Fruit pizza is a nostalgic dessert, and if you ask me- it’s never gone out of style! Our update on the classic fruit pizza of years past: an orange zest sugar cookie crust, whipped cream topping, and fresh, juicy berries to finish things off. This dessert is certainly a show stopper, but it tastes just as good as it looks! You can choose colored fruit for a theme (red, white, and blue, anyone?) or just use any other favorites! Cut into wedges, or squares, you can’t go wrong with this crowd pleaser.
Ingredients and Equipment List
- Butter – I recommend real (salted) butter. If you have dairy intolerances, can try out a plant based butter, but I’ve never tried it.
- Sugar – use standard granulated sugar in your cookie crust
- Egg – Make sure to use a large or extra large egg in this cookie recipe
- Almond and Orange Extracts – I use almond extract in my cookie and some orange extract in the toppling for a great flavor combination.
- All Purpose Flour – This is for the cookie base.
- Baking Powder – Adds leavening to the cookie base
- Salt – I recommend using table salt because the small granules distribute better in dough.
- Orange – We’ll use the fresh orange zest to add flavor and brightness to our cookie dough.
- Cream Cheese – Cream cheese is used with fresh whipped cream in the topping. Low-fat is okay, avoid fat free.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is used in the topping. It’s a bit of a secret ingredient as it adds a great depth of flavor.
- Whipping Cream – Whipped cream adds lightness and creaminess to the topping.
- Powdered Sugar – used in the topping.
- Fruit – use fruit of your choice. You’ll want to avoid things with lots of juice that can water down your topping. Berries work beautifully. If using “wetter” fruit, lay out on a paper towel after slicing, and before placing on your fruit pizza.
- Chocolate Chips – This ingredient is optional. If you’d like to drizzle a little melted chocolate on top of your fruit pizza, simply melt some chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth and gently drizzle on top.
How to Make Fruit Pizza
- Make your cookie dough for your pizza crust and shape it into a circle on top of a piece of parchment. You can leave it plain and round (or not round) or crimp the edges like I’m doing. Chill in the fridge for about an hour before baking to help keep its shape.
- Place your parchment sheet on a baking sheet and place in a preheated 350°F oven. Baking time will vary on a few factors, like the thickness of your cookie and your oven, but should probably take around 18-25 minutes.
- If you like a soft cookie crust like I do, you’ll want to watch for the edges to be done and starting to get golden, but the center should look set, but soft. The center should not turn golden brown, unless you’re shooting for a crispier cookie.
- Once cookie is done, remove from oven and let cool completely. Completely. While it’s cooling, you can wash and prepare your fruit.
- Next, make your whipped topping by beating cream cheese, brown sugar, and orange extract on high until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat some heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
- Dollop the topping on the pizza (this recipe makes plenty, you’ll probably have a little leftover that you can use to dip fruit in!) and spread it out. Decorate as you wish with your desired fruit.
- Cut fruit pizza into wedges or squares to serve.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best served fresh, but leftovers will still taste great from the fridge for a few days.
- Serving Option: For an extra touch, melt a little chocolate and drizzle it over the top. You can use a spoon and freehand, or place warm chocolate in a zip-top bag with the corner cut off and drizzle over your fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep this ahead of time?
I wouldn’t prep the entire pizza too far in advance, but there are lots of steps you can do ahead. Make and shape the dough and keep well wrapped in the fridge 24 hours in advance. You could also bake your cookie crust, wrap well and freeze it for several weeks and whip your topping several hours in advance and keep in an airtight container in the fridge and prep your fruit in advance. All of these steps make it much quicker to throw together.
What fruits are best on fruit pizza?
Berries are a great choice because they hold up well. You’ll want to avoid fruit that browns quickly like bananas, unless you serve it immediately. Fruit that’s more juice will work, but it helps if you slice it and blot extra liquid with a paper towel before placing on your pizza so it doesn’t seep too much liquid. Some of our favorites are strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, blueberries, raspberries.
Can this be made in a different shape?
You bet! You can easily form this into a rectangle, or for a slightly thicker crust, in a 9×13 pan. If you double this recipe, it works well in a rimmed half sheet baking sheet.
Serving Suggestion
- One of my favorite things to do for a fun event like a baby shower is to do a fruit pizza bar! Just bake the dough in individual serving size cookies and set out on a cute platter next to a bowl of the topping and lots of fresh fruit. People can create their own little cookie treat!
Fruit Pizza
Sweet cream frosting and sliced fruit top a sweet sugar cookie base in this fantastic dessert pizza.
Servings wedges
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup real butter 2 sticks, or 8 oz
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg large or extra large
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- Zest of 1 orange
For the creamy topping
- 8 oz package cream cheese
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For the fruit topping
- 1 pint strawberries washed, hulled, sliced, and patted dry
- 1 pint blueberries washed and patted dry
- ½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy–about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined. Add the orange zest and mix until combined.
- Form dough into a ball and flatten out into a circle on a piece of parchment the size of a half sheet baking pan. Use a rolling pin, and your hands, to press out into a circle shape about ⅓ inch thick. If desired, you can add a decorative finish (like fluting) to the edges of the crust. Lift dough and place parchment on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- When ready to bake the crust, preheat your oven to 350℉. Bake the crust for 18-25 minutes or until just golden brown around the edges and set in the center, but still soft. If you prefer a crisper crust, you can bake the crust for a longer amount of time. Allow to cool completely.
- When the crust is cool, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, orange extract, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream and powdered sugar until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and combine well.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. You will likely have a little extra topping, use it to dip fruit or graham crackers! Arrange the fruit as desired over the creamy topping.
