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Colorful Fruitcake Cookies combine the nostalgia of traditional fruitcake with the simplicity of drop cookies perfect for sharing during holidays or whenever you want a memory-filled treat. This mix is packed with vibrant candied fruits and nuts all folded into a soft buttery cookie base. They aren't just pretty - they're chewy, soft, and loaded with bright flavors from actual fruit bits throughout.
When I first whipped these up, I wanted something lighter than old-school fruitcake. My whole family couldn't stop grabbing them, and these days my neighbors start asking when I'll make a batch as soon as December rolls around.
Gather Your Ingredients
- Chopped pecans: they add crunch and cut through sweetness. Grab whole ones and chop them yourself for the freshest taste
- Candied cherries: juicy and sweet with amazing color. Try to get both red and green ones for that festive look
- Candied pineapple: brings tartness and chewiness plus an extra pop of fruit flavor
- Unsalted butter: make sure it's soft for that rich, melt-in-your-mouth feel. Good butter makes better cookies
- Large egg: holds everything together and helps create that perfect rise
- Buttermilk: makes cookies tender with a tiny bit of tang. Full-fat works best but lighter versions are fine too
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and helps create golden edges. Finer sugar blends better
- All-purpose flour: creates the foundation that supports all your fruits and nuts. New bag means better cookies
- Salt: brings out all the flavors so your cookies taste amazing
How to Make It
- Cream The Butter and Sugar:
- Mix soft butter and sugar with your mixer for about three minutes until it looks fluffy and pale. This step puts air in your cookies for that melt-away texture
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- Add egg and buttermilk until everything looks smooth. Don't forget to scrape the bowl so everything gets mixed evenly
- Add The Fruit and Nuts:
- Use a spatula to gently mix in your cherries, pineapple and pecans. Go easy so the fruit stays whole - you want bursts of flavor in every bite
- Add Dry Ingredients and Blend:
- Scatter flour and salt over everything and stir just until you can't see dry spots. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together or your cookies might get tough
- Scoop and Bake:
- Drop rounded spoonfuls onto your cookie sheets, leaving room between them. Bake at three fifty degrees for about ten to twelve minutes until the edges turn slightly gold. Let them cool on the pan for five minutes before moving to cooling racks
The candied pineapple chunks might be what I love most in these cookies. Growing up, I'd always try to sneak extra pieces from the bowl before we baked them. My mom would pack these in pretty tins as gifts, and watching friends open them always made me happy.
Flavor Boosters
Keep your cookies in a sealed container at room temp and they'll stay soft about five days. Toss in a piece of bread to keep them moist longer. Want to save some? Put them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers so they don't stick together.
Serving Suggestions
Stack these cookies on a pretty holiday plate for cookie parties. Try making little sandwiches with cream cheese frosting between two cookies. Or crumble extra cookies over ice cream for an amazing dessert. We always enjoy them with hot chocolate at my house.
Creative Twists
Don't have pecans? Try walnuts instead. Can't find candied pineapple? Dried apricots or golden raisins work great and make the cookies a bit less sweet. Want a different flavor? Try putting in some almond extract along with the vanilla.
These have become our must-bake December tradition. You might want to freeze some cookie dough balls so you can pop them in the oven whenever you want something sweet.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- → Can I use different nuts instead of pecans?
Sure thing, you can swap in walnuts or almonds if you don't have pecans. They'll give your cookies a different taste and bite.
- → Do I need to toast the nuts before adding them?
You don't have to, but giving your nuts a quick toast really brings out their flavor and makes them extra crunchy in the cookies.
- → Can these cookies be made ahead?
You bet. Just keep your baked cookies in a sealed container at room temp for a few days, or pop them in the freezer if you want to keep them longer.
- → What type of candied fruit works best?
The classic combo of diced candied cherries and pineapple gives you that true fruitcake taste and pretty colors, but you can try other mixed candied fruits too.
- → Is it possible to make these cookies without buttermilk?
No problem, you can mix regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to replace the same amount of buttermilk in the recipe.