Fruit Pizza
Beautiful Fruit Pizza made with a soft and tender sugar cookie crust that’s covered with rich cream cheese frosting and topped with plenty of vibrant fresh fruit. Serve this stunning, yet easy dessert pizza for brunches, birthdays, potlucks, BBQs and picnics. It’s the quintessential summer dessert that you’ll crave all season long!
I know, I know… fruit pizza isn’t anything new or original and there are tons of recipes for this delicious dessert all over the internet. But this happens to be one of my favorite sweets of all time! It has a tender sugar cookie crust, rich cream cheese topping and bursts of sweet, juicy fruit in every bite. Absolutely irresistible!
In my family, it’s a tradition that for your birthday, you get to request any homemade dessert that you want. I have a summer birthday and aside from no bake cherry cheesecake, my go-to request has always been a sugar cookie fruit pizza made with strawberries, blueberries and kiwi. I cannot get enough!
My mom always used the store-bought roll of cookie dough and the recipe from Pillsbury to make fruit cookie pizza. We definitely all LOVED it, but I’ve kicked things up a notch with this made-from-scratch version. Read on for all of the delicious details!
Ingredients needed
There are 3 key components to this fruit pizza recipe – the sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit topping. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this simple, yet dazzling treat:
- Fruit Pizza crust. This crust recipe is so good, I wouldn’t blame you if you just want to make regular sugar cookies with it! It’s a pretty typical sugar cookie recipe, containing all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and cream of tartar.
- Cream cheese frosting. This frosting is thick, tangy and pretty much heavenly, especially when combined with a jumbo sugar cookie! You’ll need cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract.
- Fresh fruit. So many options here. My mom always uses strawberries, blueberries and kiwi, so that’s what I love, but choose any combination of fruits. Other options that would work great are grapes, mangoes, peaches, mandarin oranges, pineapple and/or raspberries.
- Fruit pizza glaze. A simple mix of water and apricot preserves to brush over the fruit. You can skip this step, but I like the way it makes the fruit glisten and adds just an extra bit of sweetness.
How to make this recipe
This fruit pizza recipe might look fancy, but if you can bake cookies, you can make this fruit cookie pizza! Here’s the key steps, but reference the full, printable recipe at the bottom of the post when you start making your own delicious treat.
To make sugar cookie dough crust:
- Preheat oven, prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a full-size cookie sheet (26×18-inch) with nonstick cooking spray. Or half the recipe and use a half-size cookie sheet (18×13-inch). Pan size doesn’t have to be exact, just close measurements.
- Mix ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Spread dough onto pan. Drop the dough onto the cookie sheet, spread it out and use your fingers to push it down flat. Using a rubber spatula, push dough away from the outer inch of the pan. (This allows the giant cookie to have room to spread as it cooks.)
- Bake and cool. Bake the dough for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Don’t over-bake! Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
To make the cream cheese frosting and assemble:
- Mix the frosting ingredients. Beat the cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla and mix again. Gradually, stir in powdered sugar until desired frosting consistency is reached.
- Prepare fruit. Wash and thoroughly dry fruit. Depending on the fruit variety you’re using, you may need to slice and/or chop it.
- Spread frosting and decorate. Layer frosting over cooled crust and add fruit over the top.
- Brush with glaze (optional). If you’re using the glaze, stir jam with water in a small bowl. Warm the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then, lightly brush or spoon glaze over the fruit.
- Chill and enjoy. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then slice and serve.
Expert tips
Here are a few tips, so that your fruit cookie pizza is dazzling and delicious!
- To make it easier to press the dough into a rectangular shape, it can help to chill the dough for about 10 minutes. I would also recommend greasing or wetting your fingers to keep the dough from sticking to them.
- We have not tried using a round pizza pan to make this recipe. If you would prefer that your fruit pizza be circular, we recommend using a large 20-inch pizza pan without the little holes/air vents in it.
- Let the crust cool completely before adding the frosting. You don’t want warm (or hot) cookie melting the cream cheese frosting. To save time, you could even make the crust the night before and then you can frost and decorate it the day you will be serving it.
- Use the freshest and ripest fruit available to decorate your dessert. Make sure it is washed and thoroughly dried before layering it over the frosting. This recipe will not work well with frozen fruit.
- Avoid using fruit that will brown quickly, such as bananas or apples.
Frequently asked questions
A classic fruit pizza relies on a sugar cookie base. This homemade version is a simple one-bowl recipe that results in a lightly sweet, super tender sugar cookie crust that holds its shape without having to chill the dough before using it. We have also used store-bought Pillsbury sugar cookie dough (the kind that comes in the tube) many times to make this dessert. It’s super easy and your dessert pizza will still taste phenomenal. Directions for both options are listed in the recipe.
