This Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart is a deliciously tangy, sweet and crunchy tart. The pineapple and lime curd are layered into a ginger coconut macadamia cookie crust and then topped with sweet meringue. The flavor combination works from top to bottom. In addition, once you learn to make each of these elements you can experiment with your own flavor combinations.
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
- Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart Ingredients
- How to Make the Ginger Coconut Cookie Crust
- How to Make Roasted Pineapple
- How to Assemble the Tart
- Pro Tips for Making This Dessert
- Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- More Delicious Tart Recipes
- Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart
Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
This recipe tastes so good because the sweetness of the pineapple and the tartness of the lime curd are an amazing flavor combination. The ginger cookie crust adds a crunchy salty-sweet contrast to the sweetness of the pineapple and that tart lime curd.
Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart Ingredients
This tart consists of three sub recipes:
- Ginger Coconut Cookie Crust
- Roasted Pineapple
- Lime Curd
Any of these recipes can be used by themselves in other desserts. The first two recipes are included in this blog post. Get the Lime Curd recipe here. I've listed the ingredients below for the first two elements.
● Ginger Coconut Cookie Crust Ingredients
The Ginger Cookie Coconut Macadamia Nut crust consists of five ingredients:
- Store bought Ginger Cookies. The Triple Ginger cookies from Trader Joe's have an incredible ginger flavor with just a hint of heat. These are my preferred brand.
- Toasted Sweetened Coconut. Using sweetened coconut ensures that the flavor of the coconut stands out against the strong flavor or the ginger and sweetened coconut is moister than unsweetened coconut which means that the crust won't be dry.
- Roasted Macadamia Nuts. The macadamia nuts add a sweet nutty flavor to the crust
- Kosher Salt. The kosher salt bumps up the flavor of all the other ingredients. If using salted butter decrease the salt by half.
- Unsalted Butter. The butter holds everything together.
Even though the amount of kosher salt is small compared to the other ingredients I called it out because in this recipe I make the crust slightly salty to contrast with the sweetness and tartness of the other ingredients.
● Roasted Pineapple Ingredients
I love roasting fruit and roasting pineapple couldn't be easier. Vanilla and pineapple are an amazing flavor combination which I discovered when I made a dessert from the book a Modern French Pastry.
The roasted pineapple has just 3 ingredients:
- Fresh Pineapple
- Vanilla Bean
- Brown Sugar
How to Make the Ginger Coconut Cookie Crust
Start by toasting the sweetened coconut. This step will take about 7-10 minutes. Set a timer, so you don't forget the coconut and accidentally burn it.
I toast coconut on the bottom rack of the oven near the oven floor because I discovered that the location toasts the coconut more evenly and produces a beautiful brown color.
When the coconut is done, set it aside and allow it to cool to room temperature before combining it with the other ingredients.
While the coconut is toasting, process the ginger cookies in a food processor until the texture is fine and there are no large pieces. Empty the cookie crumbs into a bowl and process the macadamia nuts until chopped into small pieces. Do not over process.
Place the cookie crumbs, coconut, nuts, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until the coconut and nuts look evenly distributed. Add the melted butter and stir together until all the dry ingredients are coated with the melted butter.
Press the cookie crust into in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure the sides look even - that the crust is not noticeable thicker in one place than it is in another.
Place the crust on a cookie rack on a sheet pan and bake for 17 minutes. The crust will firm up and you will see butter bubbling on top when you remove it from the oven.
How to Make Roasted Pineapple
For this recipe you will need 5-6 cups of fresh pineapple which is equal to one large pineapple or two small ones. Cut the pineapple into 2-inch chunks and put them in a large bowl.
Place the brown sugar in a small bowl, scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds to the brown sugar. Mix the the vanilla seeds into the brown sugar using your fingers.
Add the brown sugar to the pineapple, mix them together and then roast the pineapple on a parchment lined half cookie sheet until the sugars start to bubble and get sticky.
When the pineapple is done, scrape it into medium-sized bowl and allow to completely chill in the refrigerator.
Drain the juice from the pineapple by placing in a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl for 30 minutes. Place the juice in a small saucepan. In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Bring the drained pineapple juice to a boil and then add the cornstarch slurry and stir it into the boil juice. The mixture will immediately thicken and begin to bubble. Pour it into a small bowl. Once it has cooled to room temperature combine it with the roasted pineapple.
How to Assemble the Tart
Cut the roasted pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces. Pineapple is fibrous and cutting it into smaller pieces will make it easier to cut the tart. Spread the pineapple on the bottom of the ginger cookie crust into a single layer.
Spread the lime curd on top of the pineapple and use an offset spatula to spread it to the edges of the crust.
Place the tart on a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan and bake it at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. The curd will be slightly firm to the touch, but still jiggle.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. If making this tart the day before serving refrigerate the tart.
Top the tart with whipped cream or use the leftover egg whites from the lime curd to make a Swiss meringue and top it with the meringue. Follow the directions from the Cranberry Meringue Tart for making and torching the meringue.
Pro Tips for Making This Dessert
- The curd, roasted pineapple can be made 1 week advance. The ginger cookie crust can be made 1 days in advance.
- Toasting the coconut in the bottom third of the oven will help the sweetened coconut brown more evenly
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the lime curd to ensure it cooks long enough.
