Miniature Christmas Fruitcakes

If you love fruitcake, then you’re going to love these miniature Christmas fruitcakes. Enjoy a traditional English fruitcake flavours in a recipe that is easy and comes together quickly. This recipe makes a large batch and freezes well for holiday baking trays.

Try my glazed fruitcake shortbread cookies, grandma’s shortbread or cranberry orange shortbread cookies next this holiday season!

this recipe!

Bite-Sized English Fruitcake For The Holidays

These mini fruitcakes taste as delicious as they look. A quick overnight soak in rum or brandy for the fruit and you will have these tasty desserts ready in less than an hour.

This recipe is so loved and popular that it is made all year long to satisfy everyone’s fruitcake cravings! It has the perfect balance of fruit and spices, these little gems are so tasty!! They just might convert a non-lover of fruitcake!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s so easy to make and the tiny sized pieces are so fun and tasty
• We find even non fruitcake lovers enjoys these mini bites of fruitcake
• You can customize using the nuts and fruit of your choice
• Visually stunning on a mixed holiday cookie platter
• Terrific gift for fruitcake lovers

Ingredients

Not pictured in the above ingredients is powdered sugar and milk for icing which is optional but tasty!

For full recipe and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this page. Here are a few notes about the ingredients and substitutions:

• Glace cherries & glace fruit mix with peel – soaked with rum, you will need 1 and 1/2 cups total of the fruit mixture. You can change up the amounts. For example, if you don’t care for the diced fruit and peel, just use the cherries! You can also add in candied pineapple.
• Raisins – golden or dark raisins may be used, or a mixture of both!
• Rum – I used rum in this recipe. You can substitute with brandy or apple juice.
• Butter – should be at room temperature.
• Walnuts – substitute pecans if you prefer
• Egg – should be at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge one hour before you start the recipe.
• Glaze – brush with warmed apple jelly or apricot jam.
• Powdered sugar and milk makes a nice light icing that can be drizzled or pipe on top of the fruitcakes.

Step by Step Instructions

The first step in this recipe is to soak the fruit in brandy or rum. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can use apple juice. Soak the fruit overnight.

The next day:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place mini cupcake cup liners in mini muffin tins.

Add the glace fruit mix with peel, raisins and the liquid. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar, butter and egg. You can use a mixer, stand mixer or mix by hand. I mixed this recipe completely by hand.

In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and stir just to combine.

Add in walnuts and fruit mixture and stir until combined.

Use a small cookie scoop to fill mini muffin tins. Place a cherry, walnut or pecan in the centre.

Bake in 300°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

Lightly brush tops with warmed apple jelly or apricot jam. Place jam in microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds.

For the drizzle of icing combine powdered sugar and milk or heavy cream and stir. You may need to add a bit more cream or powdered sugar to reach the right consistency.

You can also, place the icing in a ziplock or piping bag and pipe it over top of each cake.

Variations for English mini Christmas fruitcake

• Adding a drizzle of icing is optional but highly recommended!
• Replace some of the fruit with dried cherries or dried cranberries.

Sandra’s tips for making Christmas fruitcake

• Always use high quality ingredients, it will make a big difference in the flavor
• The butter and eggs should be at room temperature for best baking results
• You can use apple juice instead of rum or brandy
• Mix up the nuts and fruit for different flavor according to tastes
• Use the decorative liners of your choice if they are to be given away for gifts or cookie exchanges

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Cover with plastic wrap or place in airtight storage containers in the refrigerator for up to one month. Separate the layers using parchement paper so they do not stick together.

These fruitcakes freeze well. Freeze for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers separating any layers with parchment paper.