Enjoy the flavours of delicious, juicy pineapple, combined with a crumbly, crisp topping in my Fresh Pineapple Crisp. This is a super easy dessert to put together, with the most scrumptious results!
Why we love this recipe:
I am a huge pineapple fan. It is one of my all time favourite fruits. I love produce that is delicious in both sweet and savoury preparations.
Pineapple is such a versatile ingredient. I enjoy adding the delicious juice to my Pineapple Iced Tea, adding the fruit to tender muffins, and even making a savoury salsa to go alongside grilled meats!
The tangy, juicy flesh of the pineapple is perfectly complemented by the crumbly, crisp topping. Served with a scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream, this is a dessert I can eat anytime!
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Pineapple – my preference is to use fresh pineapple. If it isn’t in season, you could absolutely use canned or frozen pineapple.
Corn Flour/Corn Starch – a little is added to the pineapple chunks to help mop up those excess juices the fruit will release when it is cooking. We want a little bit of a sauce, but not for it to be too soggy!
Brown Sugar – we love the caramel flavour brown sugar gives to sweet treats!
Rolled Oats – old fashioned rolled oats are ideal for a crisp. Be sure to source gluten-free rolled oats if you require this dessert to be suitable for a coeliac or those who are gluten intolerant.
All Purpose/Plain Flour – mixed with the oats for that perfect crisp topping. This recipe has been tested with both regular and gluten-free flour, and is a success!
Butter – cold butter is what gives that crisp the perfect texture.
Step by Step instructions:
You’ll need to start by preheating your oven to 175 C (350 F).
Grease your baking dish with a little butter, or oil spray. You’ll need a ceramic or glass dish that has about 2.3 litres (2.5 quarts) capacity.
- Prepare your pineapple. If using fresh, follow our helpful tips below.
- In a bowl, combine the fresh pineapple chunks, cornflour and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Add this to your baking dish.
- In another bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar, plain flour, oats and butter. Mix well – you can start off by stirring, but I ultimately like to rub the butter between my fingers to create a lovely, crumbly texture!
- Top the pineapple evenly with your crumble mixture. Bake your Fresh Pineapple Crisp in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges.
I like to allow the crisp to cool slightly before serving – the flavours are better developed when they’re not boiling hot straight from the oven! Then serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
How do I prepare a whole fresh pineapple?
Using a sharp knife, lay the pineapple on its side on your chopping board, and slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple. (If you’re interested, research how to grow a pineapple from just the top, and give it a try!)
Stand the pineapple up on your chopping board, and carefully remove the skin. Try and not get too much of the flesh.
Now, you can either slice the pineapple into smaller, more workable portions, or continue working with the whole pineapple. The next step is to remove the brown spots or the “eyes” from the pineapple. You can use a small knife to do this, or a spoon.
Remove the core of the pineapple. Slice the pineapple into chunks.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
We love how simple this dessert is to prepare. The Fresh Pineapple Crisp does not take long to prepare, but here are some tips to help you get the best results!
Be sure to grease your dish – this makes the crisp much easier to serve.
Absolutely! I would recommend using fresh wherever possible, but you can certainly use canned or frozen pineapple, especially if fresh is not in season.
Although it is only a small amount, this is a step I feel is important to include in the recipe. As the fruit cooks, it releases a lot of juice. We want a little of this juice, but not too much! The cornflour helps absorb the excess juice and helps to thicken the sauce slightly.
Although very similar, the main difference is that a crisp always contains oats, while crumbles only do sometimes.
If preparing the crisp in advance, my preference is to keep the elements separate then assemble the dish just prior to baking. This will ensure the topping won’t absorb too much moisture while standing.
If you want to freeze the crisp, you can fully assemble the dish; the topping will not absorb too much moisture as the juice will be frozen. Ensure it is covered well – I wrap in several layers of cling film and then put in a plastic freezer bag.
