These Mandarin Orange Fruit Cups are a perfect anytime snack with a blend of sweet and tropical fruits and a dollop of whipped cream. You can even add a spooky garnish so they’re great for Halloween!
Whether you need a sweet treat to pair with breakfast, lunch, or breakfast-for-dinner, or you want a tasty dessert with a bit of extra nutritional value, you’ll love these fruit cups with whipped cream! Mandarin oranges are the star of the show.
If you love using fruit in your desserts, try this recipe for Fruity Twinkie Cake Dessert Cups as well!
Mandarin Fruit Cups are a pretty dessert to serve at Halloween parties.
Their light and sweet flavor pairs perfectly with tangy, tropical pineapple. The blend of natural fruit flavor with a light and airy topping makes for the perfect snack or dessert!
And for a special spooky twist, top your fruit cups with a piece of candy corn! The colors of the fruits and the whipped cream mimic the candy for a fun and festive fall dessert.
Arrange them in your favorite cups for a fruity treat kids and adults alike will enjoy.
Mandarin Fruit Cups are yummy, yet they take only a few minutes to make!
Why You’ll Love these Orange and Pineapple Fruit Cups
Similar to classic Dole fruit bowls, these tasty fruit cups are a versatile and delicious treat. They’re great to serve with breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or even as dessert fruit cups!
A light dollop of whipped cream adds the perfect amount of sweetness to tie it all together.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the fruits are arranged in a very particular order. That’s because these fruit cups with whipped cream are meant to look like a healthier version of candy corn with distinct yellow, orange, and white stripes!
Perfect for the fall and the Halloween season, this sweet treat is much better for you than candy but still packed with yummy sweet flavor.
Related: Love fruity desserts? Try these!
- Mini Fruit Pizza – These dessert “pizzas” use pie crust as a delicious base for a customizable treat!
- Strawberry Pizza – Sweet and fruity, your guests will love this strawberry pizza!
Mandarin Fruit Cup Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to put together these delicious fruit cups!
- Canned Mandarin Orange Slices – these form the orange part of the candy corn and add their signature sweetness with a hint of tangy citrus.
- Canned Pineapple Chunks – pair perfectly with the mandarin oranges and add a hint of tropical flavor, as well as a gorgeous golden color.
- Whipped Cream – provides some additional sweetness
- Candy Corn – this optional garnish is particularly appropriate when serving these fruit cups around Halloween.
Helpful Tools
- Glasses – You can also use plastic cups if you’re worried about the glasses breaking.
- Garnishes – Aside from the candy corn, you can add fun finishing touches like plastic toys, festive straws, or colored plastic silverware.
How to Make Halloween Themed Fruit Cups
- Fill a glass half way with pineapple chunks.
Start with a layer of pineapple to replicate the yellow candy corn layer.
- Fill the second half with mandarin orange slices.
Top with an even amount of orange slices, or adjust the proportions to your liking.
- Top with whipped cream, then garnish with a candy corn or whatever garnish you like.
Popular Variations and Substitutions
- This concept can be used with any fruit of your choice. You can add additional layers if you like, but if you want it to look like candy corn I recommend just two plus whipped cream.
- If you can’t find mandarin oranges or don’t like them, substitute with another orange-colored fruit. Regular orange slices are an option, or you could use peaches, apricots, mango, cantaloupe, or nectarines.
- Similarly for the yellow stripe, instead of pineapple use banana slices, peeled apple chunks, pears, or even something like star fruit.
- Canned whipped cream works perfectly, but you could also top these fruit cups with a whipped topping like Cool Whip. You could even replace that with some white frosting for a sweeter dessert.
Essential Tips & Tricks
- Drain the syrup or juice from the canned fruit to prevent the fruit cups from becoming too sweet or liquidy.
- Feel free to further chop your fruit slices and chunks. This is great if you’re serving fruit cups to younger children.
Storage Tips
- If you need to store your mandarin orange fruit cups, hold off on adding the whipped cream and garnish until it’s time to serve them.
- Keep fruit cups covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend an airtight container if possible, or tightly wrap the top of each cup with a bit of cling wrap.
- These fruit cups can also be frozen if you need to prepare them ahead of time. Keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months. Allow your fruit cups to thaw in the fridge before serving.
Add a fun and sweet candy corn garnish to take these slightly spooky treats to the next level!
FAQs
What are mandarin oranges?
This particular type of fruit is smaller than your typical orange. Mandarin oranges are sweet and easy to peel, which makes them a great choice to snack on for kids.
“Mandarin” refers to a wider group of small, sweet types of orange. Some of those varieties include tangerines and clementines.
Are mandarin orange fruit cups good for you?
Yes, these fruit cups are a good source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and a whole variety of nutrients and enzymes that are great for you!
Draining the syrup from your canned fruit is a great way to reduce the amount of sugar present. If you want a healthier version, omit the whipped cream and candy garnish.
How many calories are in a Mandarin Orange fruit cup?
One fruit cup has about 150 calories. Make them in smaller portions if you want a lower-calorie snack.
Halloween Fruit Cups are perfect for a spooky Halloween party dessert.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Halloween Jello Shots – Inspired by Morticia Addams from The Addams Family, these spooky Jello shots are ideal for Halloween parties and scary movie nights.
- Mini Fruit Tarts – Choose your favorite fruits and bake them into these individual fruit tarts as a companion to your next cocktail hour.
- Halloween Margaritas – You’ll love this spooky take on the classic tequila cocktail with eerie colors inspired by Beetlejuice!
- Candy Corn Lasagna – This recipe from OMG Chocolate Desserts is another fun layered treat that channels the classic and iconic colors of candy corn.
Mandarin Orange Fruit Cups
Mandarin Orange Fruit Cups
These spooky fruit cups layer mandarin oranges with pineapple chunks and whipped cream to replicate the stripes of classic candy corn!
Ingredients
- Canned Mandarin Oranges
- Canned Pineapple Chunks
- Whipped Cream
- Candy Corn (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Fill a glass half way with pineapples.
- Fill the second half with mandarin oranges.
- Top with whipped cream.
- Garnish with a candy corn or whatever garnish you like.
Notes
- For freshest results, assemble your fruit cups just before serving.
- Other fun garnishes include plastic toys like spider rings, eyeballs, and skeletons, Halloween themed-straws, or colorful plastic cutlery.
- If you like, you can replace the mandarin oranges with regular oranges, mango chunks, or cantaloupe for the orange color.
- The yellow color can be achieved with banana, pear, or starfruit instead of pineapple.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 1g