I’d never thought of using pineapple as a baked fruit filling, but the first try had me wondering what took me so long. The filling is juicy and bright, and the pie is nicely sliceable. Roasting the pineapple concentrates the flavor, which is as helpful when it’s crazy juicy as it is when you accidentally pick one that’s a little underwhelming. (You can par-bake the pie crust while the pineapple roasts, if you like.) I also love this pie topped with fresh or macerated fruit, such as strawberries or raspberries.
Ingredients
- 2 large pineapples trimmed, cored, cut into ½-inch rings and then into chunks (about 10 cups)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cool water or pineapple juice
- One 9-inch, parbaked, brushed with egg wash and cooled completely
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°, with racks in the upper and lower third of the oven (preferably with a Baking Steel or stone on the bottom rack).
Place the pineapple on a baking sheet. Add the brown sugar and toss with the pineapple until it’s well coated. Spread the pineapple out into an even layer and roast on the upper oven rack until it caramelizes to a golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
While the pineapple roasts, combine the lime juice, honey, cinnamon and vanilla bean seeds in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir to melt the honey, then simmer for 1 minute longer.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water (or pineapple juice) to form a paste. Whisk the mixture into the lime juice mixture and stir until it thickens. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the pineapple to a medium bowl and add the lime juice mixture, tossing well to coat. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
Place the cooled crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently transfer the pineapple mixture to the crust. Transfer the pie to the oven and bake on the lower rack until the crust is evenly browned and the pineapple is soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving.
This pie is best eaten the day it is prepared. Store leftovers at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.
About this recipe
RECOMMENDED CRUSTS: Rough Puff Pastry, Citrus Roll-Out Cookie Crust, Coconut Macaroon Crust)
RECOMMENDED FINISHES: Salted Caramel Sauce, Classic Whipped Cream, Extra-Clumpy Prebaked Streusel
Excerpted from THE BOOK ON PIE: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies © 2020 by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Photography © 2020 by Mark Weinberg. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Cookbook Club Notes: This pie surprised all of us. Person after person asked if I’d tried the roasted pineapple pie, and when I took my first bite of the pie Amanda Rizzo had baked, I could see why. Roasting the fruit lent this pie complex, caramelized notes, which balanced the pineapple’s acidic zing. Amanda topped her pie with chiffon-light whipped cream, perfectly offsetting this pie’s riot of jammy fruit. Trust us, you’ll want to try this one!
