Who doesn’t enjoy the sweet, tropical and tangy taste of pineapple? No wonder it grows in a heavenly place like Hawaii. While we all can’t swing vacations in sunny, far-away places, we can bring a little sunshine right to the table with these easy, creamy pineapple squares. You know we love to share recipes that are quick like this one that also don’t break the bank or send you running around the supermarket. You never know, you might have most or even all of these ingredients right at home in your pantry!
Can we talk about graham cracker crust for a minute? It’s the starting point of this recipe and it really delivers a taste and texture that is hard not to enjoy; that familiar, crunchy, crispy, sweet cracker brings back memories for most of us as kids. When you combine it with butter and form it into a buttery crust…well, that’s just perfection in our book. Another great thing about this crust is that it holds well under the pressure of wet ingredients. Graham cracker crust doesn’t fold and turn into a mushy mess, it just gets better. In this recipe, the wet ingredients are super simple and creamy the way we know you like it.
Cream cheese combined with butter, vanilla, sugar, and a touch of salt really make for a silky combination that goes to the next level (if that’s even possible) when bits of flavorful pineapple are added to the mix. While it wouldn’t be the first time, this divine combination really made our taste buds jump up and do the happy dance! All of those amazing flavors get covered with a yummy layer of whipped topping that can be found in the freezer section of most local grocery stores. We opted to float a few pieces of pineapple on top for good measure and sprinkled some leftover graham cracker crumbs. The whole thing looks as good as it tastes! There’s no doubt that when you combine these simple ingredients in your kitchen…you’ve got yourself a fruity, creamy dessert that we guarantee dreams are made of.
Creamy Pineapple Squares
2 hours to prepare serves 9-12
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup diced pineapple, well drained (patted dry, necessary)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
1-2 (16 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
PREPARATION
Prepare crust by stirring together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Once combined, press into an even layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish, then refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large bowl or mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter for the filling. Once fluffy and combined, mix in vanilla extract, then gradually begin mixing in powdered sugar until very stiff.
Gently fold in diced pineapple until incorporated.
Spread mixture over set graham cracker crust in an even layer, then let set in the refrigerator.
Top with thawed frozen whipped topping or whipped cream, then let set again in the fridge.
Slice into squares, serve and enjoy!