We didn’t nail this one on the first try.
Or the second.
When we set out to create a fruit pizza that felt like a true summer treat—light, fresh, not too sweet, and something we’d genuinely want to share with our kids—we knew we wanted to start with a cookie-style crust that didn’t rely on loads of added sugar. Our first versions with oat flour held promise… but let’s just say the crumbs were flying.
After a few more test rounds (and a lot of crust tweaking), we finally landed on a version that holds together beautifully, slices cleanly, and lets the natural sweetness of summer fruit really shine.
This Summer Fruit Pizza has become a fast favorite in our house—easy to slice and serve at barbecues, kid-approved, and honestly…it’s just so good.
watch how to make this fruit pizza:
Why do we love this fruit pizza?
We could go on and on about why we love this fruit pizza. It checks so many boxes for us as dietitian moms – one box being a fun “fruit exposure”. You might have noticed your little ones are more likely to gobble up the foods they see the most—familiar bites are their favourites!
We like to use this idea to our advantage, and aim to offer a variety of nutrient dense foods (like fruit!) to our kiddos on the regular. The idea being the more exposure our kids have with a food, the more comfort and safety they will feel with it, which ultimately leads to more willingness to actually eat and enjoy the food. To add, we’ve found incorporating an element of “fun” to new or less-accepted foods exposures goes a long way with little eaters. And what’s more fun than pizza?!
It’s also a great recipe to make with your kids. Whether they mix the dough, shape it into a pizza crust, or ”decorate” it with fruit, there are plenty of chances for your kiddos to dive in hands-first with this one.
Another thing – keeping this fruit pizza lower in sugar was top of mind for us when developing the recipe. Here’s why – kids need plenty of room in their tummies for key nutrients that help them grow, play, and learn. Offering lower sugar desserts helps ensure there’s plenty of room for those nutrients. Don’t worry though – thanks to the natural sweetness of fruit, nothing was lost in the flavour department.
When can my child eat this fruit pizza?
While we did keep this fruit pizza lower in sugar, it does have some added sugar in the crust. And as it’s recommended to avoid offering added sugar until after two years of age, we’d suggest holding off on serving it until then.
Suggested Reading: Babies, Sweets, and Sugar; the 401
How do I serve this fruit pizza?
One option is to simply serve it as a dessert you enjoy together. This could be after OR with a meal. Yes, you read that right – we said with a meal.
Here’s our philosophy – by serving dessert with the main course we put all foods on the same playing field. In our own homes we’ve found this actually helps remove the “magical” allure from foods like cookies, cake, and ice cream, allowing children to eat what their bodies truly want and need. While we don’t do this daily, it’s a practice we like to do every now and again.
Serving fruit pizza as a balanced snack is another option. As a general guide we like snacks to:
a) include at least two food groups and
b) include a fruit or vegetable. This pizza has you covered with both those suggestions.
What makes the sauce sweet?
If there’s only added sugar in the “pizza crust”, you may be wondering what makes the sauce sweet. The answer – dates! Dates are actually a dried fruit and the natural sugars in them aren’t considered added sugar.
Are dates nutritious?
You better believe they are! There’s a reason they’ve been consumed for centuries around the world and it’s not just because they are naturally sweet, delicious, and perfectly chewy.
Dates offer fibre, minerals (like magnesium and potassium), and antioxidants.
What fruit can be used?
While berries, stone fruit (peaches, nectarines), kiwi, mango, mandarins, and even bananas (just be aware they may brown over time) have worked well for us, this recipe is a great place to get creative!
Let your imagination be your guide! If you’re here for inspo, here’s some of our favorite combos:
- Chocolate Covered Berry – chocolate fruit pizza sauce with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
- Rainbow Pizza – Strawberries, mandarin orange segments, banana, green grapes (halved), and blueberries
- Tropical Pizza – Kiwi, passionfruit, and mango
As always we’d love to see what you and your littles come up with in the kitchen. Feel free to tag us with photos of all the fruit pizzas you make this summer!
CAUTION: the round shape of grapes and large blueberries are a choking hazard. These fruits should be cut into quarters when served to young children. Aesthetically, quartered fruit isn’t as pretty on a fruit pizza – so for a “pretty pizza” you may want to skip these ones.
TIPS
- For more of a caramel sauce, leave out the cocoa powder.
- Freeze half of the crust dough for your future self. When freezing, wrap in plastic wrap very tightly. This will keep in your freezer for three months and longer in a deep freezer. When you’re ready to use it again, thaw in the fridge and then let it set out for at least 1-2 hours at room temperature so you can roll it out.
- If your child isn’t ready to combine different foods, then deconstruct their slice – they can dip the cookie crust into the sauce and then have fruit on the side.
- The sauce can also be used as a fruit dip, or, serve it to your kids with some graham crackers!
With the summer weather in full swing, we hope you make some space to enjoy some good eats with your children and keep this fruit pizza on the top of your “to make” list. Every time you prepare a recipe we’ve developed, you make our dream of feeding families come true.
Health[ier] Fruit Pizza (toddler friendly)
Ingredients
Fruit Pizza Crust
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg keep at room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour if you prefer to use only all purpose, that’s fine too
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Fruit Pizza Sauce
- ½ cup dried dates packed
- ¼ cup water
- 4 oz half a brick cream cheese
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
Toppings
- Fruit to dress the pizza *see note
Instructions
Crust Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Then add the egg and vanilla
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
- Chill for 20 min in fridge before rolling out (there will be two servings so one can be frozen or left in fridge for another day).
- Roll out into a 9 to 10 inch circle, or about ⅓ inch thick.
- Bake for 15 - 20 min - or until crust edges start to turn golden brown.
Sauce Instructions
- In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave the dates and water on high at 1 minute intervals.
- After each interval, mash with a fork.
- Once the dates have softened, continue to mash until a paste forms.
- In a medium sized bowl, soften the cream cheese in the microwave.
- Add in the dates, yogurt, and cocoa.
- Using a hand mixer, mix until well combined.
- This recipe makes enough to dress one pizza crust (ie: half of the dough recipe above).
Assembly Instructions
- Spread the sauce on one pizza crust. Top with sliced fruit.
