This Fruit Christmas Tree centerpiece is such a beautiful, and easy way to display fresh fruit on your holiday table. A colorful assortment of fresh cut fruit is secured to a craft cone with toothpicks, creating a beautiful fruit tree display. Perfect for holiday brunch or appetizers!

Table of Contents
Edible Fruit Christmas Tree Appetizer
If you want a healthy, show-stopping display for your holiday party, this festive fruit Christmas tree is the perfect option!
The three-dimensional design is so eye-catching, and your guests will have so much fun picking a little bite of this or that from the festive tree. It’s also a great healthy option for this more indulgent time of year!

Why We Love This Christmas Fruit Tree Centerpiece
- Easy to make: This fruit salad Christmas tree looks complicated, but it’s not really! It’s all about attaching the fruits to the tree trunk with toothpicks. I’ve also added lots of detailed photos below to show you exactly how to add them for an artful display every time.
- Healthy & fun: This is such a wonderful way to serve lots of fruit this holiday season! Plus, your guests get to pick their fruit from the tree, which gives it an interactive component as well. It’s definitely more fun than a regular Christmas fruit tray!
- Stunning display: If you want a beautiful display to elevate your appetizer table, you’ve found it! The jewel-toned fruits are so enticing, arranged in spirals going up the tree, and the little sprigs of mint give it a festive natural look. This fruit tower is a spectacular choice for your holiday gatherings!
What Fruit Goes on a Christmas Tree?

Fresh Fruit
- Pineapple
- Strawberries
- Mandarin oranges
- Red grapes
- Green grapes
- Kiwi fruit
- Star fruit
- Honeydew melon
- Blueberries
- Large bunch of fresh mint
Other Supplies
- 1 foam craft cone, about 12″ high
- Toothpicks
- Small 1.5″ star shaped cookie cutters
- Sticky tack (optional)
How to Make a Fruit Christmas Tree – Step-by Step Instructions





- Wash all fruit and pat dry with paper towel. Slice pineapple into 1” chunks. Slice tops off strawberries. Slice kiwi horizontally, then into thick half moons. Slice starfruit thick. Peel oranges and break into segments.
- Slice the honeydew into 1.25” thick rounds. Use the star shaped cookie cutter to cut melon stars. Handle gently if your melon is very ripe. Place stars on paper towel and blot gently.
- If you couldn’t find Star fruit, use a larger star shape cookie cutter to punch a star shape out of a slice of the pineapple, or use a paring knife to shape your own star.
- Place craft cone onto a serving platter or large plate. I secured mine down with sticky tack.
- Push toothpicks into the cone on an angle for the strawberries, and gently hook the strawberries onto the toothpicks. Repeat process with the oranges. Next, place on the other firm fruits such as the pineapple, grapes, and kiwi. Add the melon stars.
- Fill in smaller areas with blueberries, you shouldn’t need to use toothpicks for each one, just push them into the cracks created by the fruit. Fill remaining larger gaps with fresh mint leaves, and create a ring of mint leaves around the base to hide the bottom of the cone. It’s ok if some of the cone is still visible. Serve immediately, or wrap gently with plastic wrap and place in fridge for up to 3 hours. Refresh the fruit tree with the leftover fruit as needed during your party.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- No matter what type of fruit you use, start building the tree with larger, firmer fruits first. Place softer. Smaller fruits on at the end.
- Insert the toothpicks on a slight angle pointing up. If the toothpicks are completely horizontal, it won’t hold the fruit as well.
- If you can’t find star fruit, the star on top could be made with pineapple, a thick slice of orange, mango, or watermelon. You could use an apple sliced to reveal the star shape created by the seeds, but it will brown quickly. Covering it with lemon juice will slow down the browning process. You could also place a clean, glitter free shatterproof ornament on top of the cone.
- Use any firm fruit you like for the fruit tree. Other fruits that would work well are watermelon, mango, blackberries, raspberries, cantaloupe. Bananas, pears, and apples will all turn brown very quickly, so these are not the best choice, but could work in a pinch.
- Pomegranate seeds could be used to fill in small gaps and add a pop of red color.
- Pre cut fruit from the grocery store would work well, particularly pineapple.
- If you can’t find fresh mint, pieces of leafy kale would work well. You could use other fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, but the flavors will permeate the fruit.
- This tree is best served right away. Making it as close to the time it is going to be served is best. Do not wash strawberries too far in advance, they will absorb the water and turn dull and spongy.
- Foam craft cones are usually found in the floral section of craft stores, but may also be located with seasonal crafts.
- If you can’t find a 12” craft cone: You can use a larger one, but may need extra fruit. If you can only find smaller ones, try making a Christmas tree forest out of three smaller cones!
- If you can’t find a craft cone at all: Peel a second pineapple, and cut the top and bottom off so you’re left with a barrel shape, place on platter. Secure an apple on top of the pineapple with a BBQ skewer or two. Break a thick carrot in half, and secure the skinny end to the apple. Place your toothpicks in this tower as a base for your tree.
- The craft cone can be covered in plastic wrap first if desired.

