I’m in full blown summer mode, and I might be a little out of control! I can’t seem to stop myself from constantly buying all the produce in sight. And of course that means I’m overbuying every single week. But today along with this recipe I have a tip for what to do with that extra produce.
Every week as I make out my next grocery list, I peruse the fridge and take out everything that’s no longer at it’s prime. For fruit I cut it up and make Freezer Smoothie Packs with it. This method also works great on my leftover greens, because I just put it into the bag with the leftover fruit. But for anything that doesn’t fall into that category, I either sauté/blanch any leftover veggies and freeze them for later.
This Fruit Pizza is a classic case of my summer insanity – I couldn’t just be content with a few colors, oh no… I had to have the whole rainbow because it’s all available! Predictably I had loads of leftover fruit which has made really nice smoothies ever since.
If you do want to do the whole rainbow for this recipe, my budget tip is to buy whole fruit. If you buy it already cut up it’s much more expensive. Also you can just buy a small amount of each fruit, unlike the 5 pounds of mandarins I ended up with. But it was a good bargain, and consequential smoothies have been fantastic as mentioned!
However don’t feel like you need the whole rainbow to make this. It’s just as good with one single fruit as it is with all the colors. So the best budget tip of all is to just use what you have and don’t buy everything in sight!
The ‘pizza’ base is actually a version of my chocolate chunk cookie bars, only without the chocolate. First you mix together the dry ingredients…
… then the wet ingredients are added in until a stiff cookie dough forms.
I like to bake mine in a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom because it makes it easy to get out, and the presentation of the fluted edges is nice. You can also use a springform pan as well.
If you don’t have either of those, a pie plate will work in a pinch. But you can’t pull it out onto a cake stand, and it’s easier to break the pieces trying to get them out of the pie plate.
The cheesecake topping is super simple to make and has a bright note of lemon in it that really compliments the fruit.
Dairy Free Option: If you can’t eat dairy, you can sub in Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream for the cheesecake filling. The flavor is definitely different, but I love it this way too.
Once the cheesecake ‘frosting’ is on, then it’s off to the races with the fruit decorating!
For a similar dessert using just 1 kind of fruit, try my Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Tart.
Once the fruit pizza is completely assembled, it can be kept lightly covered with plastic wrap for a few hours until you’re ready to serve it!
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Rainbow Cheesecake Fruit Pizza
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The ultimate summer desserts, this gorgeous fruit pizza is perfect for backyard bbqs and any special occasion.
Ingredients
Cookie Pizza Base:
1 1/2 cups fine almond flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon tapioca starch
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Topping:
1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons honey, or maple syrup
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon zest, see notes
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup whipping cream
Or for a dairy free topping, use my Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream in place of this cheesecake filling.
Fruit Topping:
10–15 raspberries, cut in half
10–15 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
5 mandarin oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh pineapple tidbits
2 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
5 large blackberries, sliced 1/2″ thick
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9″ tart pan with removable bottom. Cut a circle from parchment paper to line the bottom of the prepared tart pan.
Set the pan aside and make the cookie pizza base by combining the almond flour, coconut sugar, sea salt, baking powder, and tapioca starch until completely combined. Add the melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until a stiff cookie dough forms.
Spread/pat out the cookie dough with a spatula as evenly as possible into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until it’s puffed in the middle and a toothpick comes out clean. Set the cookie pizza base on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the cheesecake topping by beating the cream cheese in mixing bowl with an electric mixer until no lumps remain. Then add the honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt. Beat to combine for 1-2 minutes. Then add the whipping cream, and beat for an additional 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
At this point in the recipe the cookie pizza base and cheesecake filling can be refrigerated separately until you’re ready to serve the tart, or up to 8 hours.
When you’re ready to serve the tart, place the cookie pizza base on a serving plate or cake stand, and spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the top.
Place your choice of fruit in a pattern over the top.
Serve immediately serve, or lightly cover an refrigerate again up to 4 hours. The tart can be kept for 2-3 days, but the fruit does become more soggy as time passes.
Notes
For the lemon zest, I like to use a microplane grater because it’s so much finer than a regular zester, the zest just blends right into the filling.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ok, making this with strawberries and blueberries for the 4th!
I love the red, white, and blue them you’re going with – so perfect for the 4th!