Fruit Pizza | Paleo, Gluten Free

Fruit pizza is a THING in our house.  It's a summertime tradition, and has been for years!  This started as a Pampered Chef (I think?!) recipe my mom picked up when I was little, and we loved her strawberry kiwi version.  

We did the easy Pillsbury sugar cookie dough for the crust, made a quick cream cheese frosting (really similar to this one) and topped with whatever fruit we picked up - and it was my favorite.

Fast forward to when Dathan and I first started dating, and I was all about making him treats and desserts (to impress him with my future wife skills, of course!)

This was the first "birthday cake" I made him, and I decorated it with blueberries writing out the number "27" for his 27th birthday.  I'll never forget those old iPhone pictures and the look on his face when I showed him!  Sappy I know, but food is just magic sometimes.  Especially when it's dessert.

After a few years, I decided to make a "gluten free" version as an upgrade from the old sugar cookie crust.  It was good, but not AS good, and some things are just worth going old school for nostalgia if anything.

But this year, Hudson's here.  And I've been so inspired to clean up everything even more, for healthier traditions (with simpler ingredients) that still taste JUST as good!  He won't be eating any fruit pizza for the 4th of July this year, but next year you can bet it will be served up on his toddler plate!  And I can't wait.

Now don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with some Pillsbury every now and then!  Balance, friends.  Indulge in what feels good and don't you ever look back.

But if you're looking to clean up an old favorite for whatever reason (allergy, preference, etc.), look no further!

This crust is LEGIT and tastes/bakes like a giant sugar cookie.  The frosting is also legit - I prefer the real deal cream cheese version, but there's a link to a PERFECT dairy free version in the "Notes" section below.

Get creative with your fruit, let your kids decorate, make mini pizzas, do your thang and have fun with this!  And keep making it all year long, because fruit pizza is for more than just summer (Dathan's birthday is in November, haha).  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For the Crust

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt

For the Frosting*

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar or raw honey (start with less and work your way up to your desired sweetness)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• splash of milk to thin (almond or coconut work well)

For Topping

• 2 cups fruit of choice (I like blueberries, sliced strawberries, halved blackberries, or halved raspberries;  kiwi is delicious too!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the crust (softened butter, honey, egg, and vanilla).  Mix well, then stir in the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt).  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 20 - 30 minutes or until firm for best texture & baking results.
2. Line a metal baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper (or grease well) and press the cookie dough out on top into a round shape, just smaller than the size you want for your fruit pizza - this will allow a little room for expansion during baking.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges.  Allow to cool completely.
3. While the crust cools, work on your frosting.  Combine the cream cheese, honey, vanilla, and a splash of your milk of choice and whisk until smooth.
4. Layer the frosting over top of the cooled "pizza" crust, then top with berries.  I like to start at the center with a pattern and work my way out to the edges.  Have fun with it!

*Notes:

• For a dairy free frosting, try the cashew "cream cheese" frosting from this recipe.  It's equally delicious!  I'm just a sucker for cream cheese.  We buy one from Organic Valley and love it!