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Healthy Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

Updated: Mar 26, 2021

These Healthy Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes are so delicious! They have a jammy pineapple filling that is so fresh and fruity, enclosed by a buttery shortbread! They are also gluten free, reduced sugar, and grain free!

No one has EVER created a healthy Taiwanese pineapple cake recipe! At least, not in English! So I thought I would create the BEST EVER healthy Taiwanese pineapple cake!


What are Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes?


Taiwanese pineapple cakes, as you could probably tell from the image, are not actually cakes at all! They are a traditional Taiwanese "pastry"! Never mind... they are not a pastry either. But they are a shortbread cookie with a sweet pineapple jam filling inside! So I decided to create an almond flour shortbread with a reduced-sugar pineapple filling to go inside. And it turned out wonderful!


The Ingredients


For the shortbread, you are going to need:

  • Melted butter: Butter acts as a binder. You could also substitute it with coconut oil.

  • Cream Cheese: The cream cheese provides a nice tang that is traditionally in Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes.

  • Honey: To sweeten up the shortbread, and is full of antioxidants.

  • Salt: Provides and extra depth of flavor.

  • Almond Flour: The base of this recipe. Do not substitute with another flour, it will change the texture.

  • Tapioca Starch: Acts as a binder. You could also use arrowroot powder, cornstarch, any other starch.

For the filling, you'll need:

  • Pineapple: Fresh or canned will work. The sweetness of the pineapple will determine how much honey to add. So, make sure to pick a sweeter pineapple.

  • Sugar: We're just adding a little bit of sugar. It helps the filling caramelize and turn a gorgeous brown color. You can use any other granulated sweetener of choice that behaves like sugar. Examples: Coconut sugar (it may make the filling a little darker), monk fruit, erythritol, etc.

  • Lemon Juice: This helps bring out a little bit of acidity. If your pineapple is a bit on the sour side, skip this ingredient.

  • Honey: The amount you add WILL be determined by how sweet your pineapple is and your personal preferences. Just taste as you add, starting from 1 tbsp. Honey also helps with the texture of the filling. It makes the filling nice and sticky, and a bit gooey which I absolutely loved.

The Assembly


The assembly may be a little tricky if you don't have a pineapple cake mold. I do not own one either so here are some tips for shaping the pineapple cakes:

  1. Chill the shortbread dough before trying to shape the pineapple cakes. This makes the dough so much firmer and easier to work with. If the dough gets too warm, it will start to crumble and fall apart.

  2. Portion out the pieces. Each dough ball should be 14 grams, or 1 tbsp. The filling should be 10 grams each, which is a little more than 1/2 tbsp. I find this is the best ratio to make assembly the easiest and the tastiest.

  3. Wet your hands when assembling the cakes. It prevents your hands from sticking to the dough/filling and creating a mess. Make sure not to make your hands too wet or the excess moisture would make the pineapple cakes soggy.

Anyways, do not be intimidated by these steps. You will figure it out eventually, and an ugly pineapple cake will still taste good.


Storage


You can store these pineapple cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge for a week. To freeze these, allow them to cool completely, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 month. They won't last that long though!


If you're a more visual person, watch this YouTube video to see the assembly process! (The Measurements in the YouTube Video are Halved)

 

Healthy Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

Prep Time: 2 Hours Cook Time: 14 Minutes

Total: 2 Hours 14 Minutes

Serves: 18


These Healthy Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes are so delicious! They have a jammy pineapple filling that is so fresh and fruity, enclosed by a buttery shortbread! They are also gluten free, reduced sugar, and grain free!


Ingredients


Shortbread:

  • 35 grams (2 1/2 tbsp) butter

  • 18 grams (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) cream cheese

  • 42 grams (2 tbsp) honey

  • 150 grams (1 1/3 cups) almond flour

  • 18 grams (2 1/2 tbsp) tapioca starch*

Filling:

  • 450 grams (3 cups) pineapple

  • 35 grams (3 tbsp) sugar**

  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

  • 35 grams (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) honey


Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, add in butter. Melt the butter, and add in room temperature cream cheese, honey, and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Add in almond flour and tapioca starch, mixing together to form a dough. Refrigerate for around 45 minutes.

  2. To make the filling, add the pineapple to a food processor or blender. Blend to make pineapple puree, until it is fairly smooth. You can leave it chunky if you prefer.

  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pureed pineapple, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook until the excess moisture from the pineapple is evaporated, around 20-30 minutes. Add in the honey. Cook until light golden brown and caramelized, around 10-15 minutes. Place it in the freezer to chill while portioning out the dough.

  4. Take the dough out from the fridge and roll it out into 18 balls that are 14 grams, or 1 tbsp, each. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Also, now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350° F or 175° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  5. To assemble the pineapple cakes, take a ball of dough and flatten it to a disc. Add a 10 gram or 1/2 tbsp piece of filling on top of the dough. Enclose the filling with the dough, close up any cracks, and flatten it slightly. Place it on the baking sheet.

  6. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, then enjoy!

 

Notes


*You could use any other starch such as cornstarch, arrowroot, etc. You could even leave it out and replace it with almond flour.


**Any granulated sweetener of choice that behaves like sugar and can caramelize will work, such as coconut sugar, monk fruit, and erythritol.


Nutritional Info


Serving Size: 1 pineapple cake

Calories: 102 kcal

Fat: 6 g

Carbohydrates: 11 g

Sugars: 8 g

Protein: 2 g

Sodium: 44 mg

Fiber: 1.4 g

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