I have to admit, I’m a sucker for fruit pizza. I don’t know if it’s my mind playing tricks on me and thinking oh there’s fruit, this is a healthy dessert option, or what. But I love it. I know traditional fruit pizza using a sugar cookie crust and there are plenty of those out there that are delicious. I’m likely share a recipe for one myself soon. But for now, I wanted to share a unique take on it – instead of a sugar cookie crust, this fruit pizza uses a soft brownie crust thats then topped with a cream cheese layer and sliced fruit. If you like brownies, you are going to love this variation. If you like fruit, you’ll love this variation. And if you just love dessert like me, you’ll love this.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brownie crust – obviously this starts with a brownie crust but the cooking method keeps the brownie nice and soft on the inside yet sturdy enough to be able to pick it up like a pizza. It’s the perfect combination for this recipe!Sweet and tart – unlike a lot of fruit pizza recipes that tend to be just sweet sugar cookie with a sweet cream cheese frosting, the cream cheese layer on this actually has a slight bit of tang to it, rather than being overly sweet. It’s amazing combined with the sweet brownie layer, seriously amazing. Berry easy to make – this recipe is super simple as well, making it a great option for anyone who needs a simple yet still impressive dessert!
Ingredients
Boxed brownie mix – I’ve tried this with different boxed brownie mixes – Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Ghirardelli. All three are equally delicious and worked great. Cream cheese – take the cream cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before mixing so that the cream cheese has a chance to soften before mixing! Heavy cream – heavy cream works best for this, don’t try to substitute milk or half and half. Vanilla Powdered sugarFresh berries – I recommend sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Blackberries would also be delicious! If you have extras, serve them next to the pizza with this yummy fruit dip!
Instructions
This recipe does take a while to make because the brownie has to sit and finish cooking outside of the oven but the actual hands on cooking is very minimal. And the result is totally worth the wait! That being said, I recommend you plan ahead if you’re going to make this one. You don’t want to rush the brownie baking or you’ll end up with hard crispy brownies instead of the perfectly soft crust you want! Prepare by preheating the oven to 350°F and greasing a rimmed 12 or 14-inch round pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Next, you will need to prepare the brownie mix according to box directions for “fudge” consistency. If you bought a brownie mix with add-ins like chocolate chips, I recommend just leaving them out. Once the batter is smooth, transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread the batter out. If your pizza pan has holes in it, line it with a piece of parchment paper before pouring the batter onto the pan. Next, bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. The brownies should have the typically flaky film over the top and the edges should be firm. Remove from the oven Let the brownie cool in the pan for at least 2 hours on a wire rack. This will finish cooking the brownies but in the way you want them for the fruit pizza! While the brownies are cooling, prepare the cream cheese mixture by beating the cream cheese until smooth then slowly add the heavy cream while mixing on medium-low speed. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat for 1 to 2 minutes on medium high speed until thick and fluffy. You can technically do this by hand but I recommend either a hand or stand mixer unless you really want tired arms the next day! Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cooled brownies. Spread evenly and leave just a small little edge around the outside of the brownie so that people have somewhere to pick up the brownie pizza slice. Top the cream cheese layer with sliced berries, fresh berries, and any other fruit you think will taste good. Try to space the fruit out so that each slice will get plenty of fruit and a variety of fruit! Slice and serve immediately if people are ready to eat dessert or put it in the refrigerator and serve chilled straight from the fridge.
Expert Tips
Refrigerate until served or refrigerate any leftovers. You can also just use regular whipping cream or Cool Whip instead of the cream cheese layer in a pinch, but it’s not nearly as good that way. Turn this into one of the best red, white, and blue desserts by making the toppings look like an American flag or simply by using raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries on top!
More Chocolate Recipes
If you like this brownie fruit pizza, you’ll love these other chocolate recipes!
Frozen hot chocolate – this delicious chilled drink is a favorite of the kids but good enough for adults! Andes mint cookies – these 4-ingredient cookies combine chocolate, chocolate chips, and Andes Mints for your new favorite treat! Best chocolate lava cake – is there anything better than chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream? And this is the best recipe you can make at home! Chocolate whoopie pies – a simple chocolate sandwich cookie that’s light, fluffy, and delicious! Brownie balls – just a few ingredients make up these chocolate balls of goodness, these will be a huge hit at any party or just at home!
