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Home » Spring » St. Patrick’s Day Melon Appetizers

St. Patrick’s Day Melon Appetizers

Published: Mar 1, 2021 by Genevieve Morrison · This post may contain affiliate links

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These pretty St. Patrick’s Day appetizers are absolutely perfect for an Irish-themed brunch! They’re made with prosciutto-wrapped honeydew melon, Dubliner cheese and precious, easy-to-make basil clovers.

They may look intricate, but with a square cookie cutter, clover paper punch, kitchen scissors and just 4 ingredients, they can be made in a snap!

8 St. Patrick's Day melon appetizers with clovers on top, on a white plate, on a lace table cloth..
Contents hide
1 Why This Recipe is Special
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make This Recipe
4 Common Questions
5 A Few Tips
6 St. Patrick’s Day Melon Appetizers

I made similar melon appetizers for my St. Patrick’s Day brunch this year. I already used cheese in a delicious potato and cauliflower hash, so I simply balled the melon, wrapped it in prosciutto and added little basil clovers. 

Fun fact! did you know that a 4 leaf clover is not a “shamrock?” A shamrock is a clover with only 3 leaves. Once a clover displays a 4th leaf, it’s just a simple, (however lucky) “clover.” 

2 melon appetizers on a plate with a scone in front of 6 more melon appetizers on a plate.

Why This Recipe is Special

1. People can’t believe their eyes when they see them – They’re just so, so pretty!

2. The basil clovers aren’t just cute, they make the appetizer so tasty – They’re made with a simple clover paper punch by using basil instead of paper. Even though they’re small, they provide such a nice, fresh flavor. 

3. They’re a lovely way to add St. Patrick’s Day colors without food coloring – I love orange and green for St. Patrick’s Day. But I hate green beer, bright orange cookies and other un-naturally dyed foods. Only all-natural green and orange ingredients are used in this recipe.

Ingredient Notes

4 labled ingredients on a table.

Dubliner cheese – Dubliner is an aged cow’s milk cheese that’s similar to cheddar with a sharp, sweet and nutty flavor. I like it for this recipe because I think it pairs so nicely with honeydew, but you can use other cheeses if you like. Cheeses like mozzarella, feta, gouda and goat cheese pair equally well with honeydew.

Prosciutto – Make sure you choose a thinly-sliced prosciutto with slices that are separated by either plastic or wax paper. Prosciutto sticks together easily, so if you’re going to cut it to fit nicely over the melon, you’ll want to easily peel it away from the others.

Basil – be sure to choose basil with large leaves. It’s much easier to punch clovers out of big leaves than small ones

How to Make This Recipe

4 numbered images showing how to make melon appetizers.

1. Slice 1 honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds. Slice honeydew into half-inch slices. Use a small, square cookie cutter to cut 16 squares into the honeydew. 

2. Use the cookie cutter to cut 16 equal-sized slices of 7 oz. of Dubliner cheese.

3. Use a clover paper punch to punch clovers into 4 basil leaves. Punch 8 clovers.

4. Use kitchen scissors to cut 2 inch long strips of prosciutto.

2 numbered images showing how to garnish melon appetizers.

5. Lay strips of prosciutto on top of each slice, and tuck it under the sides.

6. Put squares of melon on a plate, then stack cheese on top of each, then place the melon with prosciutto on top. Place basil clover right on top, and serve.

Common Questions

1. What kind of square cookie cutter did you use?

I used the 1.38” square cookie cutter from this set.

2. How far ahead can I make them?

You can make them up to an hour before serving, but you’ll want to put them in a covered container in the refrigerator until then. Also keep in mind, they start to look a bit un-fresh after about an hour at room temperature.

3. Where do you find a basil paper punch?

This is the clover punch that I used to make mine, but you can easily find them at craft stores or other craft websites.

A clover paper punch on a cutting board beside a basil leaf and punched clovers.

A Few Tips

1. If you don’t have a clover paper punch, you can use real clovers! 

Well, specifically “wood sorrel” clover, which is totally edible, and has a lemony tang. However, “white clover” (generally the kind that grows in your backyard) can be poisonous. So be certain your clovers are wood sorrel before adding them to your appetizers. You can often-times find them in food stores in the plant section around St. Patrick’s Day.

2. If you can’t find honeydew, use cantaloupe!

You can still go for an orange and green color scheme with cantaloupe if you use a cheese like Sage Derby! It’s a naturally green cheese that gets its color from herbs and pairs beautifully with cantaloupe.

5 St. Patrick's Day melon appetizers with clovers on top, on a white plate.

Now help yourself to more St. Patrick’s Day inspiration!

  • St. Patrick’s Day Scones
  • Zucchini Quiche Crust
  • Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Red Wine
  • 10 Cozy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!

A book cover with a title that says “Elegant Appetizers,” beside a title that says “Don’t forget your free ebook! Subscribe.”
4 St. Patrick's Day melon appetizers with clovers on top, on a white plate.

St. Patrick’s Day Melon Appetizers

These pretty St. Patrick’s Day appetizers are absolutely perfect for an Irish-themed brunch!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 appetizers
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • cutting board and sharp knife
  • 1.5 inch cookie cutter
  • clover paper punch
  • kitchen scissors

Ingredients

  • 1 honeydew melon
  • 7 oz. Dubliner cheese
  • 3 oz. sliced prosciutto
  • 4 large basil leaves

Instructions

  • Slice 1 honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds. Slice honeydew into half-inch slices. Then use a small, square cookie cutter to cut 16 squares into the honeydew. 
  • Use the cookie cutter to cut 16 equal-sized slices of 7 oz. of Dubliner cheese.
  • Use a clover paper punch to punch clovers into 4 basil leaves. Punch 8 clovers.
  • Use kitchen scissors to cut 2 inch long strips of prosciutto. Lay strips of prosciutto on top of each slice, and tuck it under the sides.
  • Put squares of melon on a plate, then stack cheese on top of each, then place the melon with prosciutto on top. Place basil clover right on top, and serve.

Notes

This is the clover paper punch that I used, and I used the smallest square cookie cutter from this set if you don’t have those tools.
You can make them up to an hour before serving, but you’ll want to put them in a covered container in the refrigerator until then. Also keep in mind, they start to look a bit un-fresh after about an hour at room temperature.
See post for detailed instructions with photos of the process.
Nutrition information is an estimate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1appetizer | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 1mg

Made with love.

« A Full St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast
St. Patrick’s Day Deviled Eggs »
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Comments

  1. Laurie Siegmund

    April 19, 2021 at 3:07 am

    We are flipping cut from the same cloth! I can’t with the paper punch with fresh herb idea!!! Thinking outside the box is always key! So happy to have you thinking one step ahead of me…Hahaha!

    Reply

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My name is Genevieve, and I'm just trying to be a little fancier today than I was yesterday. Sharing recipes for the creative host or hostess that are simple, elegant and colorful too!

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