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Vegan Fruitcake Recipe

Vegan Fruitcake Recipe: Sweet, Moist, and Family-Friendly

Bake a Vegan fruitcake recipe that’s moist, flavorful, and festive. A perfect holiday treat with rich spices and dried fruits!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Servings 6 mini loaves

Ingredients
  

Fruit and nut mix

  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped dates
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried figs
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried pineapple
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup homemade candied orange (or store-bought, just make sure it's vegan)
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 fresh pear, peeled and chopped (optional, but super yummy)
  • 1/2 cup apple juice

Wet ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Dry ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Spices

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 whole star anise pods
  • 2 whole cloves

Nuts

  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or your favorite nuts)

Optional toppings

  • Vegan buttercream
  • Extra fruit compote for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Toss all the dried fruits, orange zest, lemon zest, fresh pear, vegan butter, sugar, apple juice, applesauce, and grated ginger into a big saucepot. Tie the star anise and cloves in a little cheesecloth pouch and drop it in the pot.
  • Turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a full boil. Once it is bubbling, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes. The smell is amazing, just saying.
  • Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Do not forget to pull out the little spice pouch and throw it away.
  • In a big mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir it well so everything is nicely combined.
  • Pour the cooled fruit mixture into the flour bowl. Add the chopped almonds. Mix everything together by hand until the batter is thick and sticky. Do not worry, this is exactly how it should look.
  • Grease your mini loaf pans or one big loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the pans and smooth the tops so they bake evenly.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F). If you are using mini pans, bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If you are using one big loaf pan, bake for 50 to 60 minutes. You will know it is ready when a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Flip them out onto a wire rack and gently brush the tops and bottoms with fresh orange juice to keep them moist.
  • If you like, spread some vegan buttercream on top and pile on extra fruit compote for a fancy finish. Totally optional but highly recommended.