Best-Ever Pineapple Cookies (Pineapple Tarts)
Published Feb 02, 2015
Updated Sep 11, 2024
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Best-ever Pineapple Cookies or Pineapple Tarts - buttery, crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth pastry with pineapple filling, the best pineapple tarts ever.
Pineapple Cookies
Every year before Chinese New Year, I would bake trays and trays of pineapple tarts, a must-have Chinese New Year cookies in Malaysia, my home country.
Just like Turkey to Thanksgiving, no Chinese New Year is complete without pineapple tarts.
Called “Nastar” in local language, pineapple tarts are basically a cookie with a pineapple filling, in a buttery and crumbly pastry.
They are mostly referred as pineapple tarts in Malaysia and Singapore.
Some call them pineapple cakes (but they are not really cakes), pineapple shortcakes, pineapple cookies, or pineapple pastries. Regardless of its name, they are ABSOLUTELY delicious and the most AMAZING cookie ever.
The filling is from fresh and juicy pineapple, which is cooked and reduced to a golden-color pineapple jam filling. No words can describe just how awesome they taste, and I can’t think of any, ANY, cookies that would top this.
Simple as that.
Now, I am not being biased as I have served these pineapple cookies to many friends from all over the world – Americans, Europeans, Persians, Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, Mexicans, Vietnamese, Indians, and everyone would agree that these dainty and beautiful cookies are basically out of this world.
Many came back to me and ask for more.
So, if you wanted to know what the best tasting cookies in the world taste like and introduce your culinary palate to something new, make these pineapple cookies. They will take some time, but you won’t regret it.
I GUARANTEE you!
Over the years, I have tried many recipes, and they all become my favorites.
This year, I tried a new recipe from an amazing Malaysian food blogger Sonia (you can follow her on Instagram) at Nasi Lemak Lover, and I have to say that this recipe is currently my favorite recipe at the moment and Sonia is happy to share her recipe with Rasa Malaysia readers.
The pastry is made of four basic ingredients: flour, butter, egg yolk, and condensed milk.
This recipe yields utterly scrumptious and perfect pastry—super buttery, crumbly and addictive pineapple cookies that won’t stick to your mouth and teeth…they are just unbelievably good!!
Ingredients
Ingredients For Pineapple Cookies
- All purpose flour
- Butter
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Egg yolk
Ingredients For Egg Wash
- Egg yolk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Cooking oil
Ingredients For Pineapple Cookies Filling
- Pineapple
- Cloves
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Cut the stalk off the pineapple and follow by the skin. Make sure all divits are removed. Slice the pineapple flesh into pieces and blend in a blender until they become puree. Add the pineapple puree and cloves to a non-stick pot and cook on medium heat, constantly stirring to avoid burning.
Step 2: When the pineapple is almost dry, add the sugar and lemon juice, stir to combine well. Lower the heat to simmer and continue to stir until the pineapple filling turns golden in color and becomes very sticky. Transfer the pineapple filling out, remove the cloves and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Cream the butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk one at a time, and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour slowly to form the pastry dough. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands.
Step 4: Prepare the egg wash by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Step 5: Divide the pineapple filling and dough into 100 portions. Roll them both into balls. To wrap, use your palms to roll each dough and then flatten it.
Step 6: Add a pineapple ball in the middle and fold the edges of the dough up to cover the filling.
Step 7: Finish it off by rolling it into a round ball.
Step 8: Place the pineapple cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a paring knife, cut the criss-cross shape on the cookie, and brush the top of the cookie with the egg wash, twice. Repeat the same until all ingredients are used up.
Step 9: Bake in a preheated oven at 330°F (165°C) for about 20-22 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Transfer them out and cool on a wire crack before storing in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 441 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Other amazing pineapple tarts recipes can be found here on Rasa Malaysia.
Happy baking!
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Best-Ever Pineapple Cookies (Pineapple Tarts) Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 sticks (350 g) butter , or unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 18 oz. (510g) all-purpose flour , or plain flour
Pineapple Filling:
- 16 lbs (7 kg) whole pineapples , 2 whole / 3 1/2 kg or 5 lbs. (2 1/2 kg pineapple flesh)
- 1/2 tablespoon cloves, optional
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups sugar, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Egg Wash:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Cut the stalk off the pineapple and follow by the skin. Make sure all divits are removed. Slice the pineapple flesh into pieces and blend in a blender until they become puree. Add the pineapple puree and cloves to a non-stick pot and cook on medium heat, constantly stirring to avoid burning.
