What Is Mixed dried fruit and How Can I Use It?
Wondering what to do with mixed dried fruit? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 62 recipes to put it to work.
Key Points
- A bagged blend of dried fruits, usually raisins, sultanas, currants, apricots, dates, and a little candied peel.
- Backbone of fruitcakes, panettone, tea loaves, muesli, snack bars, and quick compotes for yogurt or pancakes.
- Soak in warm tea, juice, or brandy 30 minutes to overnight so it plumps and stays moist when baked.
- Toss in a spoon of the recipe's flour so heavy pieces grip the batter and do not sink.
- Keeps 6 to 12 months airtight in a cool cupboard, up to a year frozen.
What is mixed dried fruit?
Mixed dried fruit is exactly what the name says: a blend of dried fruits sold together in one bag. The usual cast is raisins, sultanas, and currants, often with chopped apricots, dates, figs, and a little candied peel thrown in.
The exact mix shifts by brand and country, but the idea is constant, a ready-made spread of chewy, concentrated sweetness you can scoop by the cupful.
Because the water is gone, the sugars and acids in each fruit are concentrated. A handful tastes far sweeter and more intense than the same weight of fresh fruit, which is why a little goes a long way in a batter or a bowl of cereal.
It is the backbone of holiday baking.
Ways to Use Mixed Dried Fruit
Folding it into batter is the classic move. It carries British fruitcakes and tea loaves like Whole Wheat Christmas Cake and the no-butter Derbyshire Tea Loaf (No Butter Fruit Cake), and it gives Italian holiday breads their character in Panettone (Italian Fruitcake) and Bread-machine Panettone.
It also works far outside the cake tin. Stir it into morning oats or muesli, scatter it over a grain salad, or press it into snack bars like Favourite Breakfast Bars. Simmered with a splash of water or juice, it collapses into a quick compote for yogurt or pancakes.
Soaking first is the trick that separates good bakers from frustrated ones. Cover the fruit in warm tea, juice, rum, or brandy for 30 minutes to overnight so it plumps and stays moist through baking, the way a long boozy soak builds the deep flavor in Drunken Turkey.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Warm spices are its natural partners. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and ginger all amplify the dried-fruit sweetness, while citrus zest and a dark sugar like brown or muscovado round it out and a glug of dark rum ties the whole thing together.
The most common mistake is tossing dry fruit straight into a thin batter. It steals moisture from the crumb and ends up tough and leathery in the finished bake, so it should be plumped first.
The second mistake is sinking. Heavy fruit drops to the bottom of a loaf during baking unless you toss it in a spoonful of the recipe's flour first, which gives the pieces something to grip.
What to Use Instead
The easiest swap is to build your own blend from whatever single dried fruits you have: raisins, chopped dried apricots, dates, figs, and a little candied peel in roughly equal parts. Match the total weight the recipe calls for and you are set.
Straight raisins or sultanas stand in fine when you want simple, even sweetness, though you lose the variety of texture and the apricot tang. Chopped dates push things sweeter and softer, while dried cranberries add a tart edge that cuts the richness of heavier cakes.
For a fresher result in compotes and oatmeal, you can use fresh fruit instead, but cut the added liquid since fresh fruit brings its own water.
Buying and Storing
Look for fruit that still feels soft and pliable through the bag. Some sugar frosting on the surface is normal, but rock-hard pieces have dried out too far and will not soften well. Unsweetened or "no added sugar" mixes let you control the final sweetness.
Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard, where it keeps well for 6 to 12 months. Squeeze out the air or the surface goes sticky and hard.
For longer storage, the freezer holds it for up to a year with no real change in texture. If a stored mix turns stiff, a 10-minute soak in warm water or juice brings most of the chew right back.
Watch for any musty smell or visible mold, especially in humid kitchens. Toss the whole bag if you find it.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup, halves (250g)Quick facts
Where to find mixed dried fruit: Mixed dried fruit is usually found in the snacks section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Mixed dried fruit is a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 混合干果
- British (UK) term
- Mixed dried fruit
- en français
- fruits secs
- en español
- mezcla de frutas secas
How much does mixed dried fruit weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, halves | 250 grams |
Related
Fruits and Fruit Juices
Recipes using mixed dried fruit
There are 62 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Super Pumpkin Nut Bread
Pumpkin nut bread spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, studded with chopped nuts and optional dried fruit. Tender quick bread that fills the kitchen with autumn warmth, perfect for Thanksgiving morning.
Grannys' Fruit Cake
Granny's boiled fruit cake: an old-fashioned eggless, butterless loaf made by simmering raisins with sugar and shortening, then folding into spiced flour. Plump, moist and Christmas-ready.
Whole Wheat Christmas Cake
Traditional British whole wheat Christmas cake with rum-soaked dried fruit, walnuts, almonds, stout and citrus zest. Aged dark fruit cake for the holiday season.
Persimmon Muffintop Cookies
They're supposed to be cookies, but with the texture of muffins. It's a good blenndd:] it's soft, yet cruchy on the outside. if you leave them for longer, it'll also turn slightly chewy.
Moist Dried Fruit Banana Bread
Moist British-style banana bread loaded with mixed dried fruit, soft ripe bananas, butter, and sunflower oil. A food-processor quickbread that uses a full pound of bananas.
Five Cup Bread
Five cup bread mixes one cup each of self-rising flour, dried fruit, granola, water, and sugar into a no-fuss loaf. Five ingredients, one bowl, dump-and-bake breakfast bread.
Panettone (Italian Fruitcake)
Panettone Italian fruitcake with orange zest, dried fruit, and a tender yeast dough. Baked in a coffee can for the classic tall dome shape. Ready in about an hour.
Bread-machine Panettone
This recipe comes from Italy by way of Argentina. Maxwell Mowry of Charleston got this recipe when he lived in Buenos Aires in the early l970s. Since there are more people of Italian ancestry in Argentina than of Spanish ancestry, it is not surprising to find panettone there, where it is called in Spanish pan dulce, meaning 'sweet bread.' At Christmas in Argentina, pan dulce is eaten accompanied by sparkling apple cider. Houseware shops in Argentina sell special tall cylindrical springform pans to bake the pan dulce, but an empty, greased 1-pound coffee can may be used.
Exotic Treats
No-bake chocolate and dried fruit squares studded with nuts, topped with candied orange zest. These refrigerator treats combine tropical dried fruit mix with rich semi-sweet chocolate for an elegant bite.
Jim's All Bran Bread
All Bran bread soaked overnight in strong tea with mixed dried fruit and golden syrup. A dense, malty British tea bread that improves with age, served sliced and buttered.
Fruit Ginger Drops
Fruit ginger drop cookies made with gingerbread mix, candied fruit, and chopped nuts. A 4-ingredient holiday cookie ready in 25 minutes.
Vegetarian Mince Pies
Vegetarian mincemeat made with fresh pears, dried fruit, candied cherries, almonds, and a splash of whiskey. No suet needed. Spiced with allspice, nutmeg, and ginger for traditional Christmas mince pies.
Kathy's Strong Ale Spice Cake
Spice cake made with amber ale, mixed dried fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The fruit simmers in beer before baking for a dense, malty, pub-inspired dessert.
Vegetarian Mince Pies Ii
Vegetarian mincemeat with fresh pears, mixed dried fruit, candied peel, glace cherries, dates, almonds, citrus zest, and whiskey. A meat-free version of the British holiday classic.
Popcorn Fruit Cookies
Popcorn fruit cookies made with ground popped corn, cornmeal, dried fruit, and nutmeg. A crunchy, unusual rolled cookie with a satisfying corn-forward crumble.
Spicy Fruit Compote
Spicy fruit compote simmers dried fruit in port wine with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon, finished with fresh banana. A warming dessert or breakfast topping for yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes.
Spicy Wine Fruit
Dried fruit poached in sweet red wine with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon juice, served chilled with fresh bananas. A warm-spiced fruit compote dessert that's light and elegant.
Sweet Fried Rice with Almonds & Cinnamon
A stunning dessert fried rice with caramelized sugar, vanilla-soaked dried fruit, toasted almonds, and warm cinnamon-clove spice. Wok-tossed in butter for a side dish that steals the show.
Oatmeal & Dried Fruit Cookies
Rolled oatmeal cookies with whole wheat flour, dried fruit, and buttermilk. Thin, crispy cut-out cookies made with oil instead of butter, no eggs required.
Swiss Style Oats
Rolled oats simmered with chopped dried fruit and honey, topped with toasted almonds and wheat germ. A warm, hearty Swiss-style porridge that sticks with you all morning.
Anglesey Cake - Cacen Sir Fon
Traditional Welsh spice cake loaded with mixed dried fruit, dark molasses, and warm ginger for a moist, treacle-sweetened teatime treat from Anglesey.
Mixed Fruit & Toffee Corn
Toffee-coated popcorn with pecans and mixed dried fruit, baked until crunchy. A homemade caramel corn snack mix cooked to hard-ball stage for a crispy, buttery shell.
Chocolate Cannoli Cake
Chocolate cannoli cake turns the Italian classic into a layered loaf: butter cake split and filled with a sweet ricotta cannoli cream studded with chocolate chips and dried fruit, then drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Teisin Lap (Plate Cake)
Traditional Welsh plate cake cooked on a bakestone with dried fruit, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Teisin Lap is a rustic griddle cake with a golden crust and tender, fruited crumb, no oven required.
Almond Fruit Mandelbrot
Twice-baked Jewish biscotti loaded with crunchy almonds, mixed dried fruit, and a cinnamon-sugar crust. Crisp edges meet tender centers in this traditional cookie perfect for dunking in coffee or tea.
Orange Butter Cake
Orange butter cake with fresh orange juice, zest, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in the batter, finished with a Grand Marnier-spiked tropical cream cheese spread.
Empanadas De Fruta
Empanadas de fruta filled with spiced dried fruit, raisins, pine nuts, and warm cinnamon-clove-nutmeg filling, deep-fried in a flaky homemade dough until golden and crispy.
Curried Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash halves glazed with chutney and filled with a curried herb stuffing studded with dried fruit. Baked in apple juice and beef broth for deep, sweet-savory flavor. A stunning fall side dish.
Pure Fruit Cookies
Pure fruit cookies sweetened only with mashed bananas and dried fruit. No added sugar, made with oats, nuts, and chopped apricots, raisins, or dates.
Glen's Ring of Fire Bran Muffins
Spicy bran muffins loaded with Thai chilies, jalapeño, and habanero rings, plus dried fruit, walnuts, and warm spices. Bold breakfast baking for heat seekers.
Fruit Nut Bran Bread
Fruit nut bran bread is a bread machine loaf packed with toasted bran, sliced almonds, dried fruit and a touch of brown sugar. Hearty, fiber-rich whole-meal bread that bakes hands-off in a few hours.
Glazed Cocoa-Pecan Fruitcake
Chocolate fruitcake with cocoa, candied cherries, pecans, golden raisins, and mixed dried fruit, topped with a semisweet chocolate-almond glaze and toasted almonds.
Kompot W Spirytusie - 12-Fruit Compote with Spirits
Kompot w spirytusie, a traditional Polish 12-fruit compote with dried fruits, fresh apples, cranberries, cherries, and brandy. A Christmas Eve dessert simmered with warm spices.
Smoked Chicken Roulade with Dried Fruits
Elegant smoked chicken roulades stuffed with a Port wine mousse and diced dried fruits, sliced on the bias and drizzled with a bourbon-veal stock sauce. A showpiece dinner.
Schlesisches Himmelreich (Silesian Pork)
Silesian "heaven's kingdom" pork chops braised with prunes, apricots, apples, and pears in their own soaking liquid. A traditional German sweet-savory main served over potato dumplings.
Frozen Christmas Plum Pudding
Frozen Christmas pudding made by folding brandy-soaked dried fruit with cocoa and orange zest into softened vanilla ice cream. A no-bake, make-ahead holiday dessert.
Irish Farmhouse Loaf
Irish farmhouse loaf with mixed dried fruit, lemon zest, and buttermilk. No yeast needed. A traditional quick bread baked low and slow in a loaf pan.
Dried Fruit-Rice Stuffing
Brown rice stuffing with mixed dried fruit, sautéed onions, celery, and a trio of herbs. A hearty, naturally gluten-free alternative to bread stuffing that feeds a holiday crowd with ease.
Baja Chicken Pasta Salad
Baja chicken pasta salad pairs poached chicken breast and orzo with crunchy jicama, dried fruit, and a chile-spiked mayo-sour cream dressing. Sweet-savory chilled salad with a Southwest twist for picnics or weekday lunches.
Muesli
Try something different for breakfast with this recipe that uses rolled oats, mixed nuts and dried fruit.
Diabetic Fruit-Filled Pastry Cookies
Tender cream cheese pastry sandwiches a layer of thick dried fruit filling, then bakes into golden bars. These reduced-sugar cookies cut into 2 dozen squares for sharing.
Irish Tea Bread
Traditional Irish tea bread with mixed dried fruit soaked overnight in strong tea. A dense, moist loaf with brown sugar sweetness and barely any butter.
Venison with Frumenty(British)
Traditional British boiled venison served with frumenty, a medieval wheat porridge cooked in milk with dried fruit, honey, and cinnamon. A hearty piece of culinary history.
Pork Chops with Dried Fruit
Slow cooker pork chops simmered with mixed dried fruit, orange marmalade, ginger, and apricot nectar. Sweet-tart braise with a glossy thickened pan sauce. Five-minute prep, hands-off dinner.
Breakfast Cookie Bars
Wholesome breakfast cookie bars made with rolled oats, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and dried fruit. Sweetened with apple juice and brown sugar for a grab-and-go morning fuel-up.
Tropical Medley Bread
Bread machine loaf studded with mixed dried fruit and a hint of applesauce for moisture. Soft, lightly sweet yeast bread that works on regular, rapid, or delayed cycles.
Breakfast Fruit Bars
Chewy oat and dried fruit breakfast bars with orange juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Freezer-friendly grab-and-go bars that take just 10 minutes to prep for a whole week of mornings.
