Take your taste buds to the next level with this Healthy Gluten-Free Dessert Pizza with Fresh Fruit on the Grill.
It's a healthy treat that's perfect for memorial day or a fourth of July celebration!
Grilling peaches brings out an amazing flavor that is complemented by the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie crust.
Mascarpone cheese and a wild huckleberry base make for a tangy and sweet treat.
In this recipe, I use bob’s red mill gluten-free version of chocolate chip cookies to make a giant cookie that resembles a pizza crust. One would think that a store-bought mix like this would mostly contain almond flour, coconut flour, and a good amount of chemicals. But this mix is all-natural and delicious using a proprietary blend of dry ingredients.
Although I prefer using chocolate chip cookie mix, you can also use make a sugar cookie crust or even a peanut butter cookie and it would probably be delicious. I use mascarpone cheese for the sauce layer but I will give you some good alternatives worth trying later on.
What is mascarpone cheese?
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese made from a blend of cream and milk. It has a delicious, creamy texture with a slightly sweet taste. Mascarpone is used in desserts such as tiramisu, creme brûlée, and cheesecake.
Why do mascarpone cheese and berries taste good?
Many people enjoy eating berries with mascarpone cheese.
But why do they taste so good together?
The answer is in the combination of sweet and sour, which is known as the umami sensation. The berries have a high amount of sugar, and the cheese has a high amount of acidity. When these two flavors combine, they create an ideal taste sensation.
Of course, you don’t need to be a food scientist to understand that certain flavors and textures are easier to combine than others. For example, while cheese and berries may be easy to pair up, it’s harder to find.
Is there a different whipped topping I can use?
Whatever whipped topping you put on this dessert pizza as a sauce layer is up to you. One of my favorites is a simple cream cheese mixture with a little maple syrup and lemon zest. You can just combine that in a small bowl and even add a bit of coconut cream if you wish for additional flavor.
How do gluten-free chocolate chip cookies taste?
Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are a classic example of how gluten-free foods can taste just as good (or even better!) than their gluten-filled counterparts.
The reason? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It helps give baked goods their elasticity and chewy texture.
When people who have celiac disease or those who are gluten sensitive avoid these grains, they lose that chewy texture, but there are other ways to achieve it.
By adding other ingredients like tapioca starch and xanthan gum, you can make a great dessert and delicious gluten-free cookies.
I find it's good practice to take the cookie's directions seriously as you only want to bake them to a light golden brown. The total time may take a little longer to make a perfect gluten-free cookie but
Why do grilled peaches taste good?
A. The smoky flavor and aroma of the grill permeate the peaches, which makes them taste good.
B. The caramelization of the sugars on the peaches produces a new flavor that tastes good.
C. Grilling causes a chemical reaction in the peach pit that produces an almond-like flavor that tastes good.
D. Cooking at high temperatures breaks down the cell walls in fruit, releasing its juices and making it taste sweet and juicy
Other helpful hints for this recipe
- You can cook this on a baking pan or baking sheet but I think a nonstick 14-inch pizza pan works best
- Make sure the cookie base turns into a cooled crust before you try and cut it with a pizza or pastry cutter
- You don't need a dedicated cake pan for this gluten-free fruit pizza recipe. Even a greased pizza pan or one topped with a little coconut oil or vegan butter will work fine although I do prefer a non-stick pizza pan
- If you use cream cheese, make sure to let it sit out at room temperature as softened cream cheese is much easier to spread with a butter knife
- Experiment with other toppings like vegan cream cheese or Greek yogurt. For fruits, any fresh berries are typically delicious, but mandarin oranges also taste like a slice of heaven when sitting on cream cheese frosting
- This also makes delicious mini fruit pizzas. You can use cookie cutters to make this healthy fruit pizza recipe as a great way to make mini desserts
- Gluten-free cookie mixes can be quite sticky so I prefer to make it in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. You can make it in a mixing bowl and I typically use a medium bowl so there is less to clean
Look for this recipe in my book Exclusively Kamado.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Gluten Free Dessert Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
- 3 peaches
- 2 cups 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup wild huckleberries fresh or canned or a favorite seasonal berry
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Set up your grill for indirect cooking and stabilize at the temperature suggested on the cookie mix package. This giant cookie will be baked on a 16-inch pizza stone, so be sure to let the stone warm up for at least 50 minutes while the grill stabilizes.
- Prepare the cookie dough according to the package directions. I followed the directions on a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and combined the ingredients using a stand mixer. The directions called for mixing for 2 minutes, but at that point my dough resembled soft, wet sand. I let the mixer slowly do its thing, and at about the 5-minute mark it came together in a cohesive ball.
- Press the cookie dough between sheets of parchment paper and roll it into about a 10-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and transfer the dough circle onto the preheated pizza stone.
- Grill for the time specified on the cookie package. (However, it’s good to check before the suggested time is up; the Bob’s Red Mill mix said to bake for 12 to 14 minutes, but when I checked at 10 minutes the cookie had spread to a 14-inch circle. This was quite a bit more than I’d planned for, but fortunately my pizza stone had room to spare.) When the cookie is done, remove it from the grill to cool.
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