Do you love making Christmas Cookies? I sure do and one of my favorites over the years has been these Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies. If Christmas can be put into cookie-form, then it’s totally this recipe! How incredibly delicious!!
This is an easy drop cookie recipe too. There is no added rum or bourbon to these cookies so everyone will enjoy them. There are red and green cherries, raisins, and Brazil nuts to make these cookies fantastic. They turn out with lightly browned edges and chewy yet light and fluffy interiors.
Making these ahead of time only ensures that they get better with time. By always freezing my cookies I can make them well in advance and have them ready for any situation or gift-giving.
I have a whole post on 26 Freezable Christmas Cookie Recipes that you can enjoy also and our new Hot Chocolate Cookies, Best Rugelach, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Date Pinwheel Cookies, or Butter Pecan Cookies all are simply delicious!!
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I have had this recipe for many, many years. Thinking back I believe I got it when I was doing cookie exchanges back in the 1990’s when I was nursing.
It is written out on a pretty little card but I am not 100% sure who I received it from. Anyway, it has been a recipe that I have made many times.
INGREDIENTS
- raisins
- candied cherries (red and green are pretty)
- 1 cup candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
- Brazil nuts
- Golden Crisco shortening
- White sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
I see that Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa has a fruitcake cookie but it is very different from this one. Hers are rolled and sliced and have different ingredients.
Ours tastes like a really good fruitcake, nothing nasty here. Just a wonderful candied fruit and nut combination. I love that this recipe uses Brazil nuts, you don’t find that in holiday baking very often.
Candied Fruit
Look at how pretty the candied dry fruit is. That screams Christmas to me right away!! The Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies have to be added to your cooking baking list.
Not only are they easy but for many, they bring back a flood of memories as this vintage recipe has been around for a long time.
Simple ingredients and easy prep will lead you to make these cookies again and again.
Have you been a fruitcake fan but don’t like to make it? These cookies will fit the bill and have you loving how easy they are too.
How to Make Easy Fruitcake Cookies?
It is just a few easy steps. In a large bowl mix the fruits together with the nuts and then add 1/2 the flour. Cream the shortening with the sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed and then add the egg and vanilla along with the almond extract.
Next, the dry ingredients, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the fruit mixture and mix well.
Using a 1 ” cookie scoop if you have one, drop the cookies onto a lined or greased baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper. Then bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Let them cool on wire racks and once cooled put them in sealed containers and enjoy or freeze. These are the best easy made cookies for the holidays!
They have perfect texture and flavoring. Crispy, crunchy, and chewy, these cookies will be a hit with young and old.
How To Store Fruitcake Cookies
If I know the cookies will be eaten up quickly then I store them in an air-tight container at room temperature, if longer then in the refrigerator. If I want to have them made ahead I will freeze them in layers with wax paper in between. They will be good frozen for 2-3 months.
I love the retro-ness of these cookies. This would be something that grandma would serve you when you come over for the holidays. She would have the cocoa hot and the cookies ready!!
If you don’t like fruitcake I bet you love these! They are similar but yet oh so much better. They will last up to 2 weeks in a sealed container but in most households, they will only last a few days!!
Happy Holidays everyone!!
Pin it HERE!!
Best Ever Fruitcake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup candied cherries red and green are pretty, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup candied pineapple coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Brazil nuts coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup golden Crisco shortening
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Combine fruit and nuts and 1/2 the flour, and mix well.
- Cream the shortening and sugar, and add the egg and flavoring.
- Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
- Stir in fruit mixture and remaining flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
- Drop onto parchment lined or greased baking sheet using a 1" scoop and bake at 350F for 10-12 min. Let cool on cooling racks.
Comments & Reviews
Courtney Stoops says
We started making these three years ago and make them every Christmas! The best cookies!! Highly recommend!!
Tara Noland says
Thanks, Courtney, we love them too!!
Faaterehau Vahine says
These are absolutely delicious. I didn’t know what to expect considering I do not like fruitcakes, but I definitely LOOOVE fruitcake cookies!! Thank you for the recipe!!! A keeper for sure!!!
Tara Noland says
I am so glad you like these, they are a real winner here!!
Janet says
Just finished making these wonderful cookies. I followed the ingredient list, except i always use King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour. Everything turns out perfect and no one notices a difference!
I didn’t have the butter Cisco, so I used 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of white crisco.
I always mix most of cookies on day and refrigerate overnight to bake the next, never had a problem.
We both love fruitcake but theses cookies are a better substitute and portion control too!
I now have a new cookie to add to my Christmas list!!
Thank you for a great fruitcake cookie, Tara
Merry Christmas
Tara Noland says
Ah, thanks so much Janet, and thanks for sharing your tips!! Merry Christmas to you are yours!!
Cheryl says
This is such a delicious and festive cookie for Christmas!.Thank you Tara!
Tara Noland says
So glad you like them! Happy Holidays!!
