Absolutely authentic Pineapple Delights are an easy to make, creamy, crunchy, tangy sweet treat. Hailing from Northern Ireland, this nostalgic no-bake dessert has been charming tea-time tables for decades.
Whether you’re a native (like me) rediscovering a childhood favorite or a global foodie curious about this hidden gem, Pineapple Delights offer a slice of Northern Ireland’s culinary heart that’s as easy to make as it is to love.
What Exactly Are Pineapple Delights?
They are a Multi Layered Sweet Treat:
- Bottom layer is made from cookie (biscuit) crumbs combined with melted butter. Shortbread, graham cracker, or sugar cookie crumbs are ideal.
- The center layer is a buttercream with cream cheese added for depth. I like to use whipped cream cheese.
- The top is the creamy pineapple layer with a fine dusting of either biscuit crumbs or grated chocolate.
Pineapple Delights vs Other Pineapple Desserts.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake, became popular in mid-1920s America, when the Dole Pineapple Company sponsored a contest for pineapple recipes. It is a moist cake topped with sticky sweet pineapple rings and cherries.
- Fengli Su is a Taiwanese shortcake with a sweet pineapple jam filling. The shortcake has a crumbly buttery crust on the outside with a tangy, jammy filling.
- Grilled Pineapple – originating in Brazil, it involves simply grilling cut pineapple. The naturally present sugars caramelize with the heat. The end result is a sweet, sour, and smoky dessert.
- Pineapple Cheesecake is a no bake cheesecake that uses a cookie base, with a cream cheese filling. Pineapple will either appear in the topping or filling. This American cheesecake is the closest dessert in appearance, texture and flavor to Pineapple Delights.
- Piña Colada Ice Box Cake is a Puerto Rican and American combination, taking the official drink ingredients of Piña Colada ~ pineapple juice, rum and coconut cream, and turning them into a 1920’s style cake made from layered cookies and cream. The cake is then stored in the refrigerator (ice box as it was known at the time.)
- Hummingbird Cake, an American classic banana bread with crushed pineapple added, topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Of all of these sweet treats, the Pineapple Cheesecake is the most similar to these Pineapple Delights.
The Sweet History of Pineapple Delights
Pineapple Delights originated in Northern Ireland, where they became a popular homemade treat in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, fresh pineapples in Northern Ireland symbolized wealth and hospitality but they were rare, and costly to import. This led to cultivation efforts in glasshouses at places like Hillsborough Castle.
Tinned pineapple is synonymous with World War 2. Britain imported about 80% of its fruit, primarily tinned to ensure a long shelf life. In 1938, the UK imported nearly 2 million cases of tinned pineapple from Malaya. We know the arrival of tinned (canned) pineapple arrived in U.K. before WW2. Canned pineapple arrived on U.K. shores sometime before the 1880’s. In the book “Three Men in a Boat,” (Jerome, Jerome K. Three Men in a Boat. Penguin Books, 1889,) there is a mention of the fruit on page 183, “George drew out a tin of pine-apple.”
Sometime after WW2, the simple tin of pineapple was not only consumed as an exotic dessert choice, but also as an ingredient in desserts such as Pineapple Delights!
I retrieved this recipe from my “Bon Appetit!” recipe book (Bon Appetit. LM Press Ltd, 1971.) This booklet was put together with various contributors across Northern Ireland, but especially around the Lurgan area in County Armagh. It was produced as a fundraiser for the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund.
It’s time for this retro Northern Irish traybake to stage a delicious comeback!
Easy Homemade Pineapple Delights Recipe: Step-by-Step for Beginners
- Gather these simple ingredients:
- typically digestive biscuits are used for the base, but in this recipe I am using graham crackers.
- butter: salted or unsalted. If using unsalted like me, add a pinch of salt to the butter as it is melting. Melt the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.
- canned crushed pineapple.
- cream cheese: I prefer the whipped version to make a lighter filling.
- powdered sugar / icing sugar.
- cream: heavy whipping (double) is preferred.
Pineapple Delights Recipe (Northern Ireland version)
Drain the pineapple through a sieve; the goal is to have the pineapple as dry as possible.
Line a square cake pan with parchment paper for easy removal after the chilling stage.
Using a food processor, make biscuit (cookie) crumbs.
Add melted butter (half the quantity) to the crumbs and pulse to combine butter and crumbs together.
Push the crumbs into the paper lined cake tin.
Cream together the remaining butter with the powdered sugar.
When creamed, add in the whipped cream cheese.
Spread the filling mixture over the biscuit base.
Put the cream into the food processor bowl to whip.
Add the whipped cream to the well drained pineapple.
