Sweet, tangy, juicy, and wonderfully versatile, pineapple has a way of making almost any recipe feel a little more summery. It can be caramelized over a hot grill, tossed into savory fried rice, blended into a creamy smoothie, transformed into a bright salsa, or baked beneath a layer of buttery brown sugar in a classic upside-down cake.
That versatility makes International Pineapple Day, celebrated on June 27, an especially easy food holiday to enjoy.
You certainly don’t need to wait until June 27 to make these recipes, though. They’re perfect throughout summer when backyard barbecues, picnics, pool days, and casual dinners call for foods with plenty of fresh tropical flavor.
Here are five delicious ways to celebrate pineapple—from breakfast to dessert.
🍍 1. Honey-Lime Grilled Pineapple Skewers
Fresh pineapple becomes even sweeter when it meets a hot grill. The edges caramelize, the fruit develops attractive grill marks, and the combination of honey and lime creates a simple glaze that enhances the pineapple without covering up its natural flavor.
These skewers are wonderful as a barbecue side dish, light dessert, or topping for vanilla ice cream.
Serves
4–6
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
6–8 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into approximately 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- Small pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or neutral oil, optional
- Fresh mint, optional, for serving
- Wooden or metal skewers
Instructions
If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water before grilling according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and melted butter or oil if using.
Thread the pineapple chunks onto the skewers, leaving just a little room between the pieces.
Brush the pineapple lightly with the honey-lime mixture.
Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning as necessary, until the pineapple has visible grill marks and lightly caramelized edges.
Brush with a little more glaze during the final minute of grilling.
Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and garnish with fresh mint if desired.
Serve warm.
🍨 Ways to Serve Grilled Pineapple
Grilled pineapple is delicious straight from the skewer, but it’s also an easy starting point for several summer desserts.
Try serving it over vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of the remaining honey-lime glaze. You could also add toasted coconut, chopped pecans, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
For a savory variation, omit some of the honey and serve the grilled pineapple alongside chicken, pork, shrimp, or grilled fish.
🍚 2. Easy Pineapple Fried Rice
Pineapple fried rice is one of the best examples of pineapple’s ability to work in savory dishes.
Sweet pieces of pineapple mingle with rice, vegetables, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onion, creating plenty of contrast in every bite. The recipe is particularly useful when you have leftover cooked rice in the refrigerator.
Cold rice works beautifully because the grains remain more separate as they fry.
Serves
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold cooked jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, divided
- 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, optional
- 1 small garlic clove, minced, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Lime wedges, optional, for serving
Instructions
Break apart any large clumps in the cold rice with a fork or your fingers before you begin cooking.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add about 1 teaspoon of the cooking oil followed by the beaten eggs. Scramble briefly until just cooked, then transfer the eggs to a plate.
Add the remaining cooking oil to the skillet.
Add the diced onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and carrots, ginger, and garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Add the pineapple and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing some of the pieces to develop a little color.
Add the cold rice.
Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing frequently and breaking apart any remaining clumps.
Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil around the rice and toss well.
Return the scrambled egg to the pan and add most of the green onions.
Cook for another minute or until everything is piping hot.
Taste and add additional soy sauce or black pepper if needed.
Top with the remaining green onions and serve with lime wedges if desired.
🌶️ Make Your Pineapple Fried Rice Your Own
This recipe is easy to adapt to whatever you have in the refrigerator.
You could add diced bell pepper, edamame, cashews, mushrooms, corn, or shredded carrots.
For a heartier meal, add cooked chicken, shrimp, pork, tofu, or another favorite protein.
A little sriracha, chili crisp, or sliced fresh chile can give the sweet pineapple a spicy contrast.
Just avoid overloading the skillet. Fried rice cooks best when there is enough surface area for the ingredients to actually fry rather than steam.
🥥 3. Creamy Pineapple Coconut Smoothie
If you’d rather drink your pineapple, this cool and creamy Pineapple Coconut Smoothie takes just a few minutes to prepare.
Pineapple and coconut are natural partners, while banana adds sweetness and body. Greek yogurt makes the smoothie extra creamy and gives it enough substance to work as a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.
Using frozen pineapple creates the thickest texture, but fresh pineapple works perfectly well too.
Serves
2
Prep Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk beverage
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup ice, optional
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional
- Toasted coconut, optional, for garnish
Instructions
Place the pineapple, banana, coconut milk, Greek yogurt, and lime juice in a blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
If you’d like a thicker, colder smoothie, add the ice and blend again.
Taste before adding any sweetener. A ripe banana and sweet pineapple may provide all the sweetness you need.
If desired, blend in a teaspoon or two of honey or maple syrup.
Divide between two glasses and serve immediately.
Add a little toasted coconut on top if you’d like to dress things up.
🍌 Easy Smoothie Variations
For a greener smoothie, blend in a handful of baby spinach. The pineapple and banana will remain the dominant flavors.
You can also add mango for an even more tropical combination or strawberries for a pineapple-strawberry smoothie.
To make the recipe dairy-free, substitute a dairy-free yogurt for the Greek yogurt.
For an especially frosty drink, freeze peeled banana slices ahead of time and use them in place of a fresh banana.
🌶️ 4. Fresh Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa
Pineapple salsa is everything a good summer condiment should be: colorful, crisp, juicy, tangy, and just a little spicy.
Fresh pineapple provides the sweetness, jalapeño contributes heat, red onion adds crunch, and lime juice brightens the whole bowl.
Serve this salsa with tortilla chips or spoon it generously over tacos, grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, or pork.
Makes
About 3 cups
Prep Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely diced fresh pineapple
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely minced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 large lime
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
Combine the pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and red bell pepper, if using, in a medium bowl.
