Pineapple Dream Dessert
(Almost) No-Bake Pineapple Dream Dessert is a delicious summer dessert! Cream cheese, pineapple, whipped topping and graham crackers – so simple!
A CREAMY (ALMOST NO-BAKE) DESSERT
To celebrate summer, I thought I’d share this old school recipe made with graham crackers, crushed pineapple, cream cheese and Cool Whip It was pretty popular in the 70’s. It’s simple to make but it’s served chilled so it is refreshing and surprisingly does not taste heavy at all. This 8×8-inch dish can be cut into 12-15 pieces so it serves more than you would think. Do yourself a favor and bring back this favorite dessert and make it a 1970’s summer to remember.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You can use salted or unsalted butter, whatever you have. Just make sure that it is butter and not margarine. Generally I will use unsalted but I’ve made it with salted and it still tastes great.
Yes! This is a great substitution. It would taste very much like an orange creamsicle!
Yes, you can make it with homemade whipped cream but the Cool Whip holds up better in this recipe. Unfortunately, homemade whipped cream doesn’t stay stabilized as long as whipped topping.
I’ve only ever used the canned fruit for this recipe so I can’t say whether it would work with fresh cut fruit.
This dessert needs to be kept covered in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days. Pineapple Dream Dessert can also be frozen. Wrap with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and it will keep for up to 3 months. To defrost, put into the refrigerator overnight.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- graham cracker crumbs – I just crush them up myself but you can buy graham cracker crumbs to save yourself that extra step.
- salted butter – it’s gotta be real butter. Do not try to substitute with margarine or butter substitutes. Also, I prefer salted butter here. It does not make this taste salty. It just adds a nice balance of flavor with all the other sweetness going on.
- cream cheese – it needs to be fully softened to room temperature. If it isn’t, you’ll end up with a very lumpy filling that you won’t be able to smooth out.
- powdered sugar – I really recommend using powdered sugar over granulated here so it will be smooth and not grainy.
- whipped topping (COOL WHIP) – if you’ve never purchased this before, you will find it in the frozen section near the desserts and ice cream. You need to let it thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight) before you can use it.
- crushed pineapple – it’s important that you drain it really well. Too much moisture and the dessert won’t set up properly.
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE DREAM DESSERT
Preheat oven to 300F degrees. Crush the graham crackers. I just put them in a Ziploc bag and pound them. You can also just buy graham cracker crumbs too. Whatever works for you. I just happened to have these graham crackers for s’mores.
Also, at this point, go ahead and get your pineapple drained. I just throw it in a strainer and let it drain while I get to work on everything else.
Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter in the microwave using a medium, microwave-safe bowl.
Add 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs to the melted butter and stir until combined.
Measure out 2 CUPS of the crumb mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish.
It helps to use the bottom of a flat measuring cup or glass to press the mixture down.
Bake crumb mixture for about 8-10 minutes and then allow to cool completely.
You’ll have some crumb mixture left over. Just hang onto it because you’ll need it for the topping. Measure 4 ounces (1/2 block) softened cream cheese. Most cream cheese is sold in blocks of 8 ounces and have these handy dandy little markings on them to help you measure it out easily.
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy.
It helps to use an electric mixer or a stand mixer for this.
If using a stand mixer, turn it down to low and add the powdered sugar slowly until it is all incorporated and smooth.
Now add in a big ole heaping tablespoon of the drained pineapple and give it a good stir.
Next, spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked and cooled graham cracker crust.
In a separate bowl, combine the whipped topping with the remaining drained crushed pineapple.
Stir well. It will get thick and clumpy. Spread whipped topping mixture over the cream cheese layer. I just drop it by the blob-full all over and then gently spread it using the back of my spoon.
Now, sprinkle the rest of the graham cracker crumb mixture on the top.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This is a great dessert to make the night before you actually need to serve it.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: June 2015
Updated photos & republished: May 2020
Pineapple Dream Dessert
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs,
For the filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block), softened to room temperature
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained really well)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
For the crust:
- Crush graham crackers. Also, drain 20 ounce can crushed pineapple.
