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A nostalgic dessert, this fruit pizza uses a delicious homemade sugar cookie as a base. A cream cheese topping lays overtop, providing a sweet stage for the fruit. Customizable using any type of fruit, this treat can be created for any type of gathering.
Why I Love This Fruit Pizza Recipe
There’s always something to love about a nostalgic recipe. And growing up, fruit pizza was always something that you’d find at a church potluck or family reunion spread. That’s for a good reason: everyone loves fruit pizza. With a combination of sweet fruit, a sugar cookie crust, and cream cheese frosting, there really isn’t anything to hate. As a kid, with the fruit sprinkled all over the top, it felt like choosing fruit pizza was choosing the “healthy” dessert. I know better these days, but I still love a delicious slice of this treat.
The real debate can arise when it comes to toppings. The possibilities truly are endless: you can play it safe with traditional toppings, mix it up with a tropical theme, or experiment with a truly personalized combination. There are no right or wrongs when it comes to the toppings. And with the perfect recipe for the crust and frosting, you’re on your way to dessert success. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and make it time and again!
Fruit Pizza Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this fruit pizza recipe:
- All-purpose flour adds the structure and texture of the sugar cookie crust.
- Baking powder acts as a leavening agent that helps to lift the dough while it’s baking. It creates air pockets that make the crust fluffy yet crispy.
- Butter adds richness and moisture to the crust.
- Granulated sugar imparts sweetness to the cream cheese frosting.
- An egg works as a binder, providing stability and structure to the sugar cookie crust.
- Cream cheese is the perfect bridge between the cookie crust and the fruit nestled on top. With its slightly tangy flavor, the cream cheese is a welcome contrast to the fruit’s sweetness.
- Vanilla extract imparts some sweetness that marries all the other flavors in this pizza.
- Almond extract adds a subtle, nut-like flavor that works really well with both the frosting and the fruit. But as is always the case with almond extract, a little bit goes a long way!
- Powdered sugar works into the cream cheese frosting to create a smooth, even creamier texture.
- Strawberry jam is used to add a bit of special glisten to their fruit. Make sure to check out my recipe for strawberry jam or strawberry butter.
- Lemon zest adds a bit of zing that heightens the flavor of the strawberry jam.
- Kosher salt is always needed to bring out the flavor in a recipe.
- Assorted fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and kiwi, are the main components of this pizza and make everyone love it. Choose as many or as few types of fruit as desired.
How to Make Fruit Pizza
There are four steps to preparing this fruit pizza:
- Create the sugar cookie dough
- Make the cream cheese frosting
- Assemble the pizza
- Add the glaze
Step 1: Create the sugar cookie dough. In a medium bowl, add the butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer, mix until the butter has creamed and holds a fluffy texture. Add in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix together. Roughly cut a sheet of parchment paper to size on a pizza pan. Place the dough on top and press into an even layer. Bake in the preheated ____ F oven for ____ minutes.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese frosting. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and kosher salt. Mix until combined with a hand mixer. Dollop the cream cheese mixture onto the crust and spread it into an even layer.
Step 3: Assemble the pizza. Using the fruit of your choice, cut each fruit into bite-sized pieces. Line the pizza with the fruit in the desired design.
Step 4: Add the glaze. Place the jam in a small dish. Squeeze in the lemon and mix together. Brush over the fruit. Place in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, then slice and serve.
Pro Tips for Success
- Scoop the flour into the measuring cup rather than jamming the cup down into the flour. This allows the flour to be measured correctly into the dough. Packing a measuring cup full will result in using too much.
- Brushing the jam and lemon mixture over the top of the pizza makes it glisten and brings out the flavors of the fruit. If an even smoother consistency is desired, use jelly. It lacks any pieces of fruit, so it can be brushed on more evenly.
- Placing the pizza in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours allows the cream cheese to solidify back up, helping to lock the fruit in place.
Variations and Substitutions
When it comes to decorating the fruit pizza, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few different ideas to spur your own creativity (and they aren’t just limited to berries):
- Tropical pizza: Layer the frosting with slices of orange, banana, mango, passionfruit, dragon fruit, papaya, and guava.
- Hawaiian pizza: Say aloha with a mixture of pineapple, papaya, coconut, and passionfruit.
- Red pizza: Make it bright with red apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and pomegranate arils.
- Green pizza: Mix together a combination of kiwi, green apples, and green grapes.
- Blue pizza: Arrange purple grapes, blueberries, blackberries, figs, and elderberries.
- Stone fruit pizza: Combine slices of peaches, plums, pitted cherries, nectarines, and apricots in a beautiful design.
Serving and Storage
To serve: After the pizza has been in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, remove it and cut it into slices. It’s a perfect dessert for any summertime holiday, such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. If you are going to serve this pizza outdoors or in a humid environment, be aware that it could become soft with too long exposure to the elements.
To store: Since the pizza contains cream cheese, it should be stored in the refrigerator. The leftovers should last for 3 to 5 days if kept in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can find a sugar cookie dough that can be rolled out into a circular pizza shape, then that would work!
Most fruits will work well as toppings for this fruit pizza. However, watery fruits, such as watermelon, canteloupe, and honeydew melon, may leak and cause an undesirable texture when the liquid comes into contact with the frosting.
Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and will last for 3 to 5 days. As the fruit sits on the cream cheese, some of the liquid may leak, causing some discoloration of the frosting.
Watch How to Make Fruit Pizza
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 3-4 cups fresh fruit 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blackberries (or other)
- ¼ cup strawberry jam room temperature
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the cookie crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Mix in the egg until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and almond extract and mix. The dough may look curdled, but that is normal.8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain, 1-2 minutes.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Grease a round pizza pan with nonstick baking spray and fit the bottom with a piece of parchment. Press or spread the dough out to create a 12-inch circle.
- Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the edges are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 16-20 minutes. Remove and set aside the cookie to cool.
For the pizza
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until smooth.8 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust. Top with fruit in any chosen pattern. Mix together the strawberry jam and lemon juice. Brush the jam over the fruit to create a glaze. Slice and serve or store in the refrigerator until it is ready to serve.3-4 cups fresh fruit, ¼ cup strawberry jam, 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
