Easy Fruit Pizza Recipe
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Summertime for me means fruit pizza, and I have adapted my lovely mother-in-law’s special recipe to make a delicious gluten-free pizza that is also vegan and low FODMAP.
Although I know that it is not technically summer, for me, Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to the summer vacation season. I have my outdoor furniture repainted and new pillows. My flowers are in the flowerpots, and the grill is ready to be lit. My husband and I don’t like to travel on those summer 3-day weekends unless it is up on the hiking trail nearby.
There is nothing tastier than a cookie crust with a cream cheese frosting over it, piled high with some tasty seasonal fruit, and strawberries are my absolute favorite.
I like to make the pizza when I can share it with family or friends, but it keeps well for several days, so you can space out the enjoyment all week if it’s just you and your significant other.
Recipe for Gluten Free Fruit Pizza
Dessert Fruit Pizza
You can adapt your pizza based on the season and what is available. Peaches, apples, pears, and pineapple would be delicious. For the fruits that brown easily, like apples, pears, and peaches, use lemon juice. I just dip pieces in the juice. Also, if some of these fruits trigger IBS for you, use small portions or a lower FODMAP fruit.
Gluten-Free Cookie Crust
2 cups of gluten-free flour (like King Arthur 1 and 1)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup Earth Balance
One tablespoon of oil
One tablespoon of water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend the flour, maple syrup, Earth Balance, and water, and mix into a ball. Grease a pizza pan. Put a piece of wax paper over the dough and roll it flat with a rolling pin until it covers most of the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool to room temperature.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting for Fruit Pizza
8-ounce tub of vegan cream cheese (I used the Tofutti brand. See below)
One teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
8-ounce vegan whipped topping (I used Whole Foods Oat Whipped Topping)
Allow cream cheese to soften, whip it with powdered sugar, and lightly fold in the whipped topping. Spread the frosting over the pizza crust after it has cooled.
Fruit to Top Pizza
Sliced fresh strawberries (I used about 2 cups sliced)
Fresh blueberries (I used about half of a pint)
Sliced kiwi (I used one)
Top the fruit on the cream cheese frosting and chill until ready to serve!
Gluten-free and Vegan Ingredients that I used
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Tofutti Brands, Inc. – Dairy-Free, Vegan
Whole Foods Oat Whipped Topping
Oat-Based Whipped Topping, 6.25 oz at Whole Foods Market
Make a Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza
Tips for Adapting Recipes for Gluten-Free, Low FODMAP, and Vegan
Tips to Make a Recipe Gluten-Free
My mother-in-law’s original recipe uses white wheat flour for her pizza cookie dough, so I converted the recipe to a 1:1 flour, which is a gluten-free flour that you can replace 1 cup of it with 1 cup of it. Brands that work well include:
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (bobsredmill.com)
Gluten-Free Baking | King Arthur Baking
Most gluten flours combine several flours since one type of gluten-free flour doesn’t have the same desirable qualities as wheat flour for baking, such as stretch, texture, and even baking.
Sometimes, adding seeds, nuts, dried fruit, or seasonings can help a gluten-free bread or baked good be even more tasty than just by itself. For the cookie crust for my pizza, I substituted powdered sugar for maple syrup, which gives a yummy taste. The thickness of the syrup mimics a stretch for me. It also provides moisture, which is important because gluten-free baked goods tend to be dry. I also added water.
Tips to Make a Recipe Vegan
Instead of honey, try maple syrup; instead of milk, substitute soy, almond, and oat milk. If you are substituting for cream, try coconut milk. There are a lot of great vegan dairy substitutes now, but many of them have a lot of coconut fat, so use them very sparingly because they can contribute to increased heart disease. Saturated Fat | American Heart Association and Consuming high amounts of saturated fats linked to increased heart disease risk | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Many of the vegan whipped toppings I saw were full of coconut fat, so I chose the whipped oat topping with less coconut fat.
There are several suitable butter substitutes; my favorite is Original Buttery Spread | Earth Balance (earthbalancenatural.com).
Eggs can be a little trickier because they have so many properties that we like to have. For creaminess, we can add blended silken tofu for a vegan cheesecake instead of eggs. You can substitute tapioca, corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot for a thickener. Last but not least, eggs make a great binder holding things together, but you can make a “flax egg” with one tablespoon of ground flax to 3 tablespoons of water.
Make a Delicious Gluten Free Fruit Pizza
With a few adaptations, I made my mother-in-law’s easy fruit pizza recipe gluten-free, low FODMAP, and vegan! The great thing about learning to modify recipes is that you can make them work for your lifestyle and medical needs. As an Asheville nutritionist, I love helping my clients find solutions that work for them and personalizing guidelines to help them feel better and enjoy some of the things they used to love. Here are some additional summer dessert recipes.
If you are interested in working with a registered dietitian who will help you with your healthy lifestyle changes, I would love to help. Find out more about my online courses and support group here!