Pour the lime juice over the ingredients and sprinkle with salt.
Gently toss everything together.
Taste and adjust the lime juice and salt as needed.
Allow the salsa to rest in the refrigerator for about 15 to 30 minutes if you have time. This gives the flavors a chance to mingle.
Give it another stir immediately before serving.
🔥 How Spicy Should Pineapple Salsa Be?
That is completely up to you.
For a mild salsa, remove the jalapeño seeds and inner membranes and start with half of the pepper.
For more heat, use the entire jalapeño or leave some of the membrane attached.
You can also substitute serrano pepper if you enjoy a noticeably hotter salsa.
The sweetness of pineapple balances chile heat beautifully, so this is an easy recipe to customize.
🌮 What to Serve With Pineapple Salsa
Beyond tortilla chips, try spooning pineapple salsa onto:
- Fish tacos
- Shrimp tacos
- Grilled salmon
- Grilled chicken
- Pork tenderloin
- Black bean tacos
- Rice bowls
- Burrito bowls
- Grilled ahi tuna
- Quesadillas
It can transform a very simple grilled dinner into something that tastes fresh and summery.
🍰 5. Classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
No pineapple recipe roundup would feel complete without pineapple upside-down cake.
This wonderfully retro dessert begins with a buttery layer of brown sugar topped with pineapple rings and bright red maraschino cherries. Cake batter goes on top, but after baking, the entire cake is inverted to reveal the glossy fruit underneath.
The moment when you lift away the cake pan is half the fun.
Serves
8–10
Prep Time
25 minutes
Bake Time
35–45 minutes
For the Pineapple Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices in juice
- Maraschino cherries, optional
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.
Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the pan and spread it evenly.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter.
Drain the pineapple slices, reserving a little of the juice for the cake batter.
Arrange the pineapple rings over the brown sugar. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring if desired.
Set the prepared pan aside while you make the batter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla.
Add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Add approximately half of the milk.
Continue alternating the dry ingredients and milk, ending with the flour mixture.
Stir in the reserved pineapple juice.
Spread the batter gently over the pineapple layer, being careful not to disturb the fruit arrangement.
Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Run a thin knife carefully around the edge.
Place a serving plate upside down over the cake pan. Holding the plate and pan firmly together, carefully flip them over in one confident movement.
Let the pan sit over the cake for a moment before gently lifting it away.
If a piece of pineapple happens to remain in the pan, simply place it back onto the cake.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
🍒 Tips for a Beautiful Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Drain the pineapple well before arranging it in the pan. Excess liquid can interfere with the caramelized brown-sugar topping.
Arrange the fruit carefully before adding the batter because whatever you place on the bottom of the pan will ultimately become the top of the cake.
Most importantly, don’t let the baked cake cool completely in its pan before turning it out. The butter-and-sugar topping becomes stickier as it cools.
At the same time, don’t invert it immediately out of the oven. Giving it about 10 to 15 minutes to settle makes the cake easier to handle.
🍍 Fresh Pineapple or Canned Pineapple?
Both have a place in these recipes.
I prefer fresh pineapple for the grilled skewers, fried rice, smoothie, and salsa because its firm texture and bright flavor work especially well in those preparations.
For pineapple upside-down cake, canned rings are wonderfully convenient. They’re evenly sliced, easy to arrange, and provide the classic look associated with the dessert.
Frozen pineapple is particularly useful for smoothies because it thickens and chills the drink without requiring as much ice.
In other words, don’t feel as though one form of pineapple is universally better. Choose the version that best suits the recipe.
🔪 Preparing Fresh Pineapple Safely
Even though you don’t eat the pineapple’s rough outer skin, rinse the whole fruit under running water before cutting it.
This helps reduce the chance of transferring dirt or microorganisms from the exterior to the edible fruit with your knife.
Place the pineapple on a stable cutting board and remove the crown and base. Stand it upright and carefully slice downward to remove the peel.
Remove any remaining dark “eyes,” then quarter the pineapple lengthwise and cut away the tough core.
From there, you can cut the flesh into rings, spears, chunks, or small dice depending on your recipe.
🌞 Which Pineapple Recipe Should You Make?
Can’t decide?
For a summer barbecue, make the honey-lime grilled pineapple.
For a quick weeknight dinner, choose pineapple fried rice.
For breakfast or an afternoon snack, blend the pineapple coconut smoothie.
For taco night or grilling night, make fresh pineapple salsa.
And when you’re celebrating with dessert, bring out the pineapple upside-down cake.
Or make International Pineapple Day a true celebration and try more than one.
🎉 More Ways to Celebrate International Pineapple Day
June 27 doesn’t have to involve an elaborate party. Sometimes a food holiday is simply a good excuse to try an ingredient in a new way.
Buy a fresh pineapple if you’ve never cut one yourself.
Throw pineapple slices onto the grill after dinner.
Mix fresh pineapple into a fruit salad.
Make pineapple salsa for taco night.
Freeze chunks for future smoothies.
Bake a pineapple dessert.
You could even create a small pineapple tasting with fresh, grilled, and chilled fruit to see how dramatically different preparation methods change its flavor and texture.
The idea is simply to have a little fun with one of summer’s most recognizable tropical fruits.
🍍 A Tropical Ingredient for Every Course
Part of what makes pineapple so much fun in the kitchen is that it refuses to stay in one category.
It can be breakfast.
It can be salsa.
It can be dinner.
It can be dessert.
One moment it is cool and refreshing in a smoothie, and the next it is sizzling over a grill or caramelizing beneath brown sugar and butter.
So whether you’re marking International Pineapple Day on June 27 or simply looking for an excuse to bring a little tropical flavor into your summer cooking, pick a recipe and slice open a pineapple.
Better yet, try all five.
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