Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies

Teresa Ambra

I totally love these Fruitcake Cookies! 🙂 Hey, I’m not even a fruitcake fan. I never eat the stuff. But these cookies are absolutely delicious. Fruitcake Cookies were actually my favorite cookie out of all the cookies I baked for our Christmas Cookie Extravaganza this year. I guess as a food blogger I’m not supposed to have a favorite or be partial, but I loved these jewels.

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The cookies themselves are filled with fruitcake mix, candied cherries, dried apricots and pecan chips (much smaller than regular chopped pecans). Then I iced them with canned vanilla icing, sprinkled them with colored sugar and put a pecan half in the centers.

Like I said before, Fruitcake Cookies are terrific. 🙂 When my husband was out on one of his many buying trips for our Christmas cookie baking this year, he ran across a good deal on fruitcake mix. He asked me if I could use it for anything. I wasn’t overly enthused, to say the least. But as I got to thinking about it, I thought it might be a good way to use up the extra dried apricots, candied cherries and pecan chips I had leftover from other Christmas cookie baking.

Then, before I actually got around to making them, I ended up with an extra nine cans of vanilla frosting. So I thought an excellent way to use up that icing would be on these cookies. I had John pick up some whole pecan halves, colored sugar and we were on our way!

I made several batches of these cookies and I will show you pictures of each. The first batch was made with 3 1/2 cups flour. Those cookies really flattened out too much on the cookie sheets while baking and as a result were very fragile. The second batch was made with 4 1/2 cups flour. Those ones had a lot more body but had to be pressed down slightly so they didn’t stay shaped like balls. I think a happy medium for all these ingredients would be four cups of flour, which I’ve noted in the recipe card below.

I couldn’t wait to taste the cookies. For someone who isn’t a fruitcake fan, I really thought the cookies were fantastic. Even the reject cookie that I tasted (because it had run on the cookie sheet and the edges and crumbled off), was delightful. I knew I had to keep trying because the cookies were just extraordinary.

It’s always gratifying when you try a new recipe and friends come back and tell you they loved the recipe. I talked to a gal last night who said she loved it before she knew what she was even eating. She was really surprised it was a “Fruitcake” cookie! Another gal at John’s office texted him today and told him she liked the cookies so much she went out and bought all the ingredients yesterday so she could make up a batch this weekend! Seriously, these are terrific cookies.

I took a batch of these jewels to our annual town Christmas festival a couple of nights ago. I didn’t tell people what they were but had them guess. No one could believe they were fruitcake cookies because they taste soooo much better than regular fruitcake! So many people who wouldn’t touch fruitcake loved these cookies. Our pastor loved them so much (a millennial and not a fruitcake fan), said he must have eaten 10 of them! Without exception everyone loved them, but might not have tried them based on the name alone. So surprise your friends with these cookies because they’re extraordinary.

If you’re a fruitcake fan, you’ll love these cookies. Even if your not–like me–I think you’ll be incredibly surprised at how delicious these cookies are. I’ve already had several people tell me how much they enjoyed them. Give Fruitcake Cookies a try for your holiday baking. They’re a terrific treat this time of year. And you’re going to be so, so surprised at how many of your friends and family enjoy them too.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies were absolutely fantastic to the taste buds. I loved them and I don’t even like fruitcake.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Even folks who don’t like fruitcake will enjoy these cookies. Of course, icing always makes everything better. 🙂

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies are terrific for holiday baking.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

These festive cookies are not only beautiful, they taste absolutely scrumptious!

Here’s what I did.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

I used these ingredients. I diced up the apricots and cherries the night before I needed to make these cookies to save time. I made about six batches.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Put diced apricots in a large bowl. Fill with hot water and allow apricots to reconstitute and plump out while you’re preparing the recipe.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Soften butter. Add sugar, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Mix ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Pour apricots into a colander and squeeze out all the excess water.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods. Add fruitcake mix, diced candied cherries, drained apricots and pecan chips. Pecan chips will absorb into the cookie dough a lot differently than regular chopped pecans. 

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Stir very well with a spoon to combine. This was the first mixture with only 3 1/2 cups flour. It was a little sticky and too moist. 

