Please welcome Alexis Hadden as a guest blogger on our site today.  You can learn more about Alexis at the bottom of this post.  She is sharing a wonderful patriotic recipe just in time for your 4th of July picnic.
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If I come across an excuse to bake, I take advantage of it. Superbowl parties, Halloween, Mother’s Day, you name it – I’ll make a themed dish. The Fourth of July is probably my favorite holiday for baking, and this American Flag Fruit Pizza is my go-to party hit.

Ingredients:

“Dough”

• One package/roll of sugar cookie dough
• “Sauce”1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)
• ¼ cup of powdered sugar
• ½ of an 8 oz. container of whipped topping
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

“Toppings”

• 1 package strawberries
• 1 package blueberries
• Bananas (less ripe for a whiter color)

“Glaze” (optional)

Some people like to use a glaze on their fruit pizzas. If you’d like to pour a glaze over this one, I suggest a mixture of lemon juice, powdered sugar, and a tiny hint of vanilla extract.

To Prepare:

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, spray a large pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray, and roll the sugar cookie dough out into a circular shape to cover most of the pizza pan.

2. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until your dough is a golden brown color. Let cool for at least one hour.

While your dough is cooling, you’ll want to prepare the sauce and the topping.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped topping, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Next, cut strawberries in half and bananas into thin, chip-like slices.

5. After the dough has cooled, evenly spread the sauce over the dough.

6. Arrange the strawberries, bananas, and blueberries to resemble the American flag.

7. Optional – Make the glaze and drizzle on the fruit pizza.
8. Refrigerate the fruit pizza until ready to serve.

This recipe was a big hit for me last 4^th of July. Happy baking!

Alexis Hadden is a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Kentucky as well as a full-time student and ghostwriter. 

She graduated from Juniata College with a degree in communication with professional writing. She is currently working on her Master’s degree and graduate certificate in instructional communication.

This fall, she will be teaching two sections of an introductory communication course at UK. Her passions include fitness, animals (especially cats), and food. Above everything else, her interpersonal relationships are most important to her.