- If using chocolate, place the chocolate chips in a heavy-duty small Ziploc bag and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mashing the bag around until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the pizza. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. For best results, weigh your flour with a food scale. If you don’t have a food scale, fluff your flour in the container with a spoon first, and then lightly scoop into your measuring cup and level with a knife.
Nutrition
Serving: 16slices, Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 123mg, Potassium: 116mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 253IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 243kcal
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Questions & Reviews
My 8 year old had fruit pizza instead of cake for her birthday. It’s still cool.
Boy, it’s a good thing all food with fruit on it has zero calories (or so I tell myself!). Looks fabulous. = )
Oh my goodness! All I can say is YUM!!!!!!
Hey this is so cool! I do a flag fruit pizza every year for July 4. It’s the same thing only I make it in a rectangular pan and then put strawberry and banana slices for stripes and blueberries for the star section of the flag. It’s delicious!
I love love love fruit pizza even though I can’t recall the last time I had it. It brings back good memories for me though as we had it at one of the most fun Super Bowl Parties I remember.
I typically blend almond paste into my filling on my fruit pizza and everyone loves it. I’m thinking you could incorporate the almond (extract or paste) into the cookie crust and it would be totally fabulous. Also, for those looking for a “lazy way” to do it, I sometimes just use rolled out crescent roll dough for the crust, especially if I’m serving it for breakfast. Makes it a little less sweet.
This sounds and looks super to me. And I agree, so what if it’s not “cool.” If it is pretty and it is delicious, then I say it’s a winner!
Just wondering how far ahead of time you can make this? Does the crust get soggy if it’s in the fridge too long, like a day or 2?
Our fruit pizza’s usually start to get soft after a few days in the fridge. The crust doesn’t get soggy, just softer than strait out of the oven. No worries from us, I like the texture!!
PS- I USUALLY cheat and use a sugar cookie mix, but will change my lazy ways and try this recipe next time!!!!
I adore fruit pizza..if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right!
I have been making fruit pizza for years. I always spread some strawberry glaze over my cream cheese layer before I lay on the fruit. Makes it really look like pizza.
Yummy! I may use store-bought crust since I am a lazy baker. 😉
I’m not sure who says fruit pizza is out of style, but my high school students can’t get enough of it. They are always asking for another fruit pizza cooking lab.
I LOVE fruit pizza and have been looking for a good recipe! I am so excited and am definitely making it for my 4th of July party!!
Fruit pizza is still awesome even if it is out of style. I love it!
You can never go wrong with a fruit pizza… no matter what decade it is! ; )
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible! I may not be able to wait until the 4th of July for this one!
This looks fab! I’ve used your sugar cookie recipe to make mini fruit pizzas as well…just use a circle cookie cutter and bake them, then decorate. So yummy!
OOH i’ve been looking for a great fruit pizza frosting and hope this is the one…fruit of july (i totally heart things like that 🙂 here i come!!!
That looks good… but I have to tell you, the write up on it was so entertaining, if I hadn’t have seen the final picture, I’d still have a smile on my face. Thanks!
This looks and sounds AMAZING!! Can’t wait to try it….I love making vegetable pizza- (crescent rolls, sour cream, ranch packet and sliced raw veggies…sooo delicious!)
Kate, I think I love you
Right back atcha, sister. 🙂
We made fruit pizza a few weeks ago with your sugar cookie recipe (which is fabulous!) Next time we’ll have to try the orange zest.
I have to disagree on one point….we LOVE cookies on a pizza stone. We’ve even been doing them lately on the pizza stone on the grill! (We’ve been boycotting the oven to avoid heating the apartment.)
It could very easily be my pizza stone (and the fact that my cookies always come out tasting like garlic… 🙂 )
Yeah, I don’t think that fruit pizza ever can or should go out of style. In fact, I ate it at a baby shower JUST LAST MONTH! Not in 1989! At any rate, this looks delicious–this looks like the same cream filling for the strawberry pie you posted around easter, which is probably my favorite cream filling ever. Seriously, I can (…and do) eat it by the large spoonful before introducing it to its dessert collaborators. I’ll probably make this soon!
Yep, totally the same filling, only with orange instead of vanilla. You might die of happiness. 🙂
Who says fruit pizza went out of style in the 80s? 🙁 I make it probably about once a year for special occasions and no one has ever complained. Everyone I’ve ever served it to loves it! I’m eager to try your crust and frosting recipes, though, since they’re different than mine.
See, Jen, you’ve had it right all along! You’re cool. I’m cool. All those people who made fun of me and my fruit pizza aren’t. 🙂
This looks amazing! Guess I know what I’m making now to take to the in-laws this weekend! 🙂
Thanks for a fun recipe! I always loved my grandmother’s fruit pizza, which she served at a baby shower in my honor in 1993 which was only 18 years ago. If it seems old fashioned to call it pizza, then put it in a tart pan and call it a tart. Because either way it looks delicious!
I guess I know what I’m making for the 4th of July! Fruit of July pizza! )that’s what my son wants to call it (he’s 9….). I think we’ll use raspberries instead though.
I also think I’ll make a flag pizza (regular) and use pepperonis as the stripes and mushrooms in the corner for the stars.
YUMMY can’t wait til Monday!
On my “to do” list today was, “Figure out what to make for dessert for BUNCO on Friday.” Decision made!
I’m happy you are bringing back fruit pizza:-) Yours is so pretty!
Seriously, this looks AMAZING… and not just because it’s 11:39 pm and I have a serious case of the munchies. Definitely going to make this!