Best 8 Christmas Fruit Cookies Recipes

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Christmas Fruit Cookies, a timeless holiday tradition, evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia. With the scent of freshly baked goods wafting through the house, they transport us back to childhood memories of family gatherings and joyous celebrations. From classic cookie cutters to creative homemade decorations, these delightful treats not only satisfy our taste buds but also capture the essence of the season. Whether you prefer chewy, crispy, or soft cookies, there's a Christmas fruit cookie recipe out there to suit every palate. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a sweet adventure to find the perfect Christmas fruit cookie recipe that will make your holiday baking dreams come true.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

CHRISTMAS FRUIT DROP COOKIES



Christmas Fruit Drop Cookies image

Why wait for the holidays to make a chewy, fruit- and nut-packed homemade cookie? They're delicious.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 2h40m

Yield 96

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups candied cherries, cut in half
2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Pecan halves, if desired

Steps:

  • In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, buttermilk and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with spoon. Gradually stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in cherries, dates and chopped pecans. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
  • Heat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Place a pecan half on each cookie.
  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 85, Carbohydrate 12 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 45 mg

FRUITCAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES



Fruitcake Christmas Cookies image

As holiday gifts, these rich fruit-and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. These are great make ahead Christmas cookies -the taste actually gets better over time! -Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 40m

Yield about 3-1/2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups dates, finely chopped
4 ounces red candied cherries, halved
4 ounces candied pineapple, diced
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients., Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container. (Cookies are best after a few days.)

Nutrition Facts : Calories 265 calories, Fat 15g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 33mg cholesterol, Sodium 168mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (23g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES



Fruitcake Cookies image

Provided by Trisha Yearwood

Categories     dessert

Time 40m

Yield 2 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup candied cherries, chopped
3 slices candied pineapple, chopped
Half of a 15-ounce box golden raisins, chopped

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl, then gradually add the eggs. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending well. Mix the pecans, cherries, pineapple and raisins in a large bowl, then pour the batter over them. Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter by hand, mixing well. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and done.

MOM'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE COOKIES



Mom's Christmas Fruitcake Cookies image

A holiday tradition at our house for over 60 years, these cookies are full of candied fruit, pecans, and rum-soaked dates. It wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Provided by MartieHomemade

Categories     Fruit Cookies

Time 8h50m

Yield 72

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 pound dates
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 pounds red and green candied cherries
1 pound candied pineapple
6 cups pecans, roughly chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons milk
¼ cup shortening (such as Crisco®)
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch kosher salt

Steps:

  • The day before: chop dates into small pieces and put in a glass bowl. Add rum. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 8 hours, or overnight, to absorb the rum. You can leave this step out if you want but I find it makes the dates more delicious and the cookies have more flavor.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Dice candied cherries and pineapple into small pieces and place in a very large bowl; I use the top of my cake carrier. Add pecans, followed by dates. Add 1 cup flour. Toss well to coat all of the pieces and break them up so they are not sticking together.
  • Whisk baking soda into the milk and let it dissolve.
  • Mix shortening into the fruit. Add remaining flour, sugar, eggs, orange juice, nutmeg, salt, and milk-baking soda mixture. Mix together with your hands just until you no longer see the flour. Try not to overmix. The batter will be very dense.
  • Use a small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons to drop the cookies onto the prepared pans, about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire cooling racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 183.1 calories, Carbohydrate 26.7 g, Cholesterol 10.4 mg, Fat 8.2 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 2.2 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 74.7 mg, Sugar 17.9 g

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE COOKIES



Christmas Fruitcake Cookies image

I've just read Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George. Patricia Ann spent a lot of time making cookies. This sounds like the recipe. I hope it is as I'm intrigued. I'm going to make it as soon as I find out how much a quart of pecans is. From recipegoldmine.

