Easy, deliciously rich, No-Bake Fruit Cake. Packed with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, it makes a fabulous alternative to traditional baked Christmas cake. This naturally vegan and gluten-free raw fruit cake is really quick and easy to make, just the right amount of sweet, and keeps for weeks in the fridge!
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This Raw Fruit Cake is a delicious and quick-to-make alternative to traditional baked Christmas cake. It's dense with dried fruit and nuts, nicely spiced, rich, moist, packed with chewy, soft, crunchy texture, and is just the right amount of sweet.
Because it's a no-bake fruit cake it's totally foolproof as there's no baking or feeding involved, and it can be made well in advance. The cake will keep for weeks if wrapped well and stored in the fridge.
Everyone who tries this No Bake Fruit Cake raves about how good it is. Please don't be put off by it being raw. None of my ready and willing testers even noticed and all of them went back for seconds...or thirds!
With all of those dried fruits and nuts, it looks so pretty and festive and makes the perfect no-bake Christmas cake!
Ingredients
You'll see quite a long list of ingredients in the printable recipe card but don't let that alarm you. This cake is really easy to throw together and most of the dried fruits are very flexible as long as you end up using the same overall quantity. I sometimes like to add some candied cherries or mixed candied fruit in place of some of the raisins and cranberries.
You do however need to include the dates and I would strongly advise using the dried figs as they are a key ingredient. Without them, the taste, texture, and structure will suffer. The coconut oil too is essential. It is what sets the cake and makes it easily sliceable.
How To Make No-Bake Fruit Cake
You can have this cake mixed up and setting in the fridge in no time at all. Simply blend up the dates, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and spices until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in everything else. Press tightly into a lined pan then refrigerate to set and you're done.
After cutting into portions and before serving I love to dust it with some powdered sugar. Cocoa powder would also be really nice!
Recipe FAQs
Medjool dates are softer than regular dried dates so blend up easier in this recipe. If you want to use regular dried dates though you can. Because they are drier and harder soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to soften them up a bit. Make sure to drain them very well before continuing with the recipe.
There is no substitute. The coconut oil is what sets the cake and makes it easily sliceable.
More Christmas Recipes
Recipe
No Bake Fruit Cake
Author:Ingredients
- 2 packed cups (360 grams) medjool dates , weighed without pits
- 2 cups (240 grams almond flour , or almond meal
- 1 cup (200 grams) coconut oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups (300 grams) chopped nuts , such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds, I recommend using at least 2 different varieties.
- 1 cup (150 grams) raisins
- 1 cup (150 grams) dried cranberries , or dried cherries (or a mix)
- 1 heaping cup (150 grams) dried chopped figs
- ¾ cup (145 grams) chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup (30 grams) shredded coconut
- 1 lemon , zest of , not the juice
- 1 orange , zest of , not the juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the dates, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt to a food processor and blend until smooth and well combined.
- Spoon out into a large bowl and add all of the other ingredients. Mix together really well. This is quite hard work but it will come together with a bit of elbow grease.
- Line an 8 x 8-inch metal pan or square ceramic baking dish with parchment paper leaving enough to come up the sides so you can easily lift the cake out when it's done. You can use a 9 x 13-inch pan if you don't mind a really thin cake.
- Scrape the mixture into the pan and press down really well all over well. Use a spatula or the palm of your hand.
- Cover and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 12 hours. then remove from the pan and cut into pieces. Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder before serving.
NOTES
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Vardit says
I have made this fruit cake a number of times because we just luuuuuuv it. Very easy to make so it turns out perfect every time. The full recipe is a very large amount so I half it. Instead of powdered sugar I spread some more coconut flakes on top and tap them downd before refrigerating. Thanks for another great recipe!!!
Vardit says
This cake is fabulous. Everybody loved it!!! And really easy to make. I did, however, make a few small changes. I lightly roasted the nuts before breaking them up. I'm not crazy about cranberries so I used dark raisins and golden raisins. And instead of using powdered sugar on top, after I pressed the mixture into the pan I spread coconut flakes over the top and pressed them in.
I did go with your suggestion of using a larger pan because I prefer a thinner, bar type cake.
I will be making it again, and not just for the holidays. Thank you!
PS: I have made many of your recipes. They never disappoint.
Nina says
Thanks Melanie, love this fruit cake
Bronwyn says
This cake was a real winner.
I made a couple of changes, such as not maple syrup or cranberries. And I exchanged the zest for essential oils. I decorated it with blanched almonds and it looked like a traditional Christmas cake.
