While I generally aim to post Trim Healthy Mama friendly recipes, this one was too good to let you miss out on – and surprisingly easy to make. It was my first time making any fruitcake, much less a grain-free and refined sugar free version.
The original goal with this recipe was to make a THM compliant fruitcake, but dates are not recommended on THM (they can be subbed out for another fruit) and I have heard a lot of back and forth on whether dried fruits are okay. My understanding is that many store bought dried fruits have added sugar, thus making them off plan. If that is correct, then using homemade dried fruit, no-sugar added dried fruit, or freeze-dried fruit (much more expensive), and subbing out the dates for more of another fruit should make this recipe THM friendly. It would be an XO.
With all of that being said, I am okay with eating this recipe as written occasionally. The only fruit I used with any added sugar was the dried cherries, and of course dates have quite a bit of natural sugar. If I were to eat this recipe more often then I would use raisins instead of dates, and do my best to find no sugar added dried cherries or sub them out as well.
Grain-Free Fruitcake
Ingredients
Mixture to Sit OVERNIGHT:
- 5 oz dried cherries
- 8 oz dried dates
- 6 oz dried apricots
- 9 oz dried prunes
- 1/3 cup port
- 9 tbsp + 1 tsp triple sec
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
The Next Day:
- 1 1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 1/4 c almond flour
- 1/2 c coconut flour
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- dash salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 c Pyure
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
The Day Before:
- Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, chop the fruits into small pieces. They will swell as they soak overnight, and if you make them too large the fruit cake will be difficult to slice (I learned this the hard way). Place in a medium bowl and pour the port, triple sec, brandy, and lemon juice over the fruit. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you are too impatient or in too much of a rush to wait overnight, at least wait until the fruit has soaked up all of the liquid.)
The Day Of:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the nuts through the ginger. Add the eggs, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined. Then add the fruit mixture that has been sitting absorbing all kinds of yummy flavors. It took me quite a bit of stirring to get the mixture well combined, so don’t be afraid to get a little rough with it. Folding isn’t going to cut it here. This mix is thick and wet but also kind of crumbly.
- Line two metal loaf pans with parchment paper. (I tested both a metal and a glass loaf pan, and the metal pan worked better. If you don’t have a metal loaf pan, you may need to increase the baking time.) Split the batter between the two pans, and press into the pans firmly. I used my fingers to press the batter in but you could also use a spoon. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
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