This pineapple dream dessert is one of my family’s favorites. You know those desserts that seem to be at all the family gatherings? Those recipes that your grandma has been making for years? Like Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Ambrosia and Watergate Salad. This is one of those desserts.
This light and fluffy pineapple cream cheese dessert can be easily transported, hence it appearing at all those family functions, and rarely has leftovers.
PSSST – Yes! You are in the right place! Our photos have been updated, but the recipe is the same. This photo look familiar??
I’ve had similar reactions to this Chocolate Lasagna recipe, everyone seems to love it. So the only thing you’ll take home is a dish that needs washing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Back in the late 60’s Cool Whip entered the marketplace. It only took two years for this convenience item to become the company’s best-selling item. Cool Whip has come under fire many times and the current version now contains milk and cream.
If you prefer, you can substitute freshly made whipped cream for the Cool Whip in this recipe. To substitute fresh whipping cream for the 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip, 1 cup of fresh whipping cream whipped is the proper substitution.
HOWEVER Cool Whip has stabilizers in it that help hold its shape while fresh whipping cream does not. There you can try this recipe for homemade stabilized whipped cream to replace the Cool Whip.
If you love the idea of this pineapple dream dessert, you’ll love the strawberry version too- Strawberry Dream Dessert. You’re basically replacing the pineapples for strawberries and you have yourself another ultra-delicious one-pan dessert!
Yes, you can use fresh pineapple for this recipe. However, the juices that canned pineapple come in help soften the fruit, which is ideal for this recipe. Fresh pineapple that has been cut and stored in plastic containers found at the store are a good in-between as they typically contain juices at the bottom. Either way, fresh pineapple is fine to use but may be a little tougher than the canned variety.
Just like this Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad, this is a great recipe for taking to a party, holiday gathering, or a potluck. It’s best to have a place to keep this delicious pineapple whipped cream dessert refrigerated until ready to serve.
Expert Tip
You can purchase graham cracker crumbs, or smash them in a sealed bag with a rolling pin. We like to run them through our food processor!
Ingredients you will need:
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
- 2 1/2 cups graham crumbs (2 sleeves)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for crust)
- 2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz container Cool Whip
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained well
NO BAKE VERSION: If it’s too hot to turn on the oven, you can make the crust without baking it. Simply follow the instructions in the recipe, then instead of baking the crust, place it in the refrigerator. Let the crust chill for about 20 minutes. The butter will solidify and hold the crust together. The crust may not hold together as well, especially after sitting out for a while. But it still tastes just as good!
How to Make Pineapple Dream
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F. Melt 1/2 cup butter in the microwave and let it cool. Combine the crumbs and butter, then press 2 cups of the crumb mixture firmly into a 9×9 square pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
- Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter together until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Turn up and beat well for a minute or so.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of the drained crushed pineapple and stir in with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the cream cheese and pineapple mixture over the crust.
- Fold the remaining pineapple into the Cool Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture on top.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Does your family have a version of this dessert?
How do you make it and what do you call it? These are some of the names I’ve heard:
- Pineapple Cool Whip Dessert
- Pineapple Delight
- Pineapple Dream Squares
- Pineapple Surprise Dessert
- Pineapple Graham Cracker Dessert
- Pineapple Cream Dessert
Whatever you call it, it’s amazing and there are never any leftovers. It’s always a favorite and someone will inevitably ask you for the recipe! So be sure to print a couple extra copies. :)
More one-pan potluck dessert ideas
- If you liked this Pineapple Dream Dessert, you’ll probably like my Cream Puff Chocolate Eclair Cake too. It’s another one of those potluck recipes that everyone wants a slice of! Not only is it creamy and delicious, it’s pretty too. So next time you’re heading to a friend or relatives and need to bring a dessert, try this eclair cake!
- Not everyone approves of the name of this next recipe, so over the years, it has taken on a few different titles. Here it’s called Sex in a Pan, but you may also know it as Chocolate Dream, Robert Redford Dessert or Better Than Anything Dessert. All I know is that three layers including cream cheese, pudding and whipping cream make for a party in your mouth!
- Speaking of potluck favorites, this Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad is always a big hit! There are some families that absolutely insist it is served at every holiday.
- If you are a banana lover have I got a dessert for you! Make this delicious banana pudding poke cake and I promise you will not be disappointed.
- Though it’s not necessarily a “one-pan” dessert, it’s definitely a potluck favorite! This Ambrosia Salad is a vintage classic. Combining maraschino cherries, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, fruit cocktail and marshmallows this ambrosia salad recipe is one to be reckoned with.
- Try this fabulous looking Lemon Delight from Happy Hooligans, the kids can help make Chessmen Banana Pudding from Kids Activities Blog, and who could resist Chocolate Banana Twinkie Cake from Today’s Creative Life?
- This just added – Pineapple Yogurt Dessert – thank you to Cathy for sharing it with us.
- This irresistible no-bake Eclair Cake is the dessert of your dreams. Your guests will be asking for seconds and thirds!
- This Orange Pineapple Cake is stuffed with sweet mandarin oranges and topped with a fruity pineapple frosting that’s hard to resist.
Watch our quick video showing the simple process of this delicious dessert!
Pineapple Dream Dessert
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
Crust:
- 2 ½ cups graham crumbs 2 sleeves
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Layers:
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 oz Cool Whip fat-free
- 20 oz crushed pineapple drained well
Before You Begin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Melt butter in the microwave and allow to cool. Combine the crumbs and butter and toss together until incorporated. Press 2 cups of the crumb mixture firmly into an 9×9 square pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Turn up and beat well for a minute or so. Add a heaping tablespoon of the drained pineapple and stir in with a rubber spatula. Spread the cream cheese and pineapple mixture over the crust.
