Hey guys, step back with me to the 90s for a minute and check out this White Chocolate Fruit Pizza! Sometimes you’ll see this old recipe called White Chocolate Fruit Tart, too. Maybe you’ll want to make it for Memorial Day or any summer holiday or party?
White Chocolate Fruit Pizza
C’mon, if leggings are back in (I miss my high top tennies, though, another mainstay of 90s fashion) why not fruit pizza? This one is particularly fun & easy, with a simple pat in the pan crispy shortbread crust that takes about 2 minutes to make, a luscious no-bake white chocolate and cream cheese layer, and fruit of your choice.
About White Chocolate Fruit Pizza:
Kids and adults love fruit pizza, and what’s not to love? It’s easy to make, fun to decorate (although I went simple; just do a search for ideas if ya wanna go all fancy) easy to portion and eat (sturdy enough to pick up like a real pizza), and it feeds a crowd. Plus, it’s a crowd-pleaser for sure and it’s gonna go fast.
I like that this fruit pizza is a little bit different than most with that delish shortbread crust and the creamy, dreamy white chocolate layer! It might be just a little bit of a pleasnat surprise for your family and guests who might just think it’s any old fruit pizza!
I can’t think of a better no effort dessert to make than this one. And just FYI, this dessert really was ubiquitous in the 90s and it isn’t “my recipe”. I have no idea of the “heritage” of the recipe and you’re likely to see it everywhere…it’s kind of “public domain” if there is such a thing for a recipe. But today, you’ll see right here, right now…and I can give you a few hints to make sure yours turns out just right.
White Chocolate Fruit Pizza
The Crust:
First of all, you need a large pan. A 12″ pizza pan works great (a nonstick like I used I think makes it easier to get out in perfect slices) and so does a 12″ tart pan with a removable bottom (if you have such a thing.) Neither needs to be sprayed or buttered. If you use an old beat-up pizza pan, give it a little light spritz with some spray and know that it might be a little difficult to get out that first slice intact. If you decide to use something like a disposable pan, spritz it, too, and keep it on a sturdy cookie sheet so the crust doesn’t crack as it’s moved for serving.
The three-ingredient crust is perfection. It really is shortbread and it’s light, it’s a little crunchy and it’s sturdy enough to pick up and eat like a slice of pizza. Make sure the butter is at the right temperature to get the best crust. When properly softened, the stick should bend without breaking or “blowing” out of shape.
You do need a mixer for best results, but once mixed you just literally pat it in the pan; it’s a fun project for kids. If it feels very sticky, wet your fingers and shake off excess water. Make an effort to spread it evenly, though, and be aware it’s going to look like it’s not enough. Trust that it is. Bake it (note that it bakes at 300 degrees F.) until it’s just a very light golden brown and check about 1/2 way through and rotate if it’s not cooking evenly. Cool it completely; it will cool faster on a rack. If you don’t have one large enough, place it over an unlidded Dutch oven.
White Chocolate Fruit Pizza
The White Chocolate Layer:
This layer is just three ingredients, too. I do like to add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla, but I’ll leave it up to you. Again you’ll need a mixer.
Melting the package of white chocolate chips (and the recipe isn’t particular don’t worry if your package is a little different in weight) is the most particular part of the whole recipe. I use the microwave and a place the chips in same glass bowl I’ll mix in. White chocolate can be tricky and prone to “seize” or harden. Make sure everything you’re using, the bowl and the spatula to stir with are perfectly dry with no moisture whatsoever on them.
Overheating the white chocolate can cause it to seize, too. Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir. Then microwave in 30-second increments if needed, stirring after each. When the white chocolate starts to melt, it will be chunky, but don’t heat again. Just keep gently stirring and the residual heat should melt those remaining chunks. Be patient. By the time the chocolate is all melted it should be lukewarm. If it isn’t let it sit for a bit, but that should take just a few minutes.
Then it’s simply a matter of dumping and mixing in the 1/4 cup of cream and then the cream cheese. Dollop it on the pizza and spread it right away, and I mean immediately, on the cooled crust for the smoothest layer. I was interrupted when I made this particular pizza and that’s why my cream cheese layer looks a little messy on the edges.
But speaking of the edges, I like to kind of take my spatula and swoop through the cream cheese layer so it has a little “scalloped” effect on the edges. Just nudge the cream cheese mixture with your spatula when you get near the edge, then go to the next “swoop.” Don’t worry about any part of the pizza that will be covered with fruit, messy is ok there!
Refrigerate for 30 minutes so that layer firms up. If you can time that perfectly, the fruit stays on a little better than if you go over; then the layer hardens a bit too much, but it’s not a huge issue. The glaze will help make that fruit stick.
Only the outside edges are going to show so no worries about the rest. I like to nudge it so it looks scalloped
The Fruit to use on White Chocolate Fruit Pizza:
First of all, you can use a lot of fruit, and you can see I prefer a kind of dump in the middle approach, or if you go for a design, depending on what design you use, you might get by with very little which can be a great way to get by on the cheap. You might want to make sure your cream cheese layer is smoother, too. I used about 3 1/2 cups fruit.
