This simple fruit pizza recipe is easy to make and absolutely gorgeous! A buttery crescent dough crust is topped with a cream cheese frosting and then piled high with fresh seasonal fruit. A perfect light, summery dessert but one that can also be served up for holidays or any get-together!
For as long as I can remember, I have been absolutely obsessed with the veggie pizza appetizer that my mom used to make. It was one of the only things that could convince me to eat raw broccoli; most likely because it sat on a bed of ranch dressing and buttery crescent rolls. That appetizer was especially popular on New Year’s Eve and during the winter months. I fell equally in love with its sweet counterpart as soon as summer rolled around. Those same buttery crescent rolls were baked up and topped with a sweet cream cheese mixture and tons of fresh fruit.
Decades later, I am still in love with both versions of this “pizza” recipe. Now that we’re officially in the throes of summer, I just can’t get enough of fresh fruit, which makes this a perfect summertime dessert. Many versions of this recipe use a sugar cookie base, and I’m sure that’s fabulous as well, but I just can’t budge from old memories when it comes to some things, this being one of them.
How to make fruit pizza from scratch
If you want to go the totally homemade route for your fruit pizza, you can use any of these recipes as a base for your “crust”:
Sugar cookie bars – Super soft and buttery like the best sugar cookies should be!
Shortbread – For an even butterier but more crumbly texture, use this recipe.
Oatmeal crumb crust – Use the “oatmeal crumb” from this pumpkin pie bar recipe to give a heartier, chewier texture to your crust.
Now, onto the “sauce” for your fruit pizza! The traditional topping is a simple, sweetened cream cheese mixture that is easily spreadable (which is included in the recipe below). Here are some other ideas:
One of the best parts about this fruit pizza is that you can use just about any fruit that you would like to top it! Use your favorites, what’s in season, or a special color combination for a sports celebration, graduation, or the holidays. Some of my favorites to use over the years:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Pineapple
Kiwi
Mango
Grapes
Orange (or clementine/mandarin) segments
Peaches
Nectarines
Cutting and Preparing the Fruit
I highly recommend washing and slicing whatever fruit needs to be sliced and then letting them dry completely on paper towels before adding them to the top of your pizza. This will keep extra moisture from running out of the fruit and allow the fruit pizza to stay fresher, longer.
If you are using fruit that will brown when left out (I usually skip these fruits, but you may really want to use them!), such as apples, pears, or bananas, I recommend tossing them in pineapple juice until evenly coated, and then allowing them to dry as mentioned above. The pineapple juice will help to keep them from browning.
Recipe tips
Mini Versions: You can cut rounds out of the crescent dough to make little individual pizzas (kids would love to help make their own!).
Optional Glaze: To create extra shine on the fruit, you can brush it with apricot jam or honey that has been thinned a little with water.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the crust and top it with the cream cheese frosting the day before serving, but don’t add the fruit until the day you plan to serve it, within a few hours is best. The fruit will begin to break down and will make the filling runny and the crust soggy.
Transporting: If you make this to take to a picnic or BBQ, wait until the last possible moment to add the fruit to the top, cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep it as cool as possible for the trip.
Storage: Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Expect that it will begin to get a bit soggy after the first day.
This simple fruit pizza recipe is easy to make and absolutely gorgeous! A buttery crescent dough crust is topped with a cream cheese frosting and then piled high with fresh seasonal fruit.
Unroll the crescent rolls and press into a 10x15-inch pan (or place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet), making sure to seal any seams. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until completely combined, then mix in the vanilla extract. Using an offset spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust.
Top with assorted fruit of your choice. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Mini Versions: You can cut rounds out of the crescent dough to make little individual pizzas (kids would love to help make their own!).
Shape: If you have a round pizza pan, you can press your "crust" into that for a more traditional pizza shape!
Optional Glaze: To create extra shine on the fruit, you can brush it with apricot jam or honey that has been thinned a little with water.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the crust and top it with the cream cheese frosting the day before serving, but don't add the fruit until the day you plan to serve it, within a few hours is best. The fruit will begin to break down and will make the filling runny and the crust soggy.
Transporting: If you make this to take to a picnic or BBQ, wait until the last possible moment to add the fruit to the top, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and keep it as cool as possible for the trip.
Storage: Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Expect that it will begin to get a bit soggy after the first day.
I so love these semi homemade recipes on occasion…ok, for the last “many years”. I cook for me, but also for my Dad so these shortcut type recipes for now are so helpful and often times are just as good as the completely from scratch recipes. Thank you for giving us a variety that reach out to all types of cooks😊 love the use of fresh fruits for Summer lighter refreshing tastes.
Just made for a beach trip with my family. They gobbled it up. Great way to get your little ones to get their fruits . I did make the crust and cream cheese frosting the night before.
