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With a name like “fruit pizza,” you’d think you were making a healthy dessertthat might actually have some nourishment for your kids.
But…Every recipe I’ve ever seen for fruit pizza uses sugar cookie dough as the base. Usually they call for pre-packaged, trans-fat and white-sugar laden monstrosities, and super sugary frosting too. That bums me out.
Since Kitchen Stewardship® is all about real, nourishing foodsand striking a balance/not going crazy,fruit desserts should be great option…but storebought cookie dough is not. Even a homemade sugar cookie dough recipe would have a bunch of white flour and white sugar that I don’t want for my family. I decided there had to be a way to make a healthy fruit pizza that still tastes good.
I managed to use whole grains, only 1/4 cup sweetener, probiotics in the frosting, and healthy fats. Score!
Here is the mouthwatering result:
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Seeking a Whole Grain Hearty Fruit Pizza Crust
I thought and thought about what else could be used for a “crust” instead of a sugar cookie. Vegetable pizzas rely on crescent rolls or bread dough, but I needed something decidedly dessert. I decided to try going part whole wheat on a shortbread recipe, and then I was able to go all the way with the right flour.
If you believe that real butter is not only better than margarine (please at least buy into that part! Margarine is fake food!) but is actually good for you, especially if it’s grass-fed, this dessert hinges on being a health food.
It’s also very low in sugar, less than most muffins you’d eat for breakfast, andyou can avoid white sugar altogether in favor of alternative sweeteners.
Katie’s Healthy Fruit Pizza
Easy Healthy Fruit Pizza Recipe
5 from 1 review
- Author: Katie Kimball
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: about 16 pieces 1x
- Category: dessert
Description
This healthy fruit pizza is the perfect activity for kids to help – put them in charge of the fruit and smile as they enjoy a whole grain, probiotic, power packed healthy dessert.
- Crust:
- 1 c. (2 sticks) softened butter
- 1/4 c. sugar OR sucanat
- 2 c. white whole wheat flour
- Frosting:
- about 3/4 c. yogurt cheese, softened
- 1–4 Tbs. real maple syrup (or honey or powdered sugar in a pinch)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract (optional)
- Toppings: a variety of fresh fruit such as:
- bananas
- kiwi
- strawberries
- peaches
- pineapple
- berries of any kind
- whatever is in season or on sale
Instructions
- To make the crust:
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Starting with 1 3/4 cup, stir in flour and finish by hand. It might be very crumbly and you’ll think it will never come together, but persevere. Add the last 1/4 cup of flour as you can, and you can also go shy on the flour if it seems like it will get too crumbly to hold together. Try using your hands to squeeze pieces together.
- Press a handful at a time into a buttered pan: small cookie sheet, 9×13 glass dish or Pampered Chef style baking stone.
- Aim for a thickness of about 1/4?, no more. If using a stone, you can roll flat gently with a rolling pin.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. As soon as you see brown on the edges, it’s done!
- Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting:
- Mix ingredients together, adding sweetener and tasting until you enjoy it.
- For a real frosting consistency, whip it with an electric mixer for a minute.
- Spread the frosting on the crust once completely cooled, and arrange fresh fruit on top.
- Cut into 2×2″ squares to serve.
Notes
Can I use regular whole wheat flour? Not really. “Red” whole wheat, which is the regular stuff, is way too crumbly. If you only have that kind of whole wheat, use half white AP flour.
You can find white whole wheat under the King Arthur brand in many grocery stores, or grind hard white wheat yourself.
If you forget to set out the butter to soften, use a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper to get it just soft enough for the mixer to cream.
Find the healthy probiotic frosting to use anywhere right here!
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Voila! A dessert you can be proud to serve for any party or picnic, not only because of its gorgeous presentation, but also because it’s packed with good food (and just a smidge of sugar). Not that you have to share your creation…you might just eat it all yourselves like our family did!
This is serious melt-in-your-mouth stuff. (Or you could set it on top of your van and forget it’s there like I did with my second one, feeding the road instead of the visiting family members…so, so sad.)
You can even let your kids make this delicious treat by themselves! Teach them to make real food with the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, an online cooking class for kids.
Many people are using this healthy fruit pizza recipe as a snack. If that’s you, you might be interested in my Healthy Snacks to Go eBook, over 45 kid-friendly recipes to get you on your way with real food, fast.
Share this recipe with friends!
Check out my other great summer recipes:
- Sausage Zucchini Bake
- Potato Salad with the Kids
- Homemade Guacamole
- California Chicken Wraps
- Walnut-oat Pie Crust
- Fruit Gummy
Unless otherwise credited, photos are owned by the author or used with a license from Canva or Deposit Photos.
Category: Real Food Recipes
Tags: desserts, evergreen, healthy substitutes, kid-friendly, whole grains, whole wheat, yogurt, yogurt cheese
