Fruitcake bars are a delicious fruit dessert that combines holiday fruitcake mixed peel, dried dates, candied red and green glace cherries, and candied pineapple! They are incredibly easy to make and turn out wonderfully moist every time. Even if you are not a fan of fruitcakes, these tasty bars are bound to change your mind!
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Tasty, Festive Fruitcake Dessert Bars
If you need a sweet and easy treat to share with a large group of people during the holiday season, these fruitcake bars are just the thing! They're quick to whip up in one pan and have all of the best fruit flavors added!
First, you'll need to make the cookie dough, then combine it with festive mixed peel, candied pineapple, chopped prunes, and dried cherries. These fruitcake bars will be the hit at every potluck, party, or holiday gathering you take them to!
If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, check out my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, my fantastic Christmas cake, fruitcake and more cake ideas, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!
🥘 Ingredients
Most of the ingredients used in this recipe are common baking staples! You may need to make a quick trip to the store to grab some mixed peel and dried fruit.
- Butter - ¾ cup of butter (softened, at room temperature).
- Light Brown Sugar - 1 ¾ cups of light brown sugar (packed).
- Eggs - 3 large eggs (at room temperature).
- Vanilla Extract - 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour - 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
- Mixed Peel - 1 cup of mixed peel.
- Candied Cherries - 1 cup of red and green glace cherries (quartered or chopped).
- Candied Pineapple - ½ cup of candied pineapple (chopped).
- Dates - ½ cup of dates (chopped).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Fruitcake Bars
In just 4 easy steps, you will have a delicious fruit dessert that everyone will adore! Take out a large mixing bowl, a 9x13 baking pan, a silicone spatula set, and some measuring utensils to make this recipe.
This homemade fruitcake bar recipe will yield around 96 servings (depending on how big you cut the bars).
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.
- Mix ingredients. Cream the ¾ cup of butter and 1 ¾ cup of light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the first egg along with the 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt then mix to combine. Add the remaining two eggs one at a time, mixing well after adding each egg. Then add the 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly.
- Fold. Gently mix in the 1 ½ cups of mixed peel, 1 cup of candied red and green glace cherries, ½ cup of chopped candied pineapple, and ½ cup of chopped dates by folding them into the dough.
Assemble & Bake
- Spread dough. Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared 9x13 baking pan.
- Bake. Bake in your preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and the dough no longer looks wet.
- Cool. Once the dough is finished baking, transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Slice into squares and serve.
These fruitcake bars are one of my go-to easy dessert bar recipes every year during the holiday season! I hope that you love them just as much as my family does! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- ¾ cup of butter equals 1½ sticks of butter.
- You may use dark brown sugar if you'd like. It will have a deeper molasses flavor and will make the bars darker in appearance.
- If you want to add nuts, you can add up to 2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for an added crunchy texture.
🥡 Storing
Fruit cake bars can be kept at room temperature for up to 7 days in an airtight container.
Any leftover bars may be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc storage bag for up to 3 months.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
These fruitcake bars are extremely versatile; you can add or take out any of the added fruit above. Feel free to add in any of your favorites, such as glace cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, golden raisins (sultanas), dried apricots, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, diced pecans, chopped almonds, candied lemons, or candied oranges.
Absolutely! You can make these fruitcake bars up to one week in advance before you need to serve them. Keep them in an airtight storage container at room temperature until you are ready to enjoy them!
Yes! I highly recommend wrapping individual fruitcake bars in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe container. This will help keep them moist. Thaw in the fridge before serving and enjoy within 3 months.
😋 More Delicious Dessert Bar Recipes
- Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars - This recipe features a soft sugar cookie base with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes!
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars - These festive dessert bars are always the talk at holiday parties!
- Pumpkin Streusel Bars - If you are a fan of pumpkin flavor, this easy-to-make recipe may be your new favorite!
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars - A delicious dessert with a cream cheese pie crust topped with chocolate filling and crunchy pecans!
- Pineapple Pie Bars - A fruity and tropical treat that is perfect for serving at your next potluck, party, or family gathering!
- Apple Cobbler Bars - These cobbler bars are full of warm spices and apple pie filling, topped with a sweet vanilla glaze!
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📖 Recipe Card
Fruitcake Bars (Easy Christmas Dessert Recipe)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (softened, at room temperature)
- 1 ¾ cups light brown sugar (packed)
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cups mixed peel
- 1 cup candied cherries (red and green glace cherries, quartered or chopped)
- ½ cup candied pineapple (chopped)
- ½ cup dried dates (pitted, chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.
- Cream the butter and light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the first egg along with the vanilla extract and salt then mix to combine. Add the remaining two eggs one at a time, mixing well after adding each egg. Then add the all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly.
- Gently mix in the mixed peel, candied red and green glace cherries, chopped candied pineapple, and chopped dates by folding them into the dough.
- Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared 9x13 baking pan.
- Bake in your preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and the dough no longer looks wet.
- Once the dough is finished baking, transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Allow the fruitcake bars to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- ¾ cup of butter is equal to 1 ½ sticks of butter.
- You may use dark brown sugar if you'd like. It will have a deeper molasses flavor and will make the bars darker in appearance.
- If you want to add nuts, you may add up to 2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for an added crunchy texture.
- To store: Fruit cake bars can be kept for up to 7 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
- To freeze: Any leftover bars may be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc storage bag for up to 3 months.
Kathy says
Fruitcake bars
No soda or baking powder?
Curious.
Thanks, Kathy B.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You could add a small amount but neither is needed. Thanks for asking!
Dawn says
How much of each or either would you recommend?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
As written, the post includes 3 cups of varied fruitcake blend. I like cherries, so personally I may increase the red and green glace cherries to be half of the fruit along with a fruitcake blend to total that 3 cups. Any nut can be used but my favorite would be pecans and walnuts in this recipe even though I usually opt for almonds. I would start with 1 cup of nuts and add up to 2 cups if you enjoy a really nutty fruitcake bar. Thanks for asking!
Connie Worley says
Just wanted to know if you could use maraschino cherries ?
Angela Latimer says
You can, make sure to dry them out as best you can. Enjoy!
TR says
If I add nuts or add different fruits, should it still equal the 3 cups total you've indicated in the recipe or will adding more be too much for the amount of batter?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Up to 2 cups of nuts can be added in addition to the fruitcake blend fruit. You can use your favorite nuts for this recipe. Enjoy!