Gluten Free Fruitcake is a lovely, moist Christmas Cake loaded with dried cranberries, cherries, currants, dates, apricots, and raisins. Slivered almonds and pecans add some crunchy bites. Everyone can enjoy this!
Christmas Cake
In my part of the world, we call this Christmas cake. It might be dark or light and is filled with a variety of dried and/or candied fruit and nuts. People seem to either love it or hate. Family gatherings are divided over the fruitcake on the goodie plate. Many stores sell a usually-disappointing version in a package.
I'm proud to say that this recipe was featured as number 8 of "35 Best Fruitcake Recipes to Complete Your Christmas Dessert Table" by Country Living in 2019!
Keep gluten free fruitcake on hand throughout the Christmas season to serve to all of your holiday visitors.
My mother made a dark cake filled with lots of raisins that most people really enjoyed. Then I found a recipe in a friend's cookbook, copied it out by hand, and made that fruitcake for years. Recently, as my diet has become healthier, I’ve learned that I can enjoy even better food than what I used to eat. The development of this recipe has followed that path. I hope this recipe will turn some haters into lovers! Some call it the Christmas Cake that People Actually Eat!
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Wedding Cake
Fruitcake has also been a traditional wedding cake in Canada. It's seldom served this way anymore, but in decades past, fruitcake was baked weeks before the big event, sliced into little pieces, wrapped up, and given as a party favour to each guest. My mother made her own and then made mine several years later.
How to Make Gluten Free Fruitcake at Home
While you won't likely be making gingerbread cookies for awhile, now is the time to make Christmas cake! For best flavour and moisture, Christmas cake needs to sit for four to six weeks after you make it. Hallowe’en is my reminder that it’s time to get my ingredients and make my Christmas cake. If you didn't get started that early, it's still pretty good after two weeks. For that matter, it's good right out of the oven!
If you have your ingredients measured out ahead, combining them into a cake is easy.
While the list of ingredients is a little lengthy, you simply combine the dry ingredients, stir in the fruits and nuts, and then add a liquid – much like any muffin recipe. I encourage you to gather the ingredients and give it a try!
Whisk your dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the nuts and fruits.
Beat the wet ingredients and raw sugar together.
Smooth the batter into a prepared pan and bake.
After you've baked your gluten free fruitcake, wrap it in orange juice-moistened cheesecloth to keep it from drying out.
While you're planning for the holidays, you might also like:
- Christmas Fruit Salad
- Cranberry Biscotti
- Cranberry Bars
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Carrot Christmas Pudding
- How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Editor's Note: Since developing this recipe, I've replaced the orange juice with pineapple juice to accommodate my husband's sensitivity to citrus. I use pineapple juice both in the cake and to moisten the cheesecloth wrapping. Some of us even prefer the cake with pineapple juice!
Let me know if you make this! I'd love to see a picture of yours on Instagram! If you tag it #CathysGlutenFree I'll see it.
Recipe
Fruitcake
Equipment
- Instant-read thermometer
- loaf pan
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup (45 g) almond flour
- ½ cup (65 g) coconut flour
- ¼ cup (33 g) arrowroot flour or tapioca flour
- ¼ cup (41 g) potato starch
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) gluten free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground cloves
Fruit and Nuts
- 1 cup (145 g) sultana raisins
- ½ cup (45 g) slivered almonds
- ½ cup (63 g) pecan pieces
- ½ cup (61 g) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (65 g) dried currants
- ½ cup (66 g) dates pitted and chopped
- ¼ cup (40 g) dried cherries
- ¼ cup (45 g) unsulfured dried apricots chopped
Moist Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter melted
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) organic raw sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) orange juice or pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 F. Position oven rack in the centre of the oven.
- Line a 5" X 9" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool a little.
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Stir in fruits and nuts.
- Beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar, orange juice, molasses, and lukewarm butter. Beat until blended. Stir into fruit mixture.
- Turn batter into prepared pan and place into preheated oven. Cover with foil after about an hour. Bake for 1 hour and 30- to 1 hour and 45-minutes or until a fork inserted into the centre comes out clean. On an instant-read thermometer, the centre should have reached 205°F (96° C). Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
- Remove loaf from pan and parchment paper. Wrap in fruit juice-moistened cheesecloth. Overwrap with foil or store in a plastic bag. Store in refrigerator 2 - 4 weeks before serving. Remoisten cheesecloth once a week.
Notes
- This is a dense cake and must be baked slowly in the middle of the oven, so the bottom and sides don't get burned before the centre is done.
