Fruit Pizza Cookies
These Fruit Pizza Cookies are a simple and enjoyable recipe that your kids will love! The combination of a soft, buttery sugar cookie-inspired crust topped with tangy-sweet cream cheese and vibrant fresh fruit is irresistible!
What I like most is the versatility of this recipe. When you shrink the pizza into delicious cookie-size portions, this recipe becomes perfect for serving at backyard barbecues and other outdoor gatherings. The individual pizzas also allow you to experiment with more decoration styles and fruit combinations.
For those wanting to make the recipe healthier, you can even replace the cookie crust with sliced watermelon!
Tips for the Perfect Fruit Pizza
Crust: Any cookie dough will do for a crust, but my absolute favorite this sugar cookie dough base because of its simplicity. My Ginger Cookie and Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes are two other great options for a different flavor profile.
When making the dough, if it is too sticky, add a bit more flour until it holds together and can easily roll out with a rolling pin. Be careful not to add too much flour or the dough will become dry and start to crack.
Lightly flour your counter and the rolling pin, this will keep the cookie dough from sticking.
Fruit: Slice the fruit nice and thin to layer it better. If you use any canned fruit, dry it off on paper towel before adding it to the top. Most of all, have fun decorating and experiment with your toppings!
Method for making the crust.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.
Add room temperature butter to flour mixture. Using an electric blender, mix on low speed until the butter is incorporated. There should be chunks of butter.
Add eggs and vanilla. Blend on low speed until the dough just comes together, 1-2 minutes.
Using your hands knead together and form into a disk.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 3.5 inch circles.
Bake 350º F oven for 12-15 minutes and edges are golden brown. Cool completely, then top with cream cheese mixture and decorate with fruit.
Some Delicious Topping Combinations
While I’ll be sharing my favorite toppings in these Fruit Pizza Cookies, here are a few other mouthwatering fruit combinations!
- Very Berry: Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
- Peachy Keen: Canned peaches, canned mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwifruit.
- Tropical: Mango, grapes, kiwifruit, strawberry.
Drizzle with melted chocolate or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Other Fruity Desserts To Try
If you are looking for a fun and fruity dessert that is sure to impress, look no further than these two favorites:
- Jack Daniel’s Sour Cherry Cobbler: This dessert is a true gem for cherry lovers and those who appreciate a touch of boozy decadence. The combination of tart cherries and the rich flavor of Jack Daniel’s is impossibly hard to resist.
- Sungold Kiwi Panna Cotta: Panna cotta is already a heavenly dessert on its own, but when you infuse it with the vibrant flavors of kiwi, it takes it to a whole new level.
Fruit Pizza Cookies
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar (Icing Sugar)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese (Full Fat) softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Toppings (Around 800 grams assorted fruits. My favorite fruits to use are below)
- Canned Mandarin Oranges halved lengthwise
- Purple Grapes halved lengthwise
- Kiwi Fruit peeled and thinly sliced
- Strawberries sliced thinly lengthwise
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, confectioners sugar, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.
- Using a mixer low speed, add the butter and mix until course crumbles form, 1-2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix just until the dough starts to come together. About 1-2 minutes.
- In the bowl, kneed the dough with your hands until it comes together to form a soft dough.
- If the dough is too sticky knead in some extra flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Dust countertop with flour. Roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out dough with a 3.5 inch circular shaped cookie cutter.
- Gather the remaining dough scraps and re-roll until all the dough is used.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking pan spacing generously. You will be able to fit 8 mini pizzas on the pan at a time so baking in batches will be needed.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the dough turn golden brown.
- Cool cookies completely before topping with cream cheese spread.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Decorating the Pizza
- Spread a layer of frosting evenly onto each cookie. The frosting should be thick.
- Decorate the pizzas with fruit.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
