Fruit Pizza
It’s important to get each layer of a Fruit Pizza just right. The crust has to be sweet and firm with crunchy edges, just like a good cookie. The creamy filling has to be light and fluffy without being too sweet. And the fruit should be fresh and ripe. Fruit Pizza makes a tasty dessert for any family gathering.
My husband and I have two sons and they are very different when it comes to picking a dessert. When they were growing up, I would bake whatever they wanted on their special day to celebrate their birthday.
For our youngest son, Daniel, that meant cake. He would request a pistachio poke cake with a sugar glaze drizzled over the top that made it taste like a Krispy Kreme donut…so yummy!
But for our oldest son, it always meant baking cookies or making some version of a dessert that included cookies. Chandler has always been a cookie-lover. When we took goodies to school to share with his classmates, he would ask, “Can you bake cookies, Mom?” His favorites were chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
Tips for making Fruit Pizza?
I’ve made Fruit Pizza for my son many times. A good cookie crust is the foundation for fruit pizza. Over the years, I’ve perfected my recipe for this dessert, a sugar cookie bottom with a creamy layer of frosting and then a colorful assortment of juicy fruit on top.
It’s important to get each layer of a fruit pizza just right. The crust has to be sweet and firm with crunchy edges, just like a good cookie. The creamy filling has to be light and fluffy without being too sweet. And the fruit should be fresh and ripe.
I also try to make it beautiful, after all, it has been said that we eat with our eyes first. If it looks appealing, chances are that it will taste amazing. Many times, I’ve served fruit pizza at Easter or Mother’s Day. I give it pizzazz by making it look like a garden of flowers or a pretty abstract mosaic. Either way, spending some extra time arranging the fruit makes for a beautiful presentation.
I lighten up the creamy frosting by using vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the butter traditionally included. The combination of cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, and powdered sugar makes the perfect light and fluffy ‘sauce’ for this dessert pizza.
Top it all with your favorite fruits– blueberries, strawberries and green grapes always work well. Mango, pineapple, kiwi and coconut make a tasty tropical fruit pizza. Simply select your favorite fruits, preferably without too many seeds, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the fruit on top and keep the pizza chilled until ready to serve. Your fruit pizza will be crunchy, creamy and sweet.
Fruit Pizza Recipe
What’s needed?
Crust:
- 1 17-ounce package Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt (strawberry yogurt also works well)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Fruit:
- Blueberries, strawberries, green grapes or fruit of your choice
How to make Fruit Pizza?
- Combine the cookie mix, softened butter and egg in a medium bowl until dough forms. Press the cookie dough onto an ungreased 13×9 sheet pan (quarter sheet) or a 12-inch round pizza pan. Make sure the dough is flat and pushed all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
- While the crust is baking, wash and slice your strawberries and grapes into small pieces.
- Remove cookie crust from the oven and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, yogurt and powdered sugar on high speed until creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookie crust.
- Add the fruit, beginning at the outer edges and working your way to the middle for best results.
- Cover and store the fruit pizza in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Do not make this dessert more than 2 days in advance. This recipe makes 12-15 servings.
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
Crust:
- 17 ounce package Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt, strawberry Greek yogurt also works well
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Fruit:
- blueberries, strawberries, green grapes or fruit of your choice
Instructions
- Combine the cookie mix, softened butter and egg in a medium bowl until dough forms. Press the cookie dough onto an ungreased 13×9 sheet pan (quarter sheet) or a 12-inch round pizza pan. Make sure the dough is flat and pushed all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
- While the crust is baking, wash and slice your strawberries and grapes into small pieces.
- Remove cookie crust from the oven and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, yogurt and powdered sugar on high speed until creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookie crust.
- Add the fruit, beginning at the outer edges and working your way to the middle for best results.
- Cover and store the fruit pizza in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Do not make more than 2 days in advance. This recipe makes 12-15 servings.
Ravencraft Sherrie
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