Great recipe. I used 8oz cream cheese and 4oz coffee flavored mascarpone cheese. Also used vanilla bean paste. Drizzled an apricot glaze over the top and it was over the top!!!
My mom used to make a fruit pizza that had a gelatinous topping over the fruit. It didn’t have a huge flavour, but it was very good! And it had a shortbread/sugar cookie type crust.
I love the beautiful rectangle version you made here! I’m one who does the sugar cookie base…but now I’m curious to try the crescent base! You can NEVER go wrong with crescent dough! :)
This might be a dumb question, but how do you seal the seams? I think this is going to be a fantastic alternative for my ladies church luncheon coming up!
I was a bit surprised at your recipe. The one I have had for 30 years call for a sugar cookie base, an arrangement of fruit over cream cheese, with a glaze over the fruit made of fruit juice and cornstarch. That last step keeps the fruit appearing fresh for day!
My husband is a fruit pizza FANATIC, and he claims what ties it all together is the glaze I put on mine… It’s an orange juice/sugar/water/cornstarch mixture that helps all the flavors blend together nicely. I personally don’t waste calories on many desserts that don’t have chocolate, but fruit pizza is his all time favorite.
I love that you used crescent rolls rather than a sugar cookie base – what a great trade, and I love your version! Gorgeous fruit assembly, too! So pretty & pinned!
welcome to brown eyed baker!
Hello and welcome! I'm Michelle and I believe anyone can learn to confidently make recipes worthy of celebration.
It’s useful receipy for me . I will try it for sure
I so love these semi homemade recipes on occasion…ok, for the last “many years”. I cook for me, but also for my Dad so these shortcut type recipes for now are so helpful and often times are just as good as the completely from scratch recipes. Thank you for giving us a variety that reach out to all types of cooks😊 love the use of fresh fruits for Summer lighter refreshing tastes.
Just made for a beach trip with my family. They gobbled it up. Great way to get your little ones to get their fruits . I did make the crust and cream cheese frosting the night before.
Great recipe. I used 8oz cream cheese and 4oz coffee flavored mascarpone cheese. Also used vanilla bean paste. Drizzled an apricot glaze over the top and it was over the top!!!
I really enjoyed reviewing your amazing recipes!
Can’t wait to try some of them for family and friends!
Thanks!
A healthy pizza that is also yummy! It’s a dream come true!!
My mom used to make a fruit pizza that had a gelatinous topping over the fruit. It didn’t have a huge flavour, but it was very good! And it had a shortbread/sugar cookie type crust.
Sonya do you have your mom’s recipe?? It’s exactly what I’m looking for!
Simple and delicious – my kind of recipe! Your photos are gorgeous, as always. Thanks for the recipe.
this is such a pretty, show stopping dessert! I love fresh fruit too, so I’m loving this!
Awesome. but you MUST use a glaze! SOOOOOOO much better and shinier too!
Do you have a recipe for the glaze? Thanks!
Looks super delicious and colorful.. awesome clicks too!!
Wow! So simple but so creative!
i never had one but what’s not to love?
good,but i don’t like strawberries
I love the beautiful rectangle version you made here! I’m one who does the sugar cookie base…but now I’m curious to try the crescent base! You can NEVER go wrong with crescent dough! :)
This might be a dumb question, but how do you seal the seams? I think this is going to be a fantastic alternative for my ladies church luncheon coming up!
Hi ShaNae, I just use my fingers and pinch them together :)
This looks delicious! Such an easy, great recipe! I’ll definitely be using this this summer!
I was a bit surprised at your recipe. The one I have had for 30 years call for a sugar cookie base, an arrangement of fruit over cream cheese, with a glaze over the fruit made of fruit juice and cornstarch. That last step keeps the fruit appearing fresh for day!
Fruit pizza always makes an appearance at our family summer gatherings! We’ll have to try it with crescent rolls sometime!
Yum – I might try it using puff pastry
My husband is a fruit pizza FANATIC, and he claims what ties it all together is the glaze I put on mine… It’s an orange juice/sugar/water/cornstarch mixture that helps all the flavors blend together nicely. I personally don’t waste calories on many desserts that don’t have chocolate, but fruit pizza is his all time favorite.
I love to be the one to bring the fruit pizza to the party because then everyone loves you!
But I’ve never used crescent rolls before, always made a shortbread crust. Need to try! Not the best baker so need all the help I can get!!
Sometime switch out the crescent rolls with pizza crust (in a tube) from the same company. It’s less gummy but still has that “flavor”.
Looks absolutely gorgeous… Just want to take a bite. I love your fruit choices!
I love that you used crescent rolls rather than a sugar cookie base – what a great trade, and I love your version! Gorgeous fruit assembly, too! So pretty & pinned!