Pineapple Cookies (Singapore Pineapple Tarts)

Super Tasty Chinese New Year Pineapple Tarts

These Pineapple Tart Cookies are one of the very best snacks to make during Chinese New Year! It’s such a popular snack in South East Asia and Lunar New Year would not be the same without them. 

Pineapple Tarts consist of a crumbly pastry filled with sweet pineapple jam. They are melt-in-the-mouth delights and are usually decorated with a pineapple-like design.

How To Make Singapore Pineapple Cookies?

To make these delicious Pineapple Tarts, you’ll need to prepare two main steps: 

Pineapple Jam — The pineapple jam consists of just three ingredients:

• Fresh pineapple

• Sugar

• Water

To make the jam, simply chop the pineapple into smaller pieces before simmering it in water for 20-30 minutes. If the pineapple is not very sweet, adding sugar will help make the pineapple jam tastier.

Once the pineapple is soft, blend it until you reach a jam consistency. 

Shortbread-like pastry/dough — To make the outer layer of the pineapple tarts, you’ll need:

• Flour

• Butter

• Sugar

• Salt

To assemble, simply whisk the butter and sugar together until you reach a creamy consistency. Sieve in the flour and salt before kneading the contents into a dough.

How To Assemble The Tarts:

1. Roll 7g of the dough into a small ball before flattening it into an oval shape

2. Place 1-2g of pineapple jam in the centre of the oval-shaped dough.

3. Pinch the dough together around the pineapple jam.

4. Even out the dough. You should be left with a cylindrical shaped pineapple tart.

How To Decorate Pineapple Cookies

To decorate the pineapple cookies, use the back of a knife to gently create a pineapple-like pattern. It should be a nice criss-cross design. This will flatten the pineapple tarts slightly. 

Brush some egg wash over the pineapple tarts before placing them in the oven. This will help the pineapple tarts turn golden brown. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 190º for 10-12 minutes. 

Can You Freeze Pineapple Tarts?

Yes, you can freeze these tasty pineapple tarts! This recipe makes around 50 pineapple tarts. My family likes to make a batch of these pineapple tarts and either freeze them, or give them to family friends on Lunar New Year. 

Where To Buy Pineapple Tarts: Singapore

Singapore Pineapple Tarts are one of the tastiest pineapple cookies you can try! When I lived there, buying these pineapple tarts over Chinese New Year was tradition. If you happen to find yourself in Singapore around January-February time, look out for delicious pineapple tarts being sold at Takashimaya. Those are the best store-bought pineapple tarts I’ve ever tried and I highly recommend! 

Hints And Tips To Bake The Best Pineapple Tarts:

• If your pineapple is not very sweet, add slightly more sugar.

• Drain the pineapple jam if there is excess water. This will make it easier to wrap the pineapple tarts.

• I like to use 7g of dough to 1-2g of pineapple jam. This keeps the pineapple tarts a consistent size with enough pineapple sweetness to complement the crumbly shortcake exterior. 

• Adding the egg wash at the end is for decoration and is not a necessity but it helps the pineapple tarts turn golden brown. 

More Delicious Chinese Desserts:

• Chinese Almond Cookies

• Pandan Chiffon Cake

• Almond Florentines

Final Thoughts On These Homemade Pineapple Tarts —

If there was one dessert you should make on Chinese New Year it’s this one! It’s such a tasty melt-in-the-mouth snack that everyone will love. It’s definitely a crowd-favourite amongst my family and a festive snack I highly recommend!

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