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).
Martha's Peach Buckle
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.
Chocolate-Chip Oat-Coconut Skillet Cookie
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Pork Chops With Pineapple-Cilantro Rice
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.
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Pineapple, Mango, and Meyer Lemon Salad
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.
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Baked Pineapple
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.
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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.
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Hummingbird Carrot Cake
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.
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Spicy Pork-and-Pineapple Stir-Fry
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.
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Spicy Pineapple-Peanut Salad
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.
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Tropical-Fruit Salad With Coconut Crunch
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.
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Pineapple Highball
Making a homemade vanilla syrup is the sweet, special touch this tropical co*cktail needs. When it's time to serve, just mix all the ingredients together for one drink in a glass and sip, sip, hooray!
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Grilled-Pork-and-Pineapple Tacos
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.
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Tropical-Fruit Crepe Cake
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.
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Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
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.
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Crushed Pineapple-Rosemary Limeade
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.
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Pineapple-Raspberry Bellini
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.
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Spicy Shrimp Fajitas With Grilled Pineapple Pico
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.
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Pineapple-Cucumber Spritz
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.
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Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie
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.
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Caramelized Pineapple With Vanilla Ice Cream
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.
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Yogurt With Caramelized Pineapple and Hazelnuts
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.
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Spicy Pineapple Slaw
Turn up the volume on ordinary cabbage slaw by adding pineapple, jalapeños, red onion, lime juice, and plenty of fresh cilantro and mint.
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Hawaiian Meatballs
The sweet-and-sour pineapple glaze goes well with the cilantro-flecked pork meatballs in this Hawaiian-inspired dish.
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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.
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Thai Coconut Chicken With Pineapple Salsa
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!
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Pineapple-Mint Daiquiris
The fresh pineapple juice used in this spin on a classic co*cktail 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.
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Pineapple-Mustard-Glazed Ham
A DIY glaze made with fresh pineapple and country mustard sets this Easter ham apart.
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Ceviche With Tropical Fruit and Habanero
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.
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Broiled Spicy Pork and Pineapple
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.
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Whipped Yogurt With Pineapple and Dried Fruit
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.
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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.
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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.
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Pineapple Express
Fresh pineapple and ginger are puréed with coconut water and oil, then frozen into a granita for this cool co*cktail. Scrape and pour rum on top when you're ready to serve.
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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.
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Spiced Pineapple co*cktail
The classic combo of spicy and sweet takes this slushy drink beyond the basic margarita.
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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.
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