Mini Fruit Pizza
Old fashioned sugar cookies topped with a rich-lemon infused cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit!
Hello, friends!
Spring may not officially be here, but Michael and I saw our first robin on our evening walk last night, so it’s here as far as we’re concerned!
And I couldn’t be more ready for it!
The weather has been so nice, we’ve been spending every evening after work outdoors! And I’ve even opened up a few windows to let that spring air IN!
Oh my goodness, friends! I cannot tell you how much I LOVE springtime! It truly is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year.
With that said, I was totally in the mood this past weekend to whip up something yummy and springy(lol) for our Sunday brunch dessert.
My first thought was one of our family’s favorite spring and summer treats fabulous fruit pizza.
It complements the egg bake I was planning perfectly since I’d just picked up some fresh berries the day before at the grocery. It was a win-win!!
But instead of making my usual crust, I decided to mix things up a bit and make mini fruit pizzas using an old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe I found years ago!
If you’re not familiar, old-fashioned sugar cookies are a bit different than regular sugar cookies. The biggest difference is that the old-fashioned cookie is more cake-like than a cookie. This is in texture only though, because these cookies are NOT heavy by any means. The other difference is these cookies have sour cream in them. An unusual ingredient in a cookie for sure, but add it to the baking soda and baking powder and true magic happens. Just like in a cake these ingredients cause the cookies to puff up and become light, fluffy, and SUPER moist!
As for the original recipe that I found years ago? Well, let’s just say the original recipe was not like the detailed recipes of today.
In fact, it didn’t even have the amount of a key ingredient included. FLOUR. It also didn’t have the oven temperature or the amount of time the cookies needed to bake.
Needless to say, it was quite a challenge and one I took on many years ago. After much trial and error and tweaks here and there…I finally came up with what I think is the perfect sugar cookie.
And the absolute PERFECT vessel for these mini fruit pizzas too!
So let’s get baking!
what you will need to make mini fruit pizzas
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Recommended Equipment/Kitchen tools:
- Baking sheets
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Parchment paper
- 3″ Biscuit or Cookie cutter
- Baking rack
- Citrus Juicer
- Lemon Zester
Ingredients:
For Cookies:
- White Sugar
- Butter
- Sour Cream
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vanilla
For Frosting:
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Unsalted Butter
Fresh Fruit
how to make mini fruit pizzas:
The “Cookie” Crusts
- Combine first your wet and then your dry ingredients with a stand mixer or large mixing bowl and hand mixer.
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper down on a clean surface. Sprinkle with flour. Divide your dough into thirds.
- Place a third of the dough onto the parchment paper and roll around in the flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the paper. Flatten with your hand. Wrap the dough with paper and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Repeat steps 1-3 with the remaining two-thirds.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Remove one-third of the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out the dough to a 1/4″ circle onto a floured surface or parchment paper. Cut out cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the cookies begin to slightly brown on the edges.
NOTE: The cookies will not be brown on the tops (except slightly around the edges) but will be on the bottom.
*** This old-fashioned cookie recipe makes a BIG batch. 3 dozen cookies to be exact. The great part is you don’t have to turn all of them into mini pizzas. See below for more tips on storing and freezing!
The creamy frosting:
- Add the ingredients to a stand mixing bowl and whip until smooth and SUPER creamy!
- Frost the cookies! TIP: I like to use a tablespoon and scoop the frosting into the center of the cookie. Then I use a knife to spread it out. (You could also use a small icing spatula.)
****This frosting recipe makes enough to frost 24 cookies.Â
the fruit:
Use whatever fruit is in season or that you have on hand. My year-round favorites are strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (you can also use frozen)& mandarin oranges.
Other fruit options:
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Bananas (dip them in lemon first to prevent browning)
- Blackberries
- Apples (dip them in lemon first to prevent browning)
The decorating options for adding the fruit to your mini pizzas are truly endless. If you’re going for a ‘fancy’ theme you might want to decorate them all the same. Or, if you’re like me and want simply casual, you can make each one unique! (The littles will LOVE to help with this part!)
Honestly, after you take your first bite, you won’t really care how it’s decorated anyway. And because they are ‘mini’ fruit pizzas you probably won’t be able to have just one either.
what if you don’t want to make 36 mini pizzas?
As I mentioned the cookie recipe makes 3 dozen cookies. If you don’t want to make that many mini pizzas no problem.
- Use as many cookies as you want for the mini pizzas and freeze the remaining cookies. NOTE: Lay the unfrosted cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes. When the cookies are frozen, place them in an air-tight container or freezer bag. The cookies will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Then take them out and let them thaw overnight. Make more mini pizzas or add buttercream frosting and sprinkles for a special sweet treat!
- You can also freeze the cookie dough. Instead of dividing the dough into thirds, divide it in half. Freeze one-half by placing in parchment paper and then a freezer bag. Again the dough will freeze well for up to 3 months. Simply take it out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight.
Here is the full recipe:
Mini Fruit Pizza
Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies topped with a lemon-infused cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit.
Ingredients
For the Cookies (Makes 36 cookies) See Notes for freezing remaining cookies
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting (Makes enough frosting to frost 24 cookies)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened
Cut up Fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges) See Notes for additional choices.
Instructions
To make the cookies
-
Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Add in sour cream and vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Add in dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. **Dough will be slightly sticky.
-
Divide dough into thirds. (See notes if you choose to freeze part of the dough.)
-
Place one-third of the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Move the dough around picking up as much flour as to prevent the dough from sticking to the paper and forming a ball. Gently press down on the dough and then wrap the paper around the dough. Refrigerate the dough for one hour. Repeat this remaining two-thirds.
-
Preheat oven to 350. Remove one-third of the dough. Remove the dough from the parchment paper and place it onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into a 1/4" circle. Cut cookies out using a 3" biscuit or cookie cutter. Place each cookie on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until the edges begin to slightly brown. NOTE: Cookies will not brown on the top but will be brown on the bottom. Remove the cookies and let them sit for 3 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
-
Repeat the above steps for the remaining two-thirds of the dough.
To make the frosting
-
Beat the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until smooth and fluffy.
To make Mini Fruit Pizzas
-
Place a Tablespoon of frosting into the center of each cookie. Spread out using a frosting knife.
-
Decorate cookies using cut-up fruit. Place mini pizzas in an air-tight container and put them into the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
NOTES FOR FREEZING COOKIES:
Place the unfrosted cookies onto a parchment-lined cooking sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and place the frozen cookies into an air-tight freezer container or freezer bag. Cookies will store nicely in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just remove and let thaw overnight. Use to make more mini pizzas or frost and as a cookie.
The dough can also be frozen. Just place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove and let the dough thaw overnight.
These sweet little mini pizzas are great for obviously a great way to get the kiddos to eat their fruit. Serve them for breakfast or a quick snack!
Easter is also right around the corner and these mini delights would be perfect for Easter brunch!
I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe for Mini Fruit Pizza!
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Thank you so much for stopping by!
What a great way to complement Sunday brunch, Christine! These look amazing and I know if you’ve come up with the recipe, they’ll taste amazing too. I can’t wait to try these! Hugs, CoCo
wow! It’s a new recipe for me
Aw…thank you so much, sweet friend! I appreciate the confidence! They truly were the perfect sweet treat for our Sunday brunch! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I hope you enjoy it, Maria!