Recipe FAQs
The secret is to use a craft cone and a bunch of toothpicks! The cone is the natural shape of a Christmas tree, so you can simply attach the wooden toothpicks to the individual fruits and then stick them into the cone.
It’s important to add bigger fruits first and then gradually fill in the gaps with smaller and smaller pieces. To really make it beautiful, fill every inch! Don’t forget to add some greenery (fresh mint leaves) to make it feel more natural. It’s that simple!
The cone featured in the images is from Joann Fabrics, but you can find a similar cone on Amazon or in the floral or seasonal section of your local craft store.
That depends on the type of tree you mean! If you’re looking for real fruit Christmas tree decorations like ornaments and garlands, many people like to dry apple or orange slices for ornaments and make garlands out of cranberries.
If you want to build a tree out of fruit, you just need a large craft cone and a bunch of different fresh fruits in a variety of colors, like pineapple, starfruit, kiwi, grapes, honeydew, strawberries, blueberries, mandarins, and more. You can easily adjust the fruit to what you find available in stores and substitute a few things here and there!
Storage Guidelines
If you want to make the tree before your event, wrap the entire thing with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for a maximum of 3 hours.

Serving Suggestions
This fruit tree display would be such a great way to serve fruit for a Christmas party, your New Year’s event, or on Christmas Day. It would also be a fun breakfast surprise for a holiday brunch! Pair it with some of this Greek yogurt fruit dip and these other holiday appetizers, cheese boards, and Christmas fruit ideas for a real holiday feast.
- Watermelon Christmas Trees
- Charcuterie Wreath
- Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
- Veggie Christmas Wreath
- Non Alcoholic Christmas Punch
- Pretzel Reindeer Bites
- Snowman Truffles
Recipe Variations
- All one fruit: This tree shape is gorgeous with a variety of different fruits, but you don’t have to add so many different types! This tree would be beautiful with just strawberries or kiwi slices instead. It’s fun to add at least 3 different colors for texture and visual interest, but you could easily make a tree with just strawberries and a pineapple star topper. Make it your own!
- Add chocolate: Chocolate-dipped fruits are a perfect addition to this display. Dip some strawberries, blueberries, or mandarin orange slices, let them set, then attach them like normal. This will change the color palette of the tree, but it’ll add a lovely flavor.
- Change the design: This tree is artfully arranged to keep the different types of fruits separate on the tree. You don’t have to do that, though! You can also add thick horizontal bands of all one fruit or try arranging each type of fruit in a vertical spiral going around the cone.

More Holiday Recipes
- Easy Christmas Fruit Salad
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- 3-Ingredient Christmas Fudge
- Christmas Beef Roast
- Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!