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

This is the second batch. It’s a little too dry. I believe four cups flour would be perfect. The reason this recipe needs more flour is because the apricots will be moist even after you drain them. Plus the cherries and fruitcake mix are gooey. 

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheets.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Bake at 350 about 13-15 minutes or until done. My cookies took about 20-24 minutes. (I rotated the racks every eight minutes).

This is the first batch that didn’t have enough flour. The cookies ran together. While they tasted great, they were very fragile because they needed a little more flour to hold them together.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

This is the second batch of cookies. I had to press the cookies down while baking to flatten them out a little. That’s why I recommend a happy medium between the first batch and the second batch of cookies–4 cups of flour. Allow cookies to cool completely before adding icing.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Spread icing on top of cookies and place on cookie rack to decorate.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Sprinkle colored sugar over top of icing and then top each cookie with a pecan half.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

If desired, you can sprinkle the cookies with a lot of colored sugar.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Or just barely sprinkle the sugar on top of the icing.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

I loved the taste of these Fruitcake Cookies and I’m NOT a fruitcake eater. I’m glad I was giving them away or I would have eaten a dozen of them in one sitting. 🙂

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

I wish I could express in words how delightful these Fruitcake Cookies turned out. I’ll be honest….I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know if I’d like them because I’m not a fruitcake fan. I was utterly amazed at how wonderful they tasted. Even my reject cookies that were crumbling apart were delicious!

Here’s the recipe.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

(My own concoction)

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies

Teresa Ambra
These festive holiday cookies are a real treat and will have you drooling after the first bite! They're filled with fruitcake mix, candied cherries, dried apricots and pecans. Then they're iced with vanilla frosting, sprinkled with colored sugar and decorated with pecan halves. Fruitcake Cookies are so delicious, even people who don't normally eat fruitcake will love them!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 60
Calories 196 kcal

Equipment

  • 3 18x26" cookie sheet pans
  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 nut chopper if nuts are not finely diced
  • 1 spatula
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 small bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods) - see note below about flour amount
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 cups fruitcake mix
  • 1 cup diced candied cherries
  • 1 cup diced dried apricots
  • 1 cup pecan chips not chopped pecans (these are very finely diced pecans)
  • 32 oz. tub vanilla frosting (two 16-ounce cans)
  • 60 whole pecan halves
  • 1/4 cup red colored sugar crystals for decoration, if desired
  • 1/4 cup red colored sugar crystals for decoration, if desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Place diced apricots in a bowl.
  • Pour hot water over top to cover.
  • Allow apricots to reconstitute and plump out—about 10 minutes.
  • Drain very well, set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Stir in flour, fruitcake mix, cherries, apricots and pecan chips with a wooden spoon to combine.
  • Make sure cookie dough is well mixed; this may take 4-5 minutes.
  • Shape dough with hands into golf ball-sized dough balls and place a couple inches apart on greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are light brown.
  • (My cookies took about 24 minutes to bake while rotating the racks every eight minutes).
  • Cool cookies completely before frosting.
  • Spread vanilla icing over top of each cookie.
  • Sprinkle red or green sugar crystals over top of the icing on each cookie.
  • Place a pecan half in the center of each cookie.
  • Allow icing to set before serving.
  • Rotate cookies on racks every 6 to 8 minutes while baking.

Notes

NOTE: I was baking 4 racks at a time with 24 cookies per cookie sheet. My cookies took longer to bake – about 20-24 minutes.
 
NOTE: I made several batches of this recipe. One with 3 ½ cups flour and one with 4 ½ cups flour. With 3 ½ cups flour the cookies flattened out too much on the cookie sheet and ran together. With 4 ½ cups flour the cookies held their shape too much and I had to flatten them with a fork while baking. I recommend a happy medium of four cups of flour.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 88mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cherries, cherry dessert, cookie, dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

The extra cherries and apricots really amp up the flavor of these cookies.

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

These wonderful holiday treats will be a hit at your party–especially if you surprise everyone and not tell them what they’re called. 🙂

Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies were my favorite cookies out of all the cookies we baked this year. 

