Preppy Kitchen Recipes Desserts Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

By John Kanell Updated Jul 24, 2024
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Colorful, delicious, and show-stopping, this easy fruit pizza recipe is the best summer dessert for a gathering or to make with kids! Its soft sugar cookie crust, tangy cream cheese frosting, and beautiful fresh fruit make a pretty presentation and delicious flavor.

Overhead view of a fruit pizza with a slice cut and pulled forward with more fruit on the side.

Fruit pizza is fresh, flavorful, and so easy to make from scratch. Not to mention, the beautifully arranged fruit topping always gets loads of compliments! It is the perfect crowd pleaser for a small gathering.

Making this dessert pizza has become a family event in my home. My kids love decorating the pizza, and the fruit decorations range from cute to hilarious! So whether you choose to carefully and meticulously arrange the fruit in a pattern or just sprinkle the fruit on top of the crust for an explosion of color, your friends and family will rave about this fruit pizza. For more fruit dessert recipes, try my blackberry cobbler recipe, peach crisp recipe, or eton mess.

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make a fruit pizza.

Flour — all-purpose flour is the best choice for the tender but crisp cookie crust, or use your favorite gluten-free brand if you need to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Leavening — baking powder makes the sugar cookie base light and tender.

Butter — the butter needs to be softened, but not melted so it can be easily beaten with the sugar.

Sugar — granulated sugar adds sweetness to the crust and helps make a crisp bottom.

Egg — helps bind the ingredients. Bring the large egg to room temperature before you start baking.

Vanilla — use good bottled or homemade vanilla extract, not synthetically flavored vanilla essence.

Cream cheese frosting — a twist on my favorite cream cheese frosting, you only need 3 ingredients: full-fat softened cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla.

Fruit — use a variety of colorful fruit cut into bite-sized pieces. Pick your favorite fruits and cut them into fun shapes or slices before topping the pizzas.

How To Make Fruit Pizza

Set of two photos showing dry ingredients whisked and creamed butter beaten with an egg and vanilla.

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium until well combined.

Set of two photos showing sugar cookie crust dough mixed and spread onto a prepared pan.

3. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a dough forms.

4. Spray a 12-inch round pizza pan with baking spray. Place the sugar cookie dough onto the baking pan.

Set of two photos of the crust pressed into the pan and cream cheese mixed with sugar.

5. Place a piece of wax or parchment paper over the dough, and press the dough into an even 12-inch circle. Remove the paper and bake at 350° for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Let the fruit pizza crust cool completely on the pizza pan.

6. Make the fruit pizza frosting in a medium bowl. Beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-low until smooth.

Set of two photos showing cream cheese toping spread on top of the crust and fruit added to the top.

7. Spread the sweet cream cheese frosting over the cooled cookie crust in an even layer.

8. Arrange the fruit slices over the frosting. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.

An oval plate with a slice of fruit pizza with a bite taken with more fresh fruit on the plate.

The Best Fruits For Fruit Pizza

Use a variety of your favorite fruits for an eye-catching, colorful fruit pizza recipe with cream cheese. Avoid fruits that turn brown over time, like apples and bananas. Very watery fruits like watermelon are also not ideal, as they can make the crust soggy. You can brush or toss the cut fruit with lemon juice if you are worried about browning.

Here are some ideas of the best fruit to use:

Golden or green kiwi
Strawberries
Berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
Red or green grapes
Canned mandarin orange slices (well drained)
Mango
Pineapple
Drier melons like cantaloupe or honeydew

Can I Make This In A Different Type Of Pan?

You don’t have to make this in a pizza pan if you do not have one. You can also do one of the following:

Use 9-inch fluted tart pans. Divide the dough in half, pressing it into both tart pans, and make 2 sugar cookie fruit pizzas.
Roll the cookie dough into a circle or rectangle on parchment paper and bake it on the parchment placed on a regular baking sheet.
Use a 9×13-inch baking pan. Press the dough into the greased pan and bake as directed.

A fruit pizza on a parchment-lined serving board.

Decorating Ideas And Variations

My favorite way to decorate fruit pizzas is by arranging the sliced fruit in concentric rings of alternating fruit. I then neatly dot the smaller fruit (like blueberries and halved grapes) between the rings. That being said, this recipe is a fantastic opportunity to let your creativity shine. Here are some tips:

Create whatever pattern you like, such as rainbows and flags.
Make this for a holiday. You can choose fruit with specific colors. For example, red and green fruit (like strawberries and kiwis) are a great option for Christmas, all red and pink fruit for Valentine’s Day, and red and blue fruit (coupled with the white frosting) are perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July!
If decorating is not your thing, simply sprinkle the fruit onto the frosting for a rustic look.
Add fruity flavor or color to the frosting. Mix in 2 tablespoons of fruit jam to the frosting. Or, make it pop by adding gel food coloring!
Add sprinkles to the top after you’re done decorating or even to the cookie dough for even more color.
A light drizzle of honey is a delicious finishing touch that brings out the sweetness of the fruit.

Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

If the cookie crust dough is too sticky to work with, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Do not spread the cookie crust too thin. It needs to be sturdy enough to hold up the fruit topping. If you are using a 12” pizza pan, this won’t be an issue!
Let the crust cool completely before frosting. If it’s still hot, the cream cheese frosting will melt.
If you do not have powdered sugar, follow my foolproof guide on how to make powdered sugar.
Slice the fruit into small, bite-sized pieces or chunks to make the pizza easier to eat.
Use fresh or canned fruit. Frozen fruit will not have the same texture or flavor. If you use canned fruit, drain the fruit and pat dry with paper towels.

A fruit pizza on parchment paper with two slices cut and slightly pulled out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store fruit pizza?

Fruit pizza is best eaten as soon as possible, as it can get soggy the longer it sits. But leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Can I make fruit pizza ahead of time?

While I do not recommend assembling the fruit pizza in advance as it will get soggy, you can prep the crust and frosting ahead of time. Bake the crust a day in advance and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

The cream cheese frosting can be made up to 2 days before you need it and stored in the refrigerator. Just bring it to room temp before spreading it over the crust. That way, all you need to do is cut the fruit and assemble the fruit pizza the next day.

Can I use store-bought cookie dough?

Yes, you can use store-bought sugar cookie dough for this recipe. Just start the recipe with the greased pizza pan and skip making the dough. I recommend using one 16-ounce package of refrigerated pizza dough and crumbling it onto the pan before pressing it into a solid, even layer.

If you’ve tried this fruit pizza recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!