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!
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
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.
Love the outcome of the recipe. It was my first attempt and my family just could not get enough of the tarts.
Thanks a trillion.
HI Rasa Malaysia! This is exactly what I needed to find today!! I always order pineapple cookies from market,Now it’s about time I learn to make one for myself! Thanks for recipe to share with us and Keep it up.
Thanks Benjamin.
Hi Rasa, can i ask you what the difference between your two pineapple tart recipes are!!! could you share with me the difference in using either recipe? THANK YOU (:
Both are good, this one uses condensed milk…I think this one is slightly better but the other one is good, too. You can try to make two batches and see which one you like? Trust me they will be gone for sure. :)
Hello! Is the pineapple tarts crispy? Or just to the soft melt in mouth kind?
Thanks!
It has a nice crush and then melt in the mouth.
Hi there, how long can it be good in an air tight container? ThnkQ
A few weeks.
Hi! I want to try out this recipe but i was wondering if they tasted okay if they are sitting for no more than 2 days? Or do they have to be served immediately?
Fine to eat afterwards.
I made delicious pineapple jam tarts with your recipe. Anyway i was too lazy to make the pineapple jam so i just bought some ?. Thank you so much for sharing.
very tasty thanks for the recipe
Hi Bee, you mentioned you mentioned “remove the cloves”; do you mean physically remove the clove one by one from the pineapple filling? What if they are crushed in the process of stirring, will it give unwanted tasted when we put it to bake?
Your reply is much appreciated, thank you.
Yes remove them individually. I never had the problem of crushed cloves.
Hi Bee,
First of all, I had a great success with the tarts; they are delicious, thank you!
Second, I have question for improvement.
1. I have left over pineapple filling, it is sticky but too soft for me to roll into a ball, so do I heat it up again to make it dryer?
2. I find it hard to “close” the dough after putting in the filling, it keeps breaking. Any advice? I followed the recipe religiously.
Please advice, thank you very much!
Cedric
1) Yes if they are too sticky, it means you need to cook it more.
2) Hmm it works perfectly fine for me but different butter has different moisture level just add a little bit more.
This is new! I’m an Indonesian, we have nastar for our eids. But our version uses cheese in the dough. Will try this one for the coming eid. Thanks for sharing xx