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This Easter Fruit Pizza is the perfect Easter recipe! Serve this beautiful fruit pizza for breakfast, brunch, or even as a light Easter dessert. It has a sugar cookie crust shaped like an Easter egg, a generous layer of strawberry frosting, and LOTS of fresh, flavorful fruit.
Fruit Pizza: the perfect light Easter dessert
Easter may have a reputation for being all about the chocolate and jelly beans, but that doesn’t mean we can’t sneak in a little fresh produce every now and again! If you want a break from the non-stop candyfest, give my Easter fruit pizza a try this year.
What is fruit pizza?
I grew up eating fruit pizza, but if you’ve never had one, you may be a bit confused or skeptical. Pizza? Fruit? Haven’t we already done this with Hawaiian pizza?
Fruit pizza is typically made with a sugar cookie crust, topped with frosting, and finished with a variety of fresh fruit. Although it’s most often in a large round pizza shape, you can also make mini individual pizzas, rectangular pizzas, or do what I did here, and make it into the shape of an Easter egg!
When do you serve fruit pizza?
One of the best things about fruit pizza is its versatility. It’s piled high with fruit, so it makes a wonderful brunch or tea time dish. But the sugar cookie crusts and cream cheese frosting can also push it into the after-dinner dessert category. And honestly, it’s so good, I find myself nibbling on it for any and every meal.
If you are a fresh fruit lover, be sure to check out my Strawberry Rose Tarts, Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake, and this FANTASTIC Coconut Macaroon Tart!
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
The good news: this fruit pizza is made with common baking ingredients, so you probably already have most, if not all, of the ingredients you’ll need! Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe.
- Lemon zest: I love the fresh taste that a bit of lemon zest gives to the sugar cookie crust. If you don’t have lemon, you can swap in another citrus zest, like orange or grapefruit, or just omit it entirely.
- Cream Cheese: I’ve included a recipe for an easy strawberry cream cheese frosting. You can substitute store-bought strawberry cream cheese spread if you’d prefer.
- Apple jelly: This is spread on top of the fresh fruit as a glaze–it gives the fruit pizza a great shine, and prevents the fruit from wilting and drying out after it’s cut. You can swap in another clear-ish jelly if you’d like.
- Fresh fruit: You’ll want to gather ALL THE FRUIT — the more colorful and bountiful, the better! Feel free to use whatever is readily available to you, but my personal must-haves are lots of fresh berries, mangoes, clementine slices, and grapes. Combined, these have a lot of different colors and textures that make the fruit pizza look fresh and vibrant. If you have access to fun fruits like dragon fruit or star fruit (featured below!) that’s just the cherry on top…pardon the fruity pun. 😉
🥄 Equipment
Fortunately, the equipment list is short and sweet! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Baking sheet: You’ll want to use a half-sheet pan (approx 13×18″) so you have enough room for the large cookie crust. Look for a sturdy one with a thick bottom so the bottom of the cookie doesn’t burn before it’s cooked through. I use and love these Nordic Ware baking sheets.
- Parchment: The easiest way to move a giant cookie crust around? Bake it on parchment so you can slide it right off the baking sheet, no awkward contortions required!
- Mixer: You’ll want a mixer to whip up the cookie dough and cream cheese frosting. A stand mixer or hand mixer will both work.
- Pastry brush: To brush the fruit glaze on at the end.
📋 Instructions
Here’s a quick overview of how to assemble this fruit pizza! Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to Make the Sugar Cookie Crust
- After you make the sugar cookie dough, chill it well so that it’s easy to roll out.
- Flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a rough oval. Use a sharp knife to trim the dough into an egg shape. Eat the scraps. (A very important part of the process!)
- Bake the cookie crust for 18-20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
- Once the crust cools completely, spread on a generous layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting.
How to Decorate with Fruit
- Time to get slicing! Cut up any large fruit (strawberries, mangoes, star fruit, etc) into slices. For larger grapes and berries, you might want to cut them in half so it’s easier to decorate with them. Don’t slice the fruit until you’re ready to use it.
- Start with a general outline of the “sections” of the pizza. Since this is an Easter egg-themed dish, try to make the design look like a colorfully decorated egg.
- Gradually fill in the entire top with fruit, until the cream cheese frosting is completely covered.
- Warm up the apple jelly and brush a thin layer over the top of the fruit to keep it looking fresh and shiny.
💭 Variations
There are a million and one ways to make a fruit pizza! Consider some of these twists:
- Use another flavor in your cream cheese: lemon, orange, and raspberry would all be delicious.
- Try a Fourth of July variation in the shape of a flag with red and blue berries.
- Halloween time? Make the base in the shape of a pumpkin, use pumpkin spice cream cheese, and fill the top with citrus fruits to keep the orange theme.
