This fruitcake cookies recipe gives a modern makeover to the traditional holiday dessert. Soft and chewy cookies are filled with sweet and colorful chunks of candied fruit, giving them tons of flavor and texture. These beautiful treats will be a delicious and festive addition to your holiday recipe collection.
Even if you’ve never been a huge fan of fruit cake, you won’t want to miss out on these bright and colorful fruit cake cookies. Although fruitcake sometimes gets a bad rap, these amazing cookies will change your mind about it. Full of candied red and green cherries, pineapple, and orange peel, these holiday cookies have the same basic flavors as the classic cake, but they’re so much better.
You’ll love their sweet and fruity taste and perfect light texture. Make this easy drop cookie recipe for your next holiday party and watch these eye-catching treats disappear in an instant. No one will be able to resist their festive holiday look and delicious, sweet taste.
💗 Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s a traditional fruitcake in cookie form – a light and delicious chewy cookie that adults and kids of all ages will love.
- The colorful fruit pieces give this treat a pretty and festive look that’s perfect for the holiday season. It will be a holiday staple and a great addition to parties or cookie exchanges.
- These cookies freeze well, so you can make extras to have on hand all throughout the holidays.
- This fruitcake cookie recipe is easy to make and doesn’t require any special tools or equipment. You won’t even need cookie cutters.
🥄Recommended Tools
- Baking sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Electric mixer
- Parchment paper or Silpat liner
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup chopped dates, pitted
- 16 oz. fruit peel mix (like this)
👩🍳 How to Make Fruit Cake Cookies
Step One: Make the Cookie Batter
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place Silpat liners or parchment paper on 2 baking sheets.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and mix well.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, one cup at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until combined.
Step Two: Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients
- In separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients one cup at a time, to the shortening mixture. Alternate with buttermilk and mix until combined.
- Toss the fruit mix with a tablespoon or two of flour. This help the fruit adhere to the batter. Fold the floured fruit pieces along with the chopped dated and pecans into the batter. Mix together until incorporated.
Step Three: Fold In the Fruit
- Toss the fruit mix with a tablespoon or two of flour. This help the fruit adhere to the batter.
- Fold the floured fruit pieces along with the chopped dated and pecans into the batter. Mix together until incorporated.
Step Four: Bake
- Drop batter by spoonfuls onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-13 minutes (depends on cookie size.) Don’t overbake, they shouldn’t be too brown on top and may need to finish cooking on the baking sheet when you remove them from the oven for a few minutes before putting on a wire rack to cool.
‘Tips and Suggestions
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk mixed with a teaspoon of white vinegar.
- Be careful not to overbake these – they should be just a very light golden brown on top. They may need to finish cooking for a few minutes on the cookie sheet when you remove them from the oven before you place them on the cooling rack.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure that your cookies are all the same size.
Variations
- Raisins – add some golden raisins or any other dried fruit that you like to the cookie batter.
- Chopped Nuts – for some extra crunch and texture, you can add extra chopped nuts. Almonds, cashews, and walnuts would all be delicious.
- Almond Extract – give the cookies some extra flavor by adding a bit of almond or vanilla extract to the batter.
- Spices – add a half teaspoon of cinnamon or other holiday spice mixture to the dry ingredients to give your cookies a warm holiday spice flavor.
Where Do You Buy Fruit Cake Mix?
It’s a seasonal product that’s sold at Christmas-time. You can find it in most grocery stores either in the baking aisle or near the nuts and dried fruits. You can also buy it on Amazon.
How Do I Store Fruit Cake Cookies?
Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Freeze Fruit Cake Cookies?
Yes – these will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container or freezer bag.
🎄More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Christmas Wreath Cornflake Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
- Peanut butter balls
Fruitcake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup chopped dates pitted
- 16 oz. fruit peel mix
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Place a silpat liner or parchment paper on 2 baking sheets and set aside.
- In medium sized mixing bowl cream the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and mix well.
- In separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients one cup at a time, to the shortening mixture. Alternate with buttermilk and mix until combined.
- Toss the fruit mix with a tablespoon or two of flour. This help the fruit adhere to the batter. Fold the floured fruit pieces along with the chopped dated and pecans into the batter. Mix together until incorporated.
- Drop batter by spoonfuls onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-13 minutes (depends on cookie size.) Don’t overbake, they shouldn’t be too brown on top and may need to finish cooking on the baking sheet when you remove them from the oven for a few minutes before putting on a wire rack to cool.
- Store in airtight container.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Cindy says
It says to add pecans in the instructions but does not mention pecans in the ingredients. . How much pecans are to go in this recipe…..
Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com says
it’s 3/4 cup chopped pecans. They can be optional.
Nancy says
Can you use butter instead of shortening in this recipe!
Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com says
I haven’t tested it with butter … you could try it, but you will get a different volume in the cookie.
Pamer says
Can I use the buttered flavored Crisco sticks instead of vegetable shortening?
Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com says
You can try it, but the butter will add a different flavor – you might like it better though!