Today I have the most precious little nuggets of goodness to share with you… Mini Fruitcakes! Wait! Don’t roll your eyes! Hear me out. They are the perfect bite-sized sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your holiday cookie platter!

Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

I originally shared this recipe on December 6, 2011. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

Why Make These Mini Fruitcakes

When it comes to fruitcakes, you’re either with them or you’re against them. Personally, I love a good fruitcake. Especially one that has real fruit in it, lot of nuts and a little booze. Add in chocolate and candied ginger and I am in love!

This month I am invited to two cookie exchange parties. I wasn’t going to make cookies this year. Instead I was going to try to limit my holiday baking to developing a healthy fruitcake recipe, without day-glow cherries. Then I had a little brainstorm. What if I made little-tiny-mini-fruitcakes and brought them to the exchange?

Recipe Highlights

  • Made with whole-grain flour
  • Filled with natural dried fruit without artificial colors
  • Seasoned with rum, spices and orange zest
  • Bite-sized shape is perfect for cookie platter and cookie exchange parties

Ingredients For Mini Fruitcakes

candied ginger, dried cherry, dates, chocolate chips, rum and vanilla
  • ½ cup hot coffee
  • Dried Fruit, Nuts and Chocolate: ¾ cup chopped, pitted dates (about 8 Medjool), 1 cup dried cherries, ½ cup raisins or golden raisins,1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, ½ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped toasted pecans, plus 48 pieces decorating
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Spices/ Seasoning: 1 ½ teaspoons ground/powdered ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil
  • ½ cup unsulphered molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

How To Make These Bite-Sized Mini Fruitcakes

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan

Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 mini-muffin pans with muffin cup liners or coat with cooking spray.

Step 2: Soak Dates in Hot Coffee

Pour hot coffee over chopped dates in a small bowl. Toss cherries and raisins with the Bourbon, rum or brandy in another small bowl. Set both aside to soften, 10 to 20 minutes.

Step 3: Whisk Dry Ingredients

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.

Step 4: Puree Dates and Make Batter

Puree dates and coffee in a food processor or blender until they form a smooth paste. Scrape out into a large bowl. Add egg, oil, molasses, vanilla and orange zest and stir until combined. Add flour mixture to the date mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Step 5: Combine the Dried Fruit and Nuts with Batter

Stir in chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped pecans, crystallized ginger and the cherry mixture. Stir until the goodies are thoroughly incorporated into the batter.

Step 6: Bake

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into the muffin cups. Sprinkle each with turbinado sugar and place a pecan half on top. Bake, rotating pans half way, until the cakes are puffed and set-up 14 to17 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes in pans before removing to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

FAQs and Expert Tips

What can I use instead of nuts?

Seeds like sunflower seeds and pepitas are a great alternative to the nuts.

Can these be frozen?

These freeze beautifully. Once they are cool put them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze up to three weeks. Thaw on the countertops.

Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

More Holiday Baking Favorites

Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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individual bite-sidezed fruitcake on a marble board

Mini Fruitcakes


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 48 1x

Description

This Christmas dessert tradition gets a healthier update! These sweet and fruity Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy-free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 3/4 cup chopped, pitted dates (about 8 Medjool)
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup raisins or golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour (see *ingredient note)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground/powdered ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil
  • 1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, plus 48 pieces decorating
  • 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

Instructions

  1. Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 mini-muffin pans with muffin cup liners or coat with cooking spray.
  2. Pour hot coffee over chopped dates in a small bowl. Toss cherries and raisins with the Bourbon, rum or brandy in another small bowl. Set both aside to soften, 10 to 20 minutes.
  3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Puree dates and coffee in a food processor or blender until they form a smooth paste. Scrape out into a large bowl. Add egg, oil, molasses, vanilla and orange zest and stir until combined. Add flour mixture to the date mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped pecans, crystallized ginger and the cherry mixture. Stir until the goodies are thoroughly incorporated into the batter.
  6. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into the muffin cups. Sprinkle each with turbinado sugar and place a pecan half on top. Bake, rotating pans half way, until the cakes are puffed and set-up 14 to17 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes in pans before removing to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Notes

9 mg Cholesterol, 7 g Added Sugar

*ingredient note: white whole wheat and whole wheat flour can be used interchangeably. White whole wheat is milled from hard white spring wheat, and has a more mild flavor. So if your family is whole-wheat shy it is a great place to start. Find it in the baking isle of a good supermarket, or in a health food store. Or order it online from King Arthur Flour

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 minutes
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cakes
  • Calories: 180
  • Sugar: 14 g
  • Sodium: 97 mg
  • Fat: 7.5
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 2 g
Mini Fruitcakes are the perfect tiny whole wheat and dairy free sweet treat to take to a cookie exchange or add to your Holiday cookie platter! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster