Delicious & Healthy Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake: Your Guide to an Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, & Refined Sugar-Free Festive Treat

Discover a delightful and guilt-free Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake recipe, baked without added oil, enriched with wholesome almonds, applesauce, and the exquisite Fruit Bliss Organic Fruit Medley. This sweet, festive cake is perfect for sharing and celebrating the holiday season.

Embracing the Holiday Spirit Early: A Story of Festive Baking

Friends, the holiday spirit has officially taken root in my home! While I usually adhere to the tradition of waiting until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls, this year felt different. With an exciting trip to Germany on the horizon in just a month, a practical decision merged with the irresistible allure of my treasured Christmas box. The debate was brief, and the outcome clear: the decorations went up this week!

And honestly, I have absolutely zero regrets. As I pen these words, I’m bathed in the cozy, multi-colored glow of the ceramic Christmas tree my beloved grandma crafted for me – a truly heartwarming sight. It feels perfectly fitting, too, because today, I’m sharing a holiday recipe that embodies everything I cherish about this season: warmth, joy, and delicious treats you can feel good about.

Forget everything you thought you knew about traditional fruit cake. This isn’t your grandma’s dense, liquor-soaked confection. This is a revolutionary Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake, crafted to be light, flavorful, and incredibly wholesome. Unlike its conventional counterparts, this recipe is entirely vegan, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, and made with no-added-oil. It’s a sweet, festive cake that you’ll be proud to share, offering a delightful and healthy option for all your holiday gatherings.

The Evolution of Fruit Cake: A Healthier & More Inclusive Approach

Traditional fruit cakes often get a bad rap, sometimes unfairly, for being overly rich, dry, or simply unappealing. Our Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake aims to change that perception entirely. We’ve reimagined this classic festive treat into a modern, health-conscious dessert that sacrifices nothing in terms of flavor or festive appeal. By opting for plant-based ingredients and eliminating common allergens, we’ve created a cake that everyone at your holiday table can enjoy, regardless of dietary preferences or restrictions.

Why Our Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake Stands Out:

• Vegan-Friendly: Made entirely without animal products, using flax eggs as a binder and plant-based staples. This makes it perfect for those following a vegan diet or looking to reduce their consumption of animal products during the holidays.
• Gluten-Free: We’ve carefully selected a blend of oat flour and superfine almond flour to provide a tender crumb without any gluten. This ensures that individuals with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease can indulge without worry.
• Refined Sugar-Free: Sweetness comes naturally from unrefined coconut sugar, unsweetened applesauce, and the luscious Fruit Bliss Organic Fruit Medley. This approach reduces the overall glycemic load and avoids the artificial aftertaste often associated with refined sugars.
• No-Added-Oil: By utilizing applesauce and almond butter for moisture and richness, we’ve eliminated the need for added oils, making this cake a lighter and more heart-healthy option. This doesn’t compromise on texture; instead, it results in a wonderfully moist and tender cake.

Essential Ingredients for Your Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake

Crafting this healthy and delicious fruit cake requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients, each playing a crucial role in its flavor and texture:

• Ground Flaxseed: This humble ingredient, when mixed with water, creates a “flax egg” – a fantastic plant-based binder that replaces traditional eggs, ensuring your cake holds together beautifully.
• Unrefined Coconut Sugar: Offering a caramel-like sweetness with a lower glycemic index than white sugar, coconut sugar is our preferred natural sweetener. It contributes a rich depth of flavor without being overly sweet.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: This is a secret weapon for moisture and natural sweetness. Applesauce allows us to bake this cake with no-added-oil, keeping it light and tender.
• Almond Butter: Providing healthy fats and a subtle nutty flavor, almond butter enhances the cake’s richness and contributes to its wonderfully moist texture. Opt for a smooth, natural variety without added sugars or oils.
• Oat Flour: A fantastic gluten-free flour that provides structure and a slightly chewy texture. Ensure you’re using certified gluten-free oat flour if you have sensitivities.
• Superfine Almond Flour: This complements the oat flour, adding to the cake’s tender crumb and a delicate almond flavor.
• Baking Powder: Our leavening agent, ensuring the cake rises beautifully and achieves a light, airy consistency.
• Ground Cinnamon: The quintessential holiday spice! Cinnamon infuses the cake with warm, inviting aromas and flavors that perfectly capture the festive season.
• Slivered Almonds: These add a delightful crunch and extra nutty goodness, contrasting wonderfully with the soft cake and chewy dried fruit.
• Fruit Bliss Organic Fruit Medley: The star of our fruit cake! This medley of sun-dried apricots, figs, and plums is rehydrated for an incredibly soft, juicy, and flavorful addition. More on this below!
• Apricot Jam or Preserves: Used as a glaze, this adds a beautiful shine, locks in moisture, and provides an extra layer of fruity sweetness.

Simple Steps to Bake Your Easy Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake

One of the best things about this recipe is its simplicity. You’ll need just one bowl and a loaf pan, making cleanup a breeze and the baking process stress-free. I personally love baking this fruit cake in a loaf pan; it gives it a unique, rustic charm and makes slicing incredibly easy.

1. Prepare Your Oven and Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the cake once baked. Alternatively, you can lightly grease the pan with a touch of coconut oil if you don’t have parchment paper.
2. Whip Up Your Flax Egg: In a large mixing bowl – yes, just one bowl for everything! – combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of filtered water. Give it a quick stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This allows the flaxseed to absorb the water and thicken into a gel-like consistency, mimicking the binding power of an egg.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients: Once your flax egg has gelled, add the unsweetened applesauce, almond butter, and coconut sugar to the bowl. Using a sturdy spoon or a spatula, mix these wet ingredients thoroughly until they are completely combined and smooth. Ensure there are no lumps of almond butter.
4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Now, add the oat flour, superfine almond flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon to the wet mixture. Mix everything with your spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; overworking the batter can lead to a dense cake. The batter should be thick but still pourable, with a consistent texture and no visible dry streaks. If your batter appears too thick to stir easily, add a splash of unsweetened almond milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a workable consistency.

