Almost 50 years ago, my grandma started the tradition of baking fruitcakes for the holiday season, the kind packed full of iridescent red and green jelly fruits. She passed them out to all of her friends and neighbors, then shipped the rest to family members.
My parents always looked for to a slice loaf of that special fruitcake. Although she normally included walnuts, Grandma left them out of my parents’ batches because of Mom’s allergy. The loaves came wrapped in cheesecloth and foil to keep them as moist as possible, not dry and crumbly like tradition makes them out to be.
Grandma carefully packed the loaves in her suitcase for when she and Grandpa flew out for Christmas, and my parents always made sure to buy brandy for the occasion. Never to drink… Just to soak the slices in!
With how many servings the adults snuck after lunch, dinner, dessert, and as mid-afternoon snacks, Grandma began bringing an extra loaf or two so they wouldn’t run out before Christmas dinner. They loved their fruitcake!
Last year, my grandma was hospitalized for all of the fall and holidays, so I stood in as the substitute and baked fruitcake cookies to bring out when we flew down to visit the hospital on Christmas. This year, although Grandma is fully healthy again and visiting in a week with Grandpa, I wanted to try making my own fruitcake before she arrived so my parents wouldn’t have to wait until December 23.
This Classic Clean Fruitcake is the result! Although it shares a name with Grandma’s, this one is much healthier than her version. It’s made with entirely clean, wholesome ingredients without anything processed—and nothing iridescent!
Let’s start with the quick bread base. It contains 100% whole wheat flour and just 1 tablespoon of butter. Despite whole wheat baked goods getting a bad reputation for being overly dry, this one is anything but! It’s sweetened with maple syrup, which adds extra moisture, and the Greek yogurt provides all of the tenderness of butter for a fraction of the fat and calories.
Now for the star of the show… The fruit! I selected a variety of dried fruit: cranberries, blueberries, apricots, and pineapple. Each one adds a rich pop of color and unique flavor. Tangy, sweet, classic, and bright. Use whatever you have on hand; no need for a special trip to the grocery store!
But the most important part is to soak the dried fruit in brandy before mixing it into the batter. The longer, the better! I left mine for nearly 24 hours, so every bit of fruit released a hint of brandy’s apple undertones. The fruitcake didn’t need any extra brandy for soaking the slices after baking, but… I’m sure my family wouldn’t object to a little drizzle!
If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, substitute apple juice or white grape juice for the brandy. You must soak the dried fruit in something. Otherwise, it will soak up the moisture from the batter, and the loaf will turn out drier and not so tender.
My mom passed through town last week after a stressful day up in the mountains. When she walked in our front door, I told her I had something sitting on the counter for her. She squinted at the far end of the kitchen, spotted this Classic Clean Fruitcake, and her eyes lit up brighter than a 5-year-old’s on Christmas morning. “Fruitcake???” she practically exclaimed.
I wonder how much of it actually survived the drive back to her own house…
| Classic Fruitcake | | Print |
- 3 tbsp (30g) dried cranberries, chopped
- 3 tbsp (35g) dried blueberries, chopped (if wild blueberries, leave whole)
- 3 tbsp (40g) chopped dried apricots
- 3 tbsp (30g) chopped dried pineapple
- 9 tbsp (135mL) brandy
- 2 c (240g) whole wheat flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp (5g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (2g) baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp (4g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (2g) salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10mL) vanilla extract
- ½ c (125g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) molasses
- ½ c (120mL) maple syrup
- ½ c (120mL) nonfat milk
- Add the dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, dried pineapple, and brandy to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal the lid on top, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 1 day. Drain and discard any remaining brandy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter and egg. Whisk in the vanilla. Stir in the yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Fold in the drained dried fruit.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup.
The dried fruit should soak up approximately 6 tablespoons of brandy, and about 3 tablespoons will be discarded. However, it’s important to completely cover the dried fruit with brandy while refrigerating to ensure that the dried fruit absorbs it equally.
For a non-alcoholic version, substitute apple juice or white grape juice for the brandy.
{clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
More fruitcake recipes from other bloggers…
Holiday Fruitcake by Simply Recipes
Mini Fruitcakes by Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Fruitcake Cookies by A Spicy Perspective
Paleo Chestnut Fruit Cake by The Healthy Foodie
MARAVILLOSAS Y DELICIOSAS RECETAS!!! ADORABLE LA HISTORIA FAMILIAR. MIL GRACIAS POR PUBLICAR SUS RECETAS HERMOSAS QUE TRANSMITEN FELICIDAD!!! DIOS LA BENDIGA!! ABRAZOS!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂
HI!
This looks delicious! can I substitute the wheat flour with almond flour?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Niti! I typically don’t recommend that substitution because your baked goods will turn out denser. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this fruitcake!
Love this recipe. Is it possible to make muffins instead of loaf? Baking time, 20-22 minutes?
Thanks so much.
Yes, you can definitely make muffins instead of the loaf! I’d start checking on the muffins after about 16 minutes. They’ll probably take longer to bake, but I’d rather tell you to check them early rather than letting them burn! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe Kali!
Hi Amy: I finally made these. Delicious. Baked for 20 minutes, turned out perfect. I used 2 egg whites, honey & twice the dried fruit that i soaked for a week. Thanks so much for this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Kali! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe modifications — I always love hearing what tweaks work! 🙂
Can you treat it like a traditional fruitcake and let it age for a few weeks and brush it with a simple syrup to keep it moist?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jeff! I actually don’t recommend doing that with this recipe. It’s already plenty moist! And because it’s healthier than most traditional fruitcake recipes, it contains ingredients that will make it go bad within two weeks. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try it — if not this holiday season, then maybe next year!
Awesome easy recipe!!!! Can it be made in a round cake pan??
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Shishi! I haven’t personally tried, but I think that should work. The baking time may vary, but the taste should remain the same! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this fruitcake!
I made a triple batch of this fruitcake for my large family. It turned out moist with a lovely soft, almost fluffy texture. Everybody loved it, even the ones who usually don’t care for fruitcake. I did make a couple alterations to suit my personal preferences. First, I put an entire cup of dried fruit per loaf, second, I added a half cup of finely chopped walnuts per loaf, and third, I added some of my favorite fruitcake spices which are cloves, nutmeg and allspice, a third of a teaspoon to a loaf. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. I would highly recommend attempting this wholesome and really scrumptios version of classic fruitcake. Thank you so much Amy, for all the great recipes I can make my family, entirely guilt-free.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the fruitcake Hannah! That means so much to me that even the non-fruitcake people liked it. Thank you so much for sharing that with me! 🙂 And thanks for sharing your recipe modifications as well — I always love hearing what recipe tweaks work!
I’m interested in making this for my mom. I’ve never had fruitcake before so I don’t know if this is a dumb question. Trying to use what’s on hand, would apricot brandy be a bad idea or should I get regular? Not a brandy drinker either so I don’t know the difference in taste.
I’m so honored that you’d want to make this for your mom, Brandie! She’s so lucky to have you! 🙂 Yes, your apricot brandy should work! I completely understand wanting to use what you have on hand. I’m usually the same way! 😉 If you and your mom decide to try this fruitcake, I’d love to hear what you think of it!
Week this cake store for long as it has milk and yogurt?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Dee! I’ve shared the best way to store this fruitcake in the paragraph of text directly underneath the recipe title in the recipe box. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 If you’d like it to last for a week, then I’d recommend storing it in the refrigerator instead.
I’d love to hear what you think of this fruitcake if you try making it!