I was craving pineapple the other day, so I hopped on my beach cruiser and rode to my local market to grab one. Luckily, the market was having a serious sale on fresh pineapples– one large pineapple set me back only a mere $2.43! (That’s even cheaper than a tin of canned pineapples.)
I love enjoying pineapple fresh, but for baking purposes, I caramelize them in a mixture of brown sugar, butter and vanilla. This is a quick and easy way to transform pineapples into something a bit fancier. Top the warm, caramelized slices of pineapple with some vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, decadent dessert.
At my bakery, Sugar Blossom Bake Shop, we use these pineapples to top our Piña Colada Cupcakes.
If you’d like more delicious recipes like this, including cupcake recipes from Sugar Blossom, check out my cookbook Beach House Baking on amazon. 🙂
Caramelized Pineapples
Ingredients
- 1 large pineapple peeled and cored
- 1 cup butter (unsalted), 2 sticks
- 1½ cups brown sugar light
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Slice the pineapple into ¼-inch thick rings. Use a round cutter to remove the core from each ring.
- Melt butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a saute pan over medium heat. Add one layer of pineapple rings and cook for 2 minutes in a low boil. Flip over the rings and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until rings are tender. Length of cooking will depend on how ripe the pineapple is. Transfer to plate to cool. Cook remaining pineapple with same method.
- Store pineapples in refrigerator.