If you love those delicious fruit tarts from the grocery store, then you have to try these deliciously sweet Vegan Fruit Tart Cookies! With a chewy sugar cookie base, lemony cream cheese frosting, and fresh fruit, they are easy to make and perfect for summer!
If there's one thing I love doing, it's turning my favorite desserts into cookies. Take my viral Apple Pie Cookies, Almond Croissant Cookies, or Carrot Cake Cookies as proof that just about every dessert tastes better as a cookie!
These fruit tart cookies are no exception and make for a delicious twist on the classic dessert.
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Vegan cream cheese: I used Violife brand, but any unflavored unsweetened brand works too!
- You can also substitute 1:1 for regular cream cheese!
- Vegan butter: I like baking with Earth Balance buttery sticks, Trader Joe's vegan butter, or Country Crock with Olive Oil (which I used in this recipe)
- Substitute 1:1 with regular dairy butter if desired!
- Fruit: I used blueberries, raspberries, and kiwis for my cookies, but truly any fruit works! Strawberries, mango, & mandarin orange slices are other great choices!
- Apricot Jam: This is totally optional, but we are mixing it with warm water & straining to create that traditional fruit tart "glaze".
- If you don't have any, just omit this part- the fruit sugar cookies will still taste amazing!
How to make fruit tart cookies
Make the sugar cookie dough:
First, cream the vegan butter and sugar for about 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Then, mix in the flax egg and vanilla bean paste. Lastly, mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until you have a thick cookie dough.
Add the dough to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or overnight if desired!).
Make the cream cheese frosting:
While the cookie dough is chilling in the fridge, make the frosting (as it also needs chill time!). First, cream together the cream cheese and coconut cream. The coconut cream is totally optional here, but ultimately leads to a much fluffier frosting!
Then, whip in the vanilla bean paste, lemon zest, and powdered sugar until smooth.
This frosting is not super thick, as it's meant to resemble a traditional fruit tart filling, so add it back to the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes while you bake the cookies!
Bake the cookies:
Form the cookie dough into 8 evenly sized cookie dough balls and add them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Before baking, use your palms to press down the cookies.
Then, bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until cooked through, but still soft. Remove from the oven, then use a large mug to swirl the cookies into perfectly round shapes. Then, move them to a cooling rack before frosting.
Assemble the cookies:
Once the cookies have cooled completely, remove the cream cheese frosting from the fridge and use an icing knife to spread it over each cookie.
Then, layer your fruit on top. As a final step, use a pastry brush to brush the optional apricot glaze over the top of each cookie.
You can enjoy these mini fruit tarts right away or add them to the fridge for a few hours to firm up the frosting!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make these fruit tart sugar cookies gluten-free?
I haven't tested it myself, but I've heard from readers that Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking flours work (like this one from King Arthur) with my cookie recipes. Just know it will affect the overall look and texture of the final cookie.
How do I store these fresh fruit cookies?
If unfrosted, the baked sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, in the fridge for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for one month.
The frosting can also be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
If frosted (without fruit), the cookies can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
I don't recommend storing the cookies with the fruit and apricot glaze for more than a few hours in the fridge, as they can get soggy if left to sit too long.
I can't wait for you to try these Vegan Fruit Tart Cookies! They're soft, chewy, and topped with a perfectly creamy lemon cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit.
-TSG
More vegan cookies perfect to bake this summer:
If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review in the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for our newsletter!
Vegan Fruit Tart Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon (8 grams) ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoon water, left to sit 5 minutes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup+ 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 ounces vegan cream cheese
- ½ Tablespoon coconut cream
- ¾ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest zest of ½ lemon
Fruit Topping & Apricot Glaze:
- ½ kiwi outer skin removed & thinly sliced
- 24 blueberries 3 per cookie
- 8 raspberries 1 per cookie
- 1 Tablespoon apricot jam
- 1 Tablespoon warm water
Instructions
Make the sugar cookie dough:
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Next, add in the flax egg and vanilla bean paste and mix together for about 30 more seconds.
- Then, add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix JUST until a smooth and thick cookie batter forms and no streaks of flour remain.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, add to the fridge, and let it chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- While the cookie dough is in the fridge, make the cream cheese frosting.
- Add the room temperature cream cheese and coconut cream to a bowl. Use a standing mixer or electric mixer to whip together until combined and fluffy in texture (about 2 minutes).
- Next, add in the powdered sugar and whip with the cream cheese until you have a smooth frosting.
- As a final step, add in the vanilla bean paste and lemon zest and mix into the frosting for about 30 more seconds until combined. The frosting will resemble more of a custard vs. firm buttercream frosting when mixed.
- Cover the bowl of frosting and add it to the fridge to firm up and chill while you bake the cookies.
Bake the cookies:
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and separate it into 8 evenly sized cookie dough balls. Roll the cookie balls between your palms to form into circles and then add them to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use your palm to gently press down each cookie dough ball. Then, add the tray of cookies to the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will continue baking after they are removed from the oven, so the centers should still be soft, but not glossy or raw.
- Remove the cookie tray from the oven and immediately tap the tray on the counter a few times to produce a more “wrinkly” cookie.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After that, move them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Decorate the cookies:
- Once the cookies have cooled, use an icing knife to spread the icing over each cookie. Top each cookie with the sliced kiwi, fresh blueberries, and fresh raspberies.
- To make the apricot glaze, whisk together the apricot jam and warm water. Then, strain the jam into a bowl to remove any chunks of fruit. Use a pastry brush to spread the apricot glaze over the top of each cookie.
- Enjoy the cookies right away or add them back to the fridge for a few hours to firm up before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for more tips & substitution ideas.
- If unfrosted, the baked sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, in the fridge for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for one month.
- The frosting can also be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- If frosted (without fruit), the cookies can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- I don't recommend storing the cookies with the fruit and apricot glaze for more than a few hours in the fridge, as they can get soggy if left to sit too long.
Leave a Reply