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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FEATURED COMMENT
"I've made many fruitcakes in the nearly fifty years I've been cooking, and this is the most delicious one I've ever tasted...It's hard to believe I could make this in just half an hour rather than half a day! Thanks so much for this wonderful treat! It will be requested for years to come." - Janet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
This Raw Fruit Cake is a delicious and quick-to-make alternative to a 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.
Please don't be put off by it being uncooked. It looks so pretty and festive with all of the colourful dried fruits and nuts, and everyone who tries it raves about how good it is!
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.
Mel x
Ingredient Notes
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 quick and easy to throw together.
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. It's a great recipe for using up the partially used dried fruit bags in your pantry! You do, however, need to include the dates, figs, and coconut oil. Without them, the cake won't hold together or slice easily.
Recipe FAQs
Medjool dates are softer than regular dried dates, so they blend up more easily in this recipe. If you want to use regular dried dates, 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 and give them a squeeze to remove as much water as possible before continuing with the recipe.
There is no substitute. The coconut oil is what sets the cake and makes it easily sliceable.
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 , NOT MCT or fractionated coconut oil - It needs to be the kind that sets.
- ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup , NOT pancake syrup!
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder/paste
- 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
- OPTIONAL powdered sugar or cocoa (or both) for dusting
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.
- Once set, remove from the pan and cut into pieces. Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder before serving.
NOTES
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Barbara Spain says
can you put alcohol in this recipe
Melanie McDonald says
No, because it's a raw cake that depends on coconut oil to set and hold it all together. Liquid and oil repel each other so I think it would affect how things come together and the texture of the set cake. If you want to make a traditional booze-soaked fruitcake I recommend making this recipe. It's really delicious! https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-christmas-cake/
Diana Barnier says
Packed with flavour and health benefits this Christmas Cake is divine! I prepared it using all certified organic ingredients, it’s quite a large cake so divided it into two cakes. Absolutely delicious!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it, Diane!
M Wallace says
Absolutely Wonderful! All those who tried a piece loved it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙏🏽👩🏽🍳🌿💚
Dee says
I don't like Christmas cake, but I do like this one.
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 accidentally used MCT oil or fractionated coconut oil which is chemically altered to stay in liquid form even when chilled. Hope that helps!