Add the cream and pineapple mixture to the buttercream in bits. This will make it easier to spread.
Smooth the cream and pineapple layer over the buttercream layer and create a design if desired.
Finally chill the Pineapple Delights overnight preferably or at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Before serving, grate a little chocolate on top and cut into 16 pieces.
Video How to Make Pineapple Delights
If you prefer to see the video how to make them, here it is!
Delicious Twists on Pineapple Delights
- Swap out digestive or shortbread biscuits and instead use ginger snaps or Biscoff cookies for the biscuit base.
- Use a round cake pan and serve Pineapple Delights as a wedge, more like a traditional cheesecake.
- Following the original recipe, using a square cake tin, cut the Delights into smaller mini bites. This finger food style is great for parties.
- Use natural sugar alternatives, such as monk fruit sugar (zero calories and zero glycemic effect), to make this sweet treat diabetic friendly. (Using diabetic cookies for the base and monk fruit sugar to replace the powder sugar, the sugar content is 6g for one serving instead of 20g.)
A Tip From Me
Pro Tip: Do not use fresh pineapple in this recipe. The juice from the fresh fruit contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down milk proteins. The end result will be curdled and separated cream. Use canned, crushed pineapple which does not contain the enzyme. Drain the canned pineapple well so that the top layer of whipped cream does not end up being sloppy.
Pro Tip: I recommend whipped cream cheese for a fluffier, lighter middle layer of these Pineapple Delights.
Pro Tip: to make this dessert absolutely authentic, do not use Cool Whip, cake mix or instant pudding. The most authentic ingredient to use are Digestive Biscuits, but not everyone can get their hands on them, so use a neutral flavored biscuit / cookie instead.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully?
They contain gluten and dairy. The recipe can be modified to use gluten free cookies and dairy free butter, cream cheese and cream.
Having the correct storage will help prolong their shelf life. Store in a food storage container with a good seal. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Do not decorate with chocolate or cut the Delights in advance, but rather cut and finish them when they are ready to be consumed.
Absolutely, Pineapple Delights are the perfect family-friendly activity with a delicious result for you all to enjoy. Supervise the melting of the butter (can be a burn hazard), and whipping the cream (over whipped cream will form butter and buttermilk).
In my opinion the perfect tea for this sweet treat, is a tea from the N. of Ireland! I highly recommend a nice cup of Punjana tea with a little splash of cold milk. If you prefer a cold drink alternative, then a chilled Ginger Ale or Cream Soda will go nicely with these sweet treats.
Why Pineapple Delights Are the Perfect Retro Dessert for Your Next Gathering
While Pineapple Delights can be found in some bakery cases around the Province, their popularity waned in the 90’s as new tray bakes, desserts and sweet trays appeared on the scene. This means there is a whole new generation of people who have yet to experience this forgotten classic and a whole generation who need to remember just how good Pineapple Delights are!
Pineapple Delights are set to make a comeback. Are you ready to bake? Pin this recipe for later.
Pineapple Delights Recipe – Easy No Bake Northern Irish Traybake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 oz cookies biscuits (UK / Ireland). Buy whole cookies or cookie crumbs.
- 8 oz butter divided into 2.
- 6 oz powder sugar icing sugar.
- 4 oz cream cheese whipped cream cheese is preferable.
- 4 oz cream fresh, dairy cream, either heavy whipping cream or whipping cream.
- 20 oz can of crushed pineapple preferably in juice, not syrup.
Instructions
- Drain the pineapple through a sieve, until it is dry.
- Line a square cake pan with parchment paper.
- Using a food processor, make biscuit (cookie) crumbs. Melt half of the butter and add to the crumbs and pulse to combine butter and crumbs together.
- Push the crumbs into the paper lined cake tin.
- Cream together the remaining butter with the powdered sugar, then add in the whipped cream cheese.
- Spread the filling mixture over the biscuit base.
- Put the cream into the food processor bowl to whip.
- Add the whipped cream to the well drained pineapple.
- Spread the cream and pineapple mixture over the buttercream layer.
- Make a design on top if desired, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Cut into 16 pieces and decorate with a little grated chocolate, cocoa powder or cookie crumbs.
Video
Notes
- Use shortbread, graham cracker, digestive biscuits, sugar cookies, Biscoff cookies, ginger snaps or similar for the biscuit / cookie base.
- Do not use fresh pineapple in this recipe. It will be curdle and separate the cream. Use canned, crushed pineapple.
- Drain the canned pineapple well so that the top layer of whipped cream does not end up being sloppy.
- I recommend whipped cream cheese for a fluffier, lighter middle layer of these Pineapple Delights.
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