Paula Deen Fresh Fruit Pizza

Paula Deen Fresh Fruit Pizza is a sweet, creamy dessert with sugar cookie crust, cream cheese and colorful fresh fruit that comes together in 30 minutes. Try this easy fruit dessert pizza for a summer potluck or Fourth of July cookout, since it's no-fuss and feeds a crowd.

Let the cookie crust cool completely before spreading the cream cheese, because a warm crust melts the topping into a greasy puddle. Skip the wait and the fruit slides right off the slices.

Paula brushes slightly warmed orange marmalade over the fruit as a glaze, which keeps the bananas from browning and gives the whole pizza a glossy shine. She also arranges the fruit in a bulls eye pattern, so every slice gets a bit of each color.

Paula Deen Fresh Fruit Pizza

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

230

kcal

A buttery sugar cookie crust holds a smooth cream cheese layer and a ring of fresh fruit. Once it's brushed with warm marmalade, the fruit turns glossy and the crust stays tender under each slice.

Ingredients

• 1 (17 oz) package sugar cookie dough
  

• 1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
  

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange extract almond extract
  

• 3 cups fresh bananas, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, fresh oranges cut into rounds and peeled, blueberries, strawberries and peaches fruit
  

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. That gives it time to come up to temperature while you roll out the dough.
• Bake the crust: Roll the 17 oz package of sugar cookie dough out large enough to cover a round pizza pan. Bake it for 8 to 15 minutes, then pull it out once the crust is firm.
• Cool the crust: Let the cookie crust cool completely on the pan. Then it's ready to hold the cream cheese without melting.
• Make the cream cheese spread: Mix 1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese with 1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange extract until smooth. Then spread it evenly over the cooled cookie crust.
• Arrange the fruit: Arrange 3 cups of fruit in circles on top, using bananas, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, peeled orange rounds, blueberries, strawberries and peaches. Work from the outer edge toward the center so it makes a bulls eye pattern.
• Glaze and serve: Slightly warm 1/2 cup orange marmalade, then brush it over the fruit. Serve the pizza right away while the fruit is fresh.

Tools for this recipe

• Fat Daddio's 9-inch round cake pans, set of 2, OXO silicone pastry brush, J.K. Adams French rolling pin, Nielsen-Massey pure almond extract. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Will the bananas turn brown on the pizza?

The marmalade glaze helps seal the banana slices, so they hold their color much better. For the best look, add the bananas last and serve the pizza soon after glazing.

Can I make the crust ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake and cool the cookie crust a day ahead and keep it covered at room temperature. Spread the cream cheese and add the fruit just before serving so the crust stays tender.

How long does fruit pizza keep in the fridge?

Leftover slices keep in the fridge for about a day, though the crust softens and the fruit releases some juice. It tastes best the day you make it.

Can I use store-bought cookie dough or make my own?

The recipe calls for a 17 oz package of sugar cookie dough, which works well and saves time. A homemade sugar cookie dough rolled to the same thickness also works fine.

What's the most common mistake with fruit pizza?

Spreading the cream cheese on a crust that's still warm is the biggest one, since it turns the topping runny. Wait until the crust is fully cool and the layers stay neat.