Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Published on June 30, 2025
Quick Summary
These Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Bars combine a soft, lemon-kissed sugar cookie base with creamy, homemade cream cheese frosting and a colorful assortment of fresh berries. Easy to make ahead and perfect for any celebration, they’re a refreshing twist on classic fruit pizza—ready to become your new favorite treat!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThe Best Summer Dessert: Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Think of these bars as a simpler take on classic fruit pizza: instead of a rolled-out crust, you bake a soft sugar cookie base in a 9×13 pan, frost it with rich cream cheese frosting, and top it with fresh fruit. The result? A chilled, sliceable dessert that’s fresh, creamy, and full of flavor.
I make these Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Bars every Fourth of July, and they are always the first dessert to disappear. The soft cookie base has a hint of lemon and almond, the frosting is velvety and tangy, and the fruit on top makes them festive and fun! You can even make a flag design with the berries if you want!
They’re also one of my favorite make-ahead desserts. I’ll bake and frost the bars earlier in the day (or even the night before), then add the fruit topping right before serving so everything stays vibrant and juicy. Whether it’s a backyard BBQ, a holiday brunch, a birthday party, or a baby shower, these bars are a guaranteed hit.
They feed a crowd, look beautiful on a platter, and best of all—they’re so easy to make. No fussy crusts, no complicated steps. Just sweet, simple goodness in every bite.
Key Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Bars:
- Ingredients: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, butter, sour cream or Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and salt.
- Tip: Use room temperature butter and sour cream for a tender, moist cookie base. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar releases more flavor. I love adding a hint of almond extract to the dough to make the bars extra special.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Ingredients: Cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and pinch of salt.
- Tip: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese (not whipped) and make sure it’s at room temperature for smooth frosting.
For the Toppings:
- Fruit: Use whatever fruit is in season or your favorite fruit! Fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, peach slices, mango slices, mandarin oranges. You can also garnish with fresh mint.
- Tip: Choose ripe but firm fruit to keep the topping looking fresh longer.
Tips for Making Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Bars
- Don’t skip the lemon zest—it brightens the whole cookie base and balances the sweetness perfectly. For extra lemony brightness, rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers before mixing—it releases more of the lemon’s natural oils and flavor.
- When mixing the dough, use room temperature butter and sour cream or Greek yogurt to keep the bars soft and tender.
- The dough will be sticky—that’s normal! To press it evenly into the pan without it sticking to your hands, lightly grease your hands or dampen them with water.
- Be careful not to overmix once you add the flour. Overworking the dough can make the bars tough instead of soft and chewy.
- Bake just until the edges start to turn golden—overbaking dries out the bars. The center should still look slightly soft when you take it out.
- Let the bars cool completely before frosting to avoid melting the cream cheese frosting.
- For easier slicing, chill the frosted bars for at least an hour before cutting. This helps the frosting set and prevents the fruit from sliding off.
- Add the fresh fruit right before serving so it stays bright and juicy, especially with watery fruits like kiwi or strawberries.
- If you don’t want to top the bars with fruit, try other toppings like sprinkles, coconut, or chocolate chips!
Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces brick cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- Fresh fruit, sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, etc.
- Fresh mint, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line the pan with parchment paper; set aside. You can use a quarter sheet pan, the bars will just be a little thinner and will bake a little faster.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar mixture together until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the sour cream. Mix until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Don’t over mix. The dough will be sticky.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. You can grease your hands or get them slightly damp to make it easier.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown. Don’t over bake or the bars will be dry. Let the bars cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the confectioner’s sugar and salt; mix until smooth. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars.
- Top with fresh fruit and mint, if desired. Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