- Melt 1/2 cup salted butter in the microwave in a medium, microwave-safe bowl.
- Add 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, to the melted butter and stir until combined.
- Measure out 2 CUPS of the crumb mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square baking dish (whichever you have)
- Bake crumb mixture for about 8-10 minutes and then allow to cool completely.
- You’ll have some crumb mixture (1/2 cup) left over. Just hang onto it because you’ll need it for the topping.
For the filling:
- In a stand mixer (or using an electric mixer), beat 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block), softened to room temperature and 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature until creamy.
- If using a stand mixer, turn it down to low and add 2 cups powdered sugar slowly until it is all incorporated and smooth.
- Now add in a heaping tablespoon of the drained crushed pineapple and give it a good stir.
- Next, spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked and cooled graham cracker crust.
- In a separate bowl, combine 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed with the remaining drained crushed pineapple.
- Stir well. It will get thick and clumpy.
- Spread whipped topping mixture over the cream cheese layer. I just drop it by the blob-full all over and then gently spread it using the back of my spoon.
- Now, sprinkle the rest of the graham cracker crumb mixture on the top.
- Cover the whole dish with plastic wrap. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe credit: Amanda’s Cookin
Very easy and not to sweet.B
i miss read the recipie and added the cream cheese pineapple, butter, into the whipped cream……..lol see how it works out……..lol
I tried it and turned out amazing , my husband absolutely loved it.
Can I freeze this?
This sounds amazing and I will be saving this for something to put on the holiday dessert table, but I have to ask you one question… Is it OK if I use the back of “my” spoon instead of yours? LOL! Sorry, but that typo made me giggle. My thought was “Wow! It virtually has almost no work if Brandie spreads it out for us!” HAHAHA! It sounds delish and thank you for the recipe!
Bahahaha! That wasn’t exactly worded the way I intended it to come out. LOL!
Today I decided to step it up. Added teaspoon of coconut extract and coconut. We call it pina colada dream.
A girl I work with tried this with pineapple and LOVED it! I’m using fresh strawberries… how can it not be good?!
The is so good but very rich. I would cut into 16 pieces.
This is delicious. I made it on Memorial Day, and they are already asking for it again. Easy to make, cool and refreshing for summer. This one is definitely a keeper !!!!
Brandie—you mentioned making this with Mandarin oranges. Would I mush them or put them thru the chopper and proceed as with the pineapple? Please help. My husband loves creamsicles and I would like to surprise him for Father’s Day.
Hi Dolores! I wouldn’t mush them or anything. They tend to break up pretty easy as you stir so you shouldn’t need to do anything different. I hope that helps! 🙂
I made this today. It was very easy to do. However, I think it was way too sweet for my taste. Of course my friend loved it. Guys eat anything. He did say it was good and to make it again.
I will make again cutting down to 1 cup of the sugar and just crushing up the graham crackers and spreading on the bottom and not baking in the oven. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It really has my creative juices flowing (am wondering what it will taste like with different fruits….maybe peach)
This just got added to my summer dessert list. I love pineapple. This not only sounds delicious but it looks so easy! I wish we weren’t under the semi quarantine so I could make this for Memorial Day. We are planning a family get together in a couple weeks so I’m bringing this.
I made it & we loved it. But I don’t like Graham Cracker Crust as I think it’s too sweet. So I always substitute Cornflake Crumbs for Graham Cracker Crumbs & it is DELICIOUS. If you can’t find Cornflake Crumbs, just get a box of Cornflake Cereal & crush them up like you would graham crackers. Just add a little sugar or Splenda to the Cornflakes. Cornflake Crumbs are just a tad sweetened. .
Didn’t say when to put the powered sugar in if using an electric mixer
Hi June! Put it in the same time as it says in the instructions when using a stand mixer. 🙂
I made this and it’s really good! Could you use any other fruit instead of pineapple? Also if you wanted to use sugar in the Graham cracker crust how much would you use
Hi Dianne! Yay!! So happy you loved it! I don’t see why you couldn’t use other types of fruit. Mandarin oranges might be good. I suppose you could add sugar to the graham cracker crust. Maybe about 1/4 cup??