It has all gone and I have a request for another cake!!
I plan to make a 3rd and freeze it so that I have a something on hand for visitors.
Yvonne says
Thank you for this recipe!
I have been creating this for a few years now following your instructions and everyone absolutely loves it! I don't always have everything listed on hand but substitute ingredients in a fashion work fabulously as well.
I actually love all of your recipes that I've tried.
Melanie McDonald says
You're welcome Yvonne. I'm so pleased you're enjoying my recipes. Happy holidays!
Sheila Johnson says
My daughter and I really loved this recipe. I put some marzipan on top of it made with just ground almonds and soft dates. My husband, who will not normally eat traditional Christmas cake, ate it as well. You only need a small slice as its very rich. Thank you so much for the recipe.
John says
This was AMAZING!
Magdalena says
This is the best recipe ever!!! I have made it a few times now, with small changes/alternatives (various nuts, nuts/seeds butters and oils instead of coconut oil, adding pumpkin seeds etc), but the original recipe is absolutely, totally fantastic. Perfect as a protein snack, fabulous as a decadent dessert, overall winner!!! Thank you Melanie!!!
Libby says
Really delicious. I substituted glace cherries cut in half instead of raisins. Thanks for this no-cook recipe especially as I am trying not to switch on my oven during these times of high costing electric and gas.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it Libby. Thanks for the review!
Lee says
My grandson is anaphylactic to nuts: just wondering if almond meal can be replaced with coconut flour? Can the other nuts be replaced with more dried fruit? This recipe sounds amazing.
Melanie McDonald says
The nut pieces can easily be replaced with any of the other fruits or with seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. The almond flour however is trickier because there's such a lot of it. Coconut flour might work BUT it sucks the life out of everything because it's so absorbent. This means you would need MUCH less. It's so absorbent that you'd probably only need about a quarter of it. It's so hard to know for sure though without trying it and because of all the fruit this is an expensive one to mess up. Maybe scale the recipe right down and try it at a small scale first in case it doesn't work out?
I hope that helps a bit!
V says
Can I use olive or avocado oil instead of coconut oil ?
Melanie McDonald says
Not in this recipe I'm afraid. The coconut oil is necessary to set the cake.
Mike says
I absolutely love this recipe & this year was the third year I have made it. For whatever reason, this year it tastes as good but did not set and I did use coconut oil. Are you aware of anything else I might have wrong to cause it not to set? Thanks.
All the best,
Mike
Melanie McDonald says
Hi Mike. The only reason it wouldn't set properly is if you were to alter the ratio of ingredients, if you used MCT oil or fractionated coconut oil which is chemically altered to stay in liquid form even when chilled, or if it was too warm so the coconut oil wouldn't solidify.
For this batch you could store it in the freezer. Because it's made with so much dried fruit it should be easy-ish to cut even when frozen. Once it is frozen cut into portions and keep them in a bag or container in the freezer. Take them out 15 to 20 minute before you want to eat them. That way it won't be wasted and you can still enjoy it.
Hope that helps!
Mike Karstadt says
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for your feedback. I did not alter the ratio of the ingredients so it must have been the type of coconut I used and will make sure to look out for that next year. I did however take your advice on the putting the whole dish into the freezer and it worked well and tastes great. Thanks again for the awesome recipe.
All the best,
Mike
Cynthia H says
This recipe is deadly good! I didn’t have almond meal, so I soaked 1 1/2 cups almonds for about 4 hours, then ground them in my food processor. I only had dried dates, so I soaked them in 1/2 cup warm brandy for a few hours. Given all this extra moisture, I only used 1/2 cup coconut oil, and it was plenty. I think this’ll become an annual holiday staple.
A Virtual Vegan says
Loving the brandy addition! Thank you for stopping by to leave a review/rating. It's much appreciated!
sharon says
Absolutely love this Christmas cake. Had plans to gift a little bit of it, but I couldn't! Maybe next year I will be able to part with a little bit of it. This and the vegan mince will not be absent from another Christmas!
( neither will your cranberry sauce, brandy butter and caramel sauce!)
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying it Sharon. You'll have to remember to make double next year. Now I need to get a move on and make mine!
Christine Wilkie says
Must it be made with dates? None of my family like dates. None of us are vegan but I like to try new recipes.
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes the dates are essential. They are what holds it all together.
Simon Mottram says
Delicious. it was so popular amongst our guests at Christmas!