Fruit Pizza

4.53 from 17 votes

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When you need a beautiful, delicious, lightly sweet dessert, try making a Fruit Pizza! Sugar cookie dough is spread into a half sheet pan and baked, then topped with a light and creamy pudding and topped with fresh fruit. It’s the tastiest fruit pizza out there and I know you will LOVE it as much as we do.

finished fruit pizza on table

Fruit Pizza | Better Than Birthday Cake

I’ve got the yummiest treat in the world for you today! Not too heavy, not too sweet, this Fruit Pizza will hit the spot. I grew up eating this and remember requesting this several birthdays in a row in place of a typical birthday cake. It’s *that* good.

All you need is a little time to throw this together. It does take about 90 minutes start to finish, but that includes refrigeration and cooling times. But no part of this could be considered hard. All simple ingredients and easy steps.

What sets my Fruit Pizza apart from all the other typical recipes you’d find online is the “frosting” or filling. Most recipes would call for a cream cheese frosting. And while I do love a good cream cheese frosting, I think this light and creamier vanilla spread I make trumps that. It’s a lighter and fresher accompaniment to the fresh fruit that I prefer and think you will, too!

sugar cookie dough in hand

Main Ingredients Needed

Lots of pantry staples and basic ingredients on this grocery list! The comprehensive list is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are the basics you’ll need:

  • Flour + Sugar + Butter – the main ingredients for the base. Or you could use my sugar cookie recipe as a base!
  • Instant Vanilla Pudding – one of the main ingredients when making the creamy filling for this fruit pizza!
  • Milk + Heavy Cream – milk is used to make the pudding base and the whipped cream is folded in to make it light and extra creamy.
  • Almond Extract – this is to flavor the cookie base and the topping. If you don’t like almond extract, replace it with more vanilla.
  • Fresh Fruit – obviously, you’ll need some fruit. See my fruit section below for more details.

Best Fruit to Use

I love using a variety of fruit spread all over my fruit pizza to get all those sweet flavors in every bite. Feel free to decorate this however you like! You can do a rainbow of fruit in strips, create a flag decoration for the 4th of July, create a heart of berries for Valentine’s Day or opt for a random-yet-colorful fruit pizza. (*raises hand) Here are some tasty options for fruit that are easy to work with that will hold up well for a few days in the fridge:

  • bananas – inexpensive choice but will turn brown. Still will taste delicious!
  • strawberries – washed, hulled, and thickly sliced is best. A few really go a long way.
  • blueberries, raspberries + blackberries – make sure these are dry when they get put on the fruit pizza so they last as long as possible.
  • kiwis – a big, beautiful green fruit! Peel the brown skin and slice 1/4 inch slices
  • peaches + mangoes – lighter colored fruit that are best in the summer
  • grapes – great for a fruit pizza because of their skin. Bonus: they come in two colors!
  • fresh pineapple – so so good when you get a ripe and juicy one! One of my favorite fruits.
  • mandarin oranges – get these from a can! Drain them well before using them.
  • fresh mint – totally optional, but it makes a beautiful garnish (and tastes great!)

Imagine making a berry fruit pizza, or a tropical version! The possibilities are endless with this recipe.

creamy filling spread onto fruit pizza cookie crust

How to Make Fruit Pizza

For full details on how to make Fruit Pizza, see the recipe card down below!

Feel free to use a round pan instead of a baking sheet like I did to get more of a pizza look. Here’s how to make the fruit pizza crust:

Cream butter and sugar together. Because we are using cold butter, it might take a minute for this to happen, but it should come together. Add in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and stir. Add in the flour and baking powder and mix well.

It will seem a little crumbly but the more you stir the more it will come together. If you’re worried about it, reach your hand in, grab a little handful of dough, and squeeze. It should hold its shape nicely.

Spread the dough onto a half sheet pan evenly and bake. The crust may look a little funny, but this is totally normal and will get covered with cream, so no worries!

Step 2: Prepare the Creamy Filling

While the crust is baking, you can prepare your fruit and make the creamy filling.

Make the pudding filling by first whipping the cream seperately. In another bowl, whisk milk, pudding and almond extract until thick. Fold in the whipped cream and then refrigerate until you’re ready to use. Yes, very easy to make, but don’t underestimate this stuff… it’s so so good! (You could also use my Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe).

Step 3: Assembling the Pizza

Wash and dry the fruit you are using, then slice anything that requires slicing like strawberries, peaches, bananas, etc..

Once your crust is baked and cooled, spread with the creamy filling and top with fruit. That’s it! Your Fruit Pizza is done and ready to be enjoyed.

Fruit Pizza

How to Store Fruit Pizza

I personally think this fruit pizza recipe is even better after an hour or two in the fridge. It gives the fruit, topping and crust the opportunity to meld and become a delicious cohesive dessert. The sugar cookie crust softens slightly and the fruit adds some flavor to the cream. Plus keeping it chilled obviously keeps the fruit fresh. So refreshing!

