No Bake Pineapple Dream Dessert topped with coconut is cool, creamy and perfect for summer. You’ll want to make this easy vintage dessert again and again!
I found this little gem of a dessert when I was going through my grandma’s collection vintage recipes. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been sharing a lot of old retro recipes lately, but I just love them. In fact, I’m having a blast with this little project of mine, and I guess if you’re going to start a hobby, it might as well be something you like to do, right?
And, as far as hobbies go, this one is pretty darn delicious –My family can vouch for that!
Anyway, let’s get back to how delicious this dessert just happens to be, because it really is very good and very easy to make. Plus, it’s a no-bake dessert, which is exactly what you want in the summer.
It was originally called Pineapple Dream Torte, and it was just a little slip of paper pasted onto a larger sheet, along with several others. I guess it was easier to keep track of them this way, instead of just throwing a lot of clippings into a bag. It just doesn’t tell you where the recipe came from.
When I think of a torte, I think of a fancy, schmancy cake. Since this isn’t a cake, and there’s nothing difficult or fancy about it, I just left that part off. The “dream” part of it probably refers to Dream Whip, which the original recipe called for. Since I’ve never even seen that around here, I used Cool Whip, instead, but any whipped topping would work.
Making the pineapple dream dessert is super easy, and it really is a no-bake dessert every step of the way. It’s a lot like the strawberry pretzel salad, but even that one has a crust that needs to be baked. I have to admit that I was a little worried that the graham cracker crust wouldn’t set without some oven time, but it held together amazingly well.
After you make the crust, just mix the other ingredients together, pour the mix over the crust, and pop the whole thing in the fridge until you’re ready for dessert!
The kids helped make this creamy, dreamy dessert, so it came together in no time. But even if you don’t have any helpers, it’s still a very quick and easy dessert recipe. We did think it looked a little boring, so we added some shredded coconut and diced pineapple over the top. I had the coconut left over from making tropical fruit dip, but if you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry about it.
How to Make No Bake Pineapple Dream Dessert
No Bake Pineapple Dream Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
- 1 8-oz tub whipped topping, like Cool Whip
Crust
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 20 graham crackers, crushed
Topping
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup diced pineapple (drained)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese with an electric mixer until slightly fluffy
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, and mix until well combined
- Mix in the whipped topping, and beat until fluffy
- With a spatula, fold in the crushed pineapple, then set aside
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar and melted butter until well combined, then, pat mixture into a 9 X 9 baking dish
- Spoon the filling over the crust, and smooth with spatula until even
- Top with shredded coconut and diced pineapple, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm
Video
Nutrition
My family loved this no bake pineapple dream dessert. If you’re looking for an easy no bake dessert for summer potlucks, gatherings or just for your family, give this one a try!
Sharing at Weekend Potluck
Bruce Deniger says
May 3, 2018 at 3:36 ami just loved it.
Robbie Underwood says
May 11, 2018 at 11:13 pmThis turned out great and it’s a tasty dessert that’s light, good for a summer dessert. I made a change, I made a vanilla wafer crust, that is baked, bc I don’t like Graham crusts. And I have a question. One cup of pineapple is only 8 ounces. So it’s calling for just half of a 16 ounce can. Why so little? I went ahead and added about another half cup, but after it was done I felt like it could have used the full can of pineapple. What would you say?
Dee says
May 12, 2018 at 7:32 pmI added pineapple tidbits to the top, and I personally thought this was the right amount. But, you can definitely add more to the filling for even more flavor. 🙂
Ruthie says
May 12, 2018 at 3:29 pmCan you give me an idea of how many points this would be per serving? Thanks!!! And it is absolutely delicious!!!!!
Dee says
May 12, 2018 at 7:45 pmI’m glad you liked it, Ruthie! It’s an old recipes, so I don’t have any info on points, though. Sorry! 🙂
Jackie says
June 19, 2018 at 5:35 amCan you cut back some of the sugar in this recipe?
Dee says
June 19, 2018 at 10:01 amYou could try, but the consistency might not be the same.
Colette Middlebro' says
July 14, 2018 at 11:28 amCan this dessert be made ahead of time and frozen for later ?
Thanks
Dee says
July 14, 2018 at 11:52 amI haven’t tried freezing it, but you can make it ahead of time and let it firm up in the fridge for several hours.
Taylor says
July 14, 2018 at 4:43 pmHi! So I decided to make this for a cookout. I read the instructions and I thought this was going to be too big for a 9×9 but I went with it. I put the crust down and it was an inch and a half think in the pan! I moved to to my 15×10 pan and it felt like it fit much better. Is there something I’m missing that it would have fit better? My 10×9 isn’t super deep but I’m not sure it would have made a difference. Any help?
Dee says
July 15, 2018 at 5:27 pmI’m not sure what happened, since the recipe makes a thinner crust — just like in the pictures and video. It’s just enough to fit into my 9×9 pan.
Felicia says
July 29, 2018 at 9:04 amDo you use sweetened pineapples?
Sweetened coconut?
Dee says
July 29, 2018 at 4:29 pmYou can use any type of canned pineapple and shredded coconut.
Tabby says
August 8, 2018 at 12:49 pmCould this be made the night before and hold up in the fridge? Or will it lose consistency/firmness if left refrigerated for a day?
Dee says
August 8, 2018 at 3:06 pmIt needs time to set in the fridge, so it would be fine overnight. 🙂
Norma Ibarra says
December 14, 2018 at 4:59 pmI made this my family loved it, only had 1 problem my crust stuck to the bottom of the pan. Any tips for that not happening again? Thank you.
Dee says
December 19, 2018 at 11:22 pmI’ve never had that happen before. The butter in the crust should keep it from sticking to the pan. I’m happy to hear your family liked it, though. 🙂
Pamela says
December 29, 2018 at 6:08 pmMy mom is wanting this very much bc the nursing home has really sweet desserts and wants something more fresh! It looks really fun and easy to make and more exciting I bet with our first bite! Thank you
Ladywolff says
February 2, 2019 at 10:59 amEasy to make, this is heavenly! I highly recommended this recipe it is light and creamy and the taste is amazing! It’s like eating a piece of sunshine. 5 🌟 all the way! Thanks for sharing!
Dee says
February 2, 2019 at 1:13 pmThank you so much! So happy you liked it!
Lucyann says
February 23, 2019 at 11:35 amCan you use pre made graham cracker
Dee says
February 23, 2019 at 9:52 pmYou might need 2 of them, but you can try it.
lara says
April 11, 2019 at 7:01 pmThis is really good. Its not real sweet but it taste refreshing. My crust as well stuck to the bottom and was very hard to cut. None the less very good
Dee says
April 16, 2019 at 1:12 pmHmm. I’ve never had that problem. So glad you liked it! 🙂
Kathy Davenport says
May 10, 2019 at 5:09 amLooks really good. Showing my age—I remember Dream Whip, a sort of precursor to Cool Whip. It was a dry mix in a blue box. Mama often used convenience food, but I can’t remember how it was made (add water?). I recall her having to whip it with the mixer.