If you’ve ever wished you could enjoy all the delightful flavors of traditional fruitcake without having to commit to a whole loaf, then the Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies are your dream come true! These cookies are a sparkling, chunky, and melt-in-your-mouth version of the holiday classic, brimming with candied cherries, pineapple, sweet golden raisins, and crunchy nuts. Each bite is full of festive cheer and unbeatable texture, making these cookies the ultimate treat for holiday parties, gifting, or just cozying up with your favorite mug of tea. I promise, even the fruitcake skeptics in your life will be reaching for a second (or third!) cookie.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Making Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies is all about choosing the best, freshest ingredients. These simple staples come together to create a colorful, aromatic cookie bursting with chewy fruit, crunchy nuts, and warm spices—every ingredient truly matters here.
- Unsalted butter: Creamed with sugars, this gives the cookies their rich, tender texture and delicious buttery flavor.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel note that plays perfectly with the dried fruit.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the sweetness, ensuring the cookies are just right and not overly rich.
- Eggs: The secret to a perfectly chewy cookie that holds together all those generous mix-ins.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavors with that classic warm, aromatic sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the sturdy structure of the cookies while letting all the fruit and nuts shine.
- Baking soda: Lifts the cookies for just the right amount of puff and softness.
- Salt: Essential for balancing sweetness and enhancing the other flavors—don’t skip it!
- Ground cinnamon: Adds cozy, spicy warmth—absolutely key to fruitcake flavor.
- Ground nutmeg: Offers a subtle depth and festive aroma you’ll instantly recognize.
- Chopped pecans or walnuts: For irresistible crunch and a toasty, nutty backbone.
- Candied red and green cherries: These pretty gems are sweet, chewy, and the main source of holiday color.
- Candied pineapple: A tropical, tangy-sweet note that brightens each cookie.
- Golden raisins: For little pops of extra sweetness and beautiful golden color.
How to Make Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies
Step 1: Prep Your Baking Sheets
Before you do anything else, get your baking sheets ready by lining them with parchment paper. This step not only keeps your cookies from sticking—trust me, there’s nothing worse than losing a chunk to the pan—but it also makes cleanup a total breeze. A prepared sheet means you’re free to focus on creating the most vibrant Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies possible!
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugars
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy. This creaming step is more than just mixing: it helps to aerate the dough, ensuring each cookie has that perfect delicate crumb. The sugars meld with the butter and set the stage for all the holiday flavor to come.
Step 3: Blend In Eggs and Vanilla
Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so your batter stays smooth and cohesive. Stir in the vanilla extract for that sweet, aromatic warmth that instantly makes your kitchen smell like Christmas. This is when the dough starts to look irresistible!
Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This step ensures your leavening and spices are perfectly distributed, so every bite of your Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies is bursting with flavor. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined to keep the cookies tender.
Step 5: Stir in the Fruits and Nuts
Now comes the fun part—fold in the chopped pecans or walnuts, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and golden raisins. Take your time to evenly distribute all those colorful bits throughout the dough. Each scoop will be a mini fruitcake party—no dry, boring cookie here!
Step 6: Portion the Cookies
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave about two inches between each mound. These cookies don’t spread much, but you want to give them enough room to bake up with crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. Plus, it keeps the candied fruit from sticking together.
Step 7: Bake to Perfection
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have just set. All those beautiful fruits will peek through the tops! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they’ll finish setting up here), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Patience, my friend—the anticipation is worth it!
How to Serve Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies
Garnishes
The Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies are gorgeous on their own, but a light dusting of powdered sugar adds that snowy holiday touch. You can also drizzle a simple glaze (just powdered sugar and a dash of milk) if you love a little extra sweetness and shine, or press a cherry half into the top of each cookie before baking for classic fruitcake nostalgia.
Side Dishes
These cookies are neighbors with nearly any warm beverage: think spiced chai, bold coffee, or a mug of hot cocoa. If you’re hosting a holiday dessert table, serve them alongside sharp cheddar, dried apricots, and salted nuts for a sweet-and-savory snack board that will have your guests reaching again and again!
Creative Ways to Present
For unforgettable gifting, stack and wrap Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies in cellophane bags tied with festive ribbon, or pack them in a decorative tin. At gatherings, you can pile them high on a cake stand, nestle them around other holiday cookies for a colorful platter, or even hang them as edible decorations on a cookie tree centerpiece. They truly shine however you serve them!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
To keep your Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The flavors actually deepen after a day or two, making these cookies the gift that keeps on giving—if you can resist eating them all on day one, that is!
Freezing
These cookies were born for make-ahead magic! You can freeze the baked cookies in layers separated by parchment paper in a zip-top bag or airtight container for up to three months. Want them fresh-baked? Freeze the dough instead: portion it onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer to a bag and bake right from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Reheating
If you like your Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies warm and chewy, just pop a couple into a 300°F oven for 3–4 minutes or microwave on low for 10–15 seconds. This little trick revives their texture and makes the fruit extra fragrant, almost as if they just came out of the oven again. So satisfying!
FAQs
Can I soak the fruit in alcohol for a more traditional flavor?
Absolutely! Soaking the candied fruit in rum or brandy overnight before mixing into the dough will give your Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies a classic bakery-style depth and a touch of old-fashioned nostalgia.
What’s the best way to chop sticky candied fruit?
A sharp knife lightly coated in oil (or sprayed with nonstick spray) makes it much easier to cut through sticky cherries and pineapple without them clumping together. Quick tip: chop the fruits on parchment paper so cleanup is a breeze!
Can I make these cookies nut-free?
You sure can! Just leave out the nuts or substitute with toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for crunch. The Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies will still have tons of flavor and gorgeous color.
Why didn’t my cookies spread?
These cookies are designed to be chunky and loaded with mix-ins, so a minimal spread is totally normal! If you prefer a slightly flatter cookie, gently flatten each mound of dough with your fingers before baking.
Do these cookies ship well for gifting?
Yes, they do! Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies hold their shape beautifully and stay moist and flavorful for days, making them ideal for mailing to loved ones as a holiday (or anytime!) treat.
Final Thoughts
If you want to fill your kitchen with joy and your cookie jar with color, you simply must try making Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies this season. I can’t wait for you to see just how quickly they disappear from the plate—the biggest challenge might just be saving enough to share!
Print
Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies are a festive and delicious treat perfect for the holiday season. Packed with candied fruit, nuts, and warm spices, they are sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Additional Mix-Ins:
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 ½ cups candied red and green cherries, chopped
- 1 cup candied pineapple, chopped
- 1 cup golden raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing just until combined. Fold in the nuts, cherries, pineapple, and raisins.
- Bake: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden.
- Cool: Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- These cookies freeze well and make great gifts.
- For a traditional flavor, soak the fruit in rum or brandy overnight before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