Provided by Sherrie-pie

Categories     Drop Cookies

Time 40m

Yield 125 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 lb candied cherry, finely chopped
1/2 lb candied pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 lb white raisins
1 quart shelled pecans, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a little water

Steps:

  • Cream butter, add sugar, then beaten egg yolks. Sprinkle some of the flour over the fruit and pecans. Add spices and salt to remaining flour.
  • Combine butter, fruit and flour mixtures. Add vanilla extract and baking soda.
  • Beat egg whites until stiff and fold together butter/flour mixture. Drop scant teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 - 15 minutes. Batter may be prepared several weeks ahead. Freezes well before and after baking.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 76.1, Fat 4.1, SaturatedFat 1.2, Cholesterol 9, Sodium 35.3, Carbohydrate 9.7, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 6.6, Protein 0.9

CANDIED FRUIT COOKIES



Candied Fruit Cookies image

These no-fuss candied fruit cookies are both nutty and fruity, so they're always a hit at holiday time. -Florence Monson, Denver, Colorado

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 25m

Yield 7 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup each chopped candied cherries and pineapple
3/4 cup coarsely chopped Brazil nuts, toasted
3/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in fruits and nuts. , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 59 calories, Fat 3g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 5mg cholesterol, Sodium 35mg sodium, Carbohydrate 9g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 1g protein.

MY GRANDMA'S FRUITCAKE COOKIES



My Grandma's Fruitcake Cookies image

My grandmother called them Merry Christmas Cookies. This recipe is her own take on fruitcake cookies.

Provided by minky410

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Drop Cookie Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 144

Number Of Ingredients 13

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored cream sherry
7 cups chopped mixed nuts
2 cups chopped raisins
2 cups pitted chopped dates
1 pound candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
1 pound red and green candied cherries, chopped

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease several baking sheets. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
  • Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating each addition with about 2 tablespoons of milk until all the milk is incorporated and the dough is soft. Beat in the sherry, and mix in the nuts, raisins, dates, pineapple, and cherries until thoroughly mixed. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set and the bottoms are very lightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 99.6 calories, Carbohydrate 12.4 g, Cholesterol 7.3 mg, Fat 5.3 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.5 g, Sodium 20.9 mg, Sugar 8.1 g

FRUIT CAKE COOKIES



Fruit Cake Cookies image

Somewhere along the line, fruit cake got a bad reputation-unfounded or not. And whatever you may think of this stalwart, we won't argue with you. We'll only invite you to consider this recipe. It takes what fruit cake does best and repackages it in the form of a soft and chewy cookie. What does fruit cake do best, you might ask? Let us tell you. Fruit cake combines sweet dried fruits (golden raisins and chopped dates), warm spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves), citrus (orange zest), crunchy toasted almonds and brandy. In other words, all the flavors of the season are wrapped up in fruit cake. It's a daring move and that's exactly why it works. The bold flavors and colors-did we mention the sugar-sweet maraschino cherries and candied green cherries?-are as exuberant as Christmas itself. Forget what you thought you knew about fruit cake and let these fun, nostalgic cookies be your new-and much more delicious-definition.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 2h

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 15

3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup brandy
1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup coarsely chopped maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped candied green cherries, if desired

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350°F.
  • In 1-quart saucepan, heat raisins, dates and brandy to simmering over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Drain; set aside. Discard liquid.
  • Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together cake mix, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In small bowl, stir melted butter, egg and water until blended. Add butter mixture to cake mix-brown sugar mixture; beat with spoon until well blended. Add drained fruit, maraschino cherries, nuts and candied cherries.
  • Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 110, Carbohydrate 19 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 110 mg, Sugar 13 g, TransFat 0 g

Tips for Making Christmas Fruit Cookies:

  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor and texture.
  • Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start baking. This will help the ingredients blend together more easily.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will help incorporate air into the dough, making the cookies lighter and more tender.
  • Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
  • Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Do not overmix the dough, or the cookies will be tough.
  • Fold in the dried fruit, nuts, and spices.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
  • Bake the cookies in a preheated oven until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set.
  • Let the cookies cool on a wire rack before serving.

Conclusion:

Christmas fruit cookies are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for the holiday season. With a variety of recipes to choose from, there is sure to be a cookie that everyone will enjoy. So get baking and spread some holiday cheer!

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