- Macadamia nuts have a high fat content so refrigerate them to keep them from going rancid.
- Use the leftover egg whites from making the curd to make the meringue. If not making the meringue, freeze the egg whites if not using them right away.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
If the cookie crust won't hold together add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix in.
If the line curd is runny, it probably wasn't cooked long enough or up to the right temperature.
Yes, you can use canned pineapple. Thoroughly drain the pineapple before roasting it.
More Delicious Tart Recipes
If you like making pies and tarts check out these other delicious recipes on the Bakes by Brown Sugar blog:
I hope you try the recipe for this amazing Pineapple and Lime Tart. If you do make it please leave a rating and comment below. If post to Instagram tag me at @bakesbybrownsugar and #bakesbybrownsugr.
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Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart
Ingredients
Lime Curd
- Lime Curd See existing blog recipe
Roasted Pineapple
- 5 cups pineapple cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Ginger Coconut Macadamia Cookie Crust
- 9 ounces (255 grams) ginger cookies
- 1/4 cup (21 grams) toasted sweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup (28 grams) toasted macadamia nuts chopped
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 9 tablespoons (127 grams) unsalted butter melted
Swiss Meringue Topping (Optional)
- 5 (150 grams) egg whites
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
Lime Curd
- See my recipe for Lime Curd for the instructions on how to make it. The curd can be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
Roasted Pineapple
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cut up pineapple in a large bowl. Place the brown sugar in a small. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and but the seeds in the sugar. Rub the vanilla into the brown sugar with your fingers until evenly distributed.
- Add the sugar-vanilla mixture to the pineapple and stir together until the pineapple is coated with the sugar. Pour the pineapple onto the baking sheet and spread it out into a single layer. Roast the pineapple for 35 minutes, and stir it with a large spoon every 10 minutes. The pineapple is done when the sugar is bubbly and thickened.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scrape the pineapple and the sugary syrup into a bowl. Use a stiff spatula to get as much of the sugar syrup off the pan as possible.
- Cool the pineapple to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to use. The roasted pineapple can be stored up to 1 week.
- Drain the syrup from the pineapple by placing in a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl for 30 minutes. You should have 4-6 tablespoons of syrup. Place the syrup in a small saucepan. In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
- Bring the drained pineapple syrup to a boil and then add the cornstarch slurry and stir it into the boiling juice. The mixture will immediately thicken and begin to bubble. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl. Once it has cooled to room temperature combine it with the roasted pineapple.
- Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap, gently pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd. Place the curd in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
Ginger Coconut Cookie Crust
- I like the ginger cookie crust a little salty. It’s a nice flavor contrast with the sweet and sour of the other ingredients. Use the full amount of salt if you like it salty, if not just use 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Toasted the coconut until golden brown, 7-10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool slightly. The coconut can be made a few days in advance. Store it in an air-tight container until ready to use.
- While the coconut is toasting, process the ginger cookies in a food processor until the texture is fine and there are no large pieces. Empty the cookie crumbs into a bowl and process the macadamia nuts until chopped into small pieces. Do not over process.
- Place the cookie crumbs, coconut, nuts, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until the coconut and nuts look evenly distributed. Zest the lime directly into the bowl and mix into the ingredients. Add the melted butter and stir together until all the dry ingredients are coated with the melted butter and the mixture starts to clump together.
- Press the cookie crust into in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure the sides look even - that the crust is not noticeable thicker in one place than it is in another.
- Place the crust on a cookie rack on a baking sheet pan and bake for 17 minutes. The crust will firm up and you will see butter bubbling on top when you remove it from the oven.
- Let the tart crust cool to room temperature. The crust can be made 1 day in advance. Once it is cooled wrap in plastic wrap.
Assembling the Tart
- Cut the roasted pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces. Pineapple is fibrous and cutting it into smaller pieces will make it easier to cut the tart. Spread the pineapple on the bottom of the ginger cookie crust into a single layer.
- Spread the lime curd on top of the pineapple and use an offset spatula to spread it to the edges of the crust. Place the tart on a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan and bake it at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. The curd will be slightly firm to the touch, but still jiggle.
- Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. If making this tart the day before serving it, refrigerate it.
- Top the tart with whipped cream or use the leftover egg whites from the lime curd to make a Swiss meringue topping. Add the topping right before serving it.
Swiss Meringue
- Follow the directions from the Cranberry Meringue Tart for making and torching the meringue.
Jenny K says
I made the Roasted Pineapple Lime Curd Tart. It was delicious!! The flavor combinations were all of my favorite things. I did omit a tablespoon of butter from the crust as it seems too oily. I liked your tip on adding a good amount of salt to the crust, it helped balance out the sweet. Thank you so much for sharing!
Sarah Dirlam says
Made this yesterday, and it was a hit at the dinner party I went to!
I had never combined all these flavors and was a little wary, but they're all a match made in heaven!
I didn't use as much pineapple and cutting them very small was a good tip. I didn't add the macadamia nuts to the crust because they are so expensive, and it was still very delicious!
Gaya says
Is it possible to put the meringue (egg whites and sugar, not an Italian meringue) on top and bake it in the oven (without using a blow torch)? If so, what temperature would you suggest and for how long?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Gaya
I haven't tested this recipe with baking the Swiss meringue, but if you do I recommend baking it at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until it turns a light golden brown.