Test Kitchen: Oatmeal and Fruit Cookie Pizza

Caroline Kohler, Graduate Dietetics Student, SAR ’20 

Settling into the second week of classes is always easier when you have a sweet treat to look forward to. This week at Sargent Choice Test Kitchen, we had just that: a delicious Oatmeal and Fruit Cookie Pizza!

Why This Recipe is “Sargent Choice”

  • The crust uses oatmeal as its main ingredient, adding some whole grains and fiber to the recipe.
  • The “frosting” is a mix of cream cheese with Greek yogurt—adding calcium, vitamin D, and protein
  • The recipe is designed to have just enough sugar to make it a sweet dessert, but not too much to make it overly sweet.
  • Of course, it’s topped with fruit! This recipe is an easy way to combine a dessert-like a cookie with some fruit, making a nicely balanced treat.

What We Loved

  • Super easy! If you’ve made cookies before, you can make this—it’s just bigger! You could also make mini cookie pizzas if you don’t have a big pan.
  • The sweetness was just right. When we tasted the yogurt and cream cheese combination, we worried it wasn’t sweet enough—it almost tasted like something to put on a savory bagel. But once the “frosting” was paired with the cookie, it was perfect. The tanginess of the yogurt balanced the sweetness of the cookie.
  • It’s customizable and seasonally friendly. You can use any kind of fruit on this pizza—berries or peaches in the summer, baked apples in the fall, or frozen fruit in the winter.

Tips and Tricks

  • We used frozen fruit because it was on sale! Just be sure to thaw it well first.
  • Let the cream cheese soften and come to room temperature before making the “frosting” to avoid lumps. You can also mix the cream cheese and yogurt by hand if you don’t have an electric mixer.
  • Don’t press the cookie too flat, or else it won’t hold up in pizza form! Although, the recipe was definitely still delicious with a fork.
  • A little sprinkle of cinnamon and a quick drizzle of honey make a beautiful finish on this pizza.

Recipe
Crust   

  • 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

  • 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 kiwi, peeled, halved and sliced
  • ¼ cup blueberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Crust Preparation: Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine egg, brown sugar, oil and ½ teaspoon vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stir until a dry mixture is formed. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and press it into a 10-inch circle.
  3. Bake the oatmeal crust until it’s golden around the edges (about 20 minutes). Cool to room temperature on the baking sheet.
  4. Topping Preparation: Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese, yogurt, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Spread topping evenly over the cooled crust. Top as desired with strawberries, kiwi and blueberries.