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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.
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!
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 for Fruit Pizza
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.
How to Make Fruit Pizza
For full details on how to make Fruit Pizza, see the recipe card down below!
Step 1: Make the Sugar Cookie Crust
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a half sheet pan and set aside.
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 extract, and almond extract, 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 separately. 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.
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!
More Fresh Dessert Recipes to Make!
- Ambrosia Salad
- Peach Cobbler
- Double Berry Galette
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
Consider making this delicious fruit pizza recipe this week! The printable recipe card is below. 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Fruit Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Crust:
- 1 cup butter salted, cut into cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups all purpose flour
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 heavy whipping cream
Fresh Fruit Toppers:
- berries, peaches, kiwis, bananas, etc. washed, and sliced (if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a half sheet pan and set aside. Alternately, you can line with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until well mixed. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract, and mix 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-
- In a medium bowl, beat milk, pudding mix, and almond extract together until smooth and thickened.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold cream into the pudding mixture, until no streaks appear.
- Spread pudding mixture evenly over crust.
- Top with fruit and serve.
My daughter in law and grand daughter need it to be gluten free can I use almond or oat flour
Where is the recipe with the vanilla pudding? Please
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.
This was AMAZING!!! the combination is wonderful.
I sprayed the cookie sheet. The crust stuck.
Should I have used parchment paper’s well?
Do the bananas turn brown after being exposed to air for an hour or so?
Will try looks so cool and light for summer.
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
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.
Thank you for being so helpful and kind to add this. This is exactly how I have done in the past. More ways than one to do things! 😉
Can’t view the recipe for all the add
I meant to ask what is the exact size of the sheet pan that you used? Sorry
so what is the exact size of the sheet pan?
A half sheet pan is 18″x13″
Why didn’t you include the glaze that covers the whole pizza.???
???What size pan is a “half a sheet pan”???
18×13, essentially double a 9×13 in cookie sheet form with sides.
Can I use prepared sugar cookie dough instead?
absolutely!
Used store bought cookie dough and this fruit pizza still blew my mind. I impressed myself.
I live in Thailand i like your recipies.Please tell me what’s vanila pudding. Thank you
Is the cookie crust too crumbly? Have you tried a pastry sheet dough or would it get too soggy?
I made these the other day and it came out pretty good!
Any suggestions on how to make this lactose free?
Thanks
This cake is amazing! Thanks for the recipe. We all loved it!
Looks amazing!! Could you use almond flour instead of regular flour? Thank you!
I have never used almond flour for this so I’m not sure. You are welcome to try it, though!
Instead of making bottom crust ,mix sugar cookie mix and put it on bottom it gives it extra flavor and isKath great
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.
[…] training. That man loves his steak and man, what a difference a steak marinade can make. {I made this for dessert […]
[…] Fruit Flan […]
Love this and so versatile!
Just came across this recipe! Making it for my husbands bday! It doesn’t say how long to bake crust…350 for 20 minutes?
Sorry, just got the directions updated in the printable recipe card!! You should have everything you need now!!
[…] Day dinner after he returned from his Army training. That man loves his steak. {I made this for dessert […]
Oops! Anybody actually mix the egg in the dough? How did it turn out ? Should I start over?
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?
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. :/
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”
Lauren, forgive my not knowing, but what measurements are a “ half sheet pan”?
A half sheet pan is 18″x13″ with higher sides. Some are 1/2-1 inch deep.
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. 😉
I’ll have to try this!
This looks so refreshing! Can I make this a day before and decorate with fruit before its time to serve?
Yes, definitely!
What a refreshment ! What a temptation ! Thank you and have a pleasant day !
Love the recipe…will be making to share with our family for our Christmas dinner. Lots of fruit which the kids will all love.
This looks so refreshing and delicious. I will have to try this when I get more fruit in season!
This fruit topped dessert looks awesome!!! Very colourful and must taste Delicious 😋😋👍❤️🤗🍓🍇🍓
Can I replace almond extra with vanilla extra? Or what do you recommend?
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 🙂
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.
Amazing! Looks so colorful and delicious. definetly try this tommorow
Could you use almond milk instead of regular milk, and the omit the almond extract? We have a lactose intolerant family member.
Hi! No, if you use almond milk the instant pudding won’t set. It only works with dairy, unfortunately.
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. ????
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?
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.