No Bake Pineapple Pie (with cream cheese)
Meet the mouthwatering pineapple cheesecake pie, a dessert that's as easy to make as it is to devour. It's an incredibly delicious dessert with rave reviews. The cookie crust encases a 5-ingredient, no-bake filling that comes together in minutes. It can be made ahead and kept refrigerated or frozen.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the crumb crust:
- 1 ¾ cups fine graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream cold, or heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces regular cream cheese 1 block, at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple or pineapple rings drained
For the topping:
- 3 or 4 pineapple rings use extra or from the total amount above
- 2 or 3 tablespoons sugar if you wish to caramelize them
- drizzle of oil or dab of butter if you wish to caramelize them
Instructions
For the crumb crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) if you're baking the crust. You can opt for simply chilling it until firm.
- Have ready a 9-inch pie plate or pie pan with a removable bottom and high sides.
Make the crust:
- For the cookie crumbs (if you have whole graham crackers), the easiest way is to use a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Make sure there are no large pieces or that it's very coarse crumbs, as it will prevent the mixture from compressing well. You can also make the crumbs by hand, but it takes a while and some patience. Crush the cookies with a rolling pin. It's easier if you put them in a large plastic bag, like a Ziploc bag, leaving it a bit open to let the air out as you roll.
- By hand: mix 1 ¾ cups fine graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, and combine everything until it resembles wet sand and no dry spots remain.
- Food processor: Make the mixture directly in the bowl of the processor. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to the crumbs after you measure them, and add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, to the bowl of the processor. Pulse a few times, and you have your graham mixture ready.
- Press the mixture onto the pan, starting at the edges and the angles where the base and sides join together and make sure it's compacted. This will help when removing the pie from the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden and dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
- For a no-bake pie or dessert: Put the pie plate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the butter to firm up. This will make it less sturdy and might crumble here and there when you cut it, but it's worth it if you don't want to turn on the oven.
For the creamy pineapple filling:
- Beat 1 cup heavy cream, cold, in a large bowl until it forms medium-firm peaks. Reserve.
- In another large mixing bowl, beat 8 ounces regular cream cheese, softened, with ½ cup sugar until smooth, lump-free, and the sugar has dissolved a little. You can use an electric mixer for this part.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple or pineapple rings, well-drained and cut into bite-sized chunks if using rings. Mix to incorporate well.
- Add the pineapple mixture to the beaten cream in 2 parts, mixing lightly the first time and making sure it's fully incorporated the second time. Don't overmix but make sure no streaks remain. Use a spatula to integrate well.
- Fill the prepared crust, smooth the top and refrigerate the pie for several hours until firm.
- Add the topping at the last moment. You can have the caramelized pineapple made in advance or use canned pineapple slices, chopped. The pie should be served cold.
For the caramelized topping:
- If you're short on time or don't want to caramelize the pineapple, simply chop it, drain it well and top the cold pie.
- If you want caramelized fruit, heat a drizzle of oil or dab of butter in a non-stick skillet and add 3 or 4 pineapple rings. Sprinkle with half the sugar and cook for a few minutes. Flip and sprinkle the rest of the sugar on top.
- When the bottoms are caramelized, flip over and let the other side get golden brown. Move them a little during baking to avoid burning. Let cool, cut into pieces and distribute on top of the pie.
Video
Notes
Use canned pineapple for best results. Fresh pineapple can cause the whipped cream to become soupy or curdle.
Should the crust be baked? This no-bake pie doesn't require pre-baking the crust. However, if you prefer a crisper crust, you can bake it for 10 minutes and let it cool completely before filling it.
Drain the pineapple: it's an essential step to remove as much pineapple juice as possible. The excess liquid and moisture could make the pie filling too runny and affect its consistency. Use paper towels to blot and remove the excess juice.
Making the pie in advance: assemble and refrigerate it without toppings. Serve cold with the topping added at the last moment. Or freeze and serve cold, like its cousin, the millionaire no-bake pie.
If you want the tangy feeling of sour cream, replace 1 tablespoon (2 at the most) of the cream cheese with it. Use regular, full-fat sour cream.
