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Pineapple Casserole is the perfect compliment to your holiday ham. And the sweetness of this baked pineapple dish will make you wonder if it is dessert or a side dish.
Why you’ll love this Southern Pineapple Casserole
A friend of mine from the south shared this recipe with me years ago as one of her family favorites and a must have dish at Easter. It is a traditional Southern dish that traditionally has cheese in it. I prefer it without cheese and love the hint of cinnamon on top.
This pineapple casserole is ultimate comfort food and the perfect combo of sweet and savory thanks to the brown sugar and cinnamon. Just sit back and watch this stuff disappear. If you are lucky enough to have any left it is also good cold!
What Kind of Pineapple Should I Use?
I like to use one can of crushed pineapple and one can of pineapple chunks. You can also use two cans of crushed pineapple but I prefer the texture of the different kinds combined. You could substitute pineapple tidbits for pineapple chunks also.
Ingredients
- Pineapple. I have always used canned pineapple (see above for more details)
- Sugar. I prefer using brown sugar which gives more depth of flavor but you can also use granulated sugar.
- Cornstarch. This acts as a thickener.
- Eggs
- Butter. Salted butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
How to Make Pineapple Casserole Recipe
- Drain pineapple chunks and set aside 1/4 cup of reserved pineapple juice. Do not drain the crushed pineapple.
- Add cornstarch to juice and stir to dissolve.
- In a bowl, mix together pineapples, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add in cornstarch mixture.
- Pour pineapple mixture into a casserole dish.
- Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 60 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Serve warm.
- Grab a spoon and a plate and dig in! Don’t be surprised when this is the first thing to disappear at your holiday gathering.
Tips from Leigh Anne
Try these fun flavor variations:
Pineapple Casserole with Ritz Crackers:
- Crush 40 Ritz crackers or some type of butter cracker to make crumbs. Place in a bowl with 1/2 cup melted butter and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle over the top of pineapple casserole. Bake as directed below.
Pineapple Cheese Casserole:
- Add 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese in with pineapple and bake according to directions
Frequently Asked Questions
This dish is versatile and it can be served warm out of the oven, room temperature or it can be served chilled. Keep any leftovers refrigerated.
This is a great make a head dish for a holiday dinner. Combine all the ingredients, place in baking dish and cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. You do not need to bring to room temperature before baking, it will just take a few minutes longer to heat through if it is chilled..
I don’t cover it. I only cover it if the top is getting too browned before it is heated through, then I will cover it with a piece of foil.
Check out more recipes that use pineapple:
Pineapple Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 20 oz. crushed pineapple not drained
- 1 20 oz. pineapple chunks drained, juice reserved
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Drain pineapple chunks and reserve 1/4 cup of liquid. Add cornstarch to juice and stir to dissolve.
- In a bowl, mix together pineapples, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add in cornstarch mixture.
- pour into a baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 60 minutes. Serve warm
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Krista says
I made this for a co-ed baby shower that I went to with a mermaid theme. Thought it would fit perfect. Was a casserole cook off and it won best dish brought. Pretty amazing with first time making it. I doubled it and put the crackers with butter on top (that part I didn’t double). I used 2 cans of tidbits, 1 can of crushed and 1 can of chunks. It paired great with some pulled pork that was brought and a slaw salad. Will definitely make again.
Nana says
Krista, did you use regular saltine crackers? How much butter?
Ruth Newell says
Love this dish/recipe! I’m wondering if I can freeze leftovers?
Chantal says
do I need to bake covered? And if I make and store in frig, do I need to bring to room temp before baking?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
You do not need to bake covered. If it it is browning too much on top you can cover with a piece of foil. You can bake it straight of the fridge, the baking time will just be a bit longer.