This Fruit Pizza recipe has a creamy topping, and shortbread crust, and is loaded with fresh fruit and then drizzled with an orange glaze. My Mom used to make this pizza back in the late 1980s and early 1990s and it was always a favorite. And this is the exact recipe she used to make! It's not only pretty, but it's also a nice healthy, and light dessert that's perfect for special occasions, summer cookouts, potlucks, and BBQs.
This recipe is popular during the summer and pairs well with my BBQ Beer Can Chicken or my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun. I love it so much that it was the inspiration for my Carrot Cake Pizza.
What I love most about fruit pizza is that it's essentially a blank canvas. You can decorate it any way you want and the design possibilities are endless. It's just a really fun dessert!
🥘Ingredient Notes
Fruit pizza is really versatile because you can use whatever fruit you prefer. You will need the following ingredients for this healthy fruit pizza recipe:
- Shortbread crust. A shortbread cookie crust is the best type of crust for a fruit pizza.
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter in my baking so I control the salt. The amount of salt in salted butter varies by brand.
- Cream cheese. I use light cream cheese in the topping.
- Assorted fresh fruit. I use fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and kiwis
- Glaze. This glaze is a simple orange glaze made with orange juice, sugar, water, and cornstarch for a thickener. It has a mild citrus flavor that enhances the flavors in the fruit pizza.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Butter - you can swap out salted butter if that's all you have
- Fruit - you can use any of your favorite fruits. You could also use cherries, grapes, pineapples, mandarin oranges, and mango. And if you can't get fresh, you can substitute some canned fruit (i.e. peaches). I do NOT recommend using the type of fruit that browns quickly such as bananas or apples (unless you use Cosmic crisp apples because they brown much slower)
- Crust - you could use a soft sugar cookie crust instead if you prefer. You can also use store-bought pre-made sugar cookie dough or make your own in advance. You could even use a gingerbread crust, if you prefer.
- Garnish- garnish with coconut flakes, grated white chocolate, Cool whip, or real whipped cream, if you desire.
- Glaze- instead of making glaze, you could buy a package of glaze from the grocery store.
- Fruit Pizza cookies - Make the same way, except make the dough into rolled individual cookies on a pan. You'll need to cut them out with a 3-inch cookie cutter and bake them for less time (6-8 minutes). Then decorate them individually.
🔪How to Make Fruit Pizza (with glaze)
Prep: Spray a 14-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
Fruit pizza crust recipe (shortbread crust):
Combine butter, brown sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar together in a food processor.
Process on high until it clings together.
Roll out shortbread dough onto a pizza pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) until lightly browned (10-13 minutes). Cool completely (at least 10 minutes).
Topping for fruit pizza:
While the crust cools, make the cream cheese mixture.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and white sugar together until smooth.
Spread the cream cheese layer onto cooled crust.
Chop your fruit.
Tip: Here is the best and easier way to peel kiwi: How to peel a kiwi with a spoon
Decorate your fruit pizza. You can decorate it any way you want.* I start with the outer edge then do the middle, and work my way in.
Keep adding a variety of fruit until you achieve the look you want.
Make glaze for fruit pizza: Whisk orange juice, water, cornstarch, and 3 tablespoon of white sugar together.
Heat on the stovetop on medium-low, whisking regularly, until thickened. *It should be the consistency of gravy.
Drizzle citrus glaze over top of pizza.
You can sprinkle coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened) or grate white chocolate over the top of the pizza if you desire.
Hint: I like to use a smaller pizza rolling pin (affiliate link) to roll the dough on the pizza pan.
🥗 Meals to serve with Fruit Pizza
Dessert Fruit Pizza pairs well with summer grilled salads like this Grilled Steak Salad or Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad (shown), or these Grilled Greek Chicken Burgers. It also goes well with this slow cooker Beef on a bun!
Expert Recipe Tips
- Chill the Dough – If you find the shortbread dough is too soft or sticky to roll out, refrigerate it for 10–15 minutes before rolling. This helps with handling and keeps the crust tender.
- Even Thickness – Roll the crust evenly to avoid undercooked or overcooked spots. A small rolling pin works great for a uniform surface.
- Prevent Overbaking – The crust should be lightly golden, not deep brown. Overbaking makes it too crisp, causing it to crumble when cut.
- Avoid a Crumbly Crust - For the best results, use a solid, non-perforated pizza pan for this recipe. A perforated pan can cause the crust to become overly crispy, making it difficult to cut and remove pieces without breaking.
- Smooth and Fluffy Cream Cheese Layer – Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before beating to avoid lumps. For extra fluffiness, fold in a little whipped cream or Greek yogurt.
- Dry Fruit Before Placing – Pat fruit dry with a paper towel before adding to prevent excess moisture from making the crust soggy.
- Use a Variety of Colors & Textures – A mix of berries, kiwi, mango, and peaches adds contrast and visual appeal.