- Fold the remaining pineapple into the Cool Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published here on July 9, 2013.
Amanda Davis
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Normajean Young says
My son so wanted me to try his new dessert recipe and I was so glad I did….. Absolutely delicious!!!
I made one similiar, many years ago but stopped a
Amanda Formaro says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)
Shannon says
How many will this serve?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Shannon, cut into 3×3 squares and this should yield about 9 servings :)
Joy says
Can you tell me what to use in UK instead of cool whip please
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Joy, you can certainly make your own Cool Whip at home. There are lots of recipes and how-to’s out there to find out how to make it! Like this one… http://www.somethingswanky.com/homemade-cool-whip/ . You basically just whip regular whipping cream in a mixer then add some sugar and vanilla extract :)
Sandra says
THANK YOU for providing an easy way to print this recipe!! It looks delicious!
Amanda Formaro says
You’re so welcome, happy new year!
Jessica says
I make these all the time! My whole family loves them! I had my grandmother asking me to make them again :-)
Rose says
Please send me the receipt for Pineapple Fluff . Thank You
Amanda Formaro says
The instructions are at the end of the post. You can click the print button and print them out.
Donnie says
Your directions can use a little tweaking.
Donnie says
Your recipe is a little bit off
Amanda Formaro says
In what way? This recipe has been made probably hundreds of times without any problems. Did you have an issue?
diane allen says
I can’t stand cool whip and never use it I will try the recipe with real homemade whipped cream with an added stabilizer to prevent collapse, and hope it turns out, lol, Cool Whip has too much not so good stuff in it.
Edna says
Thank you
Carol says
Please send me recipe for pineapple dream desert
Amanda Formaro says
The recipe is at the end of the post https://amandascookin.com/pineapple-dream-dessert/
Susan says
This looks good
Lucy says
What the recipe for the pineapple dream cheesecake but can’t get it
Amanda Formaro says
The recipe is at the end of the post. https://amandascookin.com/pineapple-dream-dessert/ If you are on your phone, please click the red “read more” button below the first photo.
Julir says
Can you use margarine or does it have to be unsalted butter?
Amanda Formaro says
I would imagine that margarine would work fine. :)
Reba says
Would like to have the recipe for the Pineapple Desert graham cracker crust to make
Patty munden says
Can this be made and ahead an frzen
Amanda Formaro says
I haven’t tried it yet, but I would imagine it would freeze pretty well!
Geraldine says
I made this Pineapple Dream Dessert for Thanksgiving and it was a great hit. Everyone really enjoyed it. Thank you for putting on FB.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked it!
Debbie says
I looked for the recipe for the pineapple dream desset that suppose to be at the end of this post, but it’s not there..where can I get it from ..got all the ingredients already..thank you
Amanda Formaro says
It’s at the end of the post. It’s there. If you are on your phone, click the red button that says “read more” just below the first photo.
Sara says
I once ate something similar, and while I thought it was delicious, I have this is quirk where i find it physically difficult to swallow desserts with cream cheese in them. People have tried to sneak it by me in the past, but it always happens to me so they don’t get away with it. I can eat bagels with loads of cream cheese just fine, even blueberry bagels, so I don’t know why this happens to me. I don’t mind missing out on cheesecake since I don’t like the flavor, but I do mind missing out on these types of desserts. Any idea how I could make this workout cream cheese? Or if it would work if I just left it out?
Amanda Formaro says
I doubt it would work if you left it out. Have you tried neufchatel cheese? You MIGHT be able to substitute with Mascarpone too.
Ruth Charnow says
How about DAISY Sour cream (very thick & all natural ) and Sweetened Condensed Milk (use less sweeteners) or GREEK yogurt with pineapple?
I am Gluten free so I use crushed GF cereals or waffles for the crust !
Marj Grant says
My mom has a recipe without cream cheese using 2 unbeaten eggs. After creaming the butter and icing sugar you add 2 unbeaten eggs and beat hard with egg beater. The pineapple is then added only to the whip cream.
Nadine says
You can make a version very similar to this it’s called pineapple dream squares and the filling is eggs and butter and icing sugar no cream cheese. I grew up eating it made that way and it is delish. The filling is 1/2 cup of butter, 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar and 2 egg yolks. Everything else is the same with the recipe except no pineapple goes in the filling it all goes in the whip cream topping ?
Cheta Page says
Can’t wait to try
Ruth Chinn says
All your recipes look so yummy!!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Ruth!
Vickie Hogn says
I’ve been looking for something like this thank you.
Rena says
Can you substitute the pineapple with blueberries? If so, would it be frozen blueberries or blueberry filling?
Amanda Formaro says
I have never tried that. My GUESS would be that you would use fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries that have been thawed first. If you try it, will you try to stop back by and let me know how it turned out?
Barbara Durham says
Made this as a kid. Called it pineapple surprise. In your recipe, you call for 1/2 cup butter twice. But you only used 1. Is this an error. Please advise. Thanks for recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
I have updated the recipe to reflect that the first 1/2 cup of butter is for the graham cracker crust and the other 1/2 cup butter is for the filling. :)
Natalie says
The idea of butter mixed with the cream cheese is throwing me off a bit…can you omit this?
Amanda Formaro says
I’ve never tried that. So I can’t recommend it to you.
ANNA says
One of my Favorite, Desserts that my Grandma used to make. I LOVE IT, THANKS FOR SHARING
Mary says
My grandma used to make this dessert all the time. Thanks for sharing!