wooden skewers
Other fruits that work well: Cantaloupe, oranges, kiwi, honeydew melon, purple grapes, blackberries, and raspberries

Tips for threading fruit skewers

It’s easy to make fruit skewers and you can go in many different directions! Choose a rainbow of fruit, or go more monochrome with just 2 or 3 colors of fruit. The way you cut the fruit changes the look as well! Here are a few tips and ideas for threading the skewers:

A 12-inch skewer or smaller is a nice size. Avoid skewers that are very long as they are awkward to eat off of (especially for children).
Pre-cut fruit makes for quick prep. We got pre-cut pineapple and watermelon here, which is easy to find in the produce section of your grocery store. Or you can cut from the larger fruits: here’s how to cut pineapple and how to cut watermelon.
If desired, cut strawberries into a heart shape. Cut a notch into the top when you remove the stems, and you’ve got an instant heart shape! It looks nice on a skewer.
Determine a theme. Are you going rainbow? Red white and blue? Anything goes in skewer-land: just get creative.
Use cookie cutters. Want to get over-the-top cute? Use cookie cutters to cut shapes into watermelon or cantaloupe (like stars or hearts).

Serve with fruit dip if desired

It’s optional, but we love serving fruit skewers with our famous 3 ingredient fruit dip. It’s so simple whip up and tastes incredible: tangy, lightly sweet and perfect for fruits of all kinds. All you’ll need is Greek yogurt, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Head to the recipe below: and we promise it will become a favorite in your house! We’ve got it memorized over here.

More easy appetizer recipes

These fruit skewers are perfect as a summer appetizer: but they work in any season and for any occasion! They’re also perfect for healthy snacks and even a refreshing treat after a meal. Here are a few more fun appetizers you’ll love:

Try fresh and easy Caprese Skewers
Opt for Italian-inspired Antipasto Skewers
Go for Tequila Watermelon Skewers
Grab Apple Nachos or Easy Yogurt Bark

Caprese Skewers

Antipasto Skewers

Apple Nachos

Easy Yogurt Bark

This fruit skewers recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free (without the dip).

Fruit Skewers

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 16 skewers

Print Recipe

Description

Fruit skewers are a fun and festive appetizer or snack! This healthy treat is easy to make and pleases everyone.

Ingredients

For the fruit skewers

16 strawberries
16 watermelon chunks (fresh or pre-cut)
16 pineapple chunks (fresh or pre-cut)
16 green grapes
¾ cup blueberries

For the fruit dip (optional)

1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cut a notch into the strawberries to remove the stems and create a heart shape (see photos). If necessary, cut the pineapple and cut the watermelon into bite-sized chunks (buying pre-cut fruit makes for speedy prep).
Thread the fruit onto 12-inch wooden skewers.
If desired, make the dip: stir together the Greek yogurt, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day before serving.

Category: Appetizer
Method: No Cook
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Fruit skewers

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Perfect Peach Crisp

This peach crisp recipe with fresh peaches is a classic! It’s got a sweet, vanilla-scented fruit filling and a golden crunchy crumble.

Here’s a treat for eating al fresco on the porch as the summer sun sets: this Peach Crisp recipe! This nostalgic dessert is pure summer bliss. Ripe, juicy peaches star in a vanilla-scented gooey filling that’s covered with just the right ratio of crunchy golden crumbles. Top with a dollop of melty vanilla ice cream and it’s summer dessert heaven! Recently we enjoyed it on the patio with dinner guests, who helped themselves to seconds…then thirds! Here’s how to make this tasty summer treat.

Ingredients in this peach crisp recipe

Peach crisp is a summer tradition around here (though I grew up eating this fresh peach pie as our seasonal treat). The great part about crisp? It’s simple, requires no baking technique and is a knock-out hit every time you serve it. People never tire of crisp: we promise! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for a good peach crisp recipe:

Ripe fresh peaches: don’t compromise on ripeness! See the notes below. You can also substitute frozen peaches in this recipe if desired.
Granulated sugar
Cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
Lemon juice
Vanilla extract
Old Fashioned rolled oats
All purpose flour
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Butter (cold)
Salt

How to ripen peaches

Ripe peaches are key to any peach recipe. At the store, there’s a lot of variation in ripeness: you might find them rock hard or so juicy they’re almost bruising. If they’re even a bit hard, you’ll need a few days to ripen them. Here’s what to do:

Place the peaches in a paper bag.
Add a banana inside the bag. The banana emits ethylene gas, which helps the peaches ripen at the same time.
Gently close the top of the bag and wait 1 to 4 days, depending on the ripeness of the peaches. Check each day by gently squeezing the fruit to see if the flesh feels soft.

Tricks for peeling peaches

Traditionally, a peach crisp uses fresh peeled peaches. You can make crisp with skin-on peaches, but it does add an extra texture element that some eaters might not enjoy. Here’s what to know about peeling peaches: you can’t use a vegetable peeler! It destroys the delicate fruit in the process. Here’s a quick way to perfectly peel peaches (which I learned from my mom in this peach pie recipe):

Boil batches of peaches for 45 seconds each. Drop 3 peaches into a pot of boiling water, so that the water fully covers them and boil for 45 seconds.
Place into ice water. Remove the peaches from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Drop in the next batch and repeat.
Pull off the skin with your fingers. Once the peaches are cooled, use a sharp knife to puncture the skin of the peach, then peel it off in large sheets with your fingers.

Make it gluten-free or vegan

Want to make this peach crisp recipe work for gluten-free or vegan diets? Here are a few easy substitutions that work perfectly:

Use almond flour for gluten-free. Almond flour is perfect for crisp recipes: it makes an even crunchier crumble topping.
Substitute vegan butter or coconut oil for vegan. Vegan butter is the best option for the crunchiest crumble. Coconut oil comes out softer and not quite as crisp. We recommend refined coconut oil, which has a subtler coconut flavor.

Leftover storage info

Got a big pan of peach crisp and want to save it? This dessert saves well at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen.

It can stand for 1 day covered at room temperature. The topping stays crisp with this method.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. It holds up pretty well in the fridge, and tastes even better when reheated.
Freeze up to 3 months. You can freeze peach crisp for up to 3 months in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and the topping is crisp.

More peach recipes

When it’s the season, make all the peach recipes! Here are some favorites you’ll love:

Try this easy and tasty Fresh Peach Salad
Go for Peach Sorbet
Mix up a batch of Peach Salsa or Peach Sangria
Bake a Peach Cobbler or Fresh Peach Pie

Fresh Peach Salad

Peach Salsa Recipe

Peach Sorbet

The Best Fresh Peach Pie

This peach crisp recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free and vegan, see the substitution notes in the recipe below.