Pineapple Dream Bars
A refreshingly light dessert to share with friends or make for a pool party. Pineapple lovers unite!
I could eat half this tray myself. The lightness of the cool whip layered on top of a rich creamy white chocolate cream cheese filling with a crushed cookie crust. It will blow your socks off how easy and tasty this is. I know what I'll be bringing to my next potluck.
Big pineapple fan here. Talking to the guy who drank more virgin Pina Coladas before 21 than anyone else in his family. It just tastes refreshingly like summer. Citrusy, juicy heaven. We don't want to take away from the pineapple flavor here, so we keepin’ it vanilla. This recipe reminds me of my grandma's Hawaiian salad with how light and airy these bars taste. Cool whip makes the work easy.
I love this cream cheese frosting recipe. Whipped softened cream cheese and butter, blended with creamy white chocolate makes this frosting much smoother than other recipes. White chocolate adds smoothness, flavor, and sweetness to this recipe. We love a double-duty ingredient. The sweetness from the white chocolate helps to balance the mild pineapple whipped topping. Are you thinking about sugar balance in your desserts? It’s not only better for our bellies, but it helps make dessert taste more exciting. A dash of salt in the whipped cream or a tangy hint of lemon in icing makes so much of a difference in the final result.
Using Nilla wafers in this recipe was a must for me. Graham cracker crumbs are great for cheesecake and smores bars, but this pineapple dessert deserves a little something special. This cookie layer adds sweet and salty elements to the dessert. We’re highlighting the pineapple here, so again keeping it vanilla. Nothing wrong with keepin’ it vanilla sometimes. This recipe comes together so fast, that your head’s going to be spinning with new combinations.
Pineapple Dream Bars
For crust:
- 1 -11 oz. box Nilla wafer cookies
- 1 stick salted butter, melted
For filling:
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 6 oz. white chocolate, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
For pineapple:
- 20 oz. crushed pineapple chunks can, drained
- 8 oz. cool whip
Directions:
- In a food processor, combine cookies and melted butter until sand like crumb forms. Reserve 1/4 cup of crumbs for topping.
- Pat crumb into a parchment lined 9x9 square pan and freeze for 30 minutes or until crumb has hardened.
- Using a small microwave safe bowl, microwave white chocolate in 15 second intervals until melted. Let cool down for a couple minutes.
- In a mixer, combine cream cheese, butter and sour cream until mixture is fluffy and mixed through.
- Add in the melted white chocolate and vanilla, mix until combined. Spread filling over crust evenly and set aside.
- In a large bowl, fold together the drained pineapple and cool whip until incorporated. Spread mixture evenly over filling and top with reserved crumbs.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours until mixture has set.
- Pineapple!
Recipe adapted from Amandas Cookin and King Arthur Baking.