How to keep my fruit fresh?
- Some fruits and veggies produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen which can prematurely ripen foods that are sensitive to it. Avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, pears, plums, and tomatoes, for example, should be stored in a different place than your apples, broccoli, carrots, leafy greens, and watermelon.
- Store unripe fruits and veggies like pears, peaches, plums, kiwis, mangoes, apricots, avocados, melons, and bananas on the counter. Once they’re ripe, move them to the fridge. .
- Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, and limes, will do fine for up to a week in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight, but you can lengthen their lives by storing them in the fridge in a mesh or perforated plastic bag.
- Cut the leafy tops of your pineapple off and store your pineapple upside down. This helps redistribute sugars that sink to the bottom during shipping and also helps it keep longer.
- Avoid washing berries until right before you’re ready to eat them. Wetness encourages mold growth.
- If you like to wash, dry, and cut your fruits all at once, store them in covered glass containers lined in paper towels. You’ll not only be able to see them, but you’ll also be keeping moisture out.
- If you notice any rotten produce, compost it immediately before it starts to spoil the rest of the produce.
One of my favorite things about summertime is all of the fresh fruit that is available. The only thing better than eating fresh fruit is turning it into some kind of treat! Am I right?! I’ve collected some of our favorite fruity desserts/treats to make it easier for you to find something delicious to whip up this summer!
Easy Fruit Pizza Cookies
Fruit Pizza Cookies are all the goodness you get in a fruit pizza recipe in cookie form! Soft sugar cookie crust, topped with sweet cream & your favorite fruits; strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, blackberries, mango.. the possibilities are endless! I love setting up a fruit pizza bar; supply the cookies, frosting and every fruit you can think of and then everyone can make their own dessert just how they like! See the recipe for Easy Fruit Pizzas here.
Fruit Pizza Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cups flour
Whipped Cream Frosting
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Fruit Toppings- strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, blackberries, mango...just to name a few ideas!
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for a full 3 minutes. You can also use an electric handheld mixer if you prefer.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl down and then add in vanilla extract and egg white. Mix until combined.
- Next, add the flour and baking powder to the bowl. Mix slowly at first gradually getting faster until the dough comes together. The texture should be like Playdoh, you can add a little more flour or water if needed to get it to a soft, pliable consistency.
- Then, turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin, roll the dough until about 1/4 inch thick. The cookies will not get any thicker or thinner while baking, so roll out to your desired FINISHED thickness.
- After that, use cookie cutters and cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheet.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the centers are puffy and no longer glossy. Pull the cookies out of the oven BEFORE they start turning brown. If they turn brown, the cookie will be dry and crispy instead of soft and chewy.
Fruit Prep
- Clean and dice your chosen fruit topping into small pieces. You want them in ¼ size pieces to fit well on your cookie and but easy enough to be bite size.
Whipped Cream Frosting
- Combine the butter, powder sugar, vanilla extract and milk, in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Whip until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, use beaters and whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Then, gently fold the butter creamand whipping cream together until combined and smooth.
Assembling the Fruit Pizzas
- Now, spread a generous amount of the whipped cream frosting onto the sugar cookie base. Depending on your preference, you can spread a less amount of frosting onto the cookie. But make sure it is enough for the fruit to stick to.
- Then sprinkle and top the frosting with the fruit of your choice.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad
Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make and it is perfect as a side dish or even a dessert. This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to make and then it is immediately ready to serve! It’s absolutely the easiest (and fastest!) jello salad recipe you will ever make! Not only that, but it can be eaten immediately after preparing (or saved for later!)…and it’s delicious too! As a matter of fact, the recipe tastes wonderful minutes after making it, but I actually prefer to eat this the next day because the raspberry flavor gets to be a bit stronger and mixed in with the rest of the salad better. See the recipe for Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad here.
Little Lemon Drops
Little Lemon Drops are delicious bite-sized treats that start with a lemon cake mix! The easy lemon glaze soaks into the inverted mini cupcakes and is a simple, incredibly delicious lemon cake mix recipe! Little Lemon Drops are absolutely amazing and everyone will love you for making and sharing them! I took these to a barbecue and they were devoured in about 5 minutes….long before the meat even started cooking! Everyone was exclaiming about how amazing they were and I was thrilled because this recipe is so easy and it makes about 75 little cupcakes so it’s perfect for large gatherings. See the recipe for Little Lemon Drops here.
Lemon Raspberry Smoothies
We drink a lot of smoothies at our house – it’s a yummy way to sneak a lot of fresh fruit into our diets and they are so refreshing when the weather gets warm! I love raspberry lemonade and so when I saw how easy this recipe was, I knew I had to try it. This smoothie recipe is delicious and will definitely be a regular treat at our house this summer! See the recipe for Lemon Raspberry Smoothies here.
