Jun 09, 2022, Updated Apr 27, 2023
What is Fruit Pizza Made of?
A fruit pizza follows the crust, sauce, toppings formula that earned it the name, but (thankfully) it is not actually a pizza in any other sense, as there are strictly only dessert ingredients. Not a tomato to be found.
The crisp, chewy sugar cookie “crust” belies a pillowy cream cheese frosting layer and various cut fresh fruit toppings are arranged artfully on top to make your friends think you have mad pastry skillz.
This super-pretty dessert is quickly gaining Pinterest popularity for good reason. Not only is it beautiful, it is fresh and delicious, and a perfect dish to bring to a summer party.
How to Make a Fruit Pizza
Start with the sugar cookie crust. I love to use the super simple reverse-creaming method for this yummy giant sugar cookie.
Measure all your dry ingredients into a bowl and add the softened butter directly to this flour mixture. Use an electric mixer to incorporate the butter until the whole mess looks like damp, coarse crumbs (if you use a stand mixer, it may even come together into a dough).
This easy method eliminates the separate step of actually creaming butter. Instead, we coat the flour in fat before any liquids are added. This prevents any cookie-toughening gluten from forming, resulting in an ultra-tender and delicious cookie base that holds its shape well.
Roll the cookie base out between sheets of parchment. It’s super sticky so pop it in the freezer if it is difficult to work with. It should be rolled out to about the size of a “pizza”, but of course there’s wiggle room. Start by finding your serving plate and roll out your dough base according to what will fit on it. There’s nothing worse than making a beautifully decorated pizza only to realize that it won’t fit on any of your serving platters (speaking from personal experience – whoops).
Many people bake fruit pizzas on a 14-inch pizza pan, but it’s not a necessary piece of equipment. I just bake mine on a large baking sheet. While the cookie bakes, whip up the cream cheese topping. Many fruit pizza recipes use a true cream cheese frosting, but mine is an ultra-fluffy cream cheese filling closer to a cheesecake. Consider it a win.
Whip some heavy cream to peaks. Whip some cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and (optional) lemon juice. Fold the two together by adding the whipped cream to the cream cheese bowl and using a large spatula to scoop under the mixture and fold it on top, cutting through the middle of the bowl between strokes. It’s just a gentler way of stirring than going at ‘er with a big wooden spoon like a witch at a cauldron, but don’t sweat it too much.
How do you keep fruit pizza from getting soggy?
The moisture in the filling and especially the fruit will seep into the base if assembled too early, which can cause it to get soft. See notes below on how to prepare it in advance for best results. Another trick? Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips on medium power of the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Spread this over the cookie base and let it harden completely before adding the frosting and fruit. This boss trick is used by French pastry chefs when assembling tarts with creamy fillings to keep the crust from getting soggy.
How early can you make fruit pizza? Will fruit pizza keep overnight?
A fully-assembled fruit pizza is best if served within 4 hours of topping it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep it cold until just before serving. How long will it keep? Leftovers are fine for 3 days, but the crust will soften, the fruit may also get soggy and the filling may separate a bit. It will still be tasty, but may not be at its best for serving guests. You can make the cookie base in advance by up to 3 days. You can prep the cream filling ahead by a day too, but don’t assemble until right before serving. If you want to make a fruit pizza ahead, here’s what to do:
Prep the individual components and store separately. Refrigerate the filling in covered medium bowl. Leave the cookie base tightly-wrapped at room temperature (the fridge makes it dry out faster) Prep any fruit that will not brown ahead, but save choices like banana slices (which brown aggressively) for prepping at the last minute.
What kind of fruit should you put on fruit pizza?
Small fruit or any fruit cut small will work. I avoid fruits that brown quickly such as apples and pears, or anything super hard that will make slicing difficult. I like:
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or any fresh berries. Here’s how I cut strawberries into hearts: Ripe mangoes Kiwi Grapes Mandarin oranges Slice peaches Banana Slices Thinly-sliced pineapple Drained canned fruits are fine, but thawed frozen fruits aren’t a good choice. They lose texture and seep their juices.
Choose a variety of colours and have fun! The more slices or servings you want to make, the smaller you should cut your fruit to make it easier to slice without ruining your design.
Other Creamy Fresh Fruit Recipes
Strawberry Buttermilk Pie Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse Tart Giant Blueberry Pop Tart (or Mini Blueberry Pie) Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Fresh Fruit