Store fruit pizza in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap for up to three days. After that, the fruit starts to turn and the base starts to get a little soggy. While totally edible, I’d recommend eating it within the first 24 hours.

Make-Ahead Instructions

To make this recipe ahead of time, make the crust and then top with the creamy filling. This fruitless fruit pizza will last in the fridge covered for up to 4 days. When you are ready to serve, wash, and cut your fruit, then assemble and enjoy!

fruit on fruit pizza

More Fresh Dessert Recipes to Make!

Consider making this delicious fruit pizza recipe this week!

The printable recipe card is below. 🙂

Fruit Pizza
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4.53 from 17 votes

Fruit Pizza Recipe

When you need a beautiful and delicious summer party dessert, make this amazing Fruit Pizza, topped with light creamy pudding and fresh fruit.
servings 24 servings
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Sugar Cookie Crust:

For the Creamy Filling:

  • 3.9 oz instant vanilla pudding 1 box
  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Fresh Fruit Toppers:

  • berries, peaches, kiwis, bananas, etc.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a half sheet pan and set aside. Alternately, you can line with parchment paper and set aside.
    In a large bowl, stir butter and sugar until well mixed. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and stir again. Slowly incorporate the flour and baking powder until a dough forms. If it looks a little crumbly, this is normal. If you squeeze some dough together in your hands, it should form a ball that keeps its shape.
  • Press the dough into the prepared half sheet pan to create an even layer across the bottom and up the sides slightly. Bake 12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let crust cool completely.
  • For the filling, beat milk, pudding mix, and almond extract together until smooth and thickened. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into the pudding mixture, then spread evenly over crust. Top with fruit and serve. 

Video

Notes

I think this fruit pizza tastes the best after being refrigerated an extra 1-2 hours, but that is just my preference. You do you.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Fruit pizza, fruit pizza recipe, how to make fruit pizza

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Recipe Rating




55 Responses
  1. Judy

    5 stars
    I haven’t made it yet but be it looks delicious. Right now I’m just collecting recipes for when I need something special. This looks like a delicious summer treat.

  2. Melinda

    This was AMAZING!!! the combination is wonderful.
    I sprayed the cookie sheet. The crust stuck.
    Should I have used parchment paper’s well?

  3. Cornelsen Donna

    I always use philsbury sugar cookie and spray my pampered Cheff pizza stone with Pam roll our cookie dough bake at 350 15 minutes let completely cool then for creamy part
    One softened cream cheese
    1 cup powdered sugar
    1 tsp vanilla
    1/4 cup butter
    Spread on pizza
    Then add strawberries sliced, blue berries, mandarin oranges, bananas sliced, tidbits of pineapple, kiwi sliced, and cherries

    1. Betty

      This comment section is supposed to be to critique the above noted recipe, not to interject your recipe. You didn’t even make this recipe.

  4. Sharon Proctor

    I made this for a family dinner and had to scrap the base. It was bland and tasted horrible. Needed sugar or something in it.

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  7. spockey

    I’m wondering if you could explain why this is called flan. Is it just what your family called it so you kept the name even though it isn’t actually flan in any way, shape or form?

    1. Lauren

      I’m from Canada…the land where traditional Mexican “flan” (fl-aw-n) isn’t common…at least it wasn’t common in the early 90’s when I grew up. This is fruit flan (fl-aaaa-n), a recipe from my Mother’s recipe box. So, I don’t really have an answer for you other than this is what we call it and we are not Mexican. :/

    2. Leslie

      flan
      /flan,flän/

      noun
      1.
      a baked dish consisting of an open-topped pastry case with a savory or sweet filling.
      “an egg and bacon flan”

  8. kayla

    I’ve been wanting to make this for a while, but right now with produce in season seems like the best time! Can’t wait to make it for a game night at church. 😉

    1. Monique

      This fruit topped dessert looks awesome!!! Very colourful and must taste Delicious 😋😋👍❤️🤗🍓🍇🍓

    1. Lauren

      I would say use the almond extract because I think it tastes amazing!! If you’re really against it though, just double up on the vanilla extract 🙂

  9. Joyce

    While I think this is a lovely presentation, cutting it with the fruit on it wasn’t pretty. So in the future I would cut it in pieces first then decorate every piece separately. I also felt there should be a little sweetener in the crust, perhaps some sugar.

  10. Yvonne

    Thank you. This sweet dessert look really good. Perfect timing as I happened to have all ingredients in the pantry and fridge. Look like sweet dessert for the weekend. ????

  11. Nancy Turner

    I love your Fruit Flan recipe. Would you recommend a glaze that could be used on the fruit to increase the refrigerator life and preserve the freshness a few hours more?

    1. Carol

      5 stars
      So delicious!! Melt some apricot jelly (or your favorite) and toss the fruit in it to give them some sheen, and protection. They last a little longer.

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