Stars & Stripes Fruit Pizza (Sugar Cookie Crust): A Festive Flag Dessert That Wows
Molly
This Stars & Stripes Fruit Pizza is a patriotic showstopper made with a soft sugar cookie crust, a creamy vanilla frosting, and a flag design of fresh fruit. It’s easy to prep ahead, kid-friendly, and ideal for July 4th, Memorial Day, or any summer celebration. Perfectly balanced with natural sweetness and festive flair!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 14 minutes mins
Cooling & Decorating Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 14 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Holiday Treat
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 260 kcal
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries or raspberries
- 1 banana or whipped cream piped for stripes
Make the Sugar Cookie CrustPreheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until dough forms. Press evenly into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely. Prepare the FrostingBeat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Chill while crust cools. DecorateSpread the frosting over the cooled crust. Use blueberries to form the star field in the top-left corner. Create red and white stripes with rows of strawberries/raspberries and bananas or piped whipped cream. Chill and ServeRefrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve cold for best results.
Secret Tips for the Perfect Stars & Stripes Fruit Pizza
1. Chill the crust before baking: For a cleaner edge and even thickness, press the sugar cookie dough into your pan and chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before baking. This helps prevent puffing and keeps your fruit pizza base flat and uniform.
2. Use gel food coloring in frosting variations: If you're experimenting with colorful frosting (like red or blue swirls), use gel food coloring instead of liquid. It gives vibrant color without thinning the frosting.
3. Add a lemon zest boost: Mix a little lemon zest into the cream cheese frosting to brighten the flavor and balance the sweetness of the sugar cookie crust and fruit.
4. Brush bananas with citrus juice: To prevent the banana slices from browning on your patriotic fruit pizza, brush them with a bit of lemon or pineapple juice before placing them on the frosting.
5. Make a white chocolate shield: For added stability and to avoid sogginess, brush a thin layer of melted white chocolate over the cooled crust before adding the frosting. It acts as a moisture barrier, especially helpful if the fruit sits out.
6. Pipe whipped cream just before serving: If you’re using piped whipped cream for the white “stripes,” wait until just before serving so it doesn’t weep or deflate in the fridge.
7. Use parchment for easy lifting: Line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, so once the fruit pizza is chilled, you can lift the entire dessert out and cut clean squares on a cutting board.
8. Serve chilled for clean cuts: Let the assembled pizza chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing—this firms up the frosting and gives you neater slices, especially for party platters.Keyword easy fruit pizza with cream cheese, flag cookie dessert, gluten free patriotic fruit pizza, july 4th cookie pizza, kid friendly holiday desserts, make ahead 4th of july dessert, patriotic dessert ideas, red white blue fruit pizza, stars and stripes fruit pizza, sugar cookie fruit pizza