Lemon Icebox Pie
Lemon Icebox Pie is a quick an easy frozen lemon dessert. This pie has a classic tart lemonade flavor & is made from only FOUR simple ingredients! Simple to make and everyone loves this sweet, creamy lemon pie. Our sweet Icebox Lemon Pie is a family favorite. It’s creamy and perfectly tart with a bright lemon flavor. So easy to make as well as it just requires 4 ingredients! See the recipe for Lemon Icebox Pie here.
No-Bake Peaches & Cream Bars
I love fruit but have never been a big fan of baked/heated fruit, so when I found this fresh peach dessert that doesn’t require any heating or baking I was excited to try it. The result? Even better than I had hoped for and it was a big hit with the entire family! See the recipe for No-Bake Peaches and Cream Bars here.
Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting
Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting is so light and refreshing and is the perfect cake for summer (or any other time too)! The recipe begins with a cake mix and then only requires 6 more ingredients for the cake and the frosting combined! Mandarin Orange Cake is so easy to make and the “frosting” is much lighter than traditional frosting which I love! I also love that this cake starts with a boxed cake mix and only requires a handful of simple ingredients – there are only three ingredients in the frosting! See the recipe for Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting here.
Strawberry Shortcake Bars
I found this recipe a couple of months ago in a Better Homes & Garden magazine and had it sitting out on my counter for weeks until I had a good excuse to try it! This recipe is somewhere in between regular strawberry shortcake and fruit pizza, both of which are favorites of mine! I have to admit that my bars didn’t come out quite as perfect looking as the ones pictured in the magazine, but they were still delicious and were devoured quite quickly! See the recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Bars here.
Berry Jello Parfaits
These Berry Jell-O Parfaits are a great way to change up a regular jello dish! They are also easy and super tasty so you can’t go wrong! I love these simple Berry Jell-O Parfaits to jazz up ordinary Jell-O. I like how the end product is a layered dessert that was just so easy to make! Feel free to change up the Jell-O flavor and berries to suit your family’s tastes- although you’ve got to try the Blackberry Fusion Jell-O at some point. It’s my favorite! See the recipe for Berry Jello Parfaits here.
Fresh Fruit Shaved Ice
Homemade Fresh Fruit Shaved Ice is the perfect treat for all of these hot summer days! My kids absolutely love making shaved ice (aka snow cones), but I’m not a huge fan of whatever it is that is in those syrups you buy so I have been experimenting with fresh fruit for healthier options. There is still quite a bit of sugar in this recipe, so I’m not going to call it healthy, but there are only a few basic ingredients and a lot less chemicals! We love strawberry and pineapple, but you could try this with any of your favorite fruits and then you can keep the syrups in your fridge for several days. See the recipe for Fresh Fruit Shaved Ice here.
Homemade Peach Slurpees
Several years ago, I took my kids to the “Free Slurpee Day” at our local 7-11 and it was love at first slurp. Since then, we’ve gone nearly every year for for free slurpee day, but my kids ask for slurpees all summer long. I came up with a complicated copycat recipe that involved kool aid powder and sprite. Fun summer drinks shouldn’t be complicated though! Since the weather has finally warmed up to the point of cold drinks sounding appetizing, I decided to whip up a slightly healthier (and easier!) version to enjoy with dinner the other night. We loved it and it’s my go-to recipe for homemade slurpees now. See the recipe for Homemade Peach Slurpees here.
Strawberries & Cream Pie
Strawberries and Cream Pie is one of my very favorite desserts because it is so easy to make and everyone just loves it! I’m not a very big fan of traditional pies, but I found this recipe a few years ago and it has become a family favorite for pie and non-pie fans alike! I have only used strawberries, but you can use any fruit or combination of fruit and I’m sure it would still be delicious. I think raspberries would be wonderful with this recipe…maybe I’ll try that next time. See the recipe for Strawberries and Cream Pie here.
Glazed Orange Bars
I have never been a very big fan of lemons, so lemon bars have never really been tempting to me. But then, I found this recipe for Orange Bars and knew I would be a fan! I love the orange flavor in both the bars and the glaze on top – it is so refreshing and yummy! I haven’t experimented around too much, but I think I may mix things up next time and try to add some melted chocolate to the glaze…I just LOVE the chocolate/orange combination so I’m sure that would be delicious too! See the recipe for Glazed Orange Bars here.
Strawberry Fondue
Strawberry Fondue is one of many fondue recipes that we love at our house! We love all kinds of fondue: chocolate, cheese, etc…but we usually stick to chocolate for dessert. But one day I came across this super simple recipe for strawberry fondue and was intrigued – I had to try it! And guess what…it is delicious too! You only need a few simple ingredients and the options for dippers are endless too – I tried angel food cake which was wonderful, but I think it would be amazing with bananas, mandarin oranges, brownie bites, and just about anything else! See the recipe for Strawberry Fondue here.