The Best Vegan Fruit Cake Mix-Ins: Flavor and Texture Galore

The mix-ins are where this fruit cake truly shines, delivering bursts of flavor and delightful textures in every bite.

5. Fold in the Goodies: Gently fold the slivered almonds and the Fruit Bliss Organic Fruit Medley into the batter. Mix just enough to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. You want every slice to have a generous amount of fruit and nuts!
6. Prepare for Baking: Pour the luscious batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use your spatula to spread it into an even layer, ensuring the top is relatively smooth. For an extra touch of visual appeal and flavor, scatter more dried fruit over the top of the loaf, gently pressing them into the batter with your hands so they don’t burn during baking.
7. Bake to Perfection: Transfer the loaf pan to your preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown and the edges are slightly firm. A reliable test is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, your vegan holiday fruit cake is perfectly baked and ready!

My Favorite Dried Fruit for Fruit Cake: Fruit Bliss Organic Medley

The secret to this healthier fruit cake’s authentic and vibrant fruit flavor lies in the quality of its dried fruit. I exclusively use Fruit Bliss Organic Fruit Medley, and for good reason.

This exquisite blend of sun-dried apricots, figs, and plums is absolute perfection when baked into this holiday fruit cake. What sets Fruit Bliss products apart is their unique preparation: they are sun-dried and then rehydrated with water, resulting in the softest texture and juiciest flavor imaginable. Unlike many other dried fruits that can be hard and overly sweet, Fruit Bliss retains a natural, tender chewiness that truly elevates baked goods.

Baking with Fruit Bliss is a joy because these fruits consistently add incredible moisture, natural sweetness, and a wonderful textural dimension to anything you create. In this gluten-free fruit cake, the medley provides a harmonious trio of fruit flavors that are both sweet and satisfyingly chewy. I used two 5-oz. bags for this recipe, generously incorporating them throughout the batter and as a beautiful topping.

Finishing Touch: Glazing with Apricot Jam

Once your cake is out of the oven, don’t rush! Let it cool in the loaf pan for about 10 minutes. This crucial step allows the cake to set and firm up, making it easier to handle. After 10 minutes, gently lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Patience is key here; attempting to glaze a warm cake can result in the jam running off rather than forming a beautiful, even layer.

Once the cake has cooled entirely, it’s time for the optional, but highly recommended, apricot jam topping. I absolutely adore adding a layer of apricot jam or preserves on top because it provides more than just a hint of extra sweetness. It imparts a gorgeous, glossy shine, making your cake look even more appetizing, and crucially, it helps to lock in the cake’s moisture, keeping it fresh and tender for longer.

Any apricot jam, preserves, or even jelly will work for this recipe, but I highly recommend seeking out one that is naturally sweetened and free from refined sugars to keep in line with the wholesome nature of this cake. Spoon the jam generously onto the cooled cake, then use the back of a spoon or a culinary brush to spread it into a thin, even layer across the entire top surface. This final touch truly elevates the visual appeal and adds another layer of subtle, fruity flavor.

Serving and Storing Your Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake

Once your vegan holiday fruit cake has cooled and been glazed (if desired), it’s ready to be sliced and served! Cut it into generous slices, much like you would a loaf of bread, and arrange them beautifully on a platter.

Perfect for Any Occasion:

• Homemade Gifting: This healthy fruit cake makes a thoughtful and delicious homemade gift. Package slices or a whole loaf beautifully and share it with friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers. It’s a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer!
• Holiday Gatherings: A centerpiece dessert for any festive gathering or winter entertaining. Its unique twist on a classic ensures it will be a conversation starter and a crowd-pleaser.
• Daily Indulgence: Unlike traditional, heavy fruit cakes, this healthier version is packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, thanks to ingredients like flaxseed, oats, almonds, and wholesome dried fruit. This means it’s not just for dessert! Enjoy a slice for a nourishing breakfast, a satisfying midday snack, or as a sweet treat paired with a warm cup of coffee, tea, or a festive spiced cider.

Storage Tips:

To keep your fruit cake fresh, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. For longer-term storage, individual slices or the entire loaf (well-wrapped) can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and enjoy a taste of the holidays whenever you desire.

More Delicious Vegan Bread Recipes to Explore

If you loved this vegan fruit cake, you’re in for a treat! My kitchen is always buzzing with new ideas for wholesome, plant-based baked goods. Here are some of my other favorite vegan bread recipes that are perfect for any time of year:

• Cinnamon Tahini Walnut Banana Bread

• Strawberry Banana Bread

• Orange Cranberry Bread

• Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

• Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread

• 1-Bowl Butternut Bread

• Vegan & Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

• Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bread

• Vegan Banana Chocolate Chunk Bread

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

• 1-Bowl Tahini Date Nut Bread

• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bread

Share Your Creations! I Want to Hear From You

If you embark on the journey of making this delightful Vegan Holiday Fruit Cake recipe, please let me know all about it! Your feedback truly inspires me to create more delicious and wholesome recipes.

Be sure to leave me a comment, a rating, and a review below so I can use your valuable input to craft even more “yums” for you.

And don’t forget to give me a shout-out on Instagram! Use #floraandvino to show off your beautiful creations. I love seeing what you bake!

For more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest page, where you can pin more recipes like this one to make later.

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XO Lauren

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Fruit Bliss, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!