pineapple graham cracker dessert that grandma used to make

This Pineapple Dream Dessert Is a light, fluffy and delicious treat that is perfect for just about any occasion. It’s a SUPER easy dessert that takes just minutes to put together with a cream cheese layer, graham cracker crust and light whipped topping!

LOOKING FOR DESSERT LIKE THIS, CHECK OUT: 19 FUN NEW DESSERTS FOR YOUR NEXT COOKOUT.

Pineapple Desserts

I gotta be honest, I wasn’t ever a HUGE pineapple fan until I went to Maui a couple of years ago. While there, I toured the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm and discovered just how delicious a pineapple can be! We all received a fresh Pineapple to take home and spent the rest of our meals in the condo finding fun ways to utilize them in our recipes!

While Pineapple can be used in all sorts of dishes, we’ve really come to love them in dessert dishes here at Bubba Pie. Some of our favorites have been:

• PINEAPPLE SOUFFLE
• PINEAPPLE SUNSHINE CAKE
• PIG PICKIN’ CAKE-AKA: ORANGE PINEAPPLE CAKE

But our MOST POPULAR Pineapple Dessert Recipe has been this PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD. And this Pineapple Dream Dessert reminds me a lot of that. Old fashioned summer days, with grandma taking baking you and your friends a tasty treat. Ya know? Those kind of memories!?!?

What Is A Pineapple Dream Dessert?

I just love the name of this recipe! It SOUNDS like an old fashioned 1060’s dessert! And, just like our Pretzel Salads, it features different layers of texture and flavor, one just as delicious as the next!

This particular dessert has a layer of homemade, baked graham cracker crust, on top of that is a creamy layer of pineapple and and softened cream cheese. Then on top, we put on a light layer of pineapple whipped topping with more graham cracker crumbs on it. Is you mouth watering yet? Ready to get started? This is such an easy dessert recipe, check out the recipe card below. But here’s all you’ll need to get started!

• 2 sleeves graham crackers
• 1/2 cup, 1 stick, butter, melted
• 1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup, 1 stick, butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 small tub, 8 oz, whipped topping, thawed
• 1 can, 20 oz, crushed pineapple, drained well

Notes, Tips and Variations

While this is a super easy dessert to make. I’ve got some suggestions to make it even easier, or some fun ideas to change it up a little bit!

• SUB STRAWBERRIES– We haven’t made a Strawberry Dream Dessert yet to post on here (we will!). But, in the meantime, you can substitute all the pineapple for strawberries if you’d like!
• SUB MANDARIN ORANGES- Ditto on above with the Strawberries!
• CAN YOU USE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM?- Yes, you can. But, honestly, I’ve heard that Cool Whip holds up better in dessert recipes like these. It has a stabilizing agent in it. So, I’d stay with store bought tubs of whipped cream.
• NO BAKE VERSION- You can make a No Bake Pineapple Dream Dessert by making the crust just a directed. But instead of baking in the oven, you can put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. The crust may not stay together quite as well, but it should be fine.
• SALTED OR UNSALTED BUTTER?- It doesn’t matter. Either works for this recipe!
• WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO CRUSH GRAHAM CRACKERS?- A lot of people use a food processor for this. But that gives you another dish to clean! Another (less environmentally friendly) option is to put them in a gallon ziplock baggie and crush them.
• WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO DRAIN PINEAPPLE?- I’d suggest putting your pineapple into a strainer and letting it sit over the drain while you are preparing your graham cracker crust. That way it will be all ready to for you when you are ready for it!
• MAKE SURE YOU USE A 9X9 BAKING PAN- We had to use an 8×8 pan for this and it really didn’t fit in the way we wanted it to. It still tasted delicious, but a 9×9 would have been better. This set of two 9X9 Baking Pans are super affordable. And they come with a lid so you can keep leftovers right in the pan without worrying about Saran wrap or aluminum foil!

We hope you enjoy this Pineapple Dream Dessert. It’s an easy, delicious and fun dessert that fits with any occasion! We’d love to hear how it works out for you in the comments section! Enjoy and Happy Eating!