Strawberry Banana Sorbet
Have you ever made sorbet before? It’s a delicious, fast way to use up over-ripe berries and fruit. I love it because it’s dairy-free and contains a small fraction of the calories compared to ice cream. I’ve tried several sorbet recipes before trying this one here. I modified it slightly and decided it’s a winner! The addition of banana and honey in the sorbet helps to give it a more “creamy” texture. Some sorbets end up just tasting like frozen berries and after a few days in the freezer they even adopt an icy texture. This recipe below has a nice consistency, even after 2 weeks in the freezer! See the recipe for Strawberry Banana Sorbet here.
Creamy Jello Fruit Dip
Creamy Jello Fruit Dip is amazing! At my house we LOVE fruit, and now that it’s spring, we have started eating a lot of it again! If I had the option between normal “dessert” (sweets) and a big bowl of fresh fruit, I would gladly take the bowl of fruit! My kids love fruit too, but even more, they love dipping fruit (or any food) – so this tasty and colorful fruit dip is always a big hit. This delicious Creamy Jello Fruit Dip comes together in just a few minutes and you can make it any flavor you want, in order to match the decor/season you are looking for! Any time you need an easy and yummy side to take to a party, this is your new go-to! See the recipe for Creamy Jello Fruit Dip here.
Lemon Ice Box Cookies
I love lemon treats in the Spring time and well, I deem it close enough! These cookies have just the perfect amount of lemon and a nice buttery flavor. Bonus points for being so easy too! See the recipe for Lemon Ice Box Cookies here.
Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad is a combination of orange, pineapple and coconut flavors all in an easy-to-make sweet salad recipe! The pretzel crust ends up tasting like chopped pecans. It adds a wonderful flavor and texture to this light & sweet easy jello salad recipe. See the recipe for Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad here.
Creamy Cantaloupe Popsicles
One of my favorite parts of summer is all of the fresh fruit that is available. I found this extremely simple recipe, realized it only had 3 ingredients and decided to give it a try. We all loved these popsicles, and I love the fact that they don’t have a bunch of dyes, preservatives and other hard to pronounce ingredients! This recipe is basic enough that I think you could probably swap other types of fruit for the cantaloupe or even try a combination of fruits. See the recipe for Creamy Cantaloupe Popsicles here.
Glazed Strawberry Fruit Pizza
This delicious Glazed Strawberry Fruit Pizza is made with pre-made sugar cookie dough topped with a cream cheese layer, fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze! I think I keep thinking that if I make summer type recipes, we will actually start having warmer temperatures and nicer weather. So far, it’s not really working, but at least we are enjoying all of the yummy treats! This dessert pizza is absolutely delicious but it is pretty sweet, so a small slice is all you need! See the recipe for Glazed Strawberry Fruit Pizza here.
Fruit Smoothie Popsicles
My husband and I have a fruit smoothie every night or so and I thought, what if I turned it into a Popsicle. So I made extra smoothie and put it into the popsicle molds. This morning for breakfast, my son was surprised when I said he could have a popsicle for breakfast. He chowed it down and I feel better knowing my son was eating fruit and vegetables. The great thing about these is that you can put whatever you want in there and as long as it is a popsicle, my kids at least, will eat them. See the recipe for Fruit Smoothie Popsicles here.
Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
I know, I know, there are SO many delicious fruit salad recipes out there to choose from, but something about the orange flavor in this dressing is absolutely incredible and so refreshing. You actually use orange juice concentrate, vanilla yogurt and vanilla pudding to make the coating for the fruit in this salad and the orange/vanilla flavor combination is absolutely amazing! See the recipe for Creamy Orange Fruit Salad here.
Fresh Raspberried Cantaloupe
I saw this idea for raspberry-puree covered cantaloupe years and years ago and just now remembered it. I added some honey to make it more sweet so that I could serve it as a dessert. The combination of flavors was just wonderful ~ serve it over vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat! See the recipe for Fresh Raspberried Cantaloupe here.
Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
This recipe is one that I found a couple of years ago but had never gotten around to trying until a couple of weeks ago – and it is so yummy! It will definitely be a regular dessert around here as my whole family loved it! My favorite things about this dessert are the fresh raspberries and the fact that you don’t need frosting! The original recipe didn’t even mention frosting, and while I was baking it I was trying to decide if I should try a chocolate glaze or something, but I’m glad I didn’t make the extra effort because this cake really doesn’t need frosting at all! We did top it with Cool Whip which I thought was perfect! See the recipe for Raspberry Buttermilk Cake here.