A fruit tart usually has a crust made from pastry dough with shallow sides. It also typically has a cream filling that is more custard-like made from eggs and milk. A fruit pizza almost always has a sugar cookie crust and a thicker frosting made with cream cheese.
The options are really endless! Any fruit that you enjoy will most likely work on a dessert pizza like this one. Try strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, kiwi fruit, mango chunks, grapes, bananas, clementines, pears. One of the only fruits, I probably would not choose is apples, just because they are not very soft.
Variations & substitutions
There are endless possibilities of how this fruit pizza dessert can be decorated! Here are some ways to change things up:
- Get creative and make any fun pattern that you’d like! This is a great recipe to have the kids help make.
- You can easily make this into an American Flag for the 4th of July, Memorial Day or any other patriotic holiday. So fun!
- Stir 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest into the cream cheese frosting for a lovely citrusy flavor that pairs really well with the cream cheese and fruit.
- Switch up the fruit! I kept the topping simple with just strawberries, blueberries and kiwi, but feel free to swap out one of these for something different or add to these three. Other great choices are raspberries, grapes, blackberries and mandarin oranges.
- Make fruit pizza cookies. Instead of making one large fruit pizza, you could totally just bake up normal sugar cookies, and then top each one with the frosting and fruit. Here’s a fruit pizza cookie recipe to follow.
Storage & make ahead tips
- Storing. Fruit pizza is best enjoyed chilled. Once you’ve let the crust cool, added the frosting and layered on the fruit, place the dessert in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. If you have any leftover dessert, store covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to about 2 days.
- Make-ahead. You can make the sugar cookie crust up to 1 day in advance. It will even be fine to add the frosting over the top of the crust, then cover and refrigerate. Wait to add the fruit and fruit glaze until the day you’ll be serving it. Over time the fruit will break down and release juices, which could make the crust soggy.
Tools needed
- Offset spatula. Makes frosting the crust and cakes a breeze and is perfect for smoothing batter in baking pans too.
- Beater blade. (a must for bakers using a stand mixer). This handheld mixer is wonderful too.
- Cookie sheet. This recipe requires a large cookie sheet. However, you can easily half the recipe for a half cookie sheet.
Fruit Pizza is a wonderful dessert for holiday gatherings, summer dinner parties, BBQs, and celebrations or an easy weeknight treat. This recipe is perfect for serving a crowd because it makes 20 servings and everyone loves it!
More delicious summer desserts
- American Flag Cake
- No-Bake Oreo Pie – Only 3 Ingredients!
- The Best Banana Pudding Ever!
- Chocolate Delight
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
Cookie crust:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or either 1 tsp almond extract or 1 tsp lemon extract)
Fruit topping:
- fresh strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi (or any other fruit that you like)
Glaze (optional):
- 2 tablespoons apricot, apple or orange jam, jelly, or marmalade
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Cookie crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a full size cookie sheet (26×18-inch) with nonstick cooking spray. (or half the recipe and use a half size cookie sheet (18×13-inch))
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Drop the dough onto the cookie sheet, spreading it out and using your fingers to press it down flat. Using a rubber spatula, push dough away from the outer inch of the pan. (This allows the giant cookie to have room to spread as it cooks.) Refer to the picture for visual.
- Bake the dough for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Don’t over-bake!
- Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until you have reached your desired consistency. (If you would like it thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you prefer it thinner, add a teaspoon at a time of milk.)
Fruit:
- Prep fruit by washing and drying it and then, depending on the fruit you're using, you'll need to slice, halve or quarter it.
Assembly:
- Once crust is completely cooled, spread frosting over crust. Top frosted cookie crust with your favorite fruit. Refrigerate (about 1 hour) until ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!
- *Optional step to prevent fruit from drying out. Combine jam with water. Warm the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then, lightly brush or spoon glaze over fruit pizza.
Notes
- Use 2 (16.5 oz) rolls Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough.
- Keep all toppings the same.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray half size cookie sheet (18×13-inch or other similar measurements) with cooking spray.
- Break up cookie dough over prepared pan and press into an even layer to completely cover bottom of pan. Bake for about 13-16 minutes and until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely (about 30 mins) on a wire rack.
- Follow all other instructions for cream cheese frosting, fruit and glaze.
Did you make this recipe?
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Oh my goodness, this turned out so good! The whole family thoroughly enjoyed and unfortunately there was none leftover. Will be craving this until I get another chance to make it.