Gluten free Fruit Pizza is a casual and fun year-round dessert. The cream cheese filling softens the cookie crust just enough to make it easy to cut into wedges. The fresh fruit topping is added in a random fashion like a pizza and the final touch is a glaze of melted jelly. Add this to your go-to list of gluten free desserts!
If you want to make this a go-to dessert I encourage you to do some experi-baking. It has a cookie crust so you could try either of these recipes for the base; my favourite sugar cookie recipe or these sugar cookies with almond flour and brown rice flour. If someone is eating gluten free for life, it's worth the effort to perfect your favourites and you can only do that one recipe at a time.
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Ingredients
This is a recipe I make with individually weighed flour. See the variations if you want to try it with a flour blend.
- butter
- sugar
- brown rice flour
- potato starch
- tapioca starch
- baking powder
- xanthan gum
- egg
- milk
- vanilla
- cream cheese
- icing sugar
- crabapple jelly (apple jelly or red currant jelly)
- Grand Marnier (any orange liqueur, lemon juice or orange juice)
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions
North Americans are obsessed with pizza and this is just a fun dessert. These are my instructions to make it look like a dessert pizza and not a fancy fruit tart.
- Press the base into a 12-inch round tart pan with removable bottom then remove the outer ring. Don't fuss trying to make the edges perfect.
- Arrange the fruit in a random fashion.
- Glaze the entire surface to seal the cream cheese filling. This ensures the fruit looks fresh, many hours after you do this final step.
Substitutions
Flour/starch combo (brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch) - If you want to try this recipe using a blend simply make it a project. Add up the weight of the three flours/starches (149 grams) and replace it with the flour blend you're working with. Be sure to roll it into a 12-inch circle so it is thin and will bake like a cookie.
Xanthan gum - The best substitute for xanthan is guar gum. Use it in equal amounts in any recipe calling for xanthan gum.
Variations
Vary this dessert into a Fancy Fruit Tart by making these changes.
- Use this recipe pressing the base into the same 12-inch round tart pan with removable bottom and make an outer edge. Do not remove the outer ring.
- Use a tart pastry recipe with a proper edge that will hold the filling
- The cream cheese filling is typical for a dessert pizza. When you add the outer edge to this recipe you can then fill it with other fillings like vanilla cream or lemon curd.
- Arrange the fruit in concentric circles to cover the entire filling. Glaze as for the pizza.
Serving Fruit Pizza
If you don't have a 12-inch tart pan with removable bottom use a large pizza pan. Mine are a little burnt but it could be lined with parchment paper.
You know I always go for the presentation so here are a few ideas to make your dessert look amazing!
- The platter must be perfectly flat for the entire size of the cookie crust. Many platters have a bit of a lip but I always have one that's perfectly flat.
- Serve it right in the pizza pan you cooked it in or on a pizza board to keep that pizza theme going. To avoid any garlic taste that might linger from pizza cover the board with parchment paper or colourful napkins. Use a pizza cutter to cut it just for fun.
- A plain white platter seems to make the colours of the fruit pop. serve the pizza right on the pan if you want and transfer it to a serving platter like that. I do this method when the crust is not easily coming away from the pan or when I just couldn't be bothered with that step.
- Buy a plain white pizza box and line it with colourful tissue paper or napkins. If you have kids they can decorate the box inside and out to match the party theme. This is also an excellent way to transport your dessert to it's final destination.
Glazed Gluten Free Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
SUGAR COOKIE CRUST
- ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown rice flour (73 g)
- ¼ cup potato starch (41 g)
- ¼ cup tapioca starch (35 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 8 oz cream cheese (250 g)
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
JELLY GLAZE
- ¾ cup crabapple jelly, melted (apple jelly or red currant jelly)
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier* , any orange liqueur, lemon juice or orange juice
Instructions
COOKIE CRUST
- Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl mix egg, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer beat butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly spoon in the dry mixture, beating until combined.
- With the motor running, add the wet ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place the dough on a piece of wax paper and cover it with a second piece. Flatten into a disk about 6-inches in diameter. Cover and refrigerate, at least 30 minutes or overnight. Can be prepared a day in advance.
FILLING
- In the small bowl of a stand mixer beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to use. Can be prepared a day in advance.
ROLLING and BAKING COOKIE CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a 12-inch pan with removable bottom (the bottom piece only) or a pizza pan.
- Lightly sprinkle both sides of the chilled cookie dough with sweet rice flour.
- Leaving the wax paper on the dough, roll it into a large circle. When it is almost as big as your pan remove the paper and put the pan on top of the dough. Using a pizza peel or sturdy placemat flip the dough over so it is on the pan ready for the oven.
- Bake in preheated oven 8-10 minutes or until barely brown around the edge. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
GLAZE
- In a small pan on low heat melt jelly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before brushing on the fruit.
ASSEMBLY & SERVING
- Spread cream cheese filling over the entire pizza crust.
- Top with your choice of fresh fruit in a random pattern.
- Brush glaze over the entire surface. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best served within 4 hours.
Notes
Having a flour blend that works in the majority of your recipes really does make life easier for gluten free cooks. I'm set up to easily weigh flour for baking but many of you want to know if you can use another flour blend. The answer is you've just got to try it. Follow my instructions under the heading of Substitutions above.
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Debra Dickerson
Made this for Easter Brunch. Everyone loved it. I’ll have to make another because there were no leftovers for me!
Cinde Little
That's awesome Debra, I'm glad to hear everyone liked your Fruit Pizza. Send me a picture of the next one if you remember and I'll add it to the post. Thanks for sharing!