Make a sweet and refreshing Fruit Pizza Beach Ball for your summer party. This jumbo cookie is topped with lemon cheesecake filling and an assortment of fresh summer fruit and it’s decorated to look like a beach ball.
If you ask me what I’d consider to be heaven on Earth, the one place I am happiest, the location I would most like to be everyday, I’d tell you without hesitation, the beach. So it’s no surprise that when I create party food for the summer I gravitate towards using tasty recipes to make beach themed desserts like this Fruit Pizza Beach Ball.
I was so excited to see how this colorful fruit pizza topped with strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, bananas, peaches, and raspberries turned into a beach ball.
I won’t tell you that this is a super simple project, but I will tell you that your friends and family with think it is one of the coolest desserts they have ever seen. If you are looking to really “WOW” some beach or pool party guests, then you definitely should give this fruit pizza recipe a try.
The idea for this fruit pizza decorated to look like a beach ball came to me after I found a picture of a cake I had created a few years ago to enter into the Family Fun’s Great Cake Contest. This Beach Ball Buddies cake turned out so cute, but it took the better part of a day to decorate. When I came across the picture, I was sitting at my computer eating a bowl of fruit, as I so often do in the summer, and noticed the beautiful rainbow of colors in my bowl.
I began to think about all the fruit desserts that I enjoy, especially in the summer, and how I could transform one of those recipes into a beach ball. The perfect solution was to create a fruit pizza and arrange the fruit to look like the panels of a beach ball.
Knowing it would take some time to decorate my fruit pizza, I decided to keep everything else about this dessert simple and quick. I baked up a large Pillsbury sugar cookie and topped it with a lemon cheesecake mousse made from Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling, a jar of lemon curd, and some whipped topping. The light lemon flavor is a perfect compliment to all of the fruit.
I chose a rainbow of fruits that I enjoy eating including blueberries, raspberries, apricots, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries, but you can choose whatever fruits you prefer.
See the Step-by Step Tutorial for making this Beach Ball Fruit Pizza below the recipe.
Use all of your favorite fruits to create this delicious fruit topped cookie! This Fruit Pizza Beach Ball is great for any pool party.
- non-stick baking spray
- 1 tube Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling*
- 1 cup lemon curd
- 2 cups frozen whipped topping thawed
- blue - 1 pint blueberries or blackberries, purple grapes
- red - 1 pint raspberries or red grapes, watermelon, strawberries, currants
- yellow - pineapple or yellow melon, yellow peaches
- green - 2 kiwi or honeydew melon
- orange - 2 apricots or cantaloupe, oranges, ripe peaches
- white - 1 banana or pears, apples tossed with some lemon or lime juice
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
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Prehaat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Press cookie dough into round pan.
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Lightly spray pizza pan with non-stick baking spray.
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Use a paper towel to dab off any excess spray.
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Press cookie into an even layer in the pan.
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Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown.
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Allow to cool completely.
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In a mixing bowl, combine Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling and lemon curd.
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Fold in whipped topping.
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Set the cookie upside down on a large cutting board or serving platter.
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Spread lemon cheesecake mousse in an even layer over entire surface of cookie using an offset spatula or rubber spatula.
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Arrange fruit around cookie in a beach ball pattern (using the tutorial instructions).
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Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy and substitute it for the cream cheese filling.
Supplies Needed to Make a Beach Ball Fruit Pizza
- 12″ round non-stick pizza pan
- large cutting board, serving platter, or cake board
- offset spatula or rubber spatula
, serving platter, or 
or How to make the cookie base and filling for a Beach Ball Fruit Pizza
- To make this part of the process easy, press Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough into a round pizza pan, bake it, cool it, trim it if needed, and top it with a blend of Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling, lemon curd and whipped topping.
- You can use homemade sugar cookie dough if you prefer. Grab the recipe from my Palm Tree Cookies Recipe.
- My cookie puffed up past the edge of the pan, so I had to trim off the excess around the edge of the cookie.
- I crushed those excess pieces with some vanilla wafers in the food processor to create “sand” which I put under and around my fruit pizza beach ball. You could also use graham crackers or even crushed cereal to make the sand.
- See the end of the post for alternatives to the Philadelphia Cream Cheese topping.
How to decorate a Beach Ball Fruit Pizza
- Use a spoon to draw the outline of the beach ball panels in the cheesecake filling.
- If you have trouble drawing this freehand, find a beach ball coloring page online, print it out so that it fits over your cookie (you might have to print it in sections and tape them together to make it large enough). Then cut out every other panel and set the template over the frosted cookie and use it as a guide.
- Start by arranging the cut strawberries in the middle of the fruit pizza.
- Then arrange each color of fruit in the panels around the center of the beach ball.
- I started with the blueberries because they were easy to get into rows.