Watermelon Berry Sorbet
I love summer and playing with my kids all day long every day, but this summer has been so hot! The only way that we have survived so far is by indulging in frozen treats quite frequently – at least once a day! This sorbet is so easy to make and I love that it is packed with two of my favorite fruits and a little bit of sugar and water. The watermelon at my local Kroger store has been amazing this summer – I think I have purchased one every time I’ve gone grocery shopping (which ends up being at least twice a week most of the time)! See the recipe for Watermelon Berry Sorbet here.
Fruit Salsa w/Cinnamon Chips
Quick Strawberry Ice Cream
All this recipe takes is 3 ingredients and you have the creamiest, yummiest ice cream ever, in under 5 minutes! So easy, so yummy, and so much better than the store bought stuff. See the recipe for Quick Strawberry Ice Cream here.
Simple and Easy Tropical Smoothie
One of my favorite things about summertime is serving smoothies with the kids’ lunches. They’re easy to make, refreshing and good for them too. Oh and bonus point for finding one that everyone likes. This smoothie fits the bill. I like that I often have all the ingredients on hand. Just remember to plan ahead and freeze the fruit at breakfast time (or the night before!) so it’s ready for lunchtime. See the recipe for Simple and Easy Tropical Smoothie here.
Almond Berry Angel Food Cake
I have been making this cake for so long I can’t even remember where I got the recipe from… But it’s so good and so easy – my favorite combination! Nate actually waits for the Spring and Summer to roll around so he can request this dessert while the berries are in season. You can use strawberries, raspberries, really any berries you are in the mood for – Mmmm! And since it’s so easy to make you can whip it up in no time but people will think you’ve slaved away – I won’t tell if you won’t! See the recipe for Almond Berry Angel Food Cake here.
Mini Fresh Fruit Tarts
Banana Orange Bars
I love this simple Spring recipe! They’re sweet enough to be dessert, but after making a few replacements, I think they’re also a fabulous snack. Whip up a batch while the weather is still cool enough to turn the oven on! See the recipe for Banana Orange Bars here.
Melon Lime Smoothies
I love “green” smoothies (the kind full of spinach), but my kids won’t drink them unless I use blueberries to turn them purple! I’ve been trying to find a fun drink for St. Patrick’s Day, so when I came across this recipe, I thought it would be perfect! I’m usually not a huge fan of lime, but I loved this drink and my kids did too! See the recipe for Melon Lime Smoothies here.
Blueberry Crumb Bars
We love fresh blueberries any time of the day, but this recipe has them baked into a dessert and it’s amazing. The original recipe called for blackberries and I think that would be fantastic too! This dish is best served with a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream. See the recipe for Blueberry Crumb Bars here.
Mini Lemon Tarts
Summer is here and these Mini Lemon Tarts are the perfect bite of sweet and tart. These rustic looking tarts are baked in a muffin tin and are very easy to make. All fresh made from scratch ingredients. They would be great at a garden or tea party! Just add some fresh whipped cream and blueberries for added flavor. See the recipe for Mini Lemon Tarts here.
No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits
Ridiculously easy no-bake cheesecake layered with graham cracker crumbs, sliced strawberries & blueberries. These make the cutest and most delicious red, white & blue treats! See the recipe for No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits here.
Lemon Supreme Rice Krispie Treats
I’ve been on a lemon kick lately. I’m pretty sure it’s because warm weather is finally coming. One of my favorite things to drink is lemonade. When thinking about lemonade I think of refreshing and that’s exactly what these rice krispies treats are. No matter the temperature outside, when you bite into one of these bad boys it will feel like it’s the middle of summer. See the recipe for Lemon Supreme Rice Krispie Treats here.
Pineapple Mango Sorbet
I am savoring every second of summer and that means eating lots of Pineapple Mango Sorbet. I can’t get enough of this refreshing sorbet. It is the perfect summertime treat and I am going to keep eating it until fall officially arrives. I am not ready to say goodbye to summer or to my frozen treat habit. I love cooling down with a scoop of this dreamy sorbet! See the recipe for Pineapple Mango Sorbet here.
Strawberry Popsicles
These strawberries were perfectly ripe and already deliciously sweet so they didn’t need a lot of extra sugar. Besides being low in sugar, these homemade strawberry popsicles, which are really more like fruit bars, are easy to make, don’t have any artificial ingredients and are perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day! See the recipe for Strawberry Popsicles here.
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bread
This lemon blueberry yogurt bread blew me away. I didn’t know a quick bread could be so moist. It’s delectable and perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert. See the recipe for Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bread here.
lily says
AMAZING!!
Nicole says
Awesome!