Fruit Pizza: Easy Vegan Caramel Apple Recipe (12 Slices)
This fruit pizza is my fall twist on the classic summer party dessert. Instead of berries and kiwi, a soft homemade sugar cookie crust gets a layer of cinnamon cream cheese frosting, a spiral of thin, crisp apple slices and a drizzle of quick brown sugar caramel. It tastes like a caramel apple and a sugar cookie had a very good day together, and it’s completely vegan.
I first made it for a Halloween potluck when I had a bag of apples and no time for pie. It disappeared before the actual pie did. Now it’s on my Thanksgiving dessert table every year, because it slices neatly into 12 wedges, travels well and looks far fancier than the effort it takes.
Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes (18 to bake, 7 for the caramel) | Total: 1 hour 35 minutes, including 40 minutes cooling | Serves: 12 slices | Diet: vegan, egg-free, dairy-free
Why You’ll Love This Fruit Pizza
- It’s easier than pie. No crust rolling, no lattice, no blind baking.
- It looks like a bakery tart. The fanned apples make it a showstopper.
- It’s vegan. No eggs or dairy, but nobody can tell.
- It feeds a crowd. One pizza makes 12 generous slices.
- It’s budget friendly. The whole fruit pizza costs about $8.
Ingredients
This fruit pizza has three parts: a sugar cookie crust, a cinnamon frosting and the caramel apple topping. You can make the crust and caramel a day ahead.
For the Sugar Cookie Crust
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (113g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (60g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (2g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5g)
For the Cinnamon Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened (115g)
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened (28g)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (90g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (2ml)
For the Caramel Apple Topping
- 2 crisp apples, cored and very thinly sliced (360g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15ml)
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (65g)
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (28g)
- 3 tablespoons full-fat plant milk or canned coconut milk (45ml)
- 1 pinch salt and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional (30g)
Ingredient Notes
Apples: Choose crisp, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Gala. Red skins look beautiful in the spiral. Slice them as thin as you can, about 1/8 inch.
Vegan cream cheese: It gives the frosting its tang. If you’d rather skip it, use 1/2 cup vegan butter in total and add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Plant milk for caramel: A richer milk like canned coconut milk or oat milk makes a thicker, creamier caramel.
How to Make Caramel Apple Fruit Pizza
- Heat the Oven. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 12-inch pizza pan or line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Make the Dough. Beat the vegan butter and sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Press and Bake. Press the dough into an even 11 to 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 16 to 18 minutes until the edges are light golden. Cool completely, about 40 minutes.
- Cook the Caramel. Meanwhile, melt the brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the plant milk and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, whisking, until slightly thickened. Stir in the salt and vanilla and cool. It thickens as it cools.
- Make the Frosting. Beat the vegan cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Slice the Apples. Toss the thin apple slices with the lemon juice so they don’t brown.
- Assemble. Spread the frosting over the cooled crust, leaving a thin border. Fan the apple slices in overlapping circles on top.
- Drizzle and Slice. Drizzle with the caramel, scatter the pecans and cut into 12 wedges. Serve within a few hours, or chill until serving.
Tips for the Best Fruit Pizza
Press the crust evenly. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your palm to make a level circle. Thin spots bake faster and get crunchy.
Don’t overbake. Pull the crust when the edges are just golden. It firms up as it cools and stays soft in the middle.
Cool the crust completely. Warm crust melts the frosting. Give it the full 40 minutes, or speed it up in the fridge.
Slice apples thin and toss in lemon. Thin slices are easy to fan and easy to bite through. Lemon keeps them from browning for hours.
Drizzle caramel at room temperature. Hot caramel runs off and soaks in. Let it cool until it’s thick but still pourable.
How to Cut Apples Thin Without a Mandoline
Halve each apple through the stem and scoop out the core with a melon baller or small spoon. Lay each half flat side down on the board so it can’t roll, then slice crosswise with your sharpest knife, keeping the slices about 1/8 inch thick. Go slowly and let the knife do the work. You’ll get perfect half-moon slices that fan beautifully, and two apples are enough to cover the whole fruit pizza.
If your slices break, don’t worry. Tuck the broken pieces in the center of the spiral where they won’t show.
Why Apples Make a Great Fall Fruit Pizza
Summer fruit pizza depends on soft berries and kiwi that can turn the frosting watery after a few hours. Apples are firmer and drier, so this fall fruit pizza holds up much longer on a party table. They’re also one of the cheapest fruits in October, which makes this dessert much easier on the budget than a pint of berries ever is.
The cinnamon in the frosting and the brown sugar caramel lean into the flavors of a caramel apple. Toasted pecans add a little crunch, but you can leave them off if you’re cooking for anyone with nut allergies.
Variations and Shortcuts
- Store-bought dough: Use a 16-ounce tube of vegan-friendly refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Many brands are accidentally vegan, but check the label.
- Pear version: Use thin slices of firm pear instead of apples.
- Mixed fall fruit: Add pomegranate arils and orange segments for color.
- Quick caramel: Use a store-bought vegan caramel sauce warmed slightly.
- Bars: Press the dough into a 9×13 pan and cut into 24 squares.
Pecans add a nice crunch and a bit of healthy fat. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a helpful page on nuts and heart health if you want to read more.
What It Costs
My breakdown this fall: vegan butter $1.80, sugars $0.90, flour $0.40, vegan cream cheese $2.20, powdered sugar $0.30, two apples $1.20, and plant milk, applesauce, lemon, spices and vanilla about $0.60. Pecans add about $0.60. That’s roughly $8 for a 12-slice fruit pizza.
Serving Ideas
Serve it as the centerpiece of a fall dessert table, with a warm spiced pear crisp on the side for anyone who wants something cozy. For kids’ parties, set out a bowl of baked cinnamon apple chips to snack on while the pizza gets sliced.
Storage
Fridge: Store leftover fruit pizza covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. The apples soften slightly on day two.
Make ahead: Bake the crust up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped at room temperature. The frosting and caramel keep in the fridge for 4 days. Assemble the day you serve.
Freezer: Freeze the baked, unfrosted crust for up to 2 months. I don’t recommend freezing the assembled fruit pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make fruit pizza the day before?
Make the crust, frosting and caramel the day before, then assemble up to 6 hours before serving for the freshest apples.
How do I keep the apples from turning brown?
Toss the slices in lemon juice right after cutting. The caramel drizzle also helps seal them.
Can I use a different crust?
Yes. A store-bought vegan sugar cookie dough or even a large graham cracker crust works.
Is this fruit pizza nut free?
Yes, if you skip the pecans. Check that your vegan cream cheese and butter are nut free, as some are made with cashews.
What can I use instead of vegan cream cheese?
Make a simple vanilla buttercream with 1/2 cup vegan butter, 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash of plant milk.
Bake It for Your Next Party
This caramel apple fruit pizza is easy, pretty and perfect for fall entertaining. It brings all the flavor of a caramel apple to a dessert that slices neatly and feeds a crowd. For more sweet ideas, browse my vegan dessert recipes.
If this fruit pizza was the star of your dessert table, share the recipe with a friend who loves to bake, and follow me on Pinterest for more cozy vegan desserts on a budget. After you make it, rate it in the recipe card below and tell me in the comments which apples you used. Happy baking!