- Avoid Browning Fruits – If using apples or bananas, brush them lightly with lemon juice to slow oxidation. For apples, use Cosmic Crisp as they take an exceptionally long time to brown.
- Proper Consistency for glaze– The glaze should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time. If too thin, simmer a little longer.
- Apply Strategically – Drizzle the glaze evenly using a spoon or pastry brush for a light coating that enhances shine and flavor without making the fruit mushy.
- Assemble Just Before Serving – For best results, store the crust and toppings separately and assemble shortly before serving to keep everything fresh.
- Pre-Cut for Convenience – If serving at a party, pre-cut slices before adding fruit and glaze for easy serving.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover fruit pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. If you are storing in layers, use sheets of parchment paper between the layers. You could still eat it after 2 days, but the pizza will start to get soggy.
If you want to make it a day in advance, wait until just prior to serving to put the fruit and glaze on. The fruit can be chopped in advance and the glaze can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a couple of days.
If you are storing it overnight to serve the next day and you don't have time to assemble it prior to serving, cover it with plastic wrap ( I use Glad Press n' seal).
👪 Serving Size
This fruit pizza recipe makes one 14-inch pizza, which is 12 servings. You can also cut the pieces a little smaller and get 16 servings. Also, you can double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, kiwi fruit, mango, mandarin oranges, pineapple and grapes are the best fruits for fruit pizza. Fruits like bananas or apples (that brown quickly) are not recommended for fruit pizza.
Fruit pizza crust is generally made from shortbread cookie dough or sugar cookie dough.
A fruit tart uses custard, has a tart shell (made from pastry), and is made in a tart pan, whereas a fruit pizza has a sweet cream cheese topping and a cookie dough (usually shortbread or sugar cookie) crust and is baked on a pizza pan.
Yes, fruit pizza will keep overnight but it's best served immediately, or within 24 hours.
If you're looking for the best summer dessert, you'll love this Fruit Pizza with Orange Glaze!
🍑🍓More Fruit Summer Desserts
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📋 Fruit Pizza recipe (with glaze)
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar *also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Topping
- 8 oz cream cheese * I use light
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 lb strawberries
- 1 pint raspberries
- 1 pint blueberries
- 3 peaches
- 4-6 kiwis
Glaze
- 3 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoon orange juice
- 4 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prep: Spray a 14-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
Crust:
- Combine butter, brown sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar together in a food processer.
- Process on high until it clings together.
- Roll out shortbread dough onto a pizza pan.
- Bake on 350 degrees F until lightly browned (10-13 minutes). Cool 10 minutes
Topping:
- Beat cream cheese and white sugar together until smooth.
- Spread cream cheese mixture onto cooled crust.
- Slice fruit .
- Decorate it: Top with sliced fruit. I like to start with the outside first, then the middle, then fill in the remainder.
- You can use a variety of fruit and make any pattern you like. You can also leave some white space or fill the whole thing up.
Glaze:
- Whisk glaze ingredients together.
- Heat on the stovetop on medium-low, whisking regularly, until thickened
- Drizzle glaze over top of pizza.
Garnish (optional):
- You can sprinkle coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened) or grated white chocolate over the top of the pizza, if you desire.
Notes
- Chill the Dough – If you find the shortbread dough is too soft or sticky to roll out, refrigerate it for 10–15 minutes before rolling. This helps with handling and keeps the crust tender.
- Even Thickness – Roll the crust evenly to avoid undercooked or overcooked spots. A small rolling pin works great for a uniform surface.
- Prevent Overbaking – The crust should be lightly golden, not deep brown. Overbaking makes it too crisp, causing it to crumble when cut.
- Avoid a Crumbly Crust - For the best results, use a solid, non-perforated pizza pan for this recipe. A perforated pan can cause the crust to become overly crispy, making it difficult to cut and remove pieces without breaking.
- Smooth and Fluffy Cream Cheese Layer – Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before beating to avoid lumps. For extra fluffiness, fold in a little whipped cream or Greek yogurt.
- Dry Fruit Before Placing – Pat fruit dry with a paper towel before adding to prevent excess moisture from making the crust soggy.
- Use a Variety of Colors & Textures – A mix of berries, kiwi, mango, and peaches adds contrast and visual appeal.
- Avoid Browning Fruits – If using apples or bananas, brush them lightly with lemon juice to slow oxidation. For apples, use Cosmic Crisp as they take an exceptionally long time to brown.
- Proper Consistency for glaze– The glaze should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time. If too thin, simmer a little longer.
- Apply Strategically – Drizzle the glaze evenly using a spoon or pastry brush for a light coating that enhances shine and flavor without making the fruit mushy.
- Assemble Just Before Serving – For best results, store the crust and toppings separately and assemble shortly before serving to keep everything fresh.
- Pre-Cut for Convenience – If serving at a party, pre-cut slices before adding fruit and glaze for easy serving.
Renee
This is a winner every time I make it.
Terri Gilson
Hi Renee,
That's great to hear!
Terri