- Mini fruit pizzas are the cutest! Make palm-sized cookie crusts so everyone gets their own.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
This fruit pizza is really best the same day it is assembled. The cookie crust starts to get soggy, and the cut fruit does not look its best after a day of being exposed to air.
If you need to make the components in advance, you can prepare the cookie dough several days ahead of time, and even bake the crust a day or two before. Keep the baked crust well-wrapped until you’re ready to use. The cream cheese filling can also be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
After making, store any leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy as soon as possible!
🐣More Cute Easter Egg Recipes
🐰Additional Easter Recipes You’ll Love
- Spring Chick Cupcakes
- Easter Push-Up Pops
- Easter Basket Cupcakes
- Double Chocolate Easter Cupcakes
- Easter Nest Cake
- Chocolate Easter Nests (Birds Nest Cookies)
Easter Egg Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
For the Fruit Pizza Crust:
- 14.6 oz all-purpose flour, (3 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 10.5 oz granulated sugar, (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 TBSP lemon zest, packed
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 TBSP cream, either heavy or whipping cream
- 2 tsp lemon extract
For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam, at room temperature
- 6 oz powdered sugar, (1 1/2 cups)
To Assemble:
- 8 cups assorted fresh fruit, washed and sliced
- 1/4 cup apple jelly, or other light-colored jelly
- 1 TBSP water
Instructions
To Make the Fruit Pizza Crust:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside for a moment.
- Combine the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat them together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add the cream and lemon extract and mix them in.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until there are just a few flour streaks left. Stop the mixer and finish stirring everything together by hand, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl well. Shape the dough into a large disc and wrap the dough in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour, until firm. Dough can be made several days in advance.
- When the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 350 F and cover a large baking sheet with parchment. Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment or waxed paper until it is a rectangle about 16×12 inches. (You can make it ever thinner if you’d like—I prefer a thick, soft, cake-like cookie.) Use a paring knife to trim it into an egg shape.
- Transfer the cookie to the baking sheet, and bake it at 350 F for 16-20 minutes, until it takes on a light golden color and is puffed and set in the middle. Let it cool completely at room temperature. The cookie can be baked several days in advance.
To Make the Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese using a mixer until it is smooth and free of lumps. Add the strawberry jam and powdered sugar, and beat until everything is well-mixed.
- Taste the frosting, and add more sugar if desired. Remember that it will be combined with a cookie and fruit, so it doesn’t have to be super-sweet on its own. Frosting can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To Assemble:
- Spread the frosting in a thin, even layer over the surface of the cookie, leaving a small margin around the edges. Layer the fresh fruit over the frosting in the pattern of your choosing—don’t’ be afraid to play with colors and shapes!
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the jelly and water, and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir them together until the jelly is fluid and smooth. It should have the consistency of a thin gel—if it’s still fairly thick, add a bit more water to thin it out.
- Use a pastry brush to spread this glaze on top of your fruit. This gives the fruit pizza a lovely shine, and also prevents the cut fruit from looking wilted and tired at room temperature.
- Cut the pizza into slices and enjoy! Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This Easter Egg Fruit Pizza is best within a day of assembly.
Video
Recipe Notes
MEASURING TIPS
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Click here to learn more about baking measurements and conversion.
Hilarious post! I’ve never had a fruit pizza either; this one is spectacular. Love your site, and looking forward to reading more – everything looks delicious.
Thanks Alanna, so glad you stopped by and found me! And definitely give a fruit pizza a try sometime–it’s a genius way to enjoy cookies and frosting while feeling healthy. 😉
He must have been under a rock when fruit pizza was having its moment. Thanks for bringing it back – this is a delicious classic, and your version is gorgeous!
I know, right?! That was my thought exactly. PS I love how your icon is in the spirit of fruit pizza!
Oh, this makes me so happy.
I love the egg shape and the way you designed it. It’s so pretty.
truly stunning!!!!
You had me at “fruit pizza”! But then you kept on with sugar cookie crust and cream cheese… I felt my mouth watering..
I never heard of a fruit pizza before but this sounds and looks AMAZING!
So glad to introduce you to the best brunch dish ever! I hope you’re able to give it a try sometime. 🙂
I heard you on Larry Meiler’s program a couple weeks ago(Wisconsin public radio)and have been really enjoying your posts and am looking forward to trying your recipe’s. Especially this one, my husband loves fruit Pizza! I think I will be making this on Saturday- if the weather won’t cooperate this recipe will sure taste like it is spring! Thanks!
Thanks so much, Marcia! I always love going on Larry’s show–it’s a blast to talk to listeners. Please let me know how the fruit pizza turns out!
