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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
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
- 20 individual graham crackers, crushed see Notes
Topping
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ 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
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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
Hi! 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?
I’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.
Can this dessert be made ahead of time and frozen for later ?
Thanks
I haven’t tried freezing it, but you can make it ahead of time and let it firm up in the fridge for several hours.
Can you cut back some of the sugar in this recipe?
You could try, but the consistency might not be the same.
Can you give me an idea of how many points this would be per serving? Thanks!!! And it is absolutely delicious!!!!!
I’m glad you liked it, Ruthie! It’s an old recipes, so I don’t have any info on points, though. Sorry! 🙂
This 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?
I 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. 🙂
i just loved it.
I am curious to know if these cut like bars or is it fluffy? I need it to be firm. It sounds like a bowl type dessert. What is everyone’s experience?
This is firm enough to cut into squares — just like the picture. 🙂
I made it!!
Came out nice and firm. Lots of compliments!
Thank you
That’s awesome, June! So glad everyone liked it!
Roast the coconut if you have time. It destroys the no bake premise.
Do you think I can use canned mandarin oranges? My sister in law hates pineapple
I don’t know if the consistency would be the same, but you could definitely try it. 🙂
My hubby a I tried mandarin oranges and it wasn’t very good. Plus kept getting little bits of skin from the fruit. You may like it but we didn’t care for it.
We use Oreo cookie crumbs instead of graham wafers, mixed with some butter to bind. Save a few crumbs to sprinkle on top. Tastes amazing!
Sounds wonderful! I’ll have to try it this way next time. 🙂