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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