Why you’ll love these fruit pizza cookies
These cute little cookies are easier to serve (and eat!) than a big fruit pizza, and everyone gets their own. Plus, you can customize them by using your favorite fruit combos or whatever’s in season—berries, kiwi, peaches, you name it. You could even let your guests assemble their own as a fun, kid-friendly activity.
More dairy free cookies: chewy snickerdoodles / banana bread cookies / lemon curd cookies / lucky charms cookies
Ingredient notes:
- Dairy free butter – We always use Earth Balance dairy free butter, but most brands of dairy free butter should work. If you want to use shortening, try this sugar cookie recipe instead.
- All-purpose flour – I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten free flour, so I can’t say if it will work or not. If need these to be GF, try this gluten free sugar cookie recipe as a base.
- Vegan cream cheese – My favorite brand is Violife. I’ve tested a lot and I find that it works better in dairy free frosting than other brands.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s Tips & tricks
- Don’t soften the butter. Dairy free butter is really soft at room temp, so don’t worry about warming it up before making your cookie dough or frosting, but do make sure to soften the vegan cream cheese to help it blend into the frosting.
- Hold off on the fruit! The fruit naturally creates juice that will eventually soften the cookies. So, I recommend waiting to add the fruit until you’re ready to serve the cookies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the frosting on fruit pizza?
The frosting on fruit pizza is usually a sweetened cream cheese base, which gives it a slightly tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with fresh fruit. In this dairy free version, we use vegan cream cheese and dairy free butter to make a creamy, spreadable frosting that tastes just like the classic.
How to keep fruit pizza from getting soggy?
To keep fruit pizza, or these cookies, from getting soggy, don’t add the fruit until right before serving. The longer fruit sits on the frosting, the more moisture it releases. You can bake the cookies and make the frosting ahead of time—just store them separately and assemble when you’re ready to eat.
Ingredients
- 2 12/ cups all-purpose flour - 300g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup dairy free butter - 2 sticks, 113g
- 1 cup sugar - 200g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 3.5 ounces vegan cream cheese - 1/2 Violife container
- 1/4 cup dairy free butter - 1/2 stick, 56g
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar - 300g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Assorted fresh fruit - chopped
- Fresh mint - for garnish
Instructions
- Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, measure out all of your ingredients before you begin.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together until evenly distributed.Set aside.
- Beat the wet ingredients. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the dairy free butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until combined.
- Combine the dough. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until incorporated, scraping the sides as needed. Let the dough to rest for about 10 – 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
- Bake the cookies. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just almost golden and the tops are soft-set. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese, dairy free butter and vanilla extract until combined. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated and smooth.
- Decorate the cookies. Once the cookies are completely cool, spread a layer of frosting on each one and top with fresh fruit and garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