Can I use lemon instead of pineapple?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not!
Do you use the pineapple in heavy syrup, or in the unsweetened juice? Thanks!
It might be hard to see in the ingredient picture above but I use crushed pineapple in 100% juice. 🙂
How important is it to use the butter with the cream cheese mixture?
Hi Tami, pretty important. Is there an issue or a substitution you are thinking of? 🙂
Can you use a ready made graham cracker shell instead of crushing, mixing and pressing one yourself?
I suppose you could but you’d need a few of them for this amount of filling. Also, the way this is made, it leaves the crust just slightly crumbly and crunchy and you wouldn’t really get that texture with a ready made graham cracker shell. Hope that helps!
Wonder if real whipped heavy cream could be used instead of cool whip?
I haven’t tried it Donna. I think the only concern is making sure the homemade whipped cream was stable. It tends to breakdown after a short period of time.
I haven’t made this yet I was wondering if you made it a day or two in advance would the bottom get soggy??
Could you use coconut instead of pineapple ?
I see how much butter to add to the graham cracker mixture, but. How much butter do you add to the cream cheese?
Made it with pinneaple per the recipe. It tasted a lot like banana cream pie, except pineappley. Since my wife’s favorite desert is banana cream pie, I’ve now got a banana version cooling in the fridge. Initial taste tests say it’s awesome!
Thank you for this amazing recipe, all my guests loved it.
I wss thinking of making it in mini dessert cups next time for individual serving but off course I can’t bake those since they are plastic, so do you think I can make it without baking the graham crackers? Or should I bake it in a different pan and then transfer to individual cups?
Delicious
I m not fan of dessert but i love pineapples, and this dessert is heavenly . Thx for the recipe
could this be made with any fruit?
What size of baking dish should I use. The picture shows a square one but I’m needing to take this to a pot luck dinner and would like to use a long baking dish. Will that be enough to fill a larger dish?
Wanda – it would be pretty thin if you made it in a 13×9 baking dish. I would probably double the recipe for that size dish. 🙂
yummy!!! loved it
Just out of curiosity, why can’t you use margarine in this recipe. It calls for butter and your instructions specifically say not to use margarine. I don’t use butter but don’t want to ruin the recipe by using margarine.
Can you double this for a 9 by 13 ” pan?
I need To make this ahead of time , can I freeze this pineapple Dream Dessert?
Well I made this today for tomorrow Thangiving Day . I love it and will make again , I hope my family loves it.
Hi sounds delicious , can this be frozen
Thx kindly
I have to make this at least once a week–don’t even need the recipe anymore..:)
I JUST FINISHED MAKING THIS DESSERT AND TOOK A TASTE BEFORE REFRIGERATING, IT IS DELICIOUS, I ADDED COCONUT TO EACH STEP EXCEPT THE CRUST, YUMMY. THANK YOU FOR SHARING, I AM TAKING IT TO A FATHERSDAY COOKOUT.
Love the addition of coconut, hope it is the talk of the cookout! Enjoy
Growing up my mom used to make something similar to this using Alpha evaporated milk. She would whip the whole can of it and add sugar, lemon jello, and crushed pineapple, then it would set in the fridge overnight. Have never made this but I'm going to try it. Sounds good! What another commenter said about raising kids is true. Get them involved in chores and reward them and life will be way easier! No one will remember how clean your house was, how much money you had in the bank, or what car you drove. Your kids will remember things you did with and for them for sure.
This reminds me of one of my very favorite recipes from the '60 called The Minot Cheesecake. It was delicious. You can still find the recipe for it plus more of their recipes just by googling "Minot recipes". Plus you can still buy Minot today. I think all it is really is a type of evaporated milk but you might want to buy some and try it's recipes.
Good luck and thanks for reminding me about this very delicious recipe.
The powder sugar I dont have can I use Icing sugar or is it the same thing
Thank you! I just to work with a woman that made this dessert and I loved it! I might have known how to make it once upon a time, but have forgotten. Occasionally I would think about it and wonder how to make it. I have pinned your recipe! Really….thanks!