- Fruitcake becomes more moist with time as it sits in fruit-juice-moistened cheesecloth in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
Jess says
Thinking about giving this a shot this year! I do not, however, have the variety of different flours on hand: have you ever used a gluten free blend with success? Such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1 in place of the almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour? I'm not sure if I should attempt 1.25 cup in place of those three (and if it would also replace the potato starch).
Can't wait!
Cathy says
I'm so happy that you're prepared to try the fruitcake! It's difficult to make a recommendation for a flour blend because they're each different. The Bob's Red Mill 1:1 blend is very different from the almond/coconut flour combination in this recipe. You would probably have better success with Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour mix, as the ingredients are closer to the ones in this recipe. I would try replacing the first four (flour/starch) ingredients with 1.5 cups of the paleo blend. I hope you'll let me know how it works out for you!
Elise says
Can I substitute anything else for the molasses? Thank you
Cathy says
How interesting that you should ask! I just tried this recipe today without molasses, because I'm traveling in our motorhome and didn't want to buy any.
I substituted maple syrup for the molasses. My cake turned out much lighter in colour than usual. It's also rather crumbly. I don't know if that's because it's missing the molasses or if some other ingredient was different from the ones I usually get at home.
I may try another one with honey instead of molasses. I'd love to hear how yours turns out.
June says
This looks delicious! Is there a sub for xanthum or can I leave it out?
Thank you for sharing!
Cathy says
Thank you for your question, June. If you leave out the xanthan gum, the fruitcake might be a little crumbly. You could try substituting powdered psyllium husk for it. I have not tested the recipe with powdered psyllium husk, but that's what I would use if I couldn't use xanthan gum.
Laura says
My 7 yr old son and I are planning to make this, and I want to know if we can substitute flax or chia seed "eggs" for the chicken eggs? Also, can I use blackstrap molasses? Thanks!
Cathy says
I'm happy that you're planning to make fruitcake! I have not tested the recipe with either an egg substitute or blackstrap molasses, but if you do, I'd love to hear how it goes.
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday! says
Yum, and I'm so glad you made a healthier version because I loved making fruitcake with my mom growing up but haven't made it since changing my diet!
Cathy says
There are such great memories attached to fruitcake!
Anne Lawton says
I'm not usually a fan of fruitcake, but this one looks really good! I'm going to have to give it a try!
Cathy says
Good! I hope you'll be another convert!
Tina says
What a beautiful fruit cake! It put me in the holiday spirit just seeing these beautiful photos. Counting down until Christmas now 🙂
Cathy says
Thank you, Tina! It won't be long now!
ChihYu Smith says
This fruitcake looks just fabulous! I can eat it all day long with a cup of hot tea. YUM!
Cathy says
Oh, yes! Hot tea is a great accompaniment!
Hope says
This looks perfect to make for a Gluten Free Christmas treat! Love all of those lovely fruit and nuts!
Cathy says
Thank you, Hope. I'm a big fan of fruit and nuts, too!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
Such a great GF alternative! Love the step by step photo instructions 🙂
Cathy says
Thanks, Stacey! I hope the photos are helpful.
Renee D Kohley says
I have attempted a couple GF fruitcakes without success - looking forward to give this a go!
Cathy says
I hope this one works for you!
Jean says
Yum, this bread is chock full of all the things I love, and so perfect for the holiday!
Cathy says
Thank you, Jean! I'm so glad you like it.
jennifer says
ahhh you had me at all that dried fruit and nuts! looks so good!
Cathy says
I know! Thank you, Jennifer!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri says
Wow! I love all of those dried fruits in this fruitcake. I'll admit I've never made one before, but this is one that I could definitely enjoy.
Cathy says
I was always intimidated to make fruitcake. My mother made a great big batch, and it looked complicated. Other than measuring out lots of ingredients, making this one is a simple process.
Joni Gomes says
This reminds of growing up in Germany so so much! I pinned so I can make it for the holidays!
Raia Todd says
I haven't had fruitcake in ages! This sounds delicious and so nostalgic. 🙂
Cathy says
I missed it for a few years. It's so good to get it back!
Tessa Simpson says
Now THIS is a fruitcake I could get behind! Looks dreamy with all those textures and flavors!
Cathy says
Thank you, Tessa! I'm glad you appreciate it.
Irena says
This looks amazing and thank you for the detailed step-by-step instructions and pictures. I have bookmarked this for Christmas 🙂
Cathy says
That's wonderful, Irena! Thanks for stopping by.