During the holidays I’m always looking for yummy treats to eat that won’t leave me with a high-carb hangover. This paleo dessert recipe for a moist, gluten free fruitcake fits the bill. Sweetened with one tablespoon of coconut sugar, along with dates, raisins and dried cherries, my Paleo version of this classic treat is great with a cup of tea, Dandelion Root Coffee, or makes a beautifully simple gift to give to friends and neighbors during the holidays.
According to Wikipedia, fruitcake is:
A cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and (optionally) soaked in spirits. A cake that simply has fruit in it as an ingredient can also be colloquially called a fruitcake. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. Fruitcakes are often served in celebration of weddings and Christmas.
Along with visions of wacky people, the word “fruitcake” can also conjure thoughts of dry, icky cake. I think you’ll be pleased to find that this easy Paleo recipe is rich and moist –a Christmas Cake recipe that is versatile enough to use all year round.
Paleo Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup dates (remove pits) and chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
- Stir in dried fruit and nuts
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, coconut sugar, vanilla and citrus zest
- Stir wet ingredients into dry
- Scoop batter into 2 greased mini loaf pans
- Bake fruitcakes at 350°F for 20-30 minutes
- Cool and serve
I think this might be my first Paleo cake recipe. I could be wrong though. What Paleo grain-free, dairy-free desserts will you be serving this holiday season?
Tess says
I tried this today. But I didn’t get a batter only dry mixture. I wonder if the almond milk was missed? Too late to ask this question as it is in the oven now. Will find out. Seems to me no one got the same problem as me.
Laura Mazerolle says
I wondered the same so, I had very little coconut milk left which I mixed in..it didn’t raise much. I am hoping it will be edible and that I can cut it without it crumbling down? Has anyone any feedback about this happening?
Elana says
Hi Laura and Tess, be sure to use large eggs for this recipe and your batter will be perfect, no need to add anything extra, it will bake up beautifully even if it appears a bit dry. Also please note that this recipe calls for mini-loaf pans. If you use a larger loaf pan this bread will be very flat as the batter does not sufficiently fill that size pan.
Loraine says
Wonderful recipe! It converts people to fruitcake lovers. I found that by adding about 1/4c to 1/3c of coconut milk or apple cider it mixes better taking away any flour spots in the grooves of raisins/nuts and is less dry.
Elana says
Loraine, so great to hear this recipe is wonderful and converts people to fruitcake lovers!!!
Cynthia says
This is the best dessert bread, tea bread, anytime bread, ever. I am an SCD-er, so I tweaked a couple of ingredients I can tolerate for the sensitive-to-coconut, and it is so good that my husband says not to bother making any other bread! We love you, Elana!
Janet K-F says
I made one batch and baked it in a 10 1/2″ diameter round ceramic-dish. It was done in 20 minutes and was SO good. I had dried currents, cherries, dates, and cranberries on hand to use. I made a lemon cashew cream to pour on the slices. Thank you so much for this recipe, Elana!!!
Alana says
This was absolutely fantastic, I’m so impressed! Added a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger and I think it’s the best Christmas cake I’ve had! Thanks so much.
Sharon says
What was the ratio for the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
Carol says
My husband recently had a heart attack and finally after all those years – We’ve been married for a little over 50 – he agrees that what I was telling him was correct and intends to follow my plan..Yippee! Too bad about the heart attack but good has come from this. I am going to try the Paleo Fruit cake this afternoon but it will have to be coconut flour instead of almond as I have no almond, live in a small town, and must order that stuff from the internet. Hopefully the coconut flour works well. I have made Dark chocolate black bean brownies for him from this website and he loves them http://www.eatgood4life.com/dark-chocolate-and-black-bean-brownies/ Hope he enjoys this fruitcake as well, as I have been following this lifestyle for a couple of years and it will make it so much easier with both of us following it. Good luck to all
Kathy Austin says
For my non-paleo special friends I just made my grandmother’s fruitcake…and know I will be cheating and having one slice…THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! I WILL BE MAKING IT PROBABLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!
Archie says
I just want to say thank you. I am so grateful I found your site. I live Paleo, but struggled with complicated recipes, with odd/expensive ingredients and iffy results. which would always lead to moving away from Paleo for convenience. now, I don’t have to choose between healthy and convenient. your recipes are simple, easy, convenient and the results are fantastic. I share each one I try and and everyone loves them. your almond joy bars are on my must bake list each week. by hubby request. so, thanks. you have made my life much easier and I appreciate your efforts and willingness to share with others. Peace Archie
Amy says
I have been looking for a fruitcake recipe forever. This looks fantastic! One question though; how far ahead can you make this?
miranda says
Do you think this will hold up well transporting through the mail?? I have family in a different state that I’d love to send this to, but I’ve noticed that the bake goods I make with almond flour tend to spoil if not refrigerated. Does anyone have any tips for shipping?
Brie says
Made this today for the first time after it popped up in my FB feed. Yum!
I replaced 1/2 oz. of the almond flour (1.5 cups = 6 oz.) with coconut flour, as I find I prefer a little drier texture to most of Elana’s baked goods than she seems to. Just a personal preference.
I’m also cheap about eggs and always seem to be running out, so I used 2 real eggs and 2 “flax eggs” (1T. ground flaxseed plus 2T. boiling water per egg).
I used currents instead of dried cherries, because that’s what I had.
And I baked them as muffins because my foil mini-loaf-pans seem to have vanished.
(Dear Santa: for Christmas, may I please have some mini loaf pans? Elena uses them a lot and I like Elena’s recipes a lot. If you deliver them early, I’ll leave you some fruitcake on Christmas Eve…)
Delicious! Thanks, Elena!