Leslie says
These are pretty good. I couldn’t find Brazil Nuts so I used pecans. Using an ice cream scoop makes big cookies, so I ended up having to bake them for 15 minutes. Next time I will leave out the almond extract as I find it overpowering.
Tara Noland says
Use a small cookie scoop not an ice cream scoop. I use a 1″ cookie scoop and get about 50 cookies.
Polly Burkett says
I’m Wanting To Know if You Can Freeze The Dough Before You Use it??
Tara Noland says
I have not tried that before with this dough but I think it would work as I have done it with other similar doughs like this one. https://noshingwiththenolands.com/cherry-pistachio-ice-box-cookies-for-creative-cookie-exchange/
Ruth W says
Love this recipe. Next I make them I’m gonna add a teaspoon of cinnamon
Tara Noland says
That would be a nice addition Ruth, enjoy!!
MG says
Yes they do. I made them one year with cookie dough.
Did I say I don’t like to cook ?
BJC says
I love fruit cake. It looks like people don’t like the spices and the candied citrus peel in fruit cake. I would like to make this recipe but I was wondering if I could switch the shortening for butter?
Tara Noland says
Yes, butter and shortening can be used as a one-to-one swap.
Lisette says
If I wanted to add coconut to the mix, would I have to adjust the wet ingredients?
Tara Noland says
If you wanted to add coconut I would just reduce the other additions. Like 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of coconut for example.
Karen says
These sound delicious Tara, however I am Gluten Free and wondering if these would turn out if made GF?
Tara Noland says
I am sorry but I won’t be much help with that as I have not made them GF.
Mel says
If I were to freeze these cookies, do I just let them thaw to room temp then serve? or do I need to thaw then re-bake them? If so, at what temp and for how long? Thanks!
Tara Noland says
No need to re-bake, just thaw at room temperature and serve.
Marla says
We have had a similar cookie in my family for generations, It came out of the lumberjack camps in the upper peninsula of Mich. It a molasses based cookie chocked full of dates, raisins, pecans, Marciano cherrys, really anything you would like to put in it. It’s our family Christmas cookie. The guys call them camp cookies because t g ey like to take them to t g ere blinds in hunting season. I can’t wait to try this light version,
Tara Noland says
Yours sound delicious too, hope you enjoy our Fruitcake Cookies also!!
Evelyn says
These are the Best Fruitcake cookies I’ve ever made, they are easy to make, I’m out looking for more fruit to make more, gave some as gifts, thank you for sharing!
Tara Noland says
You are so welcome!!
Alesa says
These ARE the best ever fruitcake cookies! Plus, they are so easy to make. I normally buy a Neiman Marcus fruitcake every year, but could not find any in-store. I contemplated making a fruitcake this year, but realized I would need more time for the cake to season. I came across this recipe and had all of the ingredients on hand. I could not believe how easy and delicious these fruitcake cookies are. I have made them several times this holiday. With my scoop, I get about 30 cookies. I popped some in the freezer for later. I cannot imagine not enjoying fruitcake cookies the rest of the year!
Tara Noland says
So glad you found this recipe and love it. People do make them year-round if you can find the ingredients.
Barbara C says
I have made these three times, and they are delicious! My top tip is to soak all the dried fruit in 1/4 cup of rum overnight before you make them. I used soft margarine and pecans, and a dried tropical fruit mix with a few dried cranberries. With the soft marg, I can mix the batter by hand and don’t bother with the mixer. Good that the recipe makes lots – I freeze them.
Tara Noland says
Great tips, thanks, Barbara. I love how you made them your own.
Connie says
Greetings from Central Alberta in Canada!
Just made a double batch of these, combined raisins and cranberries. Didn’t have enough pineapple so I chopped up some dried apricots, and used a combination of chopped Brazil nuts and pecans. So colourful and yummy!
Tara Noland says
I am from Southern Alberta Connie!! So glad you made them your own and you are enjoying them. Merry Christmas!!
Janet says
I bought Raw Brazil nuts. Do they work or do they need to be roasted?
Tara Noland says
Yes, I would roast them.
Missy says
I just made these today and they came out great. I subbed in butter and forgot the nuts 🙄 but I’m still pleased with the results. I may do a confectioner’s sugar icing drizzle just to be fancy!
Tina Tippin says
These turned out so well and were easy to make too. I found precut (32oz) candied fruit and used that instead of cutting up the cherries (crazy expensive in my parts) and pineapple. They turned out great. I toasted walnuts before chopping, and used 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp rum extract instead of almond extract. These will be my go-to Christmas cookies. My husband liked them too and he doesn’t like fruitcake. Great recipe. Now, I have to go check out the rest of your recipes! Thank you.
Tara Noland says
Awesome!! Merry Christmas!!
Big Al says
I am a huge fan of Fruit Cake. Some are obviously better than others. My wife and I made these cookies. We added some unsweetened coconut to them and they turned out great. Even our daughter-in-law who hates fruit cake, enjoyed them. Great recipe.
Tara Noland says
Thank you so much for sharing, so glad you enjoyed them!!