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Cherry Surprises | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | these melt-in-your-mouth #cookies are absolutely spectacular. #CandiedCherries are hidden inside each #cookie before #baking. Then they're rolled in powdered sugar to serve. These heavenly cookies have been on our #ChristmasCookie baking list for decades! #dessert #Christmas #ChristmasDessert #cherry #CherryDessert #ChristmasCookieExchange

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Cherry Almond Bars | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

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Cheery Cherry Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen
Fruitcake Cookies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | we couldn't believe how fantastic these #Christmas #cookies were. They're great for #holiday baking. #cherries #apricots #fruitcake #dessert

Fruitcake Cookies

Teresa Ambra
These festive holiday cookies are a real treat and will have you drooling after the first bite! They’re filled with fruitcake mix, candied cherries, dried apricots and pecans. Then they’re iced with vanilla frosting, sprinkled with colored sugar and decorated with pecan halves. Fruitcake Cookies are so delicious, even people who don’t normally eat fruitcake will love them!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 60
Calories 196 kcal

Equipment

  • 3 18×26" cookie sheet pans
  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 nut chopper if nuts are not finely diced
  • 1 spatula
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 small bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods) – see note below about flour amount
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 cups fruitcake mix
  • 1 cup diced candied cherries
  • 1 cup diced dried apricots
  • 1 cup pecan chips not chopped pecans (these are very finely diced pecans)
  • 32 oz. tub vanilla frosting (two 16-ounce cans)
  • 60 whole pecan halves
  • 1/4 cup red colored sugar crystals for decoration, if desired
  • 1/4 cup red colored sugar crystals for decoration, if desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Place diced apricots in a bowl.
  • Pour hot water over top to cover.
  • Allow apricots to reconstitute and plump out—about 10 minutes.
  • Drain very well, set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Stir in flour, fruitcake mix, cherries, apricots and pecan chips with a wooden spoon to combine.
  • Make sure cookie dough is well mixed; this may take 4-5 minutes.
  • Shape dough with hands into golf ball-sized dough balls and place a couple inches apart on greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are light brown.
  • (My cookies took about 24 minutes to bake while rotating the racks every eight minutes).
  • Cool cookies completely before frosting.
  • Spread vanilla icing over top of each cookie.
  • Sprinkle red or green sugar crystals over top of the icing on each cookie.
  • Place a pecan half in the center of each cookie.
  • Allow icing to set before serving.
  • Rotate cookies on racks every 6 to 8 minutes while baking.

Notes

NOTE: I was baking 4 racks at a time with 24 cookies per cookie sheet. My cookies took longer to bake – about 20-24 minutes.
 
NOTE: I made several batches of this recipe. One with 3 ½ cups flour and one with 4 ½ cups flour. With 3 ½ cups flour the cookies flattened out too much on the cookie sheet and ran together. With 4 ½ cups flour the cookies held their shape too much and I had to flatten them with a fork while baking. I recommend a happy medium of four cups of flour.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 88mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cherries, cherry dessert, cookie, dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

4 Comments

  • Christine Mele

    December 9, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    Hi, Teresa. These cookies look amazing! I never have made fruitcake, what is ” friutcake mix “? Not sure if it’s the fruit mixture, Pleases explain. These will be Christmas gifts to cherished friends. Thank you so much, Christine.

    1. Teresa

      December 10, 2017 at 9:26 am

      Hi Christine. These cookies were really so amazing. I could have eaten a dozen of them! 🙂 Most grocery stores have a special baking goods aisle from November to December for Christmas/holiday baking. I usually find it right next to the candied cherries. The containers are clear with a white plastic lid on top. It’s called “fruitcake mix” and each container contains about four or five cups of the mix. I purchase it at Walmart. But I’m sure you can get it at Kroger, Albertson’s, King Soupers, or other chain grocery stores. Hope that helps.

  • Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess

    December 8, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    These look fabulous for the holidays!! Love incorporating the fruitcake theme in these Teresa!! YUM!!!

    1. Teresa

      December 8, 2017 at 9:01 pm

      Hi, Kim. These were sooooo scrumptious. Even people who didn’t like fruitcake, loved these amazing cookies.

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