Fruit pizza? This is all new to me! Looks delicious! 🙂
Try a more healthful version by using rolled out Pillsbury (or generic brand)crescent rolls. Unroll,shape edges to create egg shape, and bake until light brown. Cool and add cream cheese and fruit. Makes a great appetizer or fruity addition to Easter dinner.
Oh Elizabeth…I love reading your blog. Now if I could only figure out how to reduce the 1 hour drive between us to a quick 15 minute jaunt!!
Get on it, girl! We have sugar up to our eyeballs over here. 🙂
Fruit Pizza in a egg shape no less? Its true love.
I love fruit pizza and this egg shaped one is just perfect!!
Love this fruity pizza idea! Great styling 🙂
Thanks so much, Marla!
Dear Lord, this looks amazing. Almost too good to eat. Almost. Thanks for posting this!!
Haha, thank you, Pat! I was definitely still able to eat it, pretty or no. 🙂
Great idea! This will be dessert after Easter dinner this year. The fruit pizza ‘egg’ you designed is gorgeous and I cannot wait to make this (may need to make a pre-Easter trial fruit pizza. lol)
Thank you Bonnie! And yes, I think a trial pizza is definitely in order–I trust you’ll be able to find something to do with it? 🙂
I have taste-testing-volunteers. 🙂
Hey this looks delish never heard of fruit pizza before! Cant wait to try! Kids very excited to try too!!!
Thanks Andrea! I’d love to know what you think if you give it a try!
Instead of a sugar cookie base do you think it could be made using crescent rolls? I might try it that way.
Carla, I haven’t tried it with crescent rolls, but I think it would work really well! You might want to try brushing the top with melted chocolate after the rolls are baked, as another reader suggested, and letting it harden before adding the cream cheese topping, so that the rolls won’t get as soggy.
Can you give me the instructions/recipe for making the chocolate coating, please?
Jean, all you need to do is take about 6 oz of melted chocolate (white chocolate would be nice, so it won’t overpower the fruit and be too noticeable, but milk or dark chocolate would also work) and spread it on top of the baked and cooled cookie. Refrigerate it until the chocolate is set, then top it with frosting and fruit. This will sort of “seal” the cookie and provide protection so it doesn’t get too soggy.
Just a note ….I use a layer of chocolate (melted and then let harden) on top of the cookie so the cookie doesn’t get soft as fast and is still edible and crispy the next day.
That’s a great idea, Rene! I will definitely try that next time–thank you for sharing!
I would like to learn more about your recipes.
Thanks Sandy! In addition to browsing the site, if you want to get my newest blog posts by email, you can sign up to receive them here:
http://sugarhero.us7.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=0acb0055f5f1ec057a66a8fda&id=aeda428462
Can you make it with pie crust and use fruit dipping creme for the frosting?
Hi Arlene, I haven’t tried it that way, but I imagine it would work! You might want to try brushing the top with melted chocolate after the crust baked, and letting it harden before adding the cream topping, so that the crust won’t get as soggy.
I am going to try this but have two questions. My daughter is allergic to yolks. Can I make this with egg whites only. Second,she is also GF. I wonder if you think this will work with gf flour?
Thank you
Hi Marge, I haven’t tried the recipe with those modifications, and to be honest I think you might have better luck if you start with a recipe that’s intended to be gluten- and egg-free — less chance of disaster that way! I did a little googling and came across this gf egg-free sugar cookie recipe. I’m sure there are many more out there, as well!
http://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2013/12/chewy-coconut-sugar-cookies-gluten-free.html
Can not wait to make this! Wondering how I can make this dairy free, for my son? Butter , I have his vegan butter. It’s the cream cheese….. Any thoughts?
Hi Kim,
I don’t have much experience with vegan cream cheese replacements, but I know they exist– maybe try one of those? There are a few options listed here:
http://www.veganbaking.net/articles/product-reviews/vegan-cream-cheese-taste-test
Another thought is to make a basic buttercream instead (the type with butter, powdered sugar, and milk) and use vegan butter and your alternative milk of choice. Good luck, I hope you like it!
I’ve been trying to find something for our Church Brunch next Sunday. This one wins hands down.
Awesome, Audrey! Fruit pizza is always so popular when I bring it to a brunch! I’d love to hear what you think after you try it!
I have made this many times I got the recipe from Pampered Chef party years ago and it’s wonderful. instead I remember is the frosting part had marshmallow cream in it, mixed with the cream cheese I believe.
Marshmallow cream sounds like a great addition! I’m sure there are tons of variations–thanks for sharing yours, Vicky!
I like the refrigerated sugar cookie dough for the crust.
Yes, that’s totally a time saver! Thanks Linsey!