Fruit Christmas Tree Centerpiece
Ingredients
- 1 fresh, ripe pineapple
- 16 oz package of strawberries
- 3 easy peel mandarin oranges, such as Cuties
- 2 cups red grapes
- 2 cups green grapes
- 2 kiwi fruits
- 1 Star fruit
- 1 honeydew melon
- 6 oz. package blueberries
- Large bunch of fresh mint
Other Supplies
- 1 foam craft cone, about 12" high
- Toothpicks
- Small 1.5" star shaped cookie cutters
- Sticky tack (optional)
Instructions
- Wash all fruit and pat dry with paper towel. Slice pineapple into 1” chunks. Slice tops off strawberries. Slice kiwi horizontally, then into thick half moons. Slice starfruit thick. Peel oranges and break into segments.
- Slice the honeydew into 1.25” thick rounds. Use the star shaped cookie cutter to cut melon stars. Handle gently if your melon is very ripe. Place stars on paper towel and blot gently.
- If you couldn't find star fruit, use a larger star shape cookie cutter to punch a star shape out of a slice of the pineapple, or use a paring knife to shape your own star.
- Place craft cone onto a serving platter or large plate. I secured mine down with sticky tack.
- Push toothpicks into the cone on an angle for the strawberries, and gently hook the strawberries onto the toothpicks.
- Repeat process with the oranges. Next place on the other firm fruits such as the pineapple, grapes, and kiwi. Add the melon stars.
- Fill in smaller areas with blueberries, you shouldn’t need to use toothpicks for each one, just push them into the cracks created by the fruit. Fill remaining larger gaps with fresh mint leaves, and create a ring of mint leaves around the base to hide the bottom of the cone. It's ok if some of the cone is still visible. Serve immediately, or wrap gently with plastic wrap and place in fridge for up to 3 hours. Refresh the fruit tree with the leftover fruit as needed during your party.
Notes
- No matter what type of fruit you use, start building the tree with larger, firmer fruits first. Place softer. Smaller fruits on at the end.
- Insert the toothpicks on a slight angle pointing up. If the toothpicks are completely horizontal, it won’t hold the fruit as well.
- If you can’t find star fruit, the star on top could be made with pineapple, a thick slice of orange, mango, or watermelon. You could use an apple sliced to reveal the star shape created by the seeds, but it will brown quickly. Covering it with lemon juice will slow down the browning process. You could also place a clean, glitter free shatterproof ornament on top of the cone.
- Use any firm fruit you like for the fruit tree. Other fruits that would work well are watermelon, mango, blackberries, raspberries, cantaloupe. Bananas, pears, and apples will all turn brown very quickly, so these are not the best choice, but could work in a pinch.
- Pomegranate seeds could be used to fill in small gaps and add a pop of red color.
- Pre cut fruit from the grocery store would work well, particularly pineapple.
- If you can’t find fresh mint, pieces of leafy kale would work well. You could use other fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, but the flavors will permeate the fruit.
- This tree is best served right away. Making it as close to the time it is going to be served is best. Do not wash strawberries too far in advance, they will absorb the water and turn dull and spongy.
- Foam craft cones are usually found in the floral section of craft stores, but may also be located with seasonal crafts.
- If you can’t find a 12” craft cone: You can use a larger one, but may need extra fruit. If you can only find smaller ones, try making a Christmas tree forest out of three smaller cones!
- If you can’t find a craft cone at all: Peel a second pineapple, and cut the top and bottom off so you’re left with a barrel shape, place on platter. Secure an apple on top of the pineapple with a BBQ skewer or two. Break a thick carrot in half, and secure the skinny end to the apple. Place your toothpicks in this tower as a base for your tree.
- The craft cone can be covered in plastic wrap first if desired.
Wow Elysia this is incredible! What a beautiful way to do a fruit display! Thank you for the inspiration!♥️
Thanks so much! I was so happy with how it turned out! :)