What flavor says summer to you? For me its not watermelon, but pineapple. Not just pineapple but pineapple pie. Not just pineapple pie but my Nana’s Pineapple Pie. A pie that is both sweet, tangy, creamy and with the perfect balance between the crunchy graham cracker crust and the chewy tender bits of pineapple waiting in the filling. Have you had pineapple pie? Most people are familiar with lemon meringue pie, cherry/strawberry pie or key lime pie but I have found through my culinary adventures (meaning talking with friends) that pineapple pie is poorly underrated.
I see underrated dishes as an opportunity/a challenge to create a new twist on the dish that will knock people’s socks off! So what does one do when one wants to take an old classic and put a spectacular new modern spin on it? Well, one turns a simple pineapple pie into an icy cold handheld bar, combines good old fashioned Keebler Graham Crackers with ground pistachios and then covers the top in chocolate. I know right!! Call me the spin doctor! I have always been a huge fan of the fruit and chocolate combination and I thought what better way to top off my frozen pineapple bars than with rich dark Dove Chocolate? I mean, nothing is better than chocolate and you will be hard pressed to find any chocolate better than Dove.
My favorite part about these bars is the filling. It is homemade pineapple sherbet- not sorbet- but sherbet! Yep, you remember that stuff your mom would feed you when you got your tonsils taken out or those frozen orange sherbet push-pops they sold after lunch at school. That is what we are using for our pie bars and it could not be any more perfect. The homemade sherbet is soft and creamy with an overload of pineapple (you don’t have to overload I guess but then where is the fun in that?) so that you get a nice pineapple chunk in almost every bite. The crust stands up perfectly against the sherbet and you literally feel like you are eating a frozen pineapple pie but kicked up a notch of course with the combo crust and layer of dark chocolate.
The pineapple bars are sweet, cold, refreshing and easy. You can take the super easy route and buy your pineapple sherbet but take it from me- my homemade pineapple sherbet is out of this world delicious and will soon be a summer staple in your home. These bars take me back to my childhood and memories of eating pineapple pie on my grandmother’s dock in the hot summer and they are just the beginning of many memories I am making with my own kids. As always, if you are not a pineapple fan (Oh-the horror) then feel free to substitute the pineapple with lime, lemon, coconut or even strawberry. My Frozen Chocolate Covered Pineapple Bars with Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust has all the right moves of the perfect summer dessert and I know you will relish each bite.
Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by DOVE® Dark Chocolate via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Dove or Momtrends.
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- Pineapple Sherbet: (you may use store-bought sherbet if you would like)
- ½ can crushed pineapples
- 1 TBSP pineapple juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 TBSP coconut juice
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 quart of buttermilk
- The Crust:
- ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup shelled pistachios
- 1 cup finely ground graham-cracker crumbs (12-14 Keebler Graham Crackers)
- 4 TBSP sugar
- 1 TBSP grated lemon zest
- Chocolate Layer:
- 16 ounces of Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Pieces or 2 bars of Dove Dark Chocolate
- For the Sherbet:
- Combine all ingredients except for the buttermilk into in a large sauce pan. Heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove and allow to cool completely. Stir in the buttermilk and then place into a freezer safe container. Cover and freeze for 1 hour. Stir every hour for 3 hours.
- For the Crust:
- Mix together in a large bowl your graham cracker crumbs, pistachio crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into a parchment lined 8x8 pan. Place in freezer for just 10-15 minutes until very firm. Then gently spread your sherbet onto the crust. Put it back into the freezer for another 30 minutes until firm. Melt your chocolate in a double broiler on medium to low heat stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. Immediately pour over the pineapple sherbet layer-spread to all four corners. Wrap your pan tightly in plastic wrap and return to the freezer for another 30 minutes. Cut and serve cold on a nice hot summer day!
Is it o.k. to post a recipe that looks this delicious? Is it even legal? Oh, who cares, I will be putting this on our summer menu because I remember my grandmother’s pineapple pie. I remember High’s Ice Cream used to have the best pineapple sherbet and I loved it with fudge sauce on top! Thanks for the memories….and the recipe!
Best,
Bonnie
I love everything about these bars…esp. the creamy pineapple sherbet filling. Awesome!
I like pineapples and chocolate, now I am craving this delicious treat.
Wow, these are so cool and perfect for the hot days ahead. I’m a big pineapple fan.
Sam
What a great summer treat! I want summer to come soon so I can make these.
I’m loving all things pineapple this time of year. This is such a creative and delicious recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Wow this sounds like a mouthful! I love all these ingredients. I bet it’s not just delicious but refreshing as well! Thanks for sharing this.
Oh my word! Love, love, love this dessert! I adore pineapple and could eat it everyday. I especially love in frozen then tossed into smoothies. Yum – but with this beautiful dark Dove chocolate – oh my!
hi jess, you’re right about the popular pies and all i can think of a popular pineapple treat is the pineapple upside down cake. I like the pineapple sherbet filling , indeed very special. you asked about the GF for chiffon cakes, actually i’m not too sure myself but i just checked and found this link that uses all rice flour to make chiffon cake and looks good, guess it’s workable 🙂
http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/community/dairy-gluten-free-lemon-chiffon-cake-recipe
Oh how this makes me miss summer Belle! Delicious.
Have a wonderful weekend.
🙂 Mandy xo
I’ve never tried pineapple pie before. I’ve been missing out!
your right about these being perfect for summer.. awesome idea! could definitely devour a couple of these bars right about now. they look too good!
What I want to how is how I’ve lived my life thus far without trying pineapple pie! Or chocolate covered pineapple anything. FOR SHAME. Love the sound of these!
Just the thought of all that juicy pineapple in the filling, and the Dove chocolate is making me crazy. I love coming across a recipe that is unlike anything I’ve seen — great job!!
I’ve never seen anything like these little beauties. My dad also loves pineapple, so he will adore these. The sherbet is genius.
What a gorgeous flavour pairing! I bet these are fresh and tasty! Love the pistachio graham cracker crust – wow!
Really love your creative dishes (both savory and sweets)! I could think of pineapple sorbet…but that’s it! This is unique and great combination of pineapple, chocolate, and crust! YUM!
so appealing, these pineapple bars. now, I know about Pineapple Pie, but have never had a really good one—Please share your Nana’s recipe!