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Fruit Pizza is the best summertime dessert! A thick & chewy (not cakey!) sugar cookie is slathered with tangy cream cheese frosting and topped with plenty of fresh fruit. Use whatever fruit you love – you can even cut it into fun shapes like stars for Memorial Day or the 4th of July!
Why you’ll love this easy Fruit Pizza:
- Chewy Sugar Cookie – A soft sugar cookie crust makes the base of this simple recipe.
- Easy Decoration – Making the luscious cream cheese frosting takes just a few minutes, but other than that there’s really no work required to decorate this beautiful treat – just pop on your favorite fruit.
- Fun Summer Dessert – This treat is always a hit with a crowd!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
- Granulated Sugar – Using all granulated sugar helps keep this cookie from spreading too much in the oven.
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla for the best flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Fruit – Use your favorite fruits! I used strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries (halved & pitted, of course). Mango, peaches, and nectarines would all be delicious as well.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe. Let me know if you do try it!
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted dairy-free butter sticks for the cookie and frosting, and your favorite dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.
- Shortcut Recipe – Use store-bought sugar cookie dough in a pinch (the refrigerated kind, in a tube). If you’re only going to make one part of this from scratch, definitely make the frosting!
How to Make this Fruit Pizza:
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough. Whisk together melted butter and sugars in a medium bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until just combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. You’ll have a soft dough.
Step 2: Chill. Pat the dough into an even layer on a parchment lined pizza pan (or use a cookie sheet and make a rectangle). Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, so it’s nice and solid.
Step 3: Bake. Bake the fruit pizza (no need to use another pan) for 14 minutes. The edges will be a bit crinkly and have the slightest bit of golden brown, and the center will look *just* baked.
Step 4: Make Frosting. Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Decorate. Spread frosting over the cooled cookie. Then, arrange your fruit starting in a ring around the outer edges of the cookie pizza. Create circles moving inwards until covered completely.
Serving + Storing:
Slice & serve immediately once frosted & topped with the fruit. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. This is perfect for special occasions like a baby shower, bridal shower, or summer holidays!
Love fruit pizzas? Try my Peach Cobbler Dessert Pizza or my Pear Dessert Pizza next!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
You can bake the cookie up to 24 hours ahead. Let it cool completely, then cover tightly on a pan with foil. Frost and decorate just before you’re ready to serve (about 30-60 minutes). You don’t want to decorate it farther ahead of time than that as the juices from the fresh fruit will seep into the cream cheese frosting and it won’t look as nice.
Yes. If you halve it, you can still just bake it free form on a cookie sheet. If you double it, I recommend putting the dough in a 9×13 pan so it’s a little bit contained. Add 2 minutes at a time to the bake time until the cookie is done. It will be faintly golden around the edges and the center will appear *just set*.
You can use a rectangular cookie sheet – just press the dough out to about the same thickness as the photos here, about 1/3″ to 1/2″ thick.
Special Tools:
- Baking Sheet – Use a standard cookie sheet or a metal pizza pan.
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More Fruit Desserts to Love:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Cookies
- Berries & Cream Cake
- Piña Colada Cake
- Peach Cobbler Upside Down Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
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Thick & Chewy Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- 7 tbsp salted butter, melted, 103 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar , 158 grams
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 195 grams
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cold, use a full fat block, 226 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar , 115 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
For Decorating
- 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups fresh fruit, Use any fruit you like! See note below for ideas.
Instructions
- Make Cookie Dough: Melt butter in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.7 tbsp salted butter, melted, 3/4 cup granulated sugar , 1 large egg, at room temperature , 1 tsp vanilla extract , 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
- Chill Dough: Place a piece of parchment paper on a metal cookie sheet or round pizza pan. Press the dough out into a 9-inch circle (or into a rectangle about 1/3" to 1/2" thick if using the rectangular pan). Cover with a clean kitchen towel or with foil and place in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Bake the cookie dough on the same pan you chilled it on. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The edges will be a little crinkly and slightly golden, and the center will look *just* baked. Don't over bake! It will set up as it cools. Set aside to cool completely. Make-Ahead Tip: You can let the cookie cool completely, then cover it well with plastic wrap or foil for up to 24 hours before decorating and serving.
- Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Taste and add up to 1/4 cup more powdered sugar if desired.8 ounces cream cheese, cold, 1 cup powdered sugar , 1 tsp vanilla extract , pinch of salt
- Decorate: Spread frosting over the cooled cookie. Slice your fresh fruit (or use mini cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes, like stars!) and place it on the dessert pizza. Start by making a ring around the outer edge, then work your way in towards the center.2 and 1/2 to 3 cups fresh fruit
- Serve & Store: Once decorated, slice & enjoy immediately! The fruit juices will start to bleed into the cream cheese frosting a little bit over the course of a few hours (which is totally fine!), so for presentation's sake, serve it right away once the fruit is added.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love that the crust was sturdy enough for the toppings!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Brittany!