- Cut your raspberries in half lengthwise and set the cut side down in the section to the right of the blueberries.
- For the green section you can use kiwi or cut up grapes.
- For the white section you can use bananas, apples, or pears.
- Just be sure to toss any of those fruits with a bit of fresh lemon juice so they won’t turn brown.
- Once your beach ball fruit pizza is complete, chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to six hours.
- Display your beach ball prominently on your food table, so all of your guests can marvel at your edible art. Just before serving, cut the beach ball with a sharp knife into 12-16 slices. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
ALTERNATIVE CHEESECAKE FILLING RECIPE:
I’ve had a few readers tell me they can’t find the cheesecake filling, so I’ve added a quick substitute in the recipe above or you can use either of the recipes listed below.
- The recipe that will taste the most like a true cheesecake when mixed with the lemon curd would be from my Pastry Crowns filled with Cheesecake Mousse recipe.
- You’ll make a custard which is then mixed with cream cheese. It tastes so much like a baked cheese cake which is how the Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling also tastes.
- After you make the mousse you can measure out a cup of it and mix it with the lemon curd and whipped topping or you can skip the whipped topping and just mix the lemon curd into the entire batch of mousse. If you have too much mousse, just eat it with a spoon!
- If you’d prefer a quick and easy no-bake cheesecake filling without lemon curd in it be sure to check out my Patriotic Cheesecakes Topped with Raspberry Gelee.
- It is also very good, it just doesn’t have that custard like taste of a baked cheesecake.
- Just swap out the recipe for the filling listed in the recipe above.
If you are looking for some other fun Summer Fun Recipes for your beach party or pool party be sure to check out all of the recipes pictured below plus many more, here.
Beach Ball Pie • Starfish S’mores
Chicken Nuggets Starfish • Fruit Pizza Watermelon
Cake Pop Corn Dogs • Peanut Butter Fudge Starfish
If you recreate this Fruit Pizza Beach Ball
be sure to link to this tutorial, use #hungryhappenings and send a picture to beth@hungryhappenings.com,
so I can share it in my Readers’ Gallery.
Very colorful and mouthwatering beach ball! Nom nom…
Thanks! 🙂
Visiting from Buns in My Oven linky, what a clever idea!!
Thanks for stopping by, Carole!
I have been asked to make this for an upcoming "Beach themed" baby shower. I have made regular fruit pizzas before and wonder if I just "don't get this" one….1) with fruit pizza, (fruit going in circles) you get a little of each fruit. With this, it looks like you get all one fruit or maybe a little of the one next to it. 2) I found all of the fruit to be so juicy when cut, the pizza gets soaked with juice. I have not seen this reviewed on your beach ball pizza. I have learned to simply put each fruit in a paper towel to absorb the liquid from the fruits, before putting the fruit on the pizza. It adds another step. I do like the idea of putting the fruits in the beach ball shape, NOT on the cookie pizza, and serving it that way. Wish me luck! 😉
Yes, the only disadvantage to a decorated fruit pizza like this beach ball is that your slices pretty much have one or two types of fruit on them. I did find many people really liked this, while some missed the combination of flavors. I really haven't found the juice to be a big issue, but blotting it with paper towels will help if the fruit is really juicy. Have fun!
Its so cool!
I just found this through Pinterest and love it! I'm planning a pool party birthday for my little one, and love this idea over a traditional cake (especially since my daughter loves fruit and we don't eat a lot of sweets).
Thanks for stopping by Annabelle. I hope your daughter enjoys her fruit pizza for her birthday:)
Looks Great!!!! Instructions are very detailed. When it comes to serving , I would feel bad cutting into it. Have you tried arranging cookies together and then decorating for easier and mess free cutting??
Thanks, Mila. I have not tried that, but it's a great suggestion. If you do it, let me know how it works for you.
Looks Great!!!! Instructions are very detailed. When it comes to serving , I would feel bad cutting into it. Have you tried arranging cookies together and then decorating for easier and mess free cutting??
This is like the perfect cookie for a party 🙂 How fun! Pinned Beth!
This is like the perfect cookie for a party 🙂 How fun! Pinned Beth!
Love it! I think I could make it and it would look good (unlike your other creations that I could never duplicate! LOL!
I have faith that you could do anything! You are very creative.
really adorable
Thanks so much, Emily. I'm happy you like it and really appreciate you sharing it on your site.
Thanks so much for featuring the beach ball fruit pizza! I'm happy you like it:)
What if you can't find the lemon curd? Is there anything that can be used in the place of that? Or can it just be excluded from the cream cheese and cool whip?
