Easy Fruit Pizza

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make an easy and beautiful fruit dessert pizza.

Sugar Cookie Dough: The subtle flavor of the sugar cookie dough crust lets the fruit take the spotlight. The crisp on the outside, tender on the inside character of the cookie crust provides a sweet way to hold and enjoy the fruit toppings.

Fruit: We love the combination of kiwi, strawberries and blueberries for their varying sizes, colors and appearances, to create a dessert that’s as pretty to look at as it is yummy to eat.

Jelly: Used as a glaze for the fruit, it protects it from drying out or turning brown as well as giving it a healthy shine. We chose apple jelly because it’s as close to clear as possible, so the focus is on the fruit.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla. These three create a creamy layer that holds the fruit and crust together.

Cookware You’ll Need

Pizza Pan: A 12-inch regular metal pizza pan without holes is what you need to bake the cookie crust evenly. You can use a larger diameter pizza pan, however, still press the dough into a 12-inch circle.

Basting Brush: Our experts agree it’s THE tool to brush the apple jelly in a thin, even layer on the fruit. During testing, we found we prefer to use a silicone brush vs. one with hair-like bristles, which can come out onto the food while brushing. However, either one will work well for spreading the jelly.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: Bowls, electric mixer, rubber scraper, cooling rack, knife or pizza cutter.

How to Make Fruit Pizza

1. Bake the Crust

We’ve found in the test kitchen, that patting out the crust is easier to do if you crumble the cookie dough first. Using your hands, crumble the cold dough right onto the pan then press evenly into a 12-inch circle. Bake and cool the crust completely before spreading the cream cheese mixture on top.

2. Make the Cream Cheese Layer

Based on decades of testing recipes, using softened cream cheese is the key to getting a smooth, creamy texture. Unwrap and set the brick of cream cheese on the counter for about 30 minutes or place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on Medium (50%) 1 to 1½ minutes until you your fingertip leaves an imprint when lightly pressed into the cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy; spread on the cooled crust. 

3. Arrange the Fruit

The best fruit for fruit pizza should be soft enough to cut and bite through, aren’t too watery and don’t brown easily. Choose fruits that vary in color and shape for the most attractive presentation. Arrange the fruit on the cream cheese, pressing it lightly into the cream cheese mixture to adhere. See the variation and design section below for inspiration.

4. Brush Fruit with Jelly

To get a thin, even glaze on the fruit, you need to stir the jelly until it’s smooth. Use a pastry brush, for professional-looking results. Alternately, you can use a spoon; it is a bit harder to get even coverage but will still taste yummy. If your jelly can’t be stirred smooth, microwave it in a small microwavable bowl uncovered on High about 20 seconds or until it can be stirred smooth.

5. Refrigerate and Serve

Chill the fruit pizza for 1 to 2 hours to set the cream cheese layer and help the fruit stay in place when the pizza is cut. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, to cut into 12 thin wedges or squares.

Variations and Designs

Change up your fruit pizza with these easy variations to suit any occasion.

Change the Fruit: Try both red and green seedless grape halves or a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. For additional ideas, see our FAQ below for great options.

Change the Design: Arrange the fruit in a random pattern, concentric circles, or create stripes of red and blue berries to look like a flag for patriotic holidays. Or, try arranging red and green fruit in a circle like a wreath, and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar. To make a strawberry heart pizza, cut out stems from fresh strawberries with a paring knife. Slice them vertically, and they will look like hearts to place on the pizza.

Change the Glaze: Apricot or peach jelly make great options for glazing the fruit. Reviewer Minicoopcruiser uses “orange marmalade instead of the apple jelly. The citrus of the orange really compliments the flavor.”

More Recipes: Try a crescent dough crust in this Apple and Cream Cheese Pizza topped with apples, cinnamon and cream cheese and in this Caramelized Banana Nutella Pizza with bananas, caramel, hazelnut spread, and almonds.

Storing Fruit Pizza

For the best texture and presentation, fruit pizza is best made the same day it’s served. Since it contains cream cheese, any leftover fruit pizza should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving.

Refrigerator

Wrap remaining fruit pizza with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Moisture from the cream cheese topping and fruit can make the cookie crust softer. Juice from the fruit can leach out onto the cream cheese layer, affecting the appearance so the sooner it is eaten the better.

Freezer

Not recommended as the crust will soften and the fruit will be watery, creating a soggy pizza.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

Our fans tell us this recipe is a hit. WaltzingMatilda says, “I love the recipe! It’s easy, delicious and looks fancy… I've been asked twice for the recipe already. Definitely thumbs up!”

With the brightly-colored fruit, others comment that this dessert has a beautiful presentation, making it look like it came from a fancy bakery. Its impressive appearance elevates it to the top of the recipe box for gatherings.

Families tell us they have fun making this recipe together. It is a great baking and decorating activity to do with kids, and they can customize it to their liking or for special events.