I have all of these ingredients laying around my house right now. I could easily make this. Thank you for your post. This is a great recipe. http://askmelissaanything.blogspot.com/
I hope things settle down a bit for you! We need you to keep blogging and sharing these great recipes.
Hey, is the consistency of the filling such that I could put it in a graham cx pie shell and skip the crumb topping? It holds up to the slicing? THX!
To my other Anon. commenter with the grown kids – thank you for that! It helps to hear from an experienced Momma that we just can't do it all. I mean, there's a limit, right? And yes, I totally agree about the kiddos helping where they can! As much as I'd love to do more, I just can't without breaking myself too. Plus, we ned time for ourselves too to get centered again. Thank you for your sweet comment!
Anon. – That's great practical advice and thank you for listening and understanding! Sometimes it helps just to have someone who listens and gets it! Us Mommas can make ourselves feel guilty real quick, right?
Linda – to answer your question – yes, I think you could definitely do that! It does set up thick enough that it slices up beautifully so I think that would totally work. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
Oh Brandie – don't doubt yourself girl…you are EXCELLENT at small talk! ;-} That's one big reason your fans love you so much…you're down to earth…everyday…plain and simple. You'll figure out how to balance your days…and I'm sure you'll keep first things first. It will be fun. This recipe looks awesome…my hubby doesn't care for canned pineapple, but I'm going to print it to make for a crowd somewhere else but home. Thanks for sharing your delicious and simple recipes that we all love so much.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I do have a question. I teach English in Nicaragua and do not have canned pineapple or cool whip. I do have fresh pineapple and I have some dream whip paackages that I have shipped to Nicaragua. Do you think I can use these as a substitute for the crushed pineapple and cool whip? Thank you for your website.
I think it sounds better! I would just crush up the fresh as best you can and use the dream whip as if it were cool whip. Hope you can get the cream cheese and powdered sugar…
Hi Brandie,
I had a similar situation working from home with kids. Awful. Made me all around cranky (putting it nicely). While it can be done for a day or two successfully, it is just not practical for an ongoing daily basis. My solution was summer day-camp at The Boys and Girls Club. If you have one in your area you should check it out. My kids absolutely love it, so many activities and field trips, they are disappointed to come home at the end of the day sometimes. That makes me happy because I know they are having way more fun than staying home with my trying-to-work-cranky self! The B & G Club is subsidized by grants and private donations, so weekly rates are very economical. Best of luck.
My mouth is watering. I love pineapple and this looks easy and refreshing.
Have the kiddos help you in the morning after they are fed and then reward them with a trip or picnic or any event. Does not have to be done every single day they are out of school. I am OCD and am not really one to talk about letting your chores go at home but as I aged I learned when things are said and done, those children get really big and leave home and you don't want to regret the short time you had with them. Then you can clean all you want; they really do not look at a spotless house as their priority….believe me. Always said my tombstone would say, "Here lies ——-; she kept a clean house" lol When it is too late, you will wish you had planned and balanced out your time to include them the most; I am a great-grandmother and I see that now. Would give anything to have them all back under my wing… Sincerely hope this doesn't drive you crazy and you can find a balance with things. It will make your summer so much more enjoyable. Love your blog by the way….wonderful, wonderful recipes…get many fresh new ideas….
Oh Brandie-you don't have to do it all. Think of the song "Summertime and the Living is easy". I am old now and my sons are long since grown. Never once have they said to -thanks mom for having the cleanest and shiniest kitchen floor, but they have said things like I loved it when you took us to the lake to fish and have a little picnic or I loved coming home from the park pool and smelling supper on the grill from a half block away. You can ask for help from your kids. I never expected mine to take over my duties, but to say things like "guys, if we get the garden cleaned up we could go to a movie after lunch or whatever needs done. Dangling a carrot is still a good method and leaves them happy. Just remember-you are right now creating memories for them and actually for yourself as well. The discipline of work leads to rewards and that is true in adult life and is important to learn in childhood.
Yay! I hope you love it! Once it's gotten cold in the fridge, it almost tastes like ice cream with a crunch!
OMG… it's early, I haven't even had coffee or b'fast yet but I want some of this NOW ! and how lucky am I to have everything in my pantry at this very moment..lol..
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe