Fruitcake Cookies

Fruitcake cookies are a delicious, bite-sized take on the traditional holiday dessert. These chewy cookies are perfectly spiced and packed with fruit and nuts.

These fruitcake cookies have been a family favorite for many, many years. In fact, they were my Uncle Mike’s favorite cookie growing up.

One year, when he was in high school, my great-grandmother made a batch of these cookies and sent them home with my uncle. He was, of course, supposed to be sharing with the family…but instead, he hid them under his bed and ate them all himself!

Now, you have to understand that the original fruitcake cookie recipe makes approximately 120 cookies…and yes, he did manage to eat every. single. one. (It does help that, like old-fashioned fruitcake, these cookies get better with age.)

No one else even knew the cookies existed until my great-grandmother asked my grandmother how they were. I think perhaps the rest of the family was a little peeved, but my great-grandmother thought it was just about the best thing she had ever heard.

We have obviously never let Uncle Mike live this one down. But honestly? Once you try these cookies, I think you’ll understand why he hoarded them all for himself!

What are fruitcake cookies?

Fruitcake cookies are a chewy, fruity spice cookie. They use the same candied fruit mix that you find in a lot of fruitcake recipes, along with a ton of chopped pecans.

All of this gets mixed into a batter that’s flavored with tons of warm spices and a little bit of fruit juice. Once they’re baked, you get the sweetness of the fruit, the warm spices, and the texture of the nuts in every bite.

The original recipe makes a ton of cookies—about 120 of them, in fact. I have already divided the recipe so that it will only make about 60 cookies. (“Only” being a relative term here!)

Fruitcake cookies are perfect Christmas cookies. The colors of the candied fruit make them look pretty and festive, and the big batch makes it easy to share them with family and friends.

And, unlike their classic cake counterpart, they don’t contain any alcohol. So they’re a great option for anyone who is unsure about the brandy that gets added to many fruitcake recipes.

I’m resharing this family favorite recipe this year as part of the 2025 Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange, hosted by The Speckled Palate and Feast + West. Check out all of shared recipes to find the perfect cookies for all of your holiday parties!

Finding the right candied fruit

When I’m making my family’s old-fashioned fruitcake, I prefer to use dried fruit. But when I’m making these fruitcake cookies? It’s candied fruit all the way.

Watch for candied fruit to pop up in the baking aisle of your grocery store during the holiday season. 

Look for diced candied fruit mix. These mixes will typically have red and green candied cherries, pineapple, and citrus peel already chopped up for you.

If you are allergic to certain fruits, such as pineapple, you can individually purchase candied cherries and candied citrus peel. You will likely need to chop some or all of these yourself; you can do this with a large, sharp chef’s knife.

If you really want to avoid the candied fruit, King Arthur Flour makes a fruitcake fruit blend that you can use instead. But personally, I think the brightly colored candied fruit is kind of the perfect vibe for these old-fashioned cookies.

How to make fruitcake cookies

I’ve made many people a believer in these fruitcake cookies. Once you try one, you’ll see what all the fuss is about! 

Plus, unlike raspberry linzer cookies or stained glass cookies, this is a quick and easy drop-cookie recipe. No rolling, no decorating, no fussiness required.

Ingredients you’ll need

In addition to 1 pound of chopped candied fruitcake fruit, you will need:

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ tablespoons milk
• ½ cup unfiltered apple juice (or orange juice)
• 3 cups chopped pecans
• 6 ounces (about 1¼ cups) golden raisins

I know that apple juice is unusual to find in a cookie recipe, but again – just trust me here. If you prefer, you can swap in your favorite brandy, rum, or whiskey for the juice to add a boozy flavor.

The batter for this recipe is very thin, so don’t expect to find the same ratios that you would when making something like chocolate chipless cookies. I promise that these fruitcake cookies bake up perfectly!

Making this recipe

Start these cookies by prepping the candied fruit. Fruitcake fruit is incredibly sticky stuff, so we want to counteract that.

Stir together the candied fruit with a few tablespoons of the flour. Set this aside for later.

In a bowl, whisk together the rest of the flour with the spices and the baking soda.

With a mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the milk and the juice.

Add in the flour mixture, followed by the nuts, the flour-coated candied fruit, and the raisins.

Remember, don’t worry that the dough seems more like a cake batter – that’s how it’s supposed to be!

Use a spoon or medium cookie scoop to drop the dough by spoonfuls onto lined baking sheets. I usually pat my down with a spatula – the cookies won’t spread much on their own.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Storage tips

Fruitcake cookies may not last as long as their fabled counterpart, traditional fruitcake, but they still last quite a long time!

Store fruitcake cookies for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. They actually taste better after they’ve aged a bit, so don’t be afraid to make them a few days before you plan to add them to a holiday dessert tray.

You can also freeze them for even longer! Pop them in airtight freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

Give these fruitcake cookies a chance. My uncle would surely encourage it.