Description
This Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza features a soft and fluffy sugar cookie base topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting and an array of fresh fruits, finished with a shiny apricot glaze for added sweetness and gloss. Perfect as a visually stunning dessert for parties or family gatherings, this recipe balances buttery, tangy, and fruity flavors for a delightful treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Sugar Cookie Base
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half package)
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 and 1/2 packages)
- 1/4 cup butter, softened (half stick)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fruit Toppings
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 4 kiwi, peeled and sliced
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam or preserves
Instructions
- Prepare the Sugar Cookie Dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 3/4 cup softened butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 4 ounces softened cream cheese and beat for 1 minute until incorporated. Add 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Mix in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 and 3/4 teaspoons almond extract, scraping bowl sides as needed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Spoon and level 3 cups flour. Mix in 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon cornstarch into the flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined, scraping sides and bottom. The dough will be sticky; avoid overmixing to keep dough tender.
- Form Cookie Base on Pan: Line a 12-inch pizza pan (without holes or lined with foil) with parchment paper. Scoop the dough onto the pan and press evenly to all edges, about 3/8 inch thick. Dampening hands helps manage stickiness.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough in the pan for 30-45 minutes until fully chilled. Alternatively, freeze for about 20 minutes if pressed for time.
- Preheat Oven: During chilling, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), allowing at least 15 minutes for thorough heating.
- Bake Cookie Base: Bake the chilled dough for 20-23 minutes until very light golden across the top and edges slightly browned. Avoid overbaking to keep crust soft. Cool completely in the pan; refrigerate to speed cooling if needed.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a clean bowl, beat 12 ounces cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, beat again. Sift and add 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat until smooth, scraping bowl sides.
- Spread Frosting: When crust is completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula, covering edges well. Chill in refrigerator to let frosting soften edges and prevent drying.
- Prepare Fruit Toppings: Drain mandarin oranges. Slice strawberries and peel and slice kiwi. Rinse blueberries and raspberries thoroughly.
- Arrange Fruit: Decorate the frosted cookie base with fruit arranged in concentric circles, clusters, or sprinkled casually as preferred. Take your time for a beautiful presentation.
- Prepare Glaze: Heat 2 tablespoons apricot jam or preserves in microwave for 30 seconds until thin and pourable. Strain to remove lumps if using preserves.
- Brush Fruit with Glaze: Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the fruit with warm apricot glaze to add sheen and help preserve freshness.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the decorated fruit pizza until ready to serve. Cover with plastic wrap tented using toothpicks if chilling for several hours. Slice into pizza slices or squares before serving.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The cookie and frosting keep longer than the fruit. Replace fruit if needed for freshness after a couple of days.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use 2 full blocks total. Half (4 ounces) goes into the cookie dough and the other 12 ounces go into the frosting to ensure proper texture.
- Pizza Pan: Use a pan without holes for a soft cookie base. If your pan has holes, line it tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil before the parchment paper.
- Pan Size Alternatives: This recipe also works in a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan or a half baking sheet rolled to approximately 15 x 9 inches, maintaining about 3/8 inch thickness.
- Fruit Ideas: Feel free to use other fruits like red, green, or black grapes, blackberries, sliced banana (glaze to prevent browning), chopped pineapple, ripe peeled peach, halved cherries, mango, or dragonfruit.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/20th of pizza)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
