Are you a fan of the classic fruit pizza? You know the kind: sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, and any combination a fruit but ALWAYS kiwi. I am not a fan. As much as I love dessert it tasted aggressively sweet to me. The sugar cookie seemed undercooked and, don’t get me wrong I like kiwi but…why. Why kiwi.
If you know anything about me by now, I hope it’s that I love a quick and easy dessert. My goal in life is to have something sweet every night before I go to bed. (Follow me for more life inspiration, y’all…dreaming big dreams over here.) So this dessert was born out of a lingering box of brownie mix that kept giving me side eye, almost-gone-bad berries, an absurd amount of cream cheese in my fridge*, and a nagging sweet tooth. Even though all my go-to dessert people thought I was bonkers for wanting a brownie fruit pizza I forged ahead. And I’m glad I did.
This is the PERFECT “oh shoot I signed up for dessert” or “am I supposed to bring something to this?” recipe. With minimal ingredients and prep time, you’ll have a crave-worthy dessert at your disposal. It’s crispy, fudgy, tart, and sweet…all the makings of a perfect sweet treat. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though. You might find yourself making this for your own nightly desserts.
*Do you buy cream cheese on sale? I do. I do not know why I am like this.
brownie fruit pizza
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix*, see notes!
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup neutral oil, like canola or vegetable
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- fresh fruit for topping
Instructions
for the crust
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add your brownie mix to a medium bowl and break up the large clumps with a fork.
- Whisk together egg and oil. Add to your brownie mix and stir to combine. Mix until no dry streaks remain. It might get hard to stir towards the end but I BeLiEvE iN yOu.
- Put your dough onto your lined baking sheet and pat it into an even disc. Roll the dough (or press with your hands, if you'd like!) until the dough circle is 10 inches in diameter.
- Some of the edges might look cracked, so soften them up a bit by gently pressing/patting. I do not know how else to describe this but I trust you understand.
- Bake for *exactly* 12 minutes. Normally I want brownies suuuuper underbaked, but not here! We want it sturdy enough to hold up to the toppings but stay fudgy. In my oven 12 is perfect! The top will look crisp but not dried out. Remove and let cool completely.
for the topping
- When you put your crust in to bake, go ahead and pull out your cream cheese! This gives it time to soften.
- Using a handheld mixer, cream together your cream cheese and powdered sugar. Taste and see what you think here! I always add a pinch of salt. If it's too tart for your liking, add more powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Evenly spread the cream cheese topping onto the crust.
- Top with any and all sliced fruit your heart desires! Except for apples, don't be a weirdie.
- Slice and serve!
Notes
- I ride HARD for Ghiradelli brownie mix, especially the dark chocolate. I have yet to find a homemade recipe that comes close. I think it’s the perfect fit here!
- I’ve made this a couple different times with different brands and the recipe has worked, but if you feel the crust is too dry feel free to add one teaspoon of oil at a time and work the dough together.
- This recipe is best the day it’s made. If you’ve got some leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. The texture will change a bit but, come on, it’s still brownies and cream cheese!