Yes, the leftovers freeze well. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
When it comes to serving:
Once your Fresh Pineapple Crisp has baked, allow it to cool slightly on the kitchen bench.
Serve warm with some pouring cream, whipped cream, custard or my delicious No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We love using fresh fruit in dessert recipes. Here are some more for you to try:
- Pear and Raspberry Cake
- Blueberry Cake
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Bites
- Peach and Plum Crumble
- Chocolate Coated Strawberries
- Mini Plum Tartlets
- Peach, Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Raspberry Tarts
- Spiced Poached Plums
- Mini Meringues with Berries and Cream
- Gluten-Free Banana Blondies
Please let me know when you try this delicious Fresh Pineapple Crisp. It has quickly become one of our favourites, and I hope it will become yours, too!
Alex xx
Fresh Pineapple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Fruit Base:
- 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 1 pineapple) See Note 1
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/corn starch See Note 2 and 3
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar See Note 3
For the Crisp Topping:
- â…“ cup (50 g) all-purpose/plain flour See Note 4
- ¾ cup (60 g) rolled oats See Note 5
- â…“ cup (70 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (125 g) unsalted butter, cold See Note 6
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees C (350 F).
- Grease your baking dish with a little butter, or oil spray. You'll need a ceramic or glass dish that is about 2.3 litres (2.5 quart) capacity.
- Prepare your pineapple. If using fresh, you'll need to remove the top and base, and trim the skin. Remove the core and cut into chunks.
- In a bowl, combine the fresh pineapple chunks, cornflour and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Add this to your greased baking dish.
- In another bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar, plain flour, oats and butter. Mix well – you can start off by stirring, but I ultimately like to rub the butter between my fingers to create a lovely, crumbly texture! Top the pineapple evenly with your crumble mixture.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges.
- I like to allow the crisp to cool slightly before serving – the flavours are better developed when they're not boiling hot straight from the oven! Then serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
Notes
- Fresh Pineapple is our preference, but if you are unable to source it, you can certainly use frozen or canned.
- If making this dish gluten-free, be sure your corn flour is also gluten-free (sometimes, “cornflour” has been produced from wheat).
- In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. You may have to adjust your measurements accordingly.
- Use a gluten-free all-purpose/plain flour if you require. (This has been tested, and works perfectly)
- Use gluten-free oats if required.Â
- Using cold butter is important to get that fantastic “crisp” texture and topping. If your butter is too soft, your mixture will have a softer texture.
- For the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients.
- When measuring flour, use the spoon and level method. Firmly compacting the flour by scooping the cup into it can cause your measurements to be inaccurate.
- The serving size and nutritional information is based on six portions. This does not include what you may be serving the dish with, such as cream or ice cream.Â
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Diana
This pineapple crisp is now a regular part of our menu rotation. My daughter loves it so much she asks for it whenever she comes home to visit. I’ve made this with both canned and fresh pineapple and both are fantastic, though fresh is best. Our favorite way of serving this is with a scoop of coconut ice cream. I highly recommend this recipe! Thank you Alex!
Alexandra
Hi Diana, thank you for your lovely comments on the Pineapple Crisp. I am so pleased that you and your daughter enjoy it. Coconut ice cream sounds a great accompaniment. 🙂
Steph
I cooked this for the first time today, it was so delicious. Apart from the fact that I had used a whole pineapple which took a few minutes to prepare, this was so quick to put together and tasted sooo good, sweet but not at all sickly. We paired with clotted cream ice cream this time, but I look forward to trying it with cream next time.
Alexandra
Hi Steph, thank you so much for your fantastic feedback on the Pineapple Crisp. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Cait
If using frozen pineapple, should we bother to thaw it first?
Alexandra
Hi Cait! No need to thaw the fruit first 🙂
Just make sure it isn’t too icy (ie: has been in the freezer too long and ice has built up on the fruit!) – that will add too much moisture to the dish.
But otherwise, straight from frozen will be fine!