Description
Critter Crudités is a fun and creative appetizer featuring charming edible snails and caterpillars crafted from fresh vegetables and fruits, filled and held together with creamy peanut butter or cream cheese. Perfect for kids’ parties or as a whimsical snack, this healthy platter combines crunchy celery with colorful slices of apple, orange, kiwi, cucumber, tomatoes, grapes, and blueberries, decorated with cashews and candy eyes to bring delightful garden critters to life.
Ingredients
For the Snails
- Celery stalks
- Peanut butter or cream cheese, at room temperature
- Sliced apple
- Sliced orange
- Sliced kiwi
- Sliced cucumber
- Sliced tomato
- Cashews
- Candy eyes
For the Caterpillars
- Celery stalks
- Peanut butter or cream cheese, at room temperature
- Grapes
- Blueberries
- Grape tomatoes
- Candy eyes
- Celery or radish matchsticks
Instructions
- Make the Snails: Fill celery stalks with peanut butter or cream cheese, spreading evenly to create a sturdy base. Top each stalk with a slice of apple, orange, kiwi, cucumber, or tomato to form the snail’s shell. Attach cashew halves at one end as the snail’s head, and use a dab of peanut butter or cream cheese to glue on candy eyes securely.
- Make the Caterpillars: Similarly, fill celery stalks with peanut butter or cream cheese. Arrange grapes, blueberries, or grape tomatoes in a line atop the filling to simulate the caterpillar’s segmented body and head. Secure candy eyes with a small amount of peanut butter or cream cheese, and insert celery or radish matchsticks at the head end to serve as the antennae.
Notes
- You can substitute peanut butter with cream cheese or any nut-free spread for allergies.
- Mix and match fruit and vegetable slices for colorful variation.
- Ensure to use fresh, crisp celery stalks for the best texture and support.
- Prepare these just before serving to keep celery crunchy and prevent browning of cut fruit.
- Use natural candy eyes or omit for a healthier option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
