This no-added sugar fruit cake is packed with juicy dried fruits and warming spices for a deliciously moist, traditional style fruit cake. There's no sugar or other sweetener added to the cake mixture - all the sweetness comes from the dried fruit.
Low sugar fruit cake is moist and delicious, and it's healthier. Enjoy a slice as an everyday treat, or double the recipe to make a simple no-added sugar Christmas fruit cake.
Reader review
"This is great, lovely flavours and you would never guess that it is sugar free. I will definitely be making it again."
This is my go-to fruit cake recipe which I've been making for many years. Like a traditional fruit cake recipe, it keeps well for several days, and is easy to transport. I know from experience it makes a perfect high-energy snack for swimming galas!
It's an easy homemade fruit cake made with everyday ingredients, including butter and eggs, with a gluten-free option if needed. It you'd prefer a fruit cake without butter or oil, try my fat-free fruit cake recipe, which has applesauce to keep it moist.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- No added sugar. Naturally sweetened with dried fruit with no added sugar and no other sweetener in the cake mixture. Although it's sometimes described as a sugar-free fruit cake, dried fruit does contain naturally occurring sugars.
- Easy to make. Quick and easy to make with everyday ingredients
- Adaptable. Use a gluten-free plain flour if needed, or replace some of the white flour with wholemeal flour for add extra fibre
- Moist and fruity. Soaking the dried fruit in orange juice helps make it juicy and adds extra flavour. This delicious moist low sugar fruit cake is perfect for celebrations such as Christmas as well as an everyday treat.
Ingredients
Dried fruit. I often use a standard supermarket bag of mixed dried fruit, but if you prefer you can make up a mix yourself with sultanas, raisins, currants etc. You can also use other dried fruits such as chopped prunes, dates, figs, dried apricots and mixed peel.
Orange (or use a clementines). Orange zest adds flavour, and the juice adds moisture to the cake.
Ground cinnamon and allspice. You can also use other ground spices such as cardamom and cloves. Or just use mixed ground spice if you prefer.
Plain flour. I've also made the recipe replacing half of the flour with wholemeal flour instead of white flour. It is nice made with wholemeal flour, but it makes the cake slightly drier in texture so for a Christmas or celebration cake I prefer to use white flour.
I also often make this as a gluten-free sugar-free fruit cake with a supermarket gluten-free plain flour blend, and that works perfectly. Simply use exactly the same quantity of gluten-free flour as specified in the recipe.
There is baking powder in the cake, although it won't rise by a huge amount.
Butter. I use unsalted butter to make the cake. It's important that the butter is softened at room temperature so that it blends into the batter.
If you are looking for a less rich fruit cake, you can make a fat free fruit cake with no added sugar.
Eggs provide structure, and you'll also need a splash of milk.
Optional ingredients
If you are making a sugar free Christmas fruit cake, you could add a festive twist by soaking the fruit in brandy rather than orange juice. I have also used rooibos tea which adds a lovely rich flavour.
If you like nuts in your fruit cake, feel free to add those in. Around 50g of your favourite chopped nuts would be good, and almonds work very well.
You can also add glacé cherries, although they usually have added sugar.
How to make low sugar fruit cake
Simmering the fruit is the secret to this super-moist healthy fruit cake. It just takes a few minutes, but makes a big difference. The dried fruit will absorb most of the liquid and be extra juicy.
Squeeze the orange and make the juice up to a total of 100 ml with water. Add it to a pan along with the orange zest, the dried fruit and spices. Bring up to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes and leave to cool while you prepare the tin.
Grease and line the base and sides of a 1lb (450 g) loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 fan).
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk. You can either use an electric hand mixer or a hand whisk. (Don't use a food processor with a chopping blade, otherwise the dried fruit will become chopped.) Add the softened butter, flour, baking powder and milk and mix well until smooth.
Add the dried fruit and mix well.
Tip the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for an hour.
Keep an eye on the cake to make sure that the top doesn't start to go too dark. If necessary, cover the top with a sheet of foil.
Check that the cake is properly cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean, or with a few crumbs. If it looks like there's raw batter on the skewer, pop the cake back in the oven for another 10 minutes and retest.
Once the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
How to make a no added Sugar Christmas fruit cake
I regularly use this recipe to make an easy sugar-free Christmas fruit cake.
Make double the quantity of mixture and cook the cake in a 23cm loose-bottomed round tin. (Or you could use a 2lb/900 g loaf tin if you prefer).
You'll need to extend the cooking time by half an hour so the total baking time is 90 minutes.
When the cake is completely cool you can decorate it like a traditional Christmas cake. I like to use dried fruit and nuts arranged in a pattern.