- When the pineapple is almost dry, add the sugar and lemon juice, stir to combine well. Lower the heat to simmer and continue to stir until the pineapple filling turns golden in color and becomes very sticky. Transfer the pineapple filling out, remove the cloves and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Cream the butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk one at a time, and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour slowly to form the pastry dough. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands.
- Prepare the egg wash by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Divide the pineapple filling and dough into 100 portions. Roll them both into balls. To wrap, use your palms to roll each dough and then flatten it.
- Add a pineapple ball in the middle and fold the edges of the dough up to cover the filling.
- Finish it off by rolling it into a round ball.
- Place the pineapple cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a paring knife, cut the criss-cross shape on the cookie, and brush the top of the cookie with the egg wash, twice. Repeat the same until all ingredients are used up.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 330°F (165°C) for about 20-22 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Transfer them out and cool on a wire crack before storing in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- The pineapples filling is good for two batches of pineapple tarts.
- You can keep the pineapple filling in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this cookies, but I am not sure about the texture. My cookies really soft and melt in mouth, but its not crunch at all ( tidak garing, sangat lembut). Are my cookies right?
By the way, I really love this recipe, its simple, easy, has less ingredient but really good recipe.
The cookies are not supposed to be crunchy, it’s soft and melt in the mouth.
Sorry meant ‘dough’
First attempt at these CNY favourites and they turned out good!!
Helped that I read through other comments. The sought smelt heavenly even before baking and the pineapple ‘jam’ as well. Worth time taken to cook down the pineapple. I actually juiced the fresh pineapple, hence separating the juice and pulp/fibre. I believe this really cut down on cooking time.
Thank you for sharing the recipe
Hello! I thought the pineapple jam was dry enough and added the sugar. Now it looks like pineapple jam although it’s golden. Should I reheat it? Thank you!
I will be doing this again this year,,,last 2 times were great.
It took me about 4hrs to cook the pineapples.. it that too long?
Steve
I think so. You can use a non-stick pot and quickly dry up the pineapple before simmering it to dry up completely.
Hi! I don’t know why but my tarts don’t taste buttery or sweet at all! I added the needed flour but it still remained very sticky so I added more flour and also corn flour (cause I ran out of normal flour). I’ve put it in the fridge to chill in hopes it’ll be easier to deal with. What should I do? Can I put icing sugar to the dough and mix it or should I put more condensed milk?
That’s very strange, I think your measurement is wrong. The dough is very easy to handle and make into pineapple tarts.
The dough is not supposed to be super sweet, the filling of pineapple will make the pineapple tarts sweet.
Hi,
I just finished cooking the fillings following your recipe. I used 4 pineapples (double portion) and added 2 cups of sugar (your recipe calls for 1-1.5 cups for 2 pineapples). After the filling is done, I find the filling a bit too sweet. I checked your pineapple jam recipe and your other pineapple tarts recipe and the suggested amount of sugar is half cup for 2 pineapples. Is there a reason why this recipe suggest more sugar than the others? Would it taste less sweet after it’s baked and eaten as a whole with the crust? Or should I use salted butter for the dough to “reduce” the sweet flavor of the filling? Thanks much for your advice and all your yummy recipes. :)
It all depends on how small or big your pineapple is. The pineapples in the US are very big (I am based here). I think they should be fine after the crust, do not change anything.
Hi just want to ask if i need to sift the flour
You can but I didn’t.
Hello! I’ve tried baking 100 pieces of the pineapple balls last week and I needed some help here! Do you meant 3 sticks of butter weighing total of 1050g in total or just 350g for the above recipe? I’ve used just 350g for the recipe. The golf balls is slightly soft with the bottom being oily and dense, is that something to do with the temperature or baking time? I’ve followed your instruction exactly though i can’t get that figure out, should I bake longer? It also doesn’t contain much butter fragrance when I eat it, how can I improve on that? Please help as I’d love to bake more with this recipe!
Total is 350 g butter. I am not sure what happened but I haven’t heard of your issues before. The pineapple tarts would come out just like the pictures.
Hi, may I check do I use the oven with the fan on/ or the normal top and bottom heat.
Thanks,
Joanna