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Pineapple tarts are a must for Chinese New Year. This is an easy and the best pineapple tarts recipe ever. Makes 30 crumbly and buttery pineapple tarts.
The Best Pineapple Tarts Recipe
Chinese New Year is one of the biggest festivities in Malaysia.
Pineapple tarts are a must-bake for the celebration of Chinese New Year in Malaysia and Singapore.
In Taiwan, pineapple shortcakes (凤梨酥) are popular but Taiwanese pineapple tarts recipe calls for shortening and milk powder.
They taste slightly different but equally delicious.
My absolute favorite is Malaysian pineapple tarts. They are so tasty, addictive, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth.
I have a few favorite recipes, but I always come back to this recipe that I have learned from Fresh from the Oven.
Pineapple Tarts Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Egg yolks
- Condensed milk
- Sliced pineapples
- Sugar
- Cloves
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Pineapple Tarts
Step 1. If you are using canned pineapple slices, drain them and squeeze out any excess water or juice by hand. Blend the canned pineapple until mushy, about 10 seconds. If you are using fresh pineapple, remove the skin, cut it into pieces, and blend for 10 seconds.
Step 2. Transfer the blended pineapple to a deep non-stick pan. Add sugar and cloves, and stir well. Cook over medium to low heat until most of the liquid evaporates and the pineapple jam turns golden. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar if needed. Remove and discard the cloves, then let the jam cool in the fridge.
Step 3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar into a large bowl or container. Soften the butter to room temperature. Combine the flour mixture, butter, and egg yolks, and knead until a dough forms. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands. If the dough is too crumbly or dry, add a little more butter (about 1 tablespoon) until it becomes easy to work with.
Step 4. Divide the dough and pineapple jam (filling) into 30 equal portions each. Flatten the pastry dough with your palms, place the pineapple filling in the center, and use the dough to cover the filling. Roll it up with your palms to form a shape about 1 1/2 inches (3.5 cm) long.
Step 5. Use a small paring knife to create criss-cross patterns on the tart, then brush it with egg wash using a small pastry brush. Place the pineapple tarts on a tray lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are spaced at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown.
Baking Tips
- Use a good quality butter. I use Challenge brand unsalted butter.
- For the best results, please use fresh pineapples as the ingredient for the pineapple jam filling.
- Canned sliced pineapples in syrup is a good substitute and deliver satisfying results.
- If the dough is too dry and hard to work with, please add a little bit more butter to the dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place them in an airtight glass or plastic containers at room temperature. You can store them in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.
No, I don’t recommend freezing in the refrigerator.
You can make pineapple jam filling in advance and freeze in the refrigerator for up to a week.
When you are ready to bake, just thaw the pineapple jam to room temperature and use it as the filling.
This recipe makes 30 pineapple tarts and each tart is 137 calories.
Other Chinese New Year Baking Recipes
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Pineapple Tarts
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar , or icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten for egg wash
- 1/2 tbsp condensed milk
Pineapple Jam (Filling)
- 30 oz (850g) sliced pineapples
- 10 tablespoons sugar, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon cloves, optional
Instructions
- If you are using canned pineapple slices, drain them and squeeze out any excess water or juice by hand. Blend the canned pineapple until mushy, about 10 seconds. If you are using fresh pineapple, remove the skin, cut it into pieces, and blend for 10 seconds.
- Transfer the blended pineapple to a deep non-stick pan. Add sugar and cloves, and stir well. Cook over medium to low heat until most of the liquid evaporates and the pineapple jam turns golden. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar if needed. Remove and discard the cloves, then let the jam cool in the fridge.
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar into a large bowl or container. Soften the butter to room temperature. Combine the flour mixture, butter, and egg yolks, and knead until a dough forms. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands. If the dough is too crumbly or dry, add a little more butter (about 1 tablespoon) until it becomes easy to work with.
- Divide the dough and pineapple jam (filling) into 30 equal portions each. Flatten the pastry dough with your palms, place the pineapple filling in the center, and use the dough to cover the filling. Roll it up with your palms to form a shape about 1 1/2 inches (3.5 cm) long.
- Use a small paring knife to create criss-cross patterns on the tart, then brush it with egg wash using a small pastry brush. Place the pineapple tarts on a tray lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are spaced at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bee, i want to make the pineapple tarts but my blender just broke down on me. So question is can the filling be done without a blender and just chopping the pineapple to death??? And i guess the cooking and stirring should break it down a bit more?
Any advice you could offer please?
Thank you!
I think you can chop, good luck.
I tried this recipe today, the pineapple filling did not set it was very runny even though i cooked it for over 4hrs..the pastry was too crumbly to roll, so i made just a regular tart…. is there anything i have missed in the recipe was i suppose to add liquid glucose to the filling for it to thicken and turn into a paste?
Hello Rasa,
First timer to try out your pineapple tarts receipt, there are two versions, what’s the different between “Best-Ever Pineapple Cookies (Pineapple Tarts)” and this “Pineapple Tarts”?
Thanks,
The first version uses condensed milk, the second version doesn’t. Both are good, sometimes I like the first one sometimes I like the second recipe.
Hi Rasa,
I followed your recipe. The dough is perfect, soft, smooth , no sticky. However, the tart took up to 40minutes to be golden at 180C degree. And the tart is a bit hard. It does not melt in the mounth. Do you know possible reasons caused this? Please help. Thanks
Susan – I am not sure why…I have used this recipe SO MANY times and never had a problem. Are you sure you weight correctly?
Iam not sure. II think i will try again. Thanks
I’m a Singaporean residing in the US, and I missed my CNY goodies so much I decided to try making them! I followed your recipe for my first attempt at pineapple tarts – they turned out so delicious! I used less sugar for the filling because I don’t like my pastries too sweet. I did have to add quite a bit of water to the dough to keep it from being too crumbly (because I didn’t really want to add more butter to the already-very-buttery dough) but that may just be how dry the weather where I live is. Brought some of these tarts to school to share with my classmates and professor, and everybody loved it! I’m making my second batch now :)
That’s great I am so happy you had success with my pineapple tarts recipe.
How long(Expired) can i keep after i bake it?
You can keep for a couple of weeks.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe. Tried yesterday and the pastry is really superb. Highly recommendable this recipe to others.
made these tarts over the weekend.
i have never made pastry before and these turned out delish.
can’t stop eating them. will make more for CNY.
planning to try your peanut cookie recipe too.
with them, i will feel a little less homesick for malaysia :)
Carmen, that’s great that you made these pineapple tarts. They are too good! :)
I’m thinking the pastry could be rolled out and cut as if making hand pies. Put the filling on one half, fold over the other half and crimp the edges with a fork. Anyway, that is what I will try. :)
Hi Valerie, that’s a great idea.
These tart was a perfect treat for my new year’s day. Love the combination of the jam and the slightly sweet dough. I’m going to use the dough for some an pan. It will work perfecly. I love that it uses butter. Here’s a link of my post of your pineapple tart recipe. I’m defenitely making these again. Thanks for sharing. http://princesshotflash.blogspot.com/2015/01/to-start-my-new-year-off.html