To add a shiny finish to your healthy Christmas cake, melt a little sugar-free apricot jam or honey with a teaspoon of water and brush onto the top of the cake.
If desired, you can poke small holes in the cake and feed it with a splash of brandy, rum, or whisky, letting it soak in for at least 24 hours before decorating or serving.
If you want to add marzipan to the cake, use this sugar free marzipan recipe. You could also use it to mould Christmas decorations for your cake. And of course, a bright ribbon around the outside gives a festive touch.
If you are baking over the festive period, you might also like this sugar free ginger cake which is naturally sweetened with dates and apples. Or browse this round-up of sugar-free Christmas treats.
You could also use this recipe to make a sugar free Easter Simnel cake. For a traditional look, decorate with 11 almond and honey marzipan balls.
Storing sugar free fruit cake
Like many fruit cake recipes, this no added sugar fruit cake recipe tastes even better after a couple of days as the flavours deepen and meld together.
You can store the cake in an airtight container for up to a week.
However, unlike a rich fruit cake made with lots of sugar, this cannot be stored for months. High levels of sugar act as a preservative, so this low sugar cake cannot be stored in the same way and it is not a traditional long maturing Christmas cake.
If you want to use the recipe as your Christmas cake, you'll need to make it the week before Christmas. Alternatively, you can make it earlier and freeze it. Wrap the cake well and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow 24 hours for the cake to defrost fully at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make a cake without adding table sugar. In the case of this sugar free fruit cake, there's no added sugar as the dried fruit is naturally very sweet. You can also use other fruits and even vegetables to sweeten a cake instead of adding sugar. Follow a recipe which has been specifically developed to be baked without sugar. There's plenty of ideas in this healthy cakes category.
This fruit cake is a healthier choice than many traditional cake recipes. However, even though it is made without added sugar, it's still something to be enjoyed in moderation as part of a varied diet. Dried fruit is high in natural sugars, and there's fat from the butter in the cake.
This sugar free fruit cake has 319 calories for a generous slice. If you want a lower calorie fruit cake, try this fat free fruit cake which is made using applesauce instead of butter.
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container for up to a week, as directed in the recipe. It can also be wrapped well and frozen for up to three months. Unlike a traditional rich fruit cake, it isn't suitable for long-term storage at room temperature.
If you'd like a lighter carrot-cake-style recipe, try this healthy carrot and apple cake, which also has no added sugar. There are also lots more healthier cake recipes which are low in added sugar on Cinnamon and Kale.
Other healthy Christmas recipes
You can also browse the category of other healthy and delicious Christmas recipes.
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Recipe
No Added Sugar Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 375 g mixed dried fruit
- ½ orange or 1 clementine
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g butter, well softened
- 150 g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160/140 fan.
Preparing the fruit
- Zest the orange and squeeze the orange juice, and make up to 100 ml with water. Add to a pan along with the dried fruits and spices. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes or until most of the juice has been absorbed. Leave to cool.375 g mixed dried fruit, ½ orange, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ⅛ tsp ground allspice
Preparing the tin
- Whilst the fruit is cooling, prepare the tin. Line the bottom and sides of a 1lb loaf tin with buttered greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
Making the cake batter
- Beat the eggs, and mix in the softened butter, flour and baking powder. Stir in the milk. Add the cooled soaked dried fruit and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top level2 large eggs, 100 g butter, well softened, 150 g plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp milk
Baking
- Bake for 1 hour. If you are making double the quantity, increase the baking time to one and a half hours. The cake should be lightly browned, and if you insert a skewer if should come out clean or with a few crumbs. If it looks like there's raw batter on the skewer, pop the cake back in the oven for another 10 minutes and retest.
Notes
- If you want to make a healthy Christmas cake, double the recipe and bake in a 23 cm round tin. Add an extra 30 minutes to the baking time.
- You can also add alcohol such as brandy or orange liqueur instead of the orange juice.
- Chopped nuts will also make this cake more festive - if you making a double quantity, add 100 g of your favourite nuts. Pecans, walnuts or almonds all work well.
- You can add a glaze made with sugar free apricot jam or honey. Just melt the jam in a pan with a teaspoon of water and brush onto the cake. You can also decorate with extra dried fruits and nuts, or this honey and almond marzipan.
- If you want to use the recipe as your Christmas cake, you'll need to make it the week before Christmas. Alternatively, you can make it earlier and freeze it. Wrap the cake well and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow 24 hours for the cake to defrost fully at room temperature.
- For a gluten free fruit cake, use a plain gluten free flour blend.
Nutrition
Nutritional information
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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