You can simply use a flavored cream cheese, like Philadelphia's Strawberry Cream Cheese, or you can mix 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup whipped topping, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together to use instead.
measurements were totally off based. i ended up buying way too much and wasted over $50 worth of food. it did not even look like a beach ball but rather a fruit platter with fattening crap underneath. i am not pleased.
I'm so sorry you weren't successful in making a beach ball fruit pizza. Many of the readers have suggested just arranging the fruit on a platter to look like the beach ball, which could be done in order to eliminate the delicious, yet albeit fattening cheesecake topping. This is meant to be a dessert, and most desserts, sadly, are not low in calories. The measurements for the cheesecake topping are exact. The fruit amounts are not exact, but are based on what I had to buy in order to make the pizza. If you can get less fruit then you can estimate, or even count the number of raspberries and blueberries in the picture, so you can have more exact amounts. Of course, I eat fruit every day and certainly didn't mind having left overs.
I'm having a graduation luau for my daughter & have been looking for fruit tray ideas. I'm so happy I found this.. thank you.
Love! This is the cutest dessert ever! Going to attempt this for my son's 2nd birthday pool party!
Pinned this! SO excited to make it for my daughter's 2nd birthday party! THANKS so much for sharing!
Beth!!
This is just right for me!! Love fruit and love baking!! Will make this Saturday for my sons 1yr birthday pool party at grandmas. Can't wait!!!
Julianna
Have fun making your beach ball cookie and at your party. I love pool parties:)
This just right for me!! Having my sons 1 year birthday party this Saturday at the grandmas pool and will make this!! Can't wait!!!
Hi Beth,
Fantastic creation! So colourful. I love it!! Can't wait to see more of your recipes on our food duels. Exciting masterpieces like this beach ball. Keep up the fab food designs…
cheers,
Christine
PS: mini typo currents versus currants? 🙂
What a great idea! I think even I could make this
What a great idea and looks so yummy!!! But too pretty to eat also!
Thanks for sharing.
I love the cake too!
ladeedacreations.com
Hi! I have never seen anything like this. I love it, and will be pinning it to my fun with food page of pinterest. So fun and creative, thanks for such a fun idea!
I would LOVE for you to link this up at my Link Party, Once Upon a Weekend on my blog Family Ever After. The party starts on Fridays and lasts all week.
Here’s the link if you’re interested:www.familyeverafter.blogspot.com
Also, if you have a list of favorite link parties, I’d love to be included on Fridays. Thanks a ton! Have an awesome day!!!
Thanks everyone. I sure hope you all are having a great summer and enjoying some time at the pool or beach. I'm heading to a pool party this weekend and am bringing the beach ball fruit pizza.
OMG – that SOOOOOOO awesome. Love it! Can't wait to make this for our next pool party!
very very neat
LOVE Fruit Pizza and SUPER LOVE your BEACH BALL take on it!!! Awesomely cute and creative!!!
I know you didn't link them back up, but I don't care, it's my blog and I'll feature what I want, right lol
So this cool cookie and your starfish will be featured this week at Bacon Time on friday morning. Thanks for sharing again, and hope to see you at this weeks party. PS, it's my birthday week so I have a fabulous give away going on at Somdday Crafts if your interested.
This is amazing. I featured mostly Harry Potter links this week for Friday but, I am loving what you shared. FYI, if you link this or your fish up again, I wouldn't mind at all. Would like to feature them for next week features. Great stuff, thanks again for coming to my party at Bacon Time.
YOUR ROCK!
I am going to bed the happiest mom ever…for finding your blog!
HOw do you come up with all of these amazing ideas?
It is so nice to hear from so many of you. I'm glad you like this recipe. I made some cakes this weekend and frosted them with the lemon cheesecake mousse. Yum!
This is SO CUTE! Would be fun to make for a summer party!
Look at all those gorgeous, healthful fruits!! What a clever idea! 🙂
What a fantastic idea!! This turned out so beautiful – I can't wait to make it myself! I've included in our roundup today of Pool Party Ideas
This is so cute! I saw the picture and had to come check it out 🙂 I thought I was being rerouted to my blog at first your name hungry happenings is shares a word with my blog!
This looks amazing!! I may try this sometime soon!
I've given you a blog award on my blog: http://aditl-dmj.blogspot.com/2011/07/award-giving-time-and-award-goes-to.html
Thanks Randi. I hope you have fun making this for your party.
Anna, thanks so much for the blog award!
That fruit pizza is brilliant … I can't wait to try it for a pool party!
Thanks everyone. Sorry I didn't post this before last weekend, Pam. Hope your daughter's beach bash party was a lot of fun.
Pinned you!
So fun! I love how you handled the perspective, it looks perfect. Plus, a good way to get my kids to eat some fruit!
This would have been so perfect for my daughters beach bash birthdy party last weekend!
Very clever! I couldn't imagine from the title where you were going with this. Nice! 🙂