What about gram cracker cookie for the cream cheese
How would this be made to be vegan? And what did you use to get the egg shape form of the crust?
Hi Jan, To make the cookie vegan, you could use vegan butter, a dairy-free milk (almond, soy, etc) in place of cream, and use Ener-G egg replacer for the eggs. You might also be able to use a flax egg, but I can’t vouch for that.
To make the strawberry spread vegan, you can try using a vegan cream cheese. I haven’t tried this myself so you may need to tweak the powdered sugar amount to get the perfect texture.
As for the egg shape, I just rolled it into an oval, and trimmed it a little so one end of the oval was thinner, like an egg.
I like Jan’s question about making the fruit pizza vegan. Besides the cruelty to animals issue with eggs and dairy, both substances are linked to a lot of diseases including a high rate of breast cancer in women. And vegan desserts are delicious!
Hi Julie, if you do make a vegan version of this dessert, I’d love it if you came back and shared what worked for you, so I can add a note to the recipe!
I’m trying to use pillsbury cookie dough and can’t seemto get it to roll out into shape. Any suggestions. In need if major help, wanting to make for my sons Easter party tonight at school.
Thanks!
Jaclyn
Hi Jaclyn,
I haven’t tried this with Pillsbury dough, but when you say it won’t roll out into shape, my guess is that it’s too soft and sticky to roll easily, is that correct? Can you pat it into shape or otherwise just form it with your hands?Using flour or powdered sugar on your hands should keep it from sticking too badly, and if things get really dire, a spritz of nonstick cooking spray often works as well. (Not at the same time as the flour, of course.) Making sure the dough is really well-chilled will also go a long way toward making it easier to work with. The good news is that the crust will be entirely covered, so even if the top isn’t smooth, or the sides aren’t perfect, it won’t really be obvious. Good luck!
Hi Elizabeth,
That looks amazing! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be making this for my daughter’s Birthday party. Your other creations look fantastic, too.
Thank you, Anna! I hope it turns out well, and happy birthday to your daughter!
So funny. My husband had this idea to make fruit pizza in the shape of an egg. I thought it couldn’t be done and…here you are. Love the design. Can’t wait to show him our Easter dessert on your website. Thanks. Happy Easter.
Haha, your husband sounds like a genius. Tell him great minds think alike! 🙂
this is so beautiful. what a lovely idea for a party!
2 Tbs of cream? Whipping cream, cream cheese? Can you clarify please?
Thanks!!
Hi Sue, I use whipping cream or heavy cream! Milk would probably also work just fine.
hahah this is so funny!!! I got to admit that don’t think I ever had a fruit pizza. Though I been called that a few times ;). It kind of looks like a fruit tart and a oversized cookie had a baby together hehehe. Very cool idea!
Ha! Fruit Pizza shall be your new nickname from now on. 🙂
I made this yesterday for a friend’s Easter dinner. It was easy to make. I followed the recipe very closely. Despite putting the frosting into the fridge before applied, it was consistently runny. I even added more cream cheese than the recipe called for, to thicken it up. That didn’t seem to work. I also put it into the freezer for 30-45 mins and the frosting was still runny. Next time, I will use actual frosting bought from the store.
It was still a big hit, everyone wanted to try it and it went pretty fast. I would definitely make this recipe again. It was tasty and enjoyed by all.
I’m glad it was a hit, Anita! And it’s definitely great with store-bought frosting.
What is the cream that is in the ingredients for the sugar cookie part of this recipe?
Hi Gabby, it’s heavy cream or whipping cream. You can also use regular milk if you don’t have cream on hand.
Ok thank you so much!!!!! Also is it okay if I use apricot jelly I can not find apple jelly unless you have somewhere that I can find it!
Apricot jelly is great! That’s actually what I prefer to use, but I can’t always find it. Any clear-ish jelly is fine. And technically you can skip it, it just helps preserve the fruit from looking wilted and also adds a nice shine.
I actually ended up finding the apple jelly! Yay so excited!!!!! Thank you!
This was delicious! Next time I will add less frosting and put the fruit further away from the edge. My grapes were drooping off the egg. Also, I will be using this cookie recipe for other things. DELISH!
How long do you think the dough is good for after it’s been made? I made mine this past Sunday and now I want to assemble the pizza!
It looks really good!
Maybe will try in near future.
Hey Pamela, Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear it! I would love to hear how it goes!
What is cream?????? Like sour cream? Sorry, I don’t bake much.
Hi Rachel! It can be cream, half and half, or even milk. 🙂 Please let me know how it goes!
Can’t wait to try it! I used to make a “fruit pizza” , but haven’t thought about it in years….
Yay! I am excited to hear it. I would love to hear how it goes, and see pictures!