Bright and festive Fruity Pillow Cookies for spring. These stuffed Fruit Cookies offer a surprise treat in every bite!

Fruity Pillow Cookies Recipe 0 Fuir Cookies with colorful filling stacked on plate.

Fruit Cookies

Who doesn’t enjoy a pleasant surprise?

Clear 70 degree weather when it’s supposed to rain. An unexpected package in the mailbox. A call from an old beloved friend. Even the smallest unforeseen blessings can make my day.

These playful Fruity Pillow Cookies have an element of surprise that could be just the thing to lift the spirits of a friend this week!

Making Fruit Cookies Recipe - colored dough and jam on counter

Enclosed in tender vanilla cookie lies a hidden layer colorful fruit filled goodness. Just like spring flowers peeping through the grass, the surprise filling peaks through the cracks on top.

You can flavor the interior of these Fruit Cookies to your liking and color them to match any themed party.

Fruity Pillow Cookies make charming and fun edible gift!

How to Make Fruit Cookies - flatten dough ball to add filling

Fruit Cookies Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter, softened
  • Granulated sugar + extra for pressing
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • Thick jam
  • Food coloring
adding filling to center of each cookie

How to Make Fruit-Filled Pillow Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until smooth.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until just mixed through. Measure out 1/2 pound of dough (a little over a 1/4 of the batch) into a separate bowl. Refrigerate the larger amount. Add thick (not runny) fruit jam to the smaller amount of dough. Add a few drops of food coloring. Mix until the color is distributed evenly.
  3. Place the “fruity” mixture in the fridge to chill. (It’s much more critical for THIS dough to be cold than the plain dough, so leave it in for at least 30 minutes.)
  4. Meanwhile, roll the plain dough into 1-tablespoon balls. On a floured work surface, press the balls flat with the palm of your hand. Scoop 1 teaspoon of fruity mixture on top of each circle. Pinch up the sides of the circle until the filling is completely enclosed. Flip the balls over, so that the pinched sides are down. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and gently press the balls down to 1/2 – 3/4 inch disks. Repeat with the rest.
  5. Place the cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Then, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before moving.
Roll to outer dough around the filling

These cute and colorful cookies are a wonderful treat for parties, and also make a fabulous edible gift!

Get the Full (Printable) Fruit Cookie Recipe with Measurements and Tips Below!

Making Easy Fruity Pillow Cookies Recipe #easter

Recipe Variations

  • Add sprinkles to the top of each cookie.
  • Drizzle the top of each cookie with cookie icing or glaze.
  • Swap the fruit jam for Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread for chocolatey pillow cookies.
  • Skip the food coloring for more naturally-made cookies.
Fruit filled cookies after baking - with colors showing through

Can I Freeze Fruit Cookies?

Sure, you can! Place the cookies in a gallon freezer bag, or an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free Cookies?

You can make this fruit cookie recipe as both a gluten free and/or dairy free recipe. Swap the wheat flour for your favorite GF baking mix. Then swap the butter for a plant-based alternative.

FUN! Fruity Pillow Cookies Recipe broken open
Fruity Pillow Cookies Recipe
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Fruit Cookies Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Bright and festive Fruity Pillow Cookies Recipe for spring! These soft cookies are filled with colorful fruit filling for a surprise in every bite.
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until just mixed through. Measure out 1/2 pound of dough (a little over a 1/4 of the batch) into a separate bowl. Refrigerate the larger amount. Add thick (not runny) fruit jam to the smaller amount of dough. Add a few drops of food coloring. Mix until the color is distributed evenly.
  • Place the “fruity” mixture in the fridge to chill. (It’s much more important for THIS dough to be cold than the plain dough, so leave it in for at least 30 minutes.)
  • Meanwhile, roll the plain dough into 1-tablespoon balls. On a floured work surface, press the balls flat with the palm of your hand. Scoop 1 teaspoon of fruity mixture on top of each circle. Pinch up the sides of the circle until the filling is completely enclosed. Flip the balls over, so that the pinched sides are down. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and gently press the balls down to 1/2 – 3/4 inch disks. Repeat with the rest.
  • Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before moving.

Notes

NOTE: For different colors, make multiple batches. I like using raspberry jam and lemon curd the best!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 155kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 43mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 245IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.7mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
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