Beautiful Fruit Tart Pizza

I used to think pizza was just for dinner until my kids started asking for “dessert pizza” after seeing one at a birthday party. At first, I had no idea what they meant. Turns out, fruit tart pizza is basically a giant sugar cookie topped with cream cheese and fresh fruit—and it’s way easier than it sounds.

The best part? You don’t need any fancy baking skills. If you can roll out cookie dough and spread frosting, you’ve got this. My kids love helping arrange the fruit on top, and honestly, it’s hard to mess up when everything tastes this good together.

What Kind of Fruit Should I Use?

The beauty of fruit tart pizza is that you can use whatever fresh fruits are in season or look best at the store. Berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries work wonderfully because they hold their shape and add pops of color, while softer fruits like peaches and kiwi provide a nice contrast in texture. Just make sure your fruit is ripe but still firm – overly soft fruit can make your pizza soggy and won’t hold up well when sliced. If you’re using fruits that brown quickly like peaches or apples, try to add them just before serving, or give them a light brush with lemon juice to keep them looking fresh.

Options for Substitutions

This fruit tart pizza is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps and substitutions:

• Butter: You can substitute with margarine or vegetable shortening in equal amounts. For a lighter option, try using half butter and half unsweetened applesauce, though the texture will be slightly different.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar works fine if you’re out of brown sugar. You can also make your own by mixing 1/2 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses.
• Cream cheese: Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. In a pinch, you can use mascarpone cheese, but avoid low-fat versions as they won’t set properly.
• Fresh fruits: The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever fruits are in season or what you have on hand. Try mandarin oranges, grapes, blackberries, or even sliced bananas. Just avoid overly juicy fruits that might make the crust soggy.
• Vanilla extract: Almond extract works well too – just use half the amount since it’s stronger. You could also try lemon extract for a citrusy twist.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is best for this recipe and shouldn’t be substituted with other types, as it provides the right structure for the cookie crust base.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making fruit tart pizza is overbaking the cookie crust, which can turn it from chewy and tender into a hard, crumbly base that’s difficult to cut – keep an eye on it and remove when the edges are just lightly golden.

Another common error is adding the fresh fruit too early, as the natural juices will make your cream cheese layer watery and cause the crust to get soggy underneath.

Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened before mixing with the powdered sugar, or you’ll end up with lumps in your topping that won’t spread smoothly across the crust.

For the best presentation, pat your fruit dry with paper towels before arranging on top, and serve the pizza within a few hours of assembly to prevent the crust from getting soft.

What to Serve With Fruit Tart Pizza?

This fruit tart pizza is pretty much a dessert that can stand on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some freshly whipped cream on the side. I love serving it at summer gatherings alongside other light desserts like lemon bars or sugar cookies, since the fresh fruit keeps things from feeling too heavy. A cup of coffee or iced tea makes the perfect drink pairing, especially if you’re serving this for brunch or an afternoon treat. You could also cut it into smaller squares and serve it as part of a dessert platter with chocolate-dipped strawberries or mini cheesecakes.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This fruit tart pizza is best kept covered in the refrigerator since it has that creamy cheese layer and fresh fruit on top. It’ll stay fresh for about 2-3 days, though the fruit might start to get a bit soft after the first day. I like to cover it loosely with plastic wrap or store it in a large container.

Make Ahead: You can definitely prep parts of this ahead of time! Bake the cookie crust base up to 2 days early and store it covered at room temperature. The cream cheese mixture can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Just assemble with fresh fruit right before serving for the best results.

Serve: This tastes best when served chilled, so pull it from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before cutting to make slicing easier. If you notice any fruit starting to look tired, just pick off those pieces and add some fresh ones on top before serving.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3500-3900
• Protein: 32-38 g
• Fat: 155-170 g
• Carbohydrates: 490-540 g

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the cream cheese layer:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the fruit topping:

• Fresh strawberries
• Ripe peaches
• Blueberries
• Kiwi fruit
• Raspberries

Step 1: Make the Sugar Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing until a dough forms.

Step 2: Chill the Dough

Shape the cookie dough into a large ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

This helps the dough firm up and prevents spreading while baking.

I find that chilling the dough also makes it easier to handle when rolling it out.

Step 3: Shape and Bake the Crust

Remove the chilled dough (from Step 2) from the refrigerator.

On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large circle, about 1/4 inch thick.

Carefully transfer the dough to a pizza pan or stone that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Alternatively, you can press the dough evenly onto the pan with your hands.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges and top are just starting to turn lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and let the cookie crust cool completely before adding any toppings.

Step 4: Make the Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

While the crust is cooling, beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

If you like your frosting on the sweeter side, add more confectioners’ sugar to taste.

I like to let the cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing—it makes for an extra smooth frosting.

Step 5: Frost the Crust

• cooled sugar cookie crust (from Step 3)
• cream cheese frosting (from Step 4)

Once the sugar cookie crust (from Step 3) is completely cooled, evenly spread the cream cheese frosting (from Step 4) over the top.

Make sure to reach all the way to the edges for the perfect base for your fruit toppings.

Step 6: Decorate with Fresh Fruit

• fresh strawberries
• ripe peaches
• blueberries
• kiwi fruit
• raspberries

Top the frosted cookie crust with fresh strawberries, ripe peaches, blueberries, kiwi fruit, and raspberries.

Arrange the fruit in fun patterns or creative designs for a beautiful presentation.

To make the fruit pizza even more delicious, I sometimes add a light drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of lemon zest for a pop of brightness.

Beautiful Fruit Tart Pizza

Delicious Beautiful Fruit Tart Pizza recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 1 minute min

Total Time 1 hour hr 31 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3700 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the cream cheese layer:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

For the fruit topping:

• fresh strawberries
• ripe peaches
• blueberries
• kiwi fruit
• raspberries

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing until a dough forms.
• Shape the cookie dough into a large ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. This helps the dough firm up and prevents spreading while baking. I find that chilling the dough also makes it easier to handle when rolling it out.
• Remove the chilled dough (from Step 2) from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a pizza pan or stone that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can press the dough evenly onto the pan with your hands. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges and top are just starting to turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let the cookie crust cool completely before adding any toppings.
• While the crust is cooling, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. If you like your frosting on the sweeter side, add more confectioners' sugar to taste. I like to let the cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing—it makes for an extra smooth frosting.
• Once the sugar cookie crust (from Step 3) is completely cooled, evenly spread the cream cheese frosting (from Step 4) over the top. Make sure to reach all the way to the edges for the perfect base for your fruit toppings.
• Top the frosted cookie crust with fresh strawberries, ripe peaches, blueberries, kiwi fruit, and raspberries. Arrange the fruit in fun patterns or creative designs for a beautiful presentation. To make the fruit pizza even more delicious, I sometimes add a light drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of lemon zest for a pop of brightness.