Hello, and Happy Summer! This is Stephanie from Steph in Thyme, and today I’m sharing a festive 4th of July recipe that you can bake and assemble with your kids, or bring along to a BBQ. This Gluten-Free 4th of July Sugar Cookie Pizza slices and serves like a savory pizza for a creative twist on a picnic dessert. (originally shared June 2015)
Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of gluten-free products in grocery stores. Every time I go to the store, I encounter a new product. My newest gluten-free find is a Gluten-Free Funfetti Sugar Cookie Mix by Pillsbury. I stumbled upon it in the baking aisle, intermingled with non-gluten-free baking mixes. Gluten-free funfetti?? What a pleasant surprise!
With 4th of July around the corner, I picked up a few boxes to create a treat fitting for the day (2 boxes for $4, I couldn’t resist). But the patriotic treat couldn’t be just simple sugar cookies – it had to be a fun, crowd-pleasing dessert people would reach across the picnic table for.
This sugar cookie pizza is really just one giant sugar cookie, but it’s fun to think of it as a large pizza, a simple crust ready for you to decorate with toppings. And what toppings are more festive for the 4th of July than bright red strawberries, deep blue blueberries, and a creamy white whipped cream?
To save time slicing the strawberries, I recommend using an egg slicer. It slices the strawberries evenly at one time to make pizza prep faster and efficient.
Keeping with the theme “fun and different,” I whipped up a dairy-free whipped cream made from chilled coconut milk instead of traditional whipped cream. This coconut whipped cream is silky smooth and simply divine, subtly flavored with coconut and a dash of almond extract.
In addition to serving as the “sauce” on this pizza, it’s also delicious dolloped over a bowl of fresh fruit or ice cream.
I arranged the blueberries and strawberries in a flower-like pattern, placing a large handful of fresh, ripe blueberries in the center then arranging the strawberries in a double-layer until I reached the edge of the sugar cookie crust, outlining the fringe of the whipped cream with more fresh blueberries.
You can serve the sugar cookie pizza immediately after you decorate it, but I found it easier to slice after it chilled in the fridge for an hour. The whipped cream sets and the fruit doesn’t move around as much when you’re slicing it like a pizza – because it’s just way more fun to eat it that way.
Gluten-Free 4th of July Sugar Cookie Pizza
Ingredients
- 17.5 oz box Pillsbury's Gluten-Free Funfetti Sugar Cookie Mix
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
- 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk (from the can, not the carton), chilled in the fridge for 24 hours
- 3 tbsp confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp gluten-free almond extract
- 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries
- 2 cups ripe blueberries
Instructions
To prepare the cookie:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Spray a 12 " pizza stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, egg, and baking mix. Beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until combined. Add the water, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix for another minute until a soft dough forms.
- Roughly shape the dough into a large ball with your hands and place on the center of your pizza stone, pan, or baking sheet. With wet hands or a damp rolling pin, gently roll out the dough into a circle about 10" in diameter. Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove cookie from the oven and let cool completely. (I left the cookie on the pizza stone and served it right on the stone). With a sharp knife, gently glide it between the cookie and pan, separating any areas that may have stuck.
To prepare the coconut whipped cream:
- Chill a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes. Take the chilled canned of coconut milk and flip it upside down, opening it from the bottom. Pour off the liquid, either setting aside for smoothies or discarding.
- Remove the cold bowl from the freezer and scoop the solidified coconut milk into the bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and peaks form. Add the confectioners sugar and almond extract, beat for additional minute until well combined.
To assemble the cookie pizza:
- Spoon the coconut whipped cream over the cooled sugar cookie crust, spreading in an even layer over the cookie.
- Trace the outline of the outer edge of the coconut whipped cream with a single line of blueberries. Add a handful of blueberries to the center of the pizza. Arrange the strawberries around the blueberries in a circle, adding another layer of strawberries on top, if desired. Continue adding an alternating ring of strawberries and blueberries until you reach the outer ring of blueberries.
- Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for an hour (ideal). Slice the pizza into 8 to 10 slices with a sharp knife or pizza slicer.
Notes
If making the coconut whipped cream ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container. Remove from fridge and allow to warm up to a chill temperature - not cold or room temperature. Beat for 1-2 minutes until fluffy again.
Depending on how you decorate the pizza, you can use more or less fresh fruit.