Since it’s spring right now, and I was thinking of red, white, and blue for Memorial Day or a summer holiday (and all three were on sale this week) I used strawberries, blueberries, and a small package of blackberries. Raspberries would have been gorgeous, too.
As summer progresses and the stone fruits come in, think about peaches, nectarines, plums, and maybe a few grapes, just make sure the grapes aren’t one of those huge varieties that would be hard to eat (and maybe roll off) on top of this.
In the fall, change it up with fall fruits, chunks of apple, and pears, although admittedly, I like softer, not crunchy, fruit on this. I have slightly cooked apple chunks with a little brown sugar, which makes them all caramelly, cooled it, and used it as a topping. Other fruit compotes work well, too, as long as they are not runny.
Other popular fruit pizza topping items are firm bananas (soft will disintegrate after being tossed in something acidic to keep them from browning) and kiwis. Mandarin oranges work well, too.
Make sure to toss any fruit that might brown in an acidic mixture and drain well before using; I usually use lemon but I keep a small bottle of real lemon in my fridge pretty much just in case I need it for fruit. It keeps, literally, forever! My daughter used to make lemonade out of it! It works, btw, although it’s not nearly as good as real lemonade.
The Glaze:
There are all kinds of glazes that can be used for fruit pizza but I prefer to melt just a little jelly in the microwave and dab it on the fruit with a pastry brush. It’s really glossy and visually appealing (use a light-colored jelly for light-colored fruit, any color for darker fruit) and it’s so sticky, it holds the fruit in place. Plus, bonus points for easy!
I’ve found that glazes can be a little liquidy and seep down under the fruit, but there are no end to glazes you can add instead of the jelly if you wish.
If you’d like, this can be drizzled with white chocolate (or dark) instead of glazing. Chocolate of any kind will not stick well if it’s drizzled on glazed fruit. You’ll need about 1/2 cup of any kind of chocolate or white chocolate chips to 2 teaspoons of shortening (preferred) or butter; combine and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Place in a Ziploc, snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze over the fruit randomly or in a design.
Saving Money on White Chocolate Fruit Pizza:
I always say to shop well for ingredients and that usually means paying attention to sales. It’s likely around any holiday you’ll find most of these items on sale, and to see what might be on sale check out my post, Winning at the Grocers, which has a link for every major holiday that drives grocery sales. Since Memorial Day weekend is coming up, here’s the link for Saving at the Grocers, Summer Holidays. You’re going to find most of the same items on sale around Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day.
There are certain times of the year I pay close attention to baking items, before Easter and during the winter holidays, like Thanksgiving through Christmas. That’s when I stock up on so many baking items. I always find butter at rock bottom pricing and stock my freezer when I see it at a low. I literally count the weeks and buy enough to last until the next holiday. Aldi, if you have one nearby, has everyday prices that rival any of the best prices at the store.
You’ll find the best price on cream cheese and cream around holidays, too, and again, the Aldi prices usually beat out the grocery store sale prices. Cream keeps for weeks, unopened, and though for budget reasons, I usually dislike recipes like this that call for just a little of an ingredient, but during the summer I find no end of uses for a little whipped cream. 🙂 If you wish you could top this tart with the remainder of the cream, whipped and sweetened with powdered sugar to taste although that def puts it more in the tart category than the fruit pizza category of desserts.
Other than buying your groceries on the cheap, keep in mind that the type of fruit, whether it’s on sale or not (and berries are always on sale around holidays), and how much you use will drastically affect the price of this pizza. Be mindful if you’re interested in bringing this pizza in on a budget of what you’re using! I often don’t use full cartons of fruit and then use the rest in a fruit salad.
White Chocolate Fruit Pizza
White Chocolate Fruit Pizza
- Total Time: 20 minutes hand on, 1 hour 20 minutes total
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
The Crust:
- 3/4 cup butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
The White Chocolate Cream Cheese Layer:
- 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
Fruit Topping:
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh strawberries, halved (or cut into chunks if huge)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- about 2 tablespoons jelly, melted
Instructions
For the Crust:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Use a 12″ pizza or tart pan, preferably non-stick. If not non-stick, spritz very lightly with cooking spray.
Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour (mixture will be crumbly). Pat evenly into pan. Bake until light golden brown, turning about 1/2 way through if needed, for 25 to 28 minutes. Cool.
The White Chocolate Cream Cheese Layer:
With an electric mixer, beat melted chips and cream until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add salt and vanilla if using. Immediately spread over crust then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Fruit Topping:
Arrange berries over cream cheese layer and brush with the melted jelly. If there is more than one layer of berries, brush with the jelly before adding subsequent layers. Set aside for the jelly to cool or place in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Nutrition: 1 piece: 433 calories, 28g fat (17g saturated fat), 60mg cholesterol, 174mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein.
Keywords: Blackberries, Blueberries, Cream, Cream Cheese, Desserts, Fruit, Fruit Desserts, Jam Jelly or Preserves, Strawberries, Tart, white chocolate
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I’ll be sharing at Fiesta Friday #329, hosted this week by Diann @ Of Goats and Greens
and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons
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