Soft Pineapple Bars — In need of a tropical pineapple dessert? Look no further than these pineapple bars! There’s an abundance of pineapple chunks in every bite, which are surrounded by a custardy, creamy filling!
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Ultra Tender Pineapple Bars
This easy pineapple dessert is made in one bowl, without a mixer, and even though they’re layered bars, they’re not fussy.
The crust and crumble topping are made from the same mixture to save time. It’s not always possible to make both the crust and topping from the same mixture, but if it is, I use the double-duty approach.
I love being able to sink my teeth into the pineapple pieces and I relish the texture.
Surrounding the pineapple chunks is a custardy, creamy filling that’s made using an egg, sugar, flour, and McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract. I grew up watching my mom and grandma bake with McCormick’s Vanilla. Cookie dough and beater licking just wasn’t the same without it!
The pineapple bars are tender, delicate, and the firmer crust, in contrast with the soft, custardy interior, and the crumble topping make for so many great textures in each bite.
The bars are a perfect springtime or summery dessert and would be a great Mother’s Day or Easter treat. What I wouldn’t give to have these show up on a breakfast-in-bed tray with a pot of coffee, along with a mimosa or two!
I can dream, right?
Pineapple Bars Ingredients
To make this super easy dessert with canned pineapple, gather the following:
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Egg
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Canned pineapple chunks
A Note About the Amount of Vanilla
I’ve always adored vanilla and use it liberally. And then some.
Many of my recipes call for 1 tablespoon of vanilla and I’m frequently asked if I meant a teaspoon. No, I meant a tablespoon.
Pineapple and vanilla are just made for each other and it helps accentuate the tropical vibe.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pineapple Bars
This is such a simple canned pineapple dessert recipe. Here’s an overview of how the bars are made:
- Make the buttery crust: Combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt and use two forks (or a pastry cutter) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture, and press the rest into an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Make the pineapple custard filling: Stir together the sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract, and more flour.
- When the crust is out of the oven, top with pineapple chunks and then pour the custard mixture on top.
- Return the pineapple bars to the oven and bake until the edges and top are set.
Recipe FAQs
I used canned pineapple in this easy pineapple recipe, but I’m sure you could use fresh or frozen, although I haven’t tried.
Readers have reported success with doubling this pineapple dessert recipe and baking it off in a 9×13-inch baking dish. I haven’t tried it myself though!
Yes! If you keep the bars covered, as time passes the topping becomes softer, less pebbly, and looks less like a true crumble topping due to the overall moisture level in the bars from the juicy pineapple. Juicy beats dry any day!
You can likely freeze these pineapple bars for later, although there are never any left over for me to do so!
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Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
For the Filling:
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sour cream, plain or vanilla Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 1 ½ teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- one 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained (fresh or frozen could likely be substituted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
Make the Crust:
- To a large bowl, add the butter, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and optional salt. Using two forks or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until a sandy mixture with peas-sized buttery bits forms.
- Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture; set aside.
- Transfer remaining mixture into prepared pan and using your fingertips or the back of a spatula, lightly press crumbs evenly into pan to form a crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes. While crust bakes, make the filling.
Make the Filling:
- In a large bowl (same one used to make the crust mixture is fine) add the egg, 1/2 cup sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup flour, and whisk until smooth; set aside.
- Remove crust from oven and top evenly with pineapple chunks. About 90% of the surface area will be covered with pineapple; chunks will be very close to each other but not quite touching.
- Carefully and evenly pour the sour cream mixture over the pineapple, making sure to get it into the corners.
- Evenly sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top to create the crumble topping.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until edges and top are set.
- Place pan on top of a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you keep them covered and as time passes, the topping becomes softer, less pebbley, and looks less like a true crumble topping due to the overall moisture level in the bars from the juicy pineapple.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Pineapple Desserts:
The Best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — So soft, moist & really is The Best! A cheery, happy cake that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face!
Pineapple Poke Cake with Pineapple Glaze — This pineapple cake is an easy, from-scratch poke cake recipe! It’s screaming with pineapple flavor from the crushed pineapple in the cake and the pineapple juice in the glaze.
Angel Pineapple Lush Parfaits — This is a 4-ingredient, no-bake dessert that’s ridiculously easy, you don’t need a mixer, and you don’t have to turn your oven on. It’s fluffy, light, airy, and refreshing.
Pina Colada Seven Layer Bars — I combined my love of pina coladas and seven layer bars into a fast, easy, no-mixer dessert that tastes like the tropics.
This post was brought to you by McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract. The recipe and opinions expressed are my own.
Love the crumb with the pineapple! Reminds me of apple crumbly desserts, but with a great tropical twist!
It’s like the spring version of apple crumbles :)
I love pineapple! I will have to give these crumble bars a try! Thanks for sharing.
Oh MAN. These looks amazing! I love love love pineapple, especially in desserts, and lemon bars are one of my favorite kinds of cookies, so I can only imagine how awesome these must be.
What a creative recipe! I love pineapple too but never had them in bars. These look perfect.
Pineapple is my absolute FAV! I actually just made some pineapple ice cream that would go FAB with these bars! Love how easy they are, and so Summery! Pinned!
Your pineapple ice cream sounds AMAZING! Wow, that’s summer in a scoop :)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen bars made with pineapple! This is seriously creative – and incredible looking! I love pineapple. And buttery crumble bars. So yeah, I may or may not be craving an entire pan right now. :)
There are so many bars with lemon (or even lime), I wanted to do something citrus-ey but different, you know. Thanks for the creativity compliments :)
We love pineapple around here, I bet these bars are amazing!!!
Thanks, Aimee! They were really unique and different than so many bars I make!
I adore all things pineapple. These bars look so crazy good!!! LOL and I have two recipes that haven’t posted yet with pineapple. Great minds think alike all the time :-)
Between our egg cups and our peanut butter love and now pineapple, I’m not surprised! And it will go on and on. I do the same thing with Dorothy and Sally all the time, too :) Great minds! Can’t wait to see your next couple recipes!
Pineapple bars! Brilliant!! I love this idea. And they look delicious. I love anything pineapple. And your pictures are so beautiful! Pinning this!
Thanks for pinning and for the photo compliments. They don’t do these bars justice, at all. But they’re so pale and creamy it was hard to really capture the delicateness of them so thank you!
It’s pineapple season! I just posted a pineapple recipe today too. Love these bars, Averie, they look like the streusel topping on cake, which is totally the best part!
These pineapple bars look amazing! They would be perfect with a refreshing drink on a hot day!
Oh my gosh, why have I never thought of this before! I am loving this!
What a nice summery recipe! I love pineapple!
The only thing I need to go with these tropical bars is a spot on the beach! These look amazing and perfect for summer (or pretending that it’s summer)!
It went from 95 to 60 here, in like 48 hours. Such wacky weather!
Gorgeous bars, I love that crumble topping!
Pineapple bars?!! Averie how do you come up with these cool bars?!! Lovely looking bars!
There are so many bars with lemon (or even lime), I wanted to do something citrus-ey but different, you know. Thanks for the compliments :)