Food & Cooking Recipes 34 Pineapple Recipes That Prove the Versatility of This Sweet, Juicy Fruit Whether you char it on the grill or bake it into a cake, pineapple always takes a dish to the next level. By Frances Kim Frances Kim Frances is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 8, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Johnny Miller Don't be deterred by this fruit's prickly exterior: Fresh pineapple is the perfect sweet, sunny treat to brighten up any day. Once rare in the United States, pineapple was served only on special occasions, becoming a symbol of hospitality. Today, it's readily available—and we enjoy it in all kinds of ways. Raw, charred on the grill, or baked into desserts like buckles and upside-down cakes, the fruit is a transportive ingredient that deserves the spotlight (which is where our collection of pineapple recipes comes in). These Peach Recipes Are the Essence of Summer How to Identify a Ripe Pineapple Before you start cooking, grilling, or baking with this tropical fruit—which doesn't ripen further after it is picked—you need to know how to identify a good one at the store. Look for fruit that's heavy for its size, with a rich, sweet fragrance. The leaves should be green and fresh-looking. If you can pull one from the center of the stem with only slight resistance, you'll know it's ripe. How to Store Pineapple Ripe pineapple will keep at room temperature for about two days and in the refrigerator (either in a plastic bag or in the crisper) for about four days. The flesh could develop dark spots from temperature changes, so refrigerate pineapple that was bought chilled. How to Cut a Pineapple To prepare, slice away the spiky skin to reveal the juicy golden flesh. Head over to our pineapple cutting guide for more information on how to make rings, spears, or chunks. Below, discover our best recipes that highlight this tropical fruit—go ahead and start cooking. 25 Spectacular Shredded Coconut Recipes 01 of 34 Pork Chops With Pineapple-Cilantro Rice Johnny Miller This dinner comes together in just 45 minutes—and in a single skillet to boot. Basmati rice, studded with chopped pineapple and cabbage and flavor-boosted with fresh ginger and cilantro, is a tasty accompaniment for baked bone-in pork chops. View Recipe 02 of 34 Pineapple, Mango, and Meyer Lemon Salad Christopher Baker Vibrant and cheerful, this yellow fruit salad, which features pineapple, Meyer lemon, and mango, will stand out on a buffet table. Toasted coconut flakes offer crunch and tropical flavor. View Recipe 03 of 34 Baked Pineapple Kirsten Francis All you need are a handful of ingredients to make this show-stopping dessert; it's guaranteed to transport you to the tropics. Sliced pineapple is baked in a brown sugar-butter glaze and served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer treat. View Recipe 04 of 34 Coconut-Pineapple Loaf Cake You'll use canned pineapple to make this flavorful loaf cake. Sour cream prevents the fruit from taking over; sweetened shredded coconut is the ultimate topping. View Recipe 05 of 34 Hummingbird Carrot Cake Chris Simpson Inspired by the Southern special made with banana, pineapple, pecan, and coconut, our recipe takes this cake to new heights—and new levels of sweetness—with carrots and canned diced pineapple for even more texture. View Recipe 06 of 34 Spicy Pork-and-Pineapple Stir-Fry Justin Walker Pineapple is the not-so-secret sweet ingredient in this takeout-inspired dinner. It's tossed along with pork tenderloin, red bell peppers, onions, and green beans, then coated with a thickened Sriracha sauce. View Recipe 07 of 34 Spicy Pineapple-Peanut Salad Lennart Weibull This is no ordinary side salad. Inspired by the flavors of south Asia, pineapple is topped with shallots, peanuts, Thai chile pepper, and fresh mint leaves. All of the ingredients are then drizzled with a simple rice-vinegar-and-olive-oil dressing. View Recipe 08 of 34 Tropical-Fruit Salad With Coconut Crunch Petrina Tinslay We eat with our eyes first—and this salad looks stunning and tastes spectacular. Fresh, juicy fruit including pineapple, strawberries, mangoes, and papayas are arranged on a platter and garnished with a coconut-poppy seed crunch sweetened with vanilla and honey. View Recipe 09 of 34 Pineapple Highball Kana Okada Making a homemade vanilla syrup is the sweet, special touch this tropical cocktail needs. When it's time to serve, just mix all the ingredients together for one drink in a glass and sip, sip, hooray! View Recipe 10 of 34 Grilled-Pork-and-Pineapple Tacos Sidney Bensimon The combination of tender, smoky pork and pineapple marries a classic Mexican bite with warm weather flavors. The ingredients list is short and sweet, too, which makes this great for weeknight dinners or easy backyard barbecues. View Recipe 11 of 34 Tropical-Fruit Crepe Cake Johnny Miller In need of an impressive make-ahead summer treat? Turn to this layered crêpe cake, which is a piña colada in dessert form—thanks to layers and layers of coconut-infused pastry cream. You can make all 40 crepes (yes, 40!) and the filling up to three days in advance. View Recipe 12 of 34 Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Bryan Gardner Perhaps the first dessert that comes to mind when you think of the succulent yellow fruit, pineapple upside-down cake is a classic for good reason. We bake it in a cast-iron skillet for an extra crispy exterior and exciting presentation. View Recipe 13 of 34 Crushed Pineapple-Rosemary Limeade Marcus Nilsson Call it a juice, refresher, or mocktail—no matter what name you give it, it's just plain delicious. A giant pitcher of finely chopped pineapple, lime juice, and club comes together for a fizzy, fruity drink. Rosemary is an unexpected garnish that adds subtle earthiness. View Recipe 14 of 34 Pineapple-Raspberry Bellini Armando Rafael A French martini is traditionally made with vodka, Chambord (raspberry liqueur), and pineapple juice. Here, we're keeping the same flavors but with a bubbly fresh twist thanks to sparkling white wine, seltzer, fresh strawberries, and fresh pineapple juice. Serve in a giant pitcher for crowd-friendly pouring. View Recipe 15 of 34 Spicy Shrimp Fajitas With Grilled Pineapple Pico Armando Rafael We love shrimp for their versatility and quick-cooking nature. Here, we toss them with chipotle-in-adobo sauce, which combines dried jalapeños in a smoky, sweet red sauce. View Recipe 16 of 34 Pineapple-Cucumber Spritz Christopher Testani On a hot day, there's nothing better than a non-alcoholic spritz. This bright green stunner is a breath of fresh air thanks to ribbons of cucumbers, mint leaves, pineapple juice, and a splash of seltzer. View Recipe 17 of 34 Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie Linda Pugliese Skip the long flight and sunburn and enjoy the taste of paradise right in your own home. Whip up this good-for-you smoothie instead, which has all the sweet flavors you love with health benefits to boot. View Recipe 18 of 34 Caramelized Pineapple With Vanilla Ice Cream David Sawyer It's time to play with fire! Caramelized pineapples, with their sticky sweet syrup and subtly warm notes of rum and brown sugar, are delicious atop vanilla ice cream, pancakes, or pound cake. This gorgeous topping all comes together in 20 minutes. View Recipe 19 of 34 Yogurt With Caramelized Pineapple and Hazelnuts Marcus Nilsson This recipe is much more exciting than the usual granola. Pineapple chunks and rolled oats are cooked in butter and sugar until golden, then amped up with lime zest and toasted hazelnuts. It makes a heavenly topping for morning yogurt. View Recipe 20 of 34 Spicy Pineapple Slaw linda xaio Turn up the volume on ordinary cabbage slaw by adding pineapple, jalapeños, red onion, lime juice, and plenty of fresh cilantro and mint. View Recipe 21 of 34 Hawaiian Meatballs Mike Krautter The sweet-and-sour pineapple glaze goes well with the cilantro-flecked pork meatballs in this Hawaiian-inspired dish. View Recipe 22 of 34 Lattice-Topped Vanilla Bean Pineapple Tart Poach fresh pineapple slices in rum with brown sugar and vanilla bean to create the tropical filling for this tart. To form the perfect lattice crust, weave the strips of dough together on a parchment-lined pan and freeze before transferring to the top of the tart. View Recipe 23 of 34 Thai Coconut Chicken With Pineapple Salsa RYANE LIEBE Ginger, garlic, coconut milk, and a splash of fish sauce create layers of flavor in this quick and easy Thai-inspired supper. You'll want to spoon the spicy pineapple salsa on everything! View Recipe 24 of 34 Pineapple-Mint Daiquiris Marcus Nilsson The fresh pineapple juice used in this spin on a classic cocktail is made by simmering the fruit with sugar and water until tender, puréeing, and straining. It takes some time to prepare, but it pays off with big flavor. View Recipe 25 of 34 Pineapple-Mustard-Glazed Ham A DIY glaze made with fresh pineapple and country mustard sets this Easter ham apart. View Recipe 26 of 34 Ceviche With Tropical Fruit and Habanero Johnny Miller Diced red snapper is "cooked" in fresh orange and lime juice, then tossed with mango, pineapple, tomatoes, habanero, red onion, cilantro, and olive oil in this light, refreshing appetizer. View Recipe 27 of 34 Broiled Spicy Pork and Pineapple Joseph De Leo It doesn't get much easier than this one-pan broiler dinner. The high heat turns pork chops nice and juicy and gives pineapple and scallions the perfect amount of char. Serve over sticky rice with thinly sliced Thai chiles. View Recipe 28 of 34 Whipped Yogurt With Pineapple and Dried Fruit Linda Pugliese Whisking Greek yogurt with cream, honey, and lime zest until soft and fluffy makes it special enough for brunch entertaining, especially when topped with fresh pineapple, toasted coconut, and dried fruits. View Recipe 29 of 34 Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops Bring some island flavor to your standard pork chops. Puréed pineapple chunks and traditional jerk flavorings act as the marinade. The chops are then seared along with some pineapple slices until golden brown. View Recipe 30 of 34 Light Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Vegetable oil subs in for butter in this fruit-topped, vanilla-scented cake, reducing the saturated fat; whole-wheat flour boosts the fiber and lends a nutty flavor. View Recipe 31 of 34 Pineapple Express Sylvie Becquet Fresh pineapple and ginger are puréed with coconut water and oil, then frozen into a granita for this cool cocktail. Scrape and pour rum on top when you're ready to serve. View Recipe 32 of 34 Broiled Sweet-and-Spicy Salmon With Pineapple Put your broiler to good use with this 20-minute recipe, featuring salmon and pineapple pieces brushed with a maple syrup and cayenne glaze. Round out the meal with simple white rice brightened by the addition of chopped cilantro. View Recipe 33 of 34 Spiced Pineapple Cocktail Anders Schønnemann The classic combo of spicy and sweet takes this slushy drink beyond the basic margarita. View Recipe 34 of 34 Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie Drink up! The fresh ginger in this tropical pineapple smoothie has cancer-fighting powers. Enjoy it as a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit