Forget those heavy, fussy fruitcakes—these fruitcake bar cookies give you all the chewy sweetness and cozy spice without the work. Chopped dried fruit, toasted nuts, and a hint of cinnamon come together in one pan, bringing holiday flavor into every soft, golden bite.
PrintHow to Make Fruitcake Bar Cookies Without the Fuss
Forget those heavy, fussy fruitcakes—these fruitcake bar cookies give you all the chewy sweetness and cozy spice without the work. Chopped dried fruit, toasted nuts, and a hint of cinnamon come together in one pan, bringing holiday flavor into every soft, golden bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar packed (I use dark or whatever I have on hand)
- 2 cups baking mix I prefer Pioneer, but Bisquick will work
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups diced candied fruit mix or diced candied fruit of your choice
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds the almonds add a GREAT texture
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
-
Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl.
-
Mix until well blended and then stir in the nuts and fruit mixture.
-
Pat the cookie batter into a well-greased 8×8 baking pan and bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.
-
Allow to cool completely and then cover. Allow cookies to rest overnight before cutting into fruitcake bars.
-
Makes 16 to 25 fruitcake bar cookies, depending on how small you cut them.
Notes
Don’t pack your baking mix. Measure it out light and fluffy by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife so you don’t end up with too much.
Place melted butter in a large bowl.
Add in baking mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, egg, and vanilla. Stir that up with a large spoon until well combined.
Now add in all of your nuts and dried fruit. Stir again until incorporated.
This will take some elbow grease (just a little bit) to get it all incorporated because your batter will be absolutely filled with chunky goodness but that’s what is going to make it taste so good!
Now spray an 8×8 pan really well with cooking spray.
Yes, this recipe for fruitcake bar cookies only makes one 8×8 pan. We’re going to cut them in little squares though so it will end up with a lot.
Dump all of your cookie dough into the prepared pan and pat it out a bit with your hands to fill the pan.
Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and let it rest overnight before cutting.
Storage
- Store your fruit cake bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can also freeze the fruitcake bars for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- I prefer Pioneer to Bisquick, but you can also make your own homemade baking mix by using one of the recipes found on the internet.
- I’m using chopped walnuts in these fruitcake bars because they are so much cheaper than pecan halves.
- I love the added citrus fruits in the candied fruit mix, so please tailor this to your own preferences and taste. I also recommend dates, apricots, and candied pineapple.
- You can substitute margarine for butter in this recipe. I recommend this if shipping them, as these cookies have a longer shelf life and ship very well thanks to the margarine. Note: if shipping, be sure and let them sit for at least a day before cutting and package in a single layer so they have less chance of being smooshed.
- For something different, you can drizzle your fruitcake bar cookies with an orange glaze. Simply heat 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of orange juice over medium heat until slightly thickened and pour over the cooled bars. You could also simply dust your bars with powdered sugar.
- If you can’t resist the addition of chocolate, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to your batter.
How to Make a Fresh Strawberry Cake at Home
How to Bake Chewy Sugar Cookies (Perfect Texture Every Time)
Frugal Magic Meringue Cookies with